More Employers Planning to Change HR Structures

August 24, 2012 – Facing growing pressures to deliver HR services more efficiently and effectively, an increasing number of global organizations expect to change the structure of their HR functions within the next couple of years, according to an annual survey conducted by global professional services company Towers Watson. Forty-four percent of the 628 global organizations surveyed indicated they will change their HR structure either this year or next year. That is a sharp increase from the 28 percent of respondents who planned to change their HR structure last year. When asked what is driving these changes, nearly two-thirds of those planning changes said they want to realize further efficiencies, while roughly one-half are seeking to capture synergies among processes and investments, improve quality and lower costs. “After several years of relative stability in the HR function, the way HR services are delivered is changing,” said Tom Keebler, global leader of Towers Watson's HR Service Delivery and Technology practices. “Technological advances are pushing organizations to take advantage of much that the constantly changing technology and delivery landscape has to offer. Further, HR is pushing change by either growing into or being led to a more savvy approach. The bottom line is that HR is changing, with an eye toward delivering services more effectively and efficiently.”