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Will HR and IT functions merge to reshape the role of the profession?

Steve Bridger

It's a bit of a provocative question, but not a hypothetical one.

In May, the huge biotech company Moderna merged its technology and HR departments under one executive, creating the new role of Chief People and Digital Technology Officer. This move reflected a broader push within the organisation to redesign work around human-AI collaboration (including the deployment of over 3,000 custom GPT agents to assist in - for example - performance management and benefits queries). We have discussed how the use of AI in recruiting is already rapidly accelerating that integration. AI in the workplace 

Is this a new trend - a fad that will blow over - or something that more organisations may adopt in the near future? 

This was another topic of discussion in this week's HR People Pod.

As the guests commented - this isn't about sticking two functions together to create a Frankenstein department - and HR will not be fixing employee laptops anytime soon - but the tywo functions already work closely - innovating, creating dashboards, etc. 

In few years ago a friend (who will remain nameless) rather harshly referred to the "cold hands of HR and IT". Can the two functions really merge together in err, warm embrace?

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  • I'm currently working with a company that has 3500 staff and over 600 queries per week to its shared service centre, because their current HR system is no longer 'fit for purpose'. People can't find the information they want or need easily or quickly, so they ask instead. (File, file, file, file, file, policy)

    Whilst I don't think IT and HR departments should merge, I do think it raises some very interesting questions about what are you using and why -
    "how is it enhancing your employee experience?" is a very valid question to ask of the HR Tech that supports people.
    If it answer is, "it's not enhancing employee experience" or
    "it's dragging backwards" (I actually saw a system that has .net in it's title!)

    Then maybe it is time for a serious rethink.
  • in reply to Deborah

    That really resonates with me. I’ve seen the same pattern in a few different organizations — IT tends to build systems that make sense to them, but not necessarily to the people who have to use them every day. When users struggle, the default response is often “training issue” or “user error,” instead of questioning whether the system itself is intuitive or fit for purpose.

    I also agree with your point about IT and HR not sitting side by side easily. HR usually tries to think in terms of people and processes, while IT is more about systems and control. Unless there’s a real culture shift toward user-centered design and collaboration, I can’t see those two functions naturally aligning without friction. paygonline

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  • in reply to Deborah

    That really resonates with me. I’ve seen the same pattern in a few different organizations — IT tends to build systems that make sense to them, but not necessarily to the people who have to use them every day. When users struggle, the default response is often “training issue” or “user error,” instead of questioning whether the system itself is intuitive or fit for purpose.

    I also agree with your point about IT and HR not sitting side by side easily. HR usually tries to think in terms of people and processes, while IT is more about systems and control. Unless there’s a real culture shift toward user-centered design and collaboration, I can’t see those two functions naturally aligning without friction. paygonline

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