Technological solutions are used to support most aspects of business today. From customer service to ecommerce and more you can be sure that IT departments are kept busy. Technology and HR is nothing new but a strengthened relationship between HR and IT departments can help your company leverage hiring potential, justify costs and add more value to the business.
The two departments typically don’t have much reason to mingle beyond the standard office IT woes. But in fact a strong relationship between HR and IT is beneficial for the company as a whole. Using HR software to meet your hiring quotas and needs is the norm rather than the exception nowadays but HR personnel are not the technology experts nor should they be expected to be. Involving IT in the set-up and training of applicant tracking systems and onboarding software allows them to better understand the needs of the HR department and better equips IT to deal with problems or glitches as they arise.
Fixing technological glitches is not the only benefit to an enhanced relationship between HR and IT. Qualified IT employees can assist the HR department greatly in assessing and analysing user data. Since IT are the recognised experts in that area, they can help the HR department make sense of what is working and what isn’t. When the IT department understands the hiring strategy and the software the HR department uses, they can assist in identifying gaps and proposing solutions.
They can also be great allies in supporting reports to executives to justify costs, as they are able to interpret and track user data. Then departments are backed up by other departments the business executives will have a harder time dismissing reports, making complaints and slashing budgets. When HR reports are backed up by IT data interpretations, they gain a level of legitimacy that they otherwise would not have had. It’s a win-win for both departments.
It would be great if all departments worked together but that isn’t the reality of big business. The partnering of HR and IT is an often-overlooked relationship but is one that is undeniably mutually beneficial.
