As we begin 2024, human resources (HR) technology and the surrounding landscape looks different than it did even a few years ago. HR professionals are under more pressure than ever, and they are expected to deliver on more fronts.

The job is not just payroll and recruitment. It is also managing audits and compliance, being an ambassador for the company brand, responding to changing employee expectations, and leading corporate culture. 

At the same time, there is an influx of technologies offering solutions to these issues while simultaneously adding pressure on HR professionals to learn, master, and get value from their company’s investment.

That is why DottedSign surveyed leading HR pros across 15 industries. 

We wanted to understand technology trends from the people in the trenches. Our respondents ranged from staffing managers to chief HR officers, and 80% of them have at least six years of experience in the field.

This is what we found.

The changing HR landscape

Before we talk tech, we need to understand the context. So we asked about the most important trends that are shaping the future of HR. The top response was employee well-being and mental health (59%), with greater emphasis on company culture (46%) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (43%) just behind. 

The takeaway is that HR is now asked to deal with a lot more intangibles than ever before. It is not just about the employee and their job. It is about the individual people and how they come together to form a community.

Unsurprisingly, this manifests in the biggest challenges HR professionals face on a day-to-day basis. The top three challenges reported were getting everything done on time (48%), being a company ambassador (48%), and resentment from employees (46%). Feeling stretched thin (44%) closely followed.

Not only does HR’s expanded mandate increase the scope of work, but it also means HR professionals have to shoulder more responsibility than ever. It is not just that they are being asked to do more; they are being asked to invest more of themselves.

How are they supposed to keep up?

Top 3 HR technology trends

“Technology tools and trends are emerging that can ease or take over much of the data-driven work of human resources,” writes Forbes. This leaves HR “with more time to handle the human interactions and support they excel at.”

It is no wonder 84% of surveyed HR professionals said “yes” when asked if they wished their organizations would adopt more new technology. They have seen for themselves how tech makes them more productive.

One of the most interesting findings from our survey was about the tech with the biggest positive impact.

HR Tech Trend #1: Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) is the top innovation for HR.

Especially for learning and development (L&D), VR/AR is a game changer. Immersive technology boosts learning retention rates, is useful for both hard and soft skills training, and is more scalable than traditional L&D.

A whopping 72% of respondents said VR/AR has a big positive impact.

On the flip side, we were also surprised by what tech received the LEAST votes for biggest positive impact.

HR Tech Trend #2: Generative AI falls flat.

Despite the current hype cycle, only 15% of respondents said that generative AI has a large positive impact on their work. This could be due to the nature of HR today, which, as mentioned, is now more about culture, individual well-being, and conflict resolution. These are processes that are not easy to automate with AI.

We saw this same trend reflected in responses when we asked how often HR professionals use generative AI in their work. Only 3% said they use it everyday, while on the other end of the spectrum, 12% said they never use it.

That is not to say that adoption has completely stalled. The most common answer was “about once a week” at 36%, with “every couple of weeks or once a month” a close second at 34%. 

While HR professionals are finding ways to save time with AI, this kind of tech is not suitable for much of their work.

HR Tech Trend #3: Technology is crucial for supporting hybrid/remote workforces.

Despite many CEOs wanting employees back in the office, it looks increasingly unlikely that we will ever return to the pre-pandemic “normal.” At least as of June 2023, 12.7% of full-time employees work from home, with 28.2% on a hybrid model.

Our survey respondents agreed that technology is a key enabler for remote work. An unsurprising 80% pointed to collaboration tools, such as video conferencing or project management, as the most important tools for supporting the remote workforce.

At the same time, metrics on productivity are more important (and challenging to obtain) than ever. That is why 53% said employee tracking is crucial, while 43% also reported looking to benchmarking tools so they can understand and communicate workforce strengths and challenges.

HR tech cannot solve everything, but it can save time

On its own, technology will not make HR professionals better at promoting employee well-being or creating a work culture that is more inclusive and equitable. But it can free up time so that individuals can devote more bandwidth to moving the needle forward.

As HR departments strive to better serve their companies and their employees in 2024, tech will continue to prove a key enabler. Whether that takes the form of AI, VR, plain old software tools – such as social media management tools, or an innovation that is yet to come, we see that HR professionals are hungry for more technology that helps them get the job done.

Another key part of that equation for every HR department is having an eSignature solution they can trust. From employee contracts to performance reviews to leave requests, it is essential to have a comprehensive solution that is secure and easy to use, and that integrates seamlessly with existing software systems.

DottedSign is that solution, because it is tailor-made for the needs of today’s HR professionals. The solution has supported over one million members and 4,000 businesses in digitizing their signing process. It helps HR teams digitize and automate their hiring documents, performance evaluation sheets, and off-boarding documents, allowing them to focus on people rather than heavy paperwork. 

Get your free trial today.