SAP will retrofit SuccessFactors HCM to encourage diversity in the workplace

BANGALORE, INDIA: SAP during its annual Sapphire Now conference, announced plans to build new capabilities within its SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite to help improve workplace diversity.

Diversity and inclusion are critical to competitiveness in a market characterized by increased competition and a shortage of skilled labor in many roles. According to a McKinsey Global Institute report, $12 trillion could be added to global GDP by 2025 by advancing women’s equality.

Analytics and reports focused on diversity and inclusion are available to help organizations identify and track where biases exist in talent acquisition and management processes — recruiting, compensation, succession and the like — coupled with guidance on actions to take to address those biases. But, the use of technology to tackle workplace issues like gender inequity has not grown at the same pace as that of the digital economy.

“We’re always looking at how innovative HR technology can improve people’s work lives. Addressing inequity fits into our focus on built-in intelligent services and recommendations. Today’s innovations, and those to come, are designed to help companies find and address opportunities to build inclusive cultures, prompting managers and HR professionals to make intentional decisions as they attract, hire, develop, reward and promote people,” said Mike Ettling, president of SAP SuccessFactors.

Using text mining and machine learning based on the SAP HANA platform, the initiative aims to help companies review job descriptions, performance reviews and similar people processes for potential bias and suggest changes to encourage equity. SAP will provide an update on this initiative at the SuccessConnect event taking place August 29–31.

Several global customers from a range of industries, including Erste Group Bank, McCormick & Company, New York Life, Royal Bank of Canada and Varian Medical Systems, will contribute to the development of new SAP SuccessFactors products and features focused on addressing inequity.

SAP is also exploring applications for mentoring programs that will help people from historically disadvantaged groups more effectively navigate and develop their careers, as well as tools for balancing family and work that will integrate elements of benefits, scheduling and management into a single process.