Amid record-breaking resignation numbers and an ongoing battle for talent, it really is no surprise that HR teams are feeling under pressure as they work to keep employees engaged and fulfilled.
On the bright side however, rather than wait around for developers to build apps and solutions to address many of the processes that fulfill these needs, HR teams could be building them themselves with little to no technical experience.
The answer is by using low-code technology. In simple terms, a low-code development platform provides a development environment used to create application software through a graphical user interface. They require very little coding knowledge and, as a result, organizations have begun to embrace them to build apps fast and at scale to solve day-to-day challenges. And this trend is expected to continue. According to Gartner, by 2024, 65% of all app development will be handled via low-code.
So if you’re not using it (or haven’t even heard of it), HR teams need to get learning.
There are three fundamental reasons why they must capitalize on it now, before their rivals steal a march:
1) It fosters agility and a product mindset
Historically, HR teams were trained to focus on people and processes, not technology. But low-code allows HR professionals to connect people, processes and technology in a way that creates a better employee experience. It allows HR to dive-in and solve employee pain points quickly and creatively.
Consider this: you’re a member of the talent development team who receives feedback that your company’s learning and development resources are disconnected, siloed and hard to find. You want to fix this issue right away, but it wasn’t on your initial technology roadmap, and IT needs to stay focused on the projects that have already been identified. What do you do? Do you sit back and wait or do you solve the problem on your own?
My team decided to solve this problem head on, building a learning and development hub that centralized learning on a single platform in less than a month. One member of the team, with no developer experience, trained herself on low-code technology and developed an L&D hub prototype. As she enhanced the hub, she brought in members of HR and IT along the way to source content and leverage their user-experience expertise. The beauty of this is that we could make critical updates, meaning our team could be even more agile and adaptable to the evolving needs of our employees.
The magic of low-code extends beyond its ability to fast-track app development. It also helps teams expand their own skillsets, which is key to talent retention. According to Gallup, 65% of workers believe employer-provided upskilling is very important when evaluating a potential new job.
2) It builds stronger relationships with IT
The relationship between HR and IT is powerful but it can sometimes be disconnected as both functions are highly specialized and focused. These silos then tend to reduce collaboration and communication that’s critical for creating truly exceptional employee experiences. Low-code, however, is flipping this dynamic on its head, by exposing HR professionals to IT practices and building a bridge between the two teams.
When using low code, both IT and HR will most likely need a new working dynamic. In the early days of low-code efforts, HR practitioners may not immediately see the potential that technology can offer to solve problems. Traditional HR practitioners are not trained in tech and IT projects for HR are the domain of the IT team. I found that by drafting a simple wireframes to visually represent the app flow and outcomes, it was easier for the HR team to understand the potential that leveraging low-code could offer. In other words, seeing became believing.
The deep understanding of employee experience and the people we serve is something that HR brings to the table. Technology has never been more important to being able to enhance and scale HR processes, not to mention the invaluable data and analytics that tech-enabling HR processes yield. Having HR and IT work seamlessly together – harnessing the power of human-centric principles with the power of technology – is an unlock for both teams. And the ultimate beneficiaries are the employees that both teams serve.
3) It creates new, more equitable opportunities for skills development
One of the most valuable things about low-code development is its ability to level the playing field. It puts the power of app development into the hands of non-technical employees, regardless of their role. It also gives them a chance to develop new skills, create change, and drive impact.
IDC predicts that 750 million new apps will be created between 2023-2025 – more than the number of apps created in the past 40 years. There aren’t enough software engineers to meet this demand. Low-code expands the pool of resources. It puts the ability to innovate into the hands of every employee, and it drives faster outcomes.
The benefits of this have a ripple effect across the business. HR teams tackle their own problems; people learn new skills; employees have the tools they need to be successful, and the organization thrives.
Talk about meeting high expectations by aiming low (code)!