The 2022 Paychex Pulse of HR Report provides a comprehensive, in-depth look at how HR leaders are adapting to support their employees in a new era of work. The sixth annual report from Paychex, Inc., a leading provider of integrated human capital management software solutions for human resources, payroll, benefits, and insurance services, shows that only 15% of companies have staff working exclusively on-site, reflecting the growing emphasis on remote and hybrid work.

The survey of 1,000 HR leaders across the U.S. reveals that as more teams are dispersed and adopt flexible schedules, HR professionals believe tools and more opportunities for training and career development are essential to supporting remote/hybrid employees and managers, including:

Technology to support communication around goal setting, career advancement, and development between employees and managers (45%)
Employee training/skill building (41%)
Training for managers to support employee career advancement/development (35%)
"The current environment has redefined the priorities of an HR professional, forcing them to adapt at lightning speed," said Alison Stevens, director of HR Services, Paychex. "With the right tools and peer insights, HR professionals can respond to what matters most to their workforce, deliver on what they need to be happy and engaged, and create a workplace – no matter where they're working from – that benefits their employees and their business."

Saving Time with HR Technology
HR technology tools have helped HR professionals streamline tasks and manage new and ongoing responsibilities more efficiently, helping to alleviate some of this burden of managing remote work. The research shows:

Half of all HR professionals surveyed said that HR software/technology has helped boost their company efficiency
Close to 40% of HR leaders say HR software/technology has made it easier to manage payroll and benefits administration
Tracking staff hours worked is now the most time-consuming task for HR professionals and their teams. That activity was cited by 25% of respondents and ranked just ahead of compliance and data management, which have topped the list of most time-consuming tasks in previous years1.

Finding, Onboarding, and Retaining Talent
Despite their importance, hiring, onboarding, and retention were identified by half of respondents as the least effective HR activities in their organizations. When asked to share the tactics that are currently working best to increase the number of job applicants, using third-party job sites (33%), employee referrals (33%), hiring remote workers (31%), and emphasizing diversity (31%) topped the list.