Why it’s past time for an overhaul of your HR processes and platforms

Draw on the power of transformative AI-powered technologies to add efficiency and rigour to your people and culture function this year.

2025 is the year mid-sized and enterprise organisations ditch the inertia and embrace human capital management software that can help people and culture teams tackle the complexity that's long been a hallmark of the Australian industrial relations landscape.

Frequent legislative changes have long made it tricky to navigate compliance and manage employee relations lawfully in this country and that doesn't look like changing any time soon. 

In the past three years alone, there has been the enactment of the Respect@Work Act, designed to protect workers from sexual harassment and discrimination at work, the introduction of paid family and domestic violence leave and the outlawing of pay secrecy clauses. 

As of 1 January this year, wage theft has been criminalised, with employers who deliberately withhold or misappropriate employee wages and entitlements now facing the prospect of stiff fines and imprisonment.

Turning to technology to lighten the load

Keeping abreast of these legislative changes – and those that will undoubtedly come after them – is part and parcel of running a fair and compliant workplace in modern Australia.

It can be a full-time job for HCM departments and a tough ask for those that continue to operate in manual mode.

Little surprise, then, that HCM leaders and their C-suite colleagues are starting to explore platforms and programs which can help them conquer the complexity and mitigate the ever-present risk of costly errors.

Driving efficiency and productivity is also a pressing priority as, in common with other cost centres across the enterprise, HCM departments are being asked to contain their costs and do more with less.

How best to acquire and implement technology that can achieve these objectives is something of a $64 million question for local leadership teams. 

Going all out for change

If they're sensible they won't waste time tinkering around the edges, according to Gartner. Its latest advice for HR leaders, contained in its Top 5 HR Trends and Priorities that Matter Most in 2025 report, explicitly cautions against 'chasing marginal efficiency gains to win over stakeholders'. Reason being: it 'limits their trust in and support for, HR's investment in more transformative technologies'.

Far better to take a big bang approach, Gartner opines. That means biting the bullet and committing to a single platform and data model – one which can drive enterprise-wide change and deliver quantifiable value, in the form of increased productivity and effective mitigation of employment related risks.

Choose one that's updated continually to reflect the latest changes to local employment Awards and laws, and which can deliver lightning-fast data driven insights for smarter decision making, and you'll stand the best chance of realising that value.

Offering employees a better workplace experience

While going all out, all at once, may make HR chiefs and their C-suite colleagues a trifle nervous, there's a high chance it will find favour with the rank and file. 

That's because employees generally have much to gain from the deployment of an AI-powered HCM platform that strengthens payroll and compliance and provides them with greater autonomy and flexibility. 

Knowing that they're being paid correctly, particularly if their position is subject to complex Award conditions, is reassuring for wage earners. 

And the ability to 'self serve' digitally – think updating personal details, changing availability, querying entitlements and applying for leave – rather than having to lodge enquiries or requests manually is empowering and timesaving, for employees and employers both.

The numbers tell the story: In Dayforce's 14th Annual Pulse of Talent report, 85 per cent of workers surveyed stated they approved of HCM technology upgrades and 69 per cent reported increased productivity due to these investments. 

Moreover, 39 per cent experienced reduced stress levels as a result – food for thought for organisations seeking to improve employee engagement and retention!

Combatting HR complexity in 2025

In today's times, Australian businesses can't afford to take their compliance obligations lightly. An AI-powered HCM platform can help you maintain lawful employment practices and processes and engage with your workforce more efficiently and productively at scale. If you've yet to explore the benefits this transformational technology can deliver for your organisation, there's never been a better time to get started.