Digital Solutions for Transforming HR in IT and Professional Services: Global Insights

In today’s world, where talent is the most valuable asset and the job market is evolving rapidly, HR is stepping into a new era. This shift is especially crucial for professional services companies, where human capital drives the business, and attracting, developing, and retaining top talent is critical for long-term success. SAP SuccessFactors offers strategic solutions to help these companies scale and secure the best talent.

SAP’s research, “The Top 5 HR Trends Today,” highlights five key challenges HR teams face. We’ve taken a closer look at these trends through the lens of professional services — and explored how innovative solutions can not only help overcome them but also create a real competitive advantage.

1. Addressing Employee Disengagement

Global surveys reveal that only 13% of employees feel truly engaged at work. In service-based businesses, where knowledge is the primary “product,” engagement directly impacts service quality, productivity, and client loyalty.

To monitor and boost employee satisfaction and engagement, SAP offers:

• SAP SuccessFactors Employee Experience Management: measure engagement daily, gather real-time feedback, and enable leadership to take immediate action.
• SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals: align company, team, and individual goals, fostering clarity and purpose through continuous feedback and performance tracking.
• SAP SuccessFactors Compensation: empower transparent and informed decisions about employee rewards, using centralized data and AI-driven insights.

2. Embracing AI as a Core Part of the HR Team

In the AI era, companies that succeed are those that invest thoughtfully, with clear goals such as improving efficiency, enhancing employee experience, or making smarter business decisions. Without a strategic approach, investments risk falling flat — and HR has a crucial role in steering this transformation.

SAP solutions helping HR teams harness AI include:

• SAP SuccessFactors Human Capital Management (HCM): enables employees, managers, and HR professionals to work faster and smarter, integrating AI-powered career pathing, recognition prompts, interview questions, and job matching.
• SAP offers a free 30-day trial of SAP SuccessFactors HCM — details are available [here].
• Joule, SAP’s built-in AI copilot: assists employees with information search, automates HR tasks, delivers personalized insights, and supports decision-making in daily workflows.

3. Building Future-Ready Skills Through Talent Development

With industries evolving rapidly — especially driven by AI — companies must continuously reskill and upskill their teams to stay competitive. HR teams need smarter learning strategies to close the skills gap.

SAP’s tools to empower learning and development include:

• SAP SuccessFactors Learning: deliver personalized, AI-driven learning paths to quickly build both technical and soft skills.
• SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals: set agile development goals and provide continuous coaching and feedback.
• SAP SuccessFactors Career and Talent Development: offer mentorship, career growth opportunities, and tailor programs to balance technical expertise with human-centric skills.
• SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting: use AI to attract and hire candidates with the right skills through smart job recommendations, skill-matching, and automated screening.

4. Advancing DEI&B (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging)

Today, 81% of employees say they would prefer to work for companies that value DEI&B, according to SAP research. For professional services organizations, diverse talent fuels innovation and stronger client outcomes.

To embed DEI&B into organizational culture, SAP offers:

• SAP Business Data Cloud: gain real-time workforce insights to drive fact-based DEI&B strategies.
• SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting: apply AI to write inclusive job descriptions, generate fair interview questions, and ensure equitable candidate selection.
• SAP SuccessFactors Career and Talent Development: create equal growth opportunities for all employees, promoting a more inclusive workplace.

5. Managing Hybrid and Remote Workforces

As companies define their future work models — hybrid, fully remote, or return-to-office (RTO) — flexibility remains key. SAP research shows:

• 50% of employees with highly flexible work conditions are less likely to leave their company.
• 67% believe organizations that rigidly control work arrangements are stuck in the past.
• 54% would accept lower pay in exchange for more flexibility over where and when they work.

SAP solutions for flexible work environments include:

• SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central: get a real-time view of organizational structures, supporting all worker types and work models.
• SAP SuccessFactors Time Tracking: make it easy for employees to manage HR tasks across devices — wherever and whenever they work.
• SAP SuccessFactors HCM: streamline HR processes through everyday apps like Microsoft Teams, bridging the gap between office and remote work.

Why This Matters Now for Professional Services Firms

With fierce competition for talent and the rapid expansion of outsourcing and product teams, solutions like SAP SuccessFactors are no longer optional — they are essential.

They:

• Scale as your company grows.
• Enable building a strong HR function even with lean HR teams.
• Help retain top specialists and strengthen your employer brand.

SAP SuccessFactors integrates easily with other business systems, supports localization, complies with GDPR, and is trusted by hundreds of professional services organizations worldwide.

Learn more about SAP SuccessFactors here.