(PR in) HR Pulse | HR News Round-up: August
Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash
Why the Rise of AI is Making Firms Merge HR and IT
It’s in the name, HR looks after the people of the organisation, and IT looks after the tech – so why are they in the management spotlight, with a merger between the two teams being considered?
The BBC has written an article exploring why organisations are bringing together Human Resources (HR) and IT under a unified leadership, largely driven by advancements in AI.
A survey carried out by Nexthink revealed that 64% of senior IT decision-makers at large firms expect such a merger to take place within five years.
Biotech company Moderna, is among the most prominent examples: their Chief People and Digital Technology Officer, Tracey Franklin, now considers herself an architect of how work is done, overseeing both HR and IT for the firm. Her role is focused on redesigning workflows to determine what tasks are best performed by humans versus technology, especially AI tools. Moderna has partnered with OpenAI and rolled out thousands of customised GPT agents across business and HR processes.
Although the leadership structure has changed, Franklin emphasises the importance of still having the experts in the HR and IT teams.
Similarly, Covisian combined its HR and IT teams under a single leader, Fabio Sattolo, improving collaboration by developing both people and IT together. By having one decision maker in charge, Sattolo has found an increase in effectiveness and speed. An example of this is their new job-posting tool, developed by the combined HR/IT section, doubled employee responses.
While merging these departments expects faster implementation, better digital tool adoption, and more seamless employee experience, critics caution that HR and IT have distinct expertise that could be diluted if not managed carefully.
An interesting article, read it here
Using AI at work – but don’t want to tell the boss
A recent survey from Cox Business reported that nearly half of Generation Z and millennial employees (47%) worry that AI might displace their jobs, discouraging them from openly acknowledging their use of artificial intelligence in their work. With a further 30% unfamiliar with their company’s AI policy or reported that there wasn’t one.
These younger workers use AI tools to streamline tasks, but often via personal apps rather than employer-provided software. This contributes to what’s known as "shadow IT," potentially increasing security risks.
The survey also found that over 60% of respondents felt overwhelmed by the multitude of tools available to them, and only 16% believed they had a meaningful voice in their organisation’s technology decisions.
Looking ahead, many Gen Z and millennial employees anticipate that AI will both replace some roles and create new ones, hopefully by enhancing productivity, creativity, and decision-making. They highlighted priorities for the near future: Gen Z emphasised improving cybersecurity, while millennials focused on optimising workflows.
Read the full article in HR Dive
PwC Has Launched a ‘Traffic Light’ System to Track Employee’s Office Attendance
It’s been reported that PwC UK has implemented a "traffic-light" dashboard to closely track staff office attendance, while bringing in a work policy of being present on-site at least three days a week.
The system, active since April, classifies employees as “amber” if attendance dips below 60%, and “red” if it falls under 40% - which could negatively affect performance reviews and bonuses.
Both staff and leadership have access to the dashboard, with management reviewing the attendance data that comes from sources like pass swipes, laptop Wi-Fi connections, and timesheet records, all integrated via its HR system.
PwC argues that the system promotes better collaboration and flexibility, emphasising in-person benefits and offering summer perks such as early Friday finishes. While the firm positions the initiative as fair and internally accepted, some of the 23,000 UK employees have voiced discomfort with the increased surveillance and called for more transparency.
Karl Bennett, wellbeing adviser of our client Perkbox Vivup, was asked to comment on the news article. He pointed out that whilst PwC may provide a raft of benefits that may counterbalance the points emphasised by employees, he believes “over monitoring could promote a culture of mistrust rather than support, regardless of how it’s communicated to employees.”
The move mirrors similar monitoring by EY and more varying approaches by Deloitte.
Bennett points out that protocols such as these could “disproportionally affect those that are neurodivergent, have mental health conditions or people with disabilities who may rely on flexible working”.
PwC's Chief People Officer explained that the data is intended for pattern observation, rather than punitive tracking, and reiterated that accommodations are available for cases like illness or caregiving responsibilities.
Read more in both People Management and HR Magazine
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