“Human Resources are increasingly data-oriented”

Carlos Arribas, Regional Marketing Manager of Personio in Spainoffers a deep insight into the current challenges in talent management and productivity in companies. With a growing presence since its arrival in Madrid in 2019, Personio has revolutionized the field of Human Resources through the digitalization and automation of key processes.

In this interview we learned how artificial intelligence is transforming the way HR departments operate, allowing for more precise analysis and more informed decision-making. Additionally, it addresses the talent crisis faced by Spanish organizations and how Personio solutions can help mitigate this problem, especially in a hybrid work environment.

(MCPRO) What is Personio’s presence in Spain like? How has the company evolved in recent years and how is it different from its competition?

(Carlos Arribas) Personio has been present in Spain since 2019, when it opened its first office in Madrid and is currently experiencing accelerated growth.

Just two years ago, it also opened an office in Barcelona and today it has more than 1,800 employees globally. Personio is a company that helps more than 14,000 organizations around the world improve their productive potential by digitizing and automating personnel management tasks, such as recruiting and payroll support, through the intelligent HR platform.

(MCPRO) Personio has recently announced new functionalities based on Artificial Intelligence and has presented its own assistant. What impact do you think AI is going to have on HR departments and what do you think are the processes in which a greater return on investment will be obtained?

(Carlos Arribas) Artificial Intelligence will have a significant influence on HR departments, transforming several key processes and improving efficiency, accuracy and customization capacity.

72% of HR managers across Europe agree that HR is becoming more data-driven, so Proactive Insights will help these teams monitor the health of their business, allowing them to uncover key trends, formulate ask the right questions about data and make smarter decisions.

This new implementation will include highlighted trends that point to specific issues that HR managers need to be aware of, such as high levels of sick leave in a department that may require investigation. Also, it will soon be available in beta version an AI assistant designed specifically for HR teams.

This AI tool works as a personal assistant for the team and will be able to help instantly answer questions to increase efficiency levels. For example, an HR manager can ask for the number of open positions in the company, have the assistant break it down by location, and visualize that information for easy sharing with interested parties.

Regarding the conversion of the investment, we think that these will be the processes where it will be most noticeable:

1. Performance evaluation process: Thanks to AI, it will be possible to evaluate employee performance continuously and objectively by analyzing productivity data, team feedback and other factors. Something key for any HR department.
2. Training and development process: AI will allow training programs to be personalized based on the individual needs of each employee, thus increasing the effectiveness of training and optimizing the resources dedicated to training.
3. Employee retention process: With the help of AI, it will be more accessible to analyze data related to the work environment and employee satisfaction, as well as detect patterns that may lead to a dissatisfied employee or at risk of abandonment. . This will allow the implementation of strategies to retain talent, which positively impacts productivity and organizational culture.
4. Strategic decision making: AI will allow HR to anticipate future hiring needs, optimize team structure, and facilitate career and succession planning. Making decisions based on this data will help better align HR objectives with those of the company.

(MCPRO) In a recent study you pointed out that improving productivity is the most important challenge that organizations must address next year. How does Personio help you meet this challenge?

(Carlos Arribas) According to the “Personio HR 2024 Study: How to solve talent and commitment challenges”, worker productivity continues to be one of the most important challenges companies face. Nearly a quarter (23%) of companies surveyed say low productivity is a potential obstacle to their success, and 29% identify improving productivity as a key challenge that must be addressed in the next 12 months.

If we look at what characterizes highly productive and motivated people, we see that in most cases this is the result of combining their qualities with the actions carried out by the company. Employees are much more likely to be motivated if they feel that their company trusts them and they work in a safe environment. Likewise, it is also important that they enjoy a good balance between their personal and professional lives and feel recognized for their work.

(MCPRO) In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge that companies face today in talent management?

(Carlos Arribas) Precisely that challenge is the talent crisis that many companies in Spain face. According to the “Personio HR 2024 Study: How to solve talent and commitment challenges”, almost half (47%) of employees will feel more motivated to leave their jobs once the economy improves.

The research reveals that almost half (44%) of workers say they plan to look for a new job in the next 12 months, regardless of how the economy evolves. Many companies are also aware that a wave of resignations may be on the horizon, with more than a third (38%) of employers in Spain expecting employee turnover to increase in the next 12 months, while 25% expect more exits.

(MCPRO) Now that hybrid work is a reality in many companies, what role do you think a platform like Personio can play in facilitating efficient management of teams that work semi-in-person or completely remotely?

(Carlos Arribas) Personio can become a fundamental tool for those organizations that choose the hybrid work model for their workforces. Some of the reasons are the following:

• In-office and remote attendance tracking: The software allows employees to record their attendance from anywhere, helping HR teams accurately track time worked, regardless of whether employees are in the office or at home.
• Time control record: Personio makes it easy to create flexible schedules, allowing employees to organize their day based on their needs and improving the balance between work and personal life.
• Integrated communication platforms: HR software that integrates messaging or collaboration tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams makes it easier for teams to stay connected, which is essential in a hybrid work model.
• Accessibility for employees: Personio allows employees and, fundamentally, HR teams to access necessary documents, policies and resources regardless of the location of employees, promoting autonomy and eliminating the dependence on presence or other work models that it implies. a more manual and repetitive mechanism.

(MCPRO) What do you think will be the most important challenges that HR departments will face in the coming years?

(Carlos Arribas) Find and implement new strategies for talent loyalty that can exert mechanisms that, to the extent possible, stop the high turnover that Spanish organizations are temporarily experiencing in order to obtain an improvement in productivity.

(MCPRO) And for Personio, what are the main objectives that it sets in Spain in the short and medium term?

(Carlos Arribas) In general, for the company, continue leading the HR software sector for companies in Europe, and boost the growth of Personio in Spain by expanding the number of clients to help companies focus on what is truly important: people.

You can find this content and many others in the Orbital Landscape on human resources. Download the report.