INC. BRANDED CONTENT / HUMAN RESOURCES
Large enterprises have long viewed human resources (HR) as a critical strategic asset. However, it remained little more than an
administrative nuisance in the eyes of many
small and midsize businesses (SMBs). That’s
been changing radically in recent years,
thanks to a revolution in HR technology.
A new generation of HR tech tools,
many of them cloud-based and affordable,
has emerged. They provide SMBs with
access to resources once only available
to very big companies. “These systems
not only provide robust functionality, they
incorporate best practices embedded in
the solution,” says Lav Gandhi, senior con-
sultant at T.H. Easter Consulting.
Technology is fundamentally changing the way SMBs perceive and utilize the
HR function within their organizations.
“Technology’s ability to help businesses
manage performance has played a key role
in elevating the HR function overall,” says
Paul Sarvadi, co-founder, chairman and CEO
of Insperity. “It’s helped increase awareness
among SMB owners that having a people
strategy pays off in meaningful ways.”
HR technology’s most visible impact has
been its ability to make the administrative
and transactional aspects of managing a
workforce more efficient and effective. It’s
also made it easier to share information
once siloed in the HR department with the
rest of the company. But the most impor-
tant development is how it enables HR to
analyze the data collected and “leverage
those insights to create recommendations,
lead management efforts, and, ultimately,
evolve their role as a strategic contributor
for the organization,” says Christina Zurek,
recognition and incentives solutions man-
ager at ITA Group.
Research bears that out. Seventy-five
percent of SMB HR leaders in a recent survey said technology has enabled them to
become more strategic and efficient in their
jobs. More than two-thirds said they have
moved beyond traditional administrative
functions and are now part of leadership
conversations about business direction.
“That’s where we see technology really
going,” Sarvadi says. “Ultimately, it has to
facilitate a preferred outcome and provide
actionable information, which you have to
know what to do with once you receive it.
The technology alone is not enough. It takes
a combination of HR expertise and effec-
tive technology to achieve the preferred
outcomes.”
“With so many HR technology options
available to SMBs, choosing the right provid-
er is important,” says Sally Winston, global
head of employee research for Engine
Group. “Think first about what you really
need and how the technology will help you
with a broader goal that’s designed to drive
a specific outcome.”
Having a strategic, systematic HR function
in place improves the success equation for
SMBs on two fronts. “When your people are
aligned with your strategic objectives, your
performance as a company is going to be bet-
ter. At the same time, you’re better equipped
to manage compliance risk, and that protects
the company’s profits,” Sarvadi says. “It’s a
combination that provides optimal value for
any business, and Insperity provides it in a
plug-and-play formulation with our Workforce
Optimization® offering.”
“Technology’s ability
to help businesses
manage performance
has played a key role
in elevating the HR
function overall.”
— Paul Sarvadi, co-founder, chairman
and CEO of Insperity
SMBs: The Front
Line of the HR
Tech Revolution
A new wave of accessible technology,
combined with the right expertise,
makes HR a strategic asset for SMBs.
