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The long-standing divide between HR and IT is starting to fracture as digital transformation reshapes the workplace. Disengaged employees, botched technology rollouts and declining productivity are prompting business leaders to question whether these departments should continue operating in isolation—or even as separate entities at all.
“Disengaged workers cost the global economy an estimated $430 billion in lost productivity,” warns Liz Raymond, vice president of global talent at digital employee experience platform Nexthink. This hefty figure, she says, underscores a paradox at the heart of modern workplace transformation: Despite growing investments in digital tools meant to empower employees, many workers feel more overwhelmed than ever.
Liz Raymond, Nexthink
“The modern workplace is wearing down our workforce with complicated processes and buggy tools,” Raymond says. “Despite the promises of digital transformation enabling and empowering the workforce, many employees already feel overwhelmed by a tangled web of apps, platforms and processes.”
The root cause, according to multiple industry experts, lies in the separation of two business units: one responsible for people and one responsible for technology.
“The disconnect often looks like two departments working in parallel rather than in partnership,” says Jackie Dube, chief people officer at talent optimization platform The Predictive Index.