Top technology issues for global HR

Global access to information and tools is the top technology issue for HR professionals, according to a global survey of 120 HR practitioners by KPMG/Virtual IHR. The second biggest issue is adaptability, with companies looking at tools which can integrate with the internet, while other issues of concern include data privacy, security and business continuity/disaster recovery. The survey also revealed that 50 per cent want more employee self-service, while 47 per cent expect their international HR program to become more centrally managed. Additionally, 38 per cent want electronic interfaces with vendors because of the amount of information they need to share on an ongoing basis.

The hot IT skills in demand

IT professionals with expertise in JAVA, UNIX and Oracle are most in demand, according to a recent Ambit-JOBNET survey. It found that 8.6 per cent of advertisements offering programming positions were after IT professionals with JAVA skills, while on the operating systems front, UNIX has dominated since it reached its all time high in late 1999. Where database expertise is concerned, Oracle practitioners are in most demand, with advertising for people with these skills accounting for 12 per cent of jobs.