TL;DR:
- SAP’s expanded partnership with Microsoft brings enterprise-ready generative AI to enhance human productivity and development in the workplace.
- The integration of SAP SuccessFactors solutions with Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot in Viva Learning improves recruitment, retention, and upskilling to address skills gaps.
- 75% of business leaders see attracting and retaining critical talent as the main obstacle to future growth and success.
- SAP SuccessFactors and Microsoft have an extensive reach, with millions of users already benefiting from their software and services.
- Generative AI capabilities embedded in SAP SuccessFactors enhance recruiting and learning processes, providing improved employee experiences.
- The talent intelligence hub uses AI to build a comprehensive skills portfolio for each employee, enabling personalized recommendations for learning and career development.
- Enhanced total workforce management functionality integrates SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Fieldglass, and SAP S/4HANA Cloud for increased workforce visibility.
- Standard Chartered Bank successfully adopted total workforce management to remain competitive and compliant, achieving improved workforce planning and reduced reports.
- SAP is committed to a responsible approach to AI, leveraging it to streamline HR processes and enhance workforce planning.
- AI has the potential to eliminate mundane work and empower individuals to access information differently, fostering creativity and growth mindsets.
Main AI News:
The vision of leveraging generative AI to enhance human productivity and development in the workplace is becoming a reality with SAP’s expanded partnership with Microsoft. By integrating SAP SuccessFactors solutions with Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot in Viva Learning, organizations can now improve their recruitment, retention, and upskilling strategies to address skills gaps effectively. Business leaders worldwide recognize that attracting and retaining critical talent is the foremost impediment to future growth and success, with 75% of them acknowledging this challenge.
During the HXM keynote, SAP SuccessFactors Chief Marketing & Solutions Officer Aaron Green emphasized that the skills gap is one of the most significant challenges faced by organizations today. Regardless of their size, industry, or region, organizations consistently ask themselves how they can change their approach to skills and better prepare for the future. These questions highlight the pressing need to rethink traditional methods and embrace innovative solutions that can bridge the skills gap effectively.
Assessing the Transformative Scale of the SAP SuccessFactors and Microsoft Collaboration
To comprehend the transformative scale of the collaboration between SAP SuccessFactors and Microsoft, it is crucial to consider the extensive reach of both organizations. With over 248 million people already using SAP SuccessFactors software, it stands as the largest HR suite on the market, available in over 100 localized frameworks to support truly global business operations. On the other hand, Microsoft, as one of the world’s leading brands, provides its services to 1 billion users of Microsoft Office and boasts 280 million daily active users of Microsoft Teams.
Green highlighted the fundamental role of AI in shaping the future of business, emphasizing that it holds the potential to enable transformative changes on a large scale. By harnessing the power of AI, businesses can unlock new possibilities and achieve unprecedented levels of growth and success.
Innovations that Future-Proof the Workforce
At SAP Sapphire, SAP SuccessFactors unveiled three powerful innovations designed to future-proof workforces and address critical skills gaps.
The first innovation involves the integration of generative AI capabilities in partnership with Microsoft to enhance recruiting and learning processes. This integration enables customers to deliver significantly improved employee experiences by seamlessly embedding them into the workflow. Employees no longer need to switch between interfaces or applications to complete routine tasks or engage in learning activities. Furthermore, hiring managers and recruiters can create customized job descriptions and better prepare for interviews with the help of generative AI’s hyper-personalization capabilities. These features include built-in checks for biased language and ensuring fair and inclusive practices throughout the recruitment process.
Kirk Koenigsbauer, Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Vice President of the Experiences and Devices Group at Microsoft, emphasized the importance of integrating HR solutions into the flow of work. This approach drives scale, reduces friction, and extends the reach of HR systems into the natural work environments of employees. By building HR solutions seamlessly into the workflow, organizations can achieve higher adoption rates and increased engagement, thus maximizing the benefits of their collaboration with SAP.
The second key innovation introduced by SAP SuccessFactors is the talent intelligence hub, which leverages AI to build, maintain, and infer a comprehensive skills portfolio for each employee in the workforce. This deep understanding of employee skills, using the whole-self model, allows for personalized recommendations on learning courses, mentors, and internal job opportunities. Organizations gain an enhanced overview of employee skills and improved visibility, enabling effective workforce planning.
