Unlocking the Future of HR: Key Insights from Gartner ReimagineHR Conference, London 2024
The Gartner ReimagineHR Conference, held in London from September 18-19, 2024, brought together over 2,000 HR leaders and professionals from more than 50 countries to discuss the future of HR. Focusing on AI, innovation, transformation, and the role of data in workforce management, the event featured insights from industry experts, workshops, and interactive demos from cutting-edge HR solutions.
In today’s fast-paced HR landscape, efficiency and data-driven decision-making are critical. After engaging with HR leaders across industries at the conference, we’ve identified the most pressing challenges HR departments are facing. Below is a breakdown of these key pain points and how the right tools can address them.
1. Data Fragmentation Across Multiple Systems
One of the biggest struggles HR teams shared at the event was the complexity of managing data spread across multiple systems like SAP Success Factors, Workday, Oracle, iCIMS, PowerBI and many more. This fragmentation hinders their ability to pull all people data together and make timely decisions.
The Solution:
By unifying data from disparate sources into a single platform, you can achieve a holistic view of your workforce. Imagine accessing all your HR data, from recruitment metrics to turnover statistics, in one place—without waiting for IT or dealing with siloed systems.
2. Time-Consuming Manual Reporting
Many HR professionals expressed frustration with the manual reporting process, particularly for teams relying on tools like PowerBI and Excel. In some cases, reporting cycles took months to complete, causing decision-making delays and hindering business agility.
The Solution:
Automating your reporting processes can cut this time down dramatically. With pre-built analytics and an intuitive reporting interface, you can deliver valuable insights faster and free up your team to focus on strategic initiatives.
3. Lack of Real-Time Insights
Without real-time access to their data, many HR leaders felt they were operating in the dark. Teams working with systems with multiple HR systems often struggle with outdated data, making it impossible to make timely, informed decisions.
The Solution:
Real-time analytics is no longer a luxury—it's a necessity. Integrating your systems into a unified platform allows for continuous data updates, meaning you’ll always have the latest information when making critical workforce decisions.
4. Overwhelmed People Analytics Teams
Several organizations mentioned that their People Analytics teams are small, often consisting of just one or two individuals. These teams are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of reporting requests and data to analyze, resulting in long backlogs and slow turnaround times.
The Solution:
By implementing a unified analytics solution with pre-built KPIs, your People Analytics team can significantly reduce their workload. This allows them to focus on high-impact tasks rather than spending valuable time pulling reports and consolidating data.
5. Challenges in Measuring Key Metrics
Tracking important metrics like turnover, employee progression, and talent acquisition is a challenge when relying on outdated or fragmented reporting systems. One company reported that their reporting infrastructure, built in 2017, is now outdated and unable to deliver the needed insights.
The Solution:
A modern analytics & HR reporting platform offers hundreds of pre-built KPIs that are ready to use. Whether you need to measure turnover trends or track employee progression, having access to comprehensive analytics tools means faster insights and more accurate decision-making.
Recommended by LinkedIn
6. Struggles with CSRD and Regulatory Reporting
With the rise of corporate sustainability and social responsibility requirements like the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), many organizations are now under pressure to report on these areas. At the conference, it became clear that many are managing this manually, which is both time-consuming and error-prone.
The Solution:
Automating your CSRD and ESG reporting can save your team countless hours of manual work and ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks. Our platform integrates your data and generates the required reports in a matter of minutes.
7. Early Turnover and Attrition Concerns
A recurring issue for many attendees was the challenge of reducing early turnover. High early exit rates cost companies both in terms of time and resources, especially when new hires leave before becoming fully productive.
The Solution:
Predictive analytics can help identify employees at risk of leaving, allowing you to intervene before turnover occurs. Leveraging machine learning algorithms to analyze employee engagement, performance, and compensation data can provide actionable insights to improve retention.
8. Data Accuracy and Integrity
Many companies noted challenges with data accuracy, particularly with termination reasons and other critical HR data points. Inaccurate data leads to poor decision-making and wasted efforts in reporting.
The Solution: Ensuring clean, reliable data starts with proper data integration. With the right tools, you can automate data validation and improve the integrity of your HR metrics, giving leadership a clearer picture of workforce trends.
9. Building the Business Case for HR Analytics
For many HR leaders, securing leadership buy-in for HR analytics initiatives remains a challenge. Without clear ROI or compelling use cases, decision-makers can be hesitant to invest.
Some statistics:
Organizations leveraging advanced people analytics solutions are seeing significant improvements:
We can help you build a strong business case by demonstrating the clear value of people analytics. From reducing reporting time to optimizing talent management, we have the data and use cases to prove that investing in analytics delivers measurable ROI.
What’s Next?
The insights we gained from the Gartner ReimagineHR Conference confirmed the evolving role of HR in today’s business environment. HR teams are no longer just focused on compliance and administration—they’re becoming strategic drivers of business performance.
If you recognize these organisational challenges, now is the time to act. Whether it’s simplifying your reporting, unifying your data, or improving retention, we’re here to help.
Book a demo today to see how our solution can transform your HR operations and accelerate your path to insights.