What do HR leaders want from their tech? Five-star tech providers provide insights

'Your people are the lifeblood of your organization': UKG Human Insights VP on HR technology

What do HR leaders want from their tech? Five-star tech providers provide insights

Who are the best HR software and technology providers in the U.S.? HRD conducted its annual extensive survey to find out, and in the process discovered some valuable insights about what HR professionals want from their tech, and what these experts can provide.

Through thousands of surveys as well as one-on-one interviews within its own network, the HRD US team gained a keen understanding of what HR professionals think about current software and tech market offerings for its annual 5-Star Software and Technology Providers.

“Your people are the lifeblood of your organization; they are your biggest advocates and supporters. With that, HR must be the heartbeat of the organization,” said Dr. Jarik Conrad, VP of Human Insights at UKG, one of the five-star winners. “They must play a central role in assessing organizational trust, understanding the results, and helping the organization’s leadership create that culture.”

UKG stood out in four categories this year: HRIS, employee recognition, payroll and recruitment solutions.

Check out in this special reports the full list of winners for the Best HR Software and Technology Providers in the US.

Talent recognition, retention among HR challenges tech providers solving

Other main trends HR professionals are looking for in software and technology solutions include identifying top talent to develop, creating authenticity, and spending less time on paperwork.

Labor productivity as a way to counter staff shortages is another key technology use for HR professionals.

Harver, another five-star winner, has identified four key objectives for talent retention which it implements in its products: ensuring quality hires, hiring with speed, empowering talent development and mobility, and ensuring diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as values throughout the entire hiring and development process.

“In our view, the key is to approach talent acquisition armed with proven scientific methods, analytics-driven intelligence, and automation to ensure organizations are hiring candidates who not only fit immediate role requirements but also hold the potential to grow with the company in the long term,” said Harver chief strategy and development officer Oliver Staehelin. 

How the best HR tech providers in the US are innovating

Change is a disruptor for not only HR but the award-winning tech companies themselves.

Being innovators, they continually devise strategies within their own organizations around how to leverage their strengths to evolve their company’s product offerings.

For example, UKG recently expanded their partnership with Google Cloud, embedding enterprise-grade generative AI (GenAI) and large language models into its HCM suites.

Recently, UKG involved over 1,100 of its own employees in a 48-hour “hackathon” which leveraged dedicated collaboration to develop novel, impactful, and feasible applications for their own processes and their clients. 

Creative solutions such as these are what set these organizations apart and make them winners in the eyes of HR professionals.

“The HR industry is undergoing a digital revolution,” said chief strategy and development officer Oliver Staehelin. “Like all market vertical revolutions that have come before, this requires market participants to change how they operate; those who adapt and evolve will benefit from significant improvements in function.”