HR Priorities for 2023 and the Microsoft Apps That Can Help

Top priorities for HR leaders in 2023 and the Microsoft 365 solutions to help

The workplace has changed dramatically over the last few years. This has, in turn, drastically transformed trends and priorities for HR leaders.

As we move into 2023, what are the top priorities for HR leaders and teams, and how can technology help?

1. Unengaged teams and enhancing employee experience
   
   Leaders feel that employees are not as engaged as they once were. And to an extent - they’re right.
   
   Recent research from Aon Hewitt found that employee engagement is declining around the globe for the first time since 2012. Further, the UK and Western Europe have some of the lowest employee engagement rates in the world, sitting at just 11%.
   
   These statistics are worrying for HR leaders, and they are now looking for new ways to improve the employee experience for all in this hybrid workplace era.
   
   The tech solution: The first all-encompassing employee experience platform from Microsoft brings tools for knowledge, learning, communications and workplace relationship building into the natural flow of work. Microsoft Viva will allow HR leaders to keep everyone informed wherever they’re working from, to give teams a place to communicate and build relationships, and help keep teams on track to meet business and individual objectives. It also provides a powerful tool for learning and development, as well as making key organisational information easier to find.
   
   
2. Internal communications in a dispersed working environment
   
   Effective internal communications will continue to be a key priority for HR leaders in 2023. With teams becoming more dispersed than ever before and individuals choosing to work more flexibly – often across multiple offices or locations.
   
   It’s crucial that HR teams are looking to remove confusion around key messages and bring people together in more modern ways.  
   
   With just 13% of people using company intranet on a daily basis, a traditional intranet is no longer enough to share important company news, updates or information. People are demanding more.
   
   The tech solution: Once again the Microsoft Viva suite comes to the forefront. The Microsoft Viva suite includes a module called Viva Connections, which gives internal communications a facelift for the modern world. Using Viva Connections, HR leaders can share important information to people across the organisation, no matter where they’re working from. But they can also take this one step further. With powerful tools for starting meaningful conversations, targeting news and engagements to specific groups, and creating a truly customised employee experience.
   
   
   
3. Automating repetitive and admin-heavy tasks
   
   The automation of tasks is increasingly becoming an important focus across all areas of businesses. And HR is no exception.
   
   Repetitive and admin-heavy HR tasks take time away from more important work and key HR objectives. Saving this time puts the focus back on delivering a great HR function for people of the business.
   
   While currently only 37% of HR job functions are commonly automated, this is set to increase dramatically over the coming years. With over half of the manual tasks being performed by the average HR team having the ability to be automated.
   
   The tech solution: There are endless automation possibilities with Power Automate. HR teams can create their own automations, while also giving these capabilities to the rest of the business too. Power Automate is not just for techies – it makes automating processes accessible for everyone.
   
   You might automate parts of the onboarding process to remove the manual effort involved. Or automate parts of the recruiting process, such as automatically uploading CVs and cover letters into SharePoint for review. What you do with this powerful tool is truly up to you.
   
   
4. Staff burnout and prioritising wellbeing
   
   The pandemic has hugely shifted our priorities in many areas of life. And this extends to our work too. Mental health is now the joint top reason people leave their jobs and employees are now more likely to prioritise their wellbeing over work.
   
   So what does that mean for HR leaders? It means that protecting employee mental health and wellbeing is crucial in order to attract and retain top talent and create a thriving workplace environment.
   
   The tech solution: The Microsoft 365 suite is stacked full of tools and solutions that protect employee wellbeing. From Microsoft Viva Insights giving managers and individuals tools to manage their own wellbeing, to integrations with Headspace that allow for relaxation and winding down. The Dictate function can be used to allow for working on the go, and Focus Time gives employees a chance to work without distractions.
   
   
5. Effectiveness of leaders and managers
   
   As the workforce evolves and demands more from their organisations, the demands placed on their leaders grow too. People now want their leaders to be more authentic, demonstrating strong values and upholding ethical standards.
   
   It’s up to HR leaders to bridge the gap between the workforce and their leaders, inspiring confidence and encouraging a “human leadership” approach.
   
   In fact, Gartner research has found that effectiveness of leaders is a priority for 60% of HR leaders.
   
   The tech solution: There are several tools within Microsoft 365 that help leaders be the best they can be. You could set up a dedicated ‘Leaders’ SharePoint site to share crucial information and updates. Or encourage leaders to host a Live Event on Microsoft Stream as a way to communicate with the business as a whole. With Viva Connections, leaders also have the ability to boost important news to the top of employees' news feeds. All helping business leaders to be as effective as they can be.

These HR priorities are key challenges in the new hybrid working world. One where people are asking more from their workplaces and putting more emphasis on wellbeing than anything else.