HR and Payroll have evolved significantly. The regulatory/compliance environment, the behavioural/social environment and the technology environment have changed immensely… and rapidly! In my discussions with analysts, industry experts and prospective clients, it has become clear that many businesses today have systems and processes geared to yesterday's needs.
It was this fact that led me to generate the idea for Payroll Evolved, a business briefing presented by industry thought leaders analysing the Human Resources and Payroll trends of 2015 with the aim of providing actionable insights and a real business case for change.
Our inaugural session kicked off December 9th, 2015 in Sydney. Half expecting an audience ready take on silly season, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of attendees, the calibre of executives and the level of representation across Australia’s most prominent organisations.
The level of engagement allowed for significant feedback and discussion between attendees and presenters such as Kellie Egan, Human Resources lead for Atlassian, a company doing Australia proud on the global stage of technology and innovation; Jason Lowe, the Jedi Knight of Payroll, from The Association of Payroll Specialists (TAPS) and our very own Todd McDonough, Products and Offerings Manager, tasked with rallying NGA’s development resources to address the future needs of our customers.
Having a mix of HR, Payroll and technology thought leaders was received very well, with the immediate feedback being that attendees were able to take away insights and make the case for change to stay ahead of the curve in this constantly changing industry. The event was such a success that it made its way across the country, stopping in both Brisbane and Melbourne throughout February 2016.
Fast forward 3 months and now more than ever, in the lead up to the end of financial year, HR & Payroll professionals are asking the tough questions. What did our world look like when we implemented our current system and processes? What’s changed, and how do we respond to keep up? In our December session, attendees took part in a live survey on our key topics. It provided some insightful statistics and great conversation points! Below are some of the results:
Some of these responses may come as a surprise although more likely, these (non-scientific) results accurately depict the real world struggle of keeping up with the pace of change, harnessing available technology while balancing the needs of employees with the limited resources within organisations. Over the coming months, I will be posting follow up blogs to add some context to these responses and other trends we are seeing in the marketplace.
If you were able to attend and have more questions or if you missed out and have some input, join in the conversation. Let me know what is driving change in your organisation and how you plan to stay ahead of the curve. Continue the discussion at @BenBontia, @NGA_AU, or @PrecedaHR on Twitter.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
Socrates
A little about me. I have been in business information and business services since 1998 and during this time I have chosen to work for organisations that focus on best practice, thought leadership and innovation. I have recently come back from a 3-month sabbatical studying at the ESADE business school in Barcelona as part of my executive MBA, focussing on innovation and technology. While the fundamentals of human processes still remain, technology and innovation provide iterative opportunities to improve how we go about doing what we’ve done for millennia. There has never been a more exciting time to be in HR & Payroll.