HR Leaders Embrace Agility: New Insights From Rival and Lighthouse Research

CHICAGO, June 24, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Human Resources is rapidly evolving, and CHROs are at the forefront of navigating numerous, complex business challenges. Rival, in partnership with Lighthouse Research, surveyed over 2,400 organizations to understand HR’s evolving role, how they overcome obstacles, and their growing position within the C-suite.

The study underscores the importance of agility in HR practices; from leveraging technology to addressing workforce expectations, the findings reveal emerging challenges and opportunities that can impact organizational competitiveness.

“CHROs are increasingly prioritizing agility within talent acquisition and talent management strategies and for good reason," said Greg DiTullio, CEO at Rival. “This report offers extensive insights and practical advice on where to get started.”

Key research findings:

A proactive posture on HR agility and preparedness is paramount. One out of three companies unexpectedly needed to hire additional staff over the past year, with more than half of employers requiring more than three months to align people, technology and processes to meet a new business objective.

Employee onboarding is the #1 strategic priority over the next 12-18 months. Organizations are increasingly focused on accelerating their workforce's ramp to productivity. Increased hiring, increased turnover and increased mobility/work reassignments are influencing factors.

Managing HR workflows is easier said than done. A mere 15% of organizations report that their onboarding process enables new hires to hit the ground running with a compliant, personalized and engaging approach. Despite increases in mobility/work reassignments, only one in four organizations use onboarding steps when an employee transitions to a new role internally.

Despite technical advancements, simplifying HR data continues to present major challenges. More than half of employers reported trouble with maintaining accurate hiring data across multiple systems, and more than half struggled with accurately forecasting hiring needs.

Recruitment’s primary toolset needs a makeover. More than 60% of employers say their applicant tracking system (ATS) is either painful or primarily administrative; a mere 27% view their ATS as strategic despite the leading role it plays in the hiring process.

Practical adoption of AI is yielding benefits to employers. 67% of organizations reported efficiency improvements when leveraging AI in top-of-funnel recruiting tasks. Time savings are being reinvested into strategic activities, including building candidate relationships and measuring business impact.

Addressing the skills gap is still mostly talk. 90% of HR leaders have a future strategy, but only 16% of workers feel their skills are being developed for future success. 72% of employers say that a lack of clarity into employee skills creates a cost or burden on the organization.

Job seekers want simplification, and frustrations towards employers are mounting. 93% of candidates say that when the hiring process has delays, it’s due to company processes, hiring managers or recruiters. Candidate preference for simplified job applications increased 25% over the last year, with two out of three candidates reporting they regularly experience frustration in the hiring process.

Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the transformative impact of agile HR practices:

“In an environment where rapid technological advancements and evolving workforce expectations are the norm, agility is paramount. Our research shows that by adopting an agile approach, organizations can not only meet these challenges but also turn them into opportunities.”

For more information on Rival and its talent acquisition solutions, please visit rival-hr.com.

About Rival 

Rival is a leading provider of human capital management solutions that enable organizations to simplify talent acquisition, modernize HR workflows and accelerate workforce productivity

About Lighthouse Research & Advisory

Lighthouse Research & Advisory is a modern analyst firm committed to excellence in talent, learning, and HR. By providing compelling research and actionable insights, Lighthouse supports business leaders in navigating the rapidly changing field of human capital management.

Source: Rival