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According to the 2024 People Management Trends Report, prepared by Great Place to Work® Brasil in partnership with the Great People Ecosystem, 1,864 professionals from various Brazilian organizations were interviewed between December 2023 and January 2024 to map priorities and challenges in the field of people. Key priorities identified include: leadership development and capacity building; Strengthening organizational culture; People’s participation; internal communication; mental health; Employee experience as well as digitization of HR processes and tools, digital transformation, diversity and inclusion, ESG, and applying people analytics. Thus, the study reveals that people management is no longer just an operational topic, but plays a central role in business strategy – a trend that is directly aligned with consulting work and corporate branding.
However, the level of maturity of organizational processes directly affects the ability of HR to act strategically – and at the moment, many companies have not yet reached the most advanced stage.
“Lack of investment is one of the main obstacles to this development,” says Ilana Brancalhao, people management specialist and HR market manager at Benner. “There is no way to achieve maturity without investing in specialists and in the necessary cultural transformation. This change must come from the top management: if the leadership does not view HR as a strategic area and does not allocate sufficient resources and processes, it is difficult to advance in this direction.”
Why strive for efficiency?
The quest for efficiency means automating repetitive tasks, simplifying operational procedures, and reducing the time devoted to data collection and validation, steps that tend to consume a significant portion of resources in companies with large teams. By integrating technology into these processes, HR gains space to work in a more analytical and strategic manner, focusing on decisions that add value to the business.
As a company grows, adopting technology becomes essential to maintaining operational efficiency. Automation helps contain employee growth and directs professionals to higher-value activities, such as talent planning and management. A Deloitte survey on HR automation indicates that, with the support of digital solutions, processes such as payroll, time tracking and benefits management are starting to be implemented in a more flexible and reliable way.
Progress in the digitization of personnel management procedures was also driven by government measures that unified previously fragmented databases – such as those of the Caixa Econômica, the IRS and the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) – and made the use of eSocial mandatory to comply with new legal and compliance requirements.
Digital transformation and the new employee experience
Among the critical factors for organizational efficiency is employee experience, which depends on ease of access to information, security regarding data accuracy and trust in internal processes. This set of conditions directly affects motivation and productivity. Research conducted by Right Management indicates that working professionals can achieve up to 50% higher performance levels.
“The relationship between technology and people management is often misinterpreted when it is assumed that automation reduces human contact. In practice, when taking over operational tasks, digital tools free up HR time and energy for higher-value activities, such as enhancing interactions, monitoring performance and investing in corporate learning and organizational culture. In this way, technology acts as a support for more human practices and closer working relationships,” explains Ilana Mendez, strategic HR consultant at Benner.
However, it is common for companies to try to automate processes that are not yet properly organized. No tool achieves good results without a clear and well-defined workflow. It is also common to direct investments into low-impact areas, while neglecting those that actually impact business performance. Market studies confirm that the greater the expected impact of digital transformation, the greater the accuracy in choosing the appropriate technology and planning its implementation.
Future and trends of strategic human resources
“In the coming years, AI should gain a firmer space in people management procedures, as companies advance in understanding its practical use,” says Ilana Brancalhao, HR market director at Benner. “At the same time, recruitment processes must be strengthened that value aspects of culture and organizational fit, as well as a continued focus on the employee experience,” he adds.
“The role of professionals within organizations has become more active and participatory, a reflection of cultural and legal changes that have increased the responsibility of companies to build ethical and collaborative work environments. At the same time, physical and mental health care is gaining ground in people management policies and is being promoted as one of the pillars of strategic HR, regardless of the size of the company or its sector,” concluded Ilana Brancalhao, HR Market Director at Benner.