Johannesburg, 21 Jul 2016
Myth one: The HR function can't be centralised and personalised
* Myth: The HR industry has long argued whether it was beneficial to centralise or decentralise the HR function for global companies. Talent management notes the centralised HR function seems to be stuck "in a one-size-fits-all mentality".
* Oracle point of view (POV): Today's cloud HR solutions enable organisations of all sizes with employees and offices in different locations across the globe to seamlessly centralise HR operations and functions, with interactive tools that provide more consumer-like experiences and greater personalisation for employees. The technology can drive greater efficiency from an administrative standpoint and create more flexibility to work directly with employees on training and development, says Ronnie Toerien, HCM Sales Development & Strategy Leader, Africa, at Oracle.
* Evidence: According to focus group studies conducted by Oracle at HCM World in April 2016, 84% of HR professionals polled expect cloud solutions that can be agile and flexible, and 60% want vendors they can trust and partner with on a long-term basis.
Myth two: HR departments will lose functionality and will not be as secure when moving to the cloud
* Myth: Companies that have spent a significant amount of money on HR systems can be hesitant to replace it due to the cost and complexity of the replacement process. But, many HR leaders are concerned they will lose the customisation of current systems. This is coupled with ensuring a company's safety and security are not compromised when moving to cloud solutions.
* Oracle POV: Because solutions can be implemented quickly, and have users up and running with little training, and provide robust functionality, companies can gain a competitive advantage by choosing a cloud solution versus continuing to leverage legacy solutions. Cloud software today offers powerful features that some of the largest companies in the world use to transform their HR operations, while also being among the most secure platforms available.
* Evidence: According to focus group studies conducted by Oracle at HCM World in April 2016, 68% of HR professionals polled have integration concerns when it comes to cloud adoption. Yet, 69% see the potential economic value benefits that come with cloud technology. When looking at other competitors, Oracle was ranked as the top vendor that provides superior security (Oracle: 62%, SAP: 55%, Workday: 44%) and offered products and services that met their needs (Oracle: 60%, SAP: 48%, Workday: 50%).
Myth three: Modern HR solutions will ruin workplace culture
* Myth: While 'cultural fit' takes centre stage, a recent article in Talent Management argues that many firms are grappling with workplace culture. According to a 2015 survey from the Human Capital Media Advisory Group, the research arm of Talent Management, many companies (68%) said they seek to change company culture to improve employee engagement, create a more collaborative environment (54%), increase employee retention (44%) and innovation (41%).
* Oracle POV: Modern HR technology enables organisations to more effectively build a collaborative culture that drives better communication between people, better productivity across teams, and increased knowledge sharing across departments.
Myth four: Predictive analytics is a nice-to-have for HR teams
* Myth: According to an article in TechTarget, an annual Deloitte survey of business and HR leaders found HR analytics is one of the most important human capital trends in 2016. The report goes on to note: "Organisations are entering a 'golden age' of HR predictive analytics, and progress could accelerate in such areas as recruiting and retaining talent, and scheduling of workers."
* Oracle POV: The use of predictive analytics offer organisations several benefits, including enabling organisations of all sizes to analyse current, historical, and forward-thinking data to anticipate and shape future outcomes, such as hiring needs and retention of employees. In order for HR to be successful in analytics, it must embrace the shift towards predictive analytics.
* Evidence: According to focus group studies conducted by Oracle at HCM World in April 2016, 67% of HR respondents saw superior analytics and reporting as an important factor when selecting HCM software, with 58% of respondents claiming Oracle led in this area when compared to competitors.
Myth five: The performance review process has to be painful
* Myth: In an Oracle blog, a customer expressed concern over talent management, and how the customer believed, like many others, the review processes no longer work and essentially drive talent away, instead of finding the best places within the organisation for that talent. This sentiment is shared by Bloomberg, which also recently covered this topic, stating: "Few rituals of the modern workplace evoke more dread than the annual performance review."
* Oracle's POV: Oracle would explain how different solutions enable HR professionals to take the pressure off individual employees and teams by analysing talent performance and potential and risk of attrition. The focus would be improving the workforce through technology, and showcasing how data insights can be automatically pulled from talent performance reviews and then used by HR staff to find the appropriate position for the employee within the workplace.
Myth six: Organisations need dedicated HR policies for millennials
* Myth: As stated in an Oracle blog, HR professionals are now dealing with a global issue of employees postponing retirement, while a new generation of workers also enters the workforce. HR professionals have to deal with older employees as well as millennials, and there is a misconception that millennials have different, more demanding expectations of their employer. This sentiment was also shared by a recent Deloitte survey. However, what they are missing is that the millennials are not unlike their generational counterparts. All employees, regardless of age, are seeking the same workplace environment, training and goals - they just need to go about it differently for each generation.
* Oracle's POV: Oracle can approach this myth by explaining how technology solutions empower HR professionals to deliver information instantly, while also accommodating employees across the generations by allowing for customisation per user and functionality based on the user's role. Mobile technology and the instant access to information from anywhere and on any device to create more consumer-like tablet experiences also caters nicely to the younger millennial generation workforce Additionally, the social community elements the cloud offers helps to increase employee engagement and collaboration, as employees can access information readily from any device at any time.
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