Personio launches HR Accelerator program

Over the course of the pandemic companies of all shapes and sizes have struggled to adapt. Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular have had to be agile, but the impact of workplace disruption still remains.

Despite being the backbone of the European economy, SMEs often fall behind larger companies when it comes to the use of HR technology that helps to attract, retain and grow talent.

Given that industries around the continent are facing shortages as people re-evaluate their work benefits, this leaves these companies in a potentially perilous position.

In an effort to help boost SME recovery, HR software company Personio is launching its Digital HR Accelerator program across Europe.

Personio will invest €1.2 million in the program in the hopes of spurring on investment in these companies.

The inspiration for this investment was the fact that companies are using outdated HR tech and processes that are not digitalized.

Personio will now give tailored support to help SMEs develop their HR practices through digitalizing and automating their people processes.

This will include building integrations with applications for companies who are part of the accelerator.

The program will take place throughout November and December and will include one-to-one discussions with experts about HR software, including Personio’s new people workflow automation technology, and how to drive efficiency in people processes.

This kind of training will undoubtedly be useful, as Personio found that organizations are now using more than 40 tools that touch people’s data. Safe to say, the management of these tools can be difficult.

SMEs going forward

Speaking about the program, Hanno Renner, CEO and founder of Personio, said: “We want to help European SMEs to bounce back from the COVID-19 crisis stronger than ever before.

“While the response to COVID-19 put HR teams at the forefront of business strategy, the proliferation of digital tools now makes it difficult to manage cross-organizational flows of data relating to people.

“That’s why we are not only launching new technologies that use automation to take some of the strain, but also investing in equipping HR teams with the knowledge and applications to navigate a digital world.”

Despite, some SMEs managing to navigate the pandemic successfully, these program is designed to future-proof companies.

Ross Seychell, chief people officer at Personio, noted: “We have seen HR teams rise to the challenge during the pandemic, but it’s vital that they now think long term about how they work with existing and future employees.

“Using digital infrastructure that makes people processes simpler and automated is a key step that SMEs should take to help their HR teams prepare for the future of distributed working.

“We are excited to be able to help SMEs across Europe take advantage of the latest services and technologies through our accelerator program.”