The Hidden IT Burden on HR Teams — and How to Eliminate it

Today’s People teams manage a growing share of technical responsibilities — from device and app management to data protection and security. This shift in ownership has the potential to reduce friction and enhance the employee experience, but many organizations struggle to navigate the transition. Faced with an evolving workload, how can HR meet heightened demands without in-depth IT expertise or additional resources?  

The Growing HR-IT Overlap

AI adoption, tech stack complexity, and distributed work continue to fuel changes in everyday operations. Nowhere is this more apparent than the increasingly blurred line between HR and IT. As a growing number of businesses take steps to merge the two functions, new roles like Chief People and Digital Technology Officer are spearheading the transformation. 

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According to a recent report: 

• 64% of senior IT decision makers believe HR and IT will merge within the next 5 years
• 93% predict this merger will boost employee productivity and enhance their experience
• 94% believe the merging of HR and IT could accelerate digital transformation

The Hidden IT Burden

In practice, HR is already handling responsibilities that were once reserved for the IT department:

• Onboarding: beyond welcome emails and team introductions, People teams now manage sensitive employee data and critical tech setup throughout the onboarding process.
  
  
• Device procurement: in many organizations, HR ensures employee devices are purchased, shipped, and provisioned in time for a new hire’s first day.
  
  
• Application management: provisioning apps and managing user permissions are often led by these teams— balancing employee productivity with data security.
  
  
• Offboarding: at the end of the employee lifecycle, organizations must securely remove employee data from key systems, revoke app access, and retrieve hardware.
  
  
• Cybersecurity: many cybersecurity responsibilities now fall under HR’s purview — particularly when it comes to data protection, compliance obligations, and security training for employees.
  
  

While reduced silos are to be welcomed, these added responsibilities can place a strain on under-resourced HR teams. The result? Hours lost to manual admin, and less time for strategic, people-focused work. 

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3 Ways HR Can Alleviate Hidden IT Burdens

IT-driven HR tasks aren’t going away. If anything, these responsibilities are only set to expand. So, how can these teams drive IT efficiency, without specialized technical skills?

1. Automate, automate, automate

Eliminate repetitive tasks and prevent human error by automating manual tasks, including onboarding and offboarding, app provisioning, user access management, device updates, security patches, and more. 

2. Simplify device procurement and management 

Standardize the process for device purchases, shipping, retrieval, and warehousing to reduce logistical headaches. Implement Mobile Device Management (MDM) to monitor all company hardware from a single dashboard.  

3. Prioritize HR & IT integration

Keep data in sync and up to date at all times by ensuring all of your HR and IT systems integrate seamlessly. Track employees, devices, and apps from a centralized dashboard for at-a-glance insights and peace of mind.

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Stay Ahead of IT Demands

As the distinction between HR and IT continues to fade, organizations must overcome technical burdens and embrace this new reality. Electric integrates with your HR platform to streamline onboarding, offboarding, device procurement, app management, and more.

Make IT your super-power and cut onboarding from hours to minutes when you Download Electric’s White Paper Here and learn how HR & IT alignment drives productivity and enhances the employee experience. You can also Connect with us to get started!

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