Meg Bear, President and Chief Product Officer for SAP SuccessFactors emphasized the significance of valuing workers differently and using data to help them grow in ways that align with their individual needs and support the organization’s requirements. Creating an environment where every individual can thrive will ultimately lead to greater achievements for the business as a whole.
The third innovation focuses on enhanced total workforce management functionality, which brings together SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Fieldglass, and SAP S/4HANA Cloud to provide increased visibility across both employees and external workers. With 50% of organizations planning to increase their use of external workers to source talent, a comprehensive total workforce management strategy becomes crucial. This approach enables leaders to tap into skilled talent for mission-critical projects precisely when they are needed.
The planned availability of these innovations is set for the 2H 2023 SAP SuccessFactors release, ensuring that businesses can proactively address their talent management needs and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.
Total Workforce Management for a Future-Ready Workforce: Standard Chartered Bank’s Success Story
Standard Chartered Bank, a leading international bank operating in 59 markets with a focus on Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, chose to adopt total workforce management from SAP to maintain its competitive edge while remaining compliant. Melinda McKinley, Global Head of HR Strategy and Digital Transformation at Standard Chartered Bank, joined Green onstage at SAP Sapphire Orlando to discuss the bank’s journey towards modernizing its outdated, on-premise technology and creating a future-ready workforce for its 85,000 employees and 20,000 external workers.
McKinley highlighted how Standard Chartered Bank implemented a total workforce management strategy by seamlessly integrating SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central with SAP Fieldglass software in the cloud. This integration enabled the bank to achieve a holistic view of its permanent and contingent workforce, which was pivotal in its HR transformation journey. With the introduction of position management in October 2022, the bank gained valuable insights into its total workforce, empowering data-driven hiring decisions and strengthening its workforce planning initiatives.
Standard Chartered Bank successfully migrated millions of data records from its legacy platform, remediating interfaces to third-party systems and achieving an 87% reduction in reports. This transformation resulted in an improved colleague experience through a new employee portal.
By embracing total workforce management and taking a holistic view of its entire workforce, Standard Chartered Bank established a foundation for integrated talent management, regulatory compliance, and strategic corporate planning in collaboration with the finance team. McKinley emphasized the close partnership between the HR and finance teams, leveraging tools such as SAP Analytics Cloud to seamlessly merge finance and HR data, thereby driving impactful bottom-up planning through their corporate plan.
Standard Chartered Bank’s success in transforming its HR processes through total workforce management was recognized with an SAP Innovation Award, showcasing the bank’s commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation in talent management.
Developing a Growth Mindset for the Future of Work
SAP is dedicated to responsible AI adoption and was among the first companies to establish guiding principles for using AI in its software. Within this framework, SAP SuccessFactors solutions leverage AI to streamline HR processes, enhance workforce planning, and empower employees to navigate their careers more effectively. While many individuals are still exploring the potential of AI technology, the panel discussion at the HXM keynote, featuring industry experts with decades of experience, shed light on how AI will shape the future of work.
Koenigsbauer expressed his belief in AI’s ability to eliminate mundane work and transform the way people access information, fostering increased creativity. Bear echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for organizations to embrace shifting dynamics and leverage them as opportunities for improvement. Companies that can adapt to these changes and develop strategies to thrive will be the ones poised for growth and success.
In conclusion, the partnership between SAP SuccessFactors and Microsoft, driven by the power of generative AI, is poised to revolutionize the future of work. By embracing innovative solutions and leveraging AI technologies, businesses can address critical skills gaps, enhance productivity, and create a future-ready workforce capable of achieving unparalleled success. With SAP’s commitment to responsible AI adoption and continuous innovation, organizations can confidently embark on their transformative journey and unlock new possibilities in the evolving business landscape.
Conlcusion:
The expanded partnership between SAP and Microsoft, along with the integration of generative AI into SAP SuccessFactors solutions, signifies a significant advancement in the market. This collaboration offers businesses a powerful platform to address the challenges of talent recruitment, retention, and upskilling, ultimately driving productivity and success.
The seamless integration of AI into HR processes and the ability to create personalized employee experiences showcase the transformative potential of technology in shaping the future of work. With these innovations, organizations can unlock new opportunities, bridge skills gaps, and remain competitive in an evolving market landscape.
