Dive Brief:
- HCM platform Workday announced a partnership with the work chat platform Slack on Wednesday, bringing together their individual expertise to reach employees during a time of "profound change" in the way people work, the Workday announcement said.
- According to Slack, the partnership will allow employees to request time-off via Slack, allow real-time peer feedback, make looking up coworker info simpler and, eventually, offer customized notifications and simplified Slack channel assignments.
- Workday expects to add new capabilities over time in their attempt to "turn collaboration and connection into better business outcomes."
Dive Insight:
As the HR tech market reaches its zenith, various platforms have begun partnering (or even merging) to better reach a wide HR audience. This combination represents yet another attempt to streamline HR processes and free up HR managers to focus more directly on people, analysis and strategy rather than the day-to-day issues that plague workplaces.
The distributed workplace — a combination of remote work and alternative office arrangements — has challenged HR managers to find better ways to reach their workers. Thanks to the growing acceptance of instant messaging, workplace chat platforms like Slack, HipChat and Skype have found their niche particularly in workforces that need continual check-ins but don't want a flood of email. While these platforms won't replace email anytime soon, a recent study found that 43% of employees used some form of instant messaging during work hours.
The distributed workforce also includes the growing number of contingent or freelance workers that perform tasks for companies. WorkMarket, a workforce management startup that focuses on freelance workers, was recently acquired by ADP, and it has already sought out partnerships with other big names in the space, including Mercer.
