At PWC, Delphine Berlemont is looking ahead. “The adoption of innovative technologies will drive efficiency, security and global competitiveness,” she says. “Supporting digital upgrades and fostering a culture of innovation will enable businesses to thrive."
“From an HR perspective,” she continues, “it is essential to equip the organisation, employees, managers and HR teams with the right digital and AI tools that will support not only HR operations, but the entire employee lifecycle. In this area, all aspects of the HR world can benefit from this evolution. This will lead to increased efficiency and productivity through process automation, but also a refocusing of HR on strategic projects that have a direct impact on business strategy, while self-service options respond to simple employee requests.”
Benefits
“In the HR department at Spuerkeess, we are convinced of the benefits of digitalisation and the automation of certain processes,” says Didier Lemeire. “AI can certainly help us to reduce the burden of certain time-consuming and uninspiring processes. In fact, Spuerkeess is investing in the development of an AI-based chatbot, which should see the light of day in 2025, thanks to the collaboration and commitment of our IT department.”
One caveat: “Of course, we need to carry out the necessary due diligence to ensure regulatory compliance and ensure the IT security aspects of GenAI tools. However, we cannot neglect the aspect of the very heterogeneous level of acceptance among employees. It is therefore important to put in place the necessary support and training to avoid any exclusion in relation to these tools, both within the HR department and with its customers,” warns Lemeire.
“In 2024, we completed a major project to digitalise our recruitment process. All of Banque Raiffeisen’s main HR processes are now digitalised,” says Laurent Derkum. “Of course, we are constantly thinking about how we can optimise internal processes, in particular with the help of AI, to make them more efficient while improving service to employees. We are continuing to develop our HRIS by integrating new tools designed to optimise support for our employees.”
Transformations are also underway at the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Christopher Frères explains: “Innovation is a strong value at the stock exchange. We are using digitisation to automate certain administrative tasks and strengthen HR data analysis. This frees up time for strategic actions. We are also very attentive to what artificial intelligence can bring us and we actually trained all our employees on the subject in 2024.”
For its part, “Société Générale Luxembourg is going to roll out a seminar on artificial intelligence to all its teams in order to raise staff awareness of this technological development,” reports Aurélie Ederle. “A group-wide project is also being rolled out to implement a new HR information system to enable greater digitalisation and operational efficiency.”
Simplification
“One of the virtues of digitisation is that it increases the operational efficiency of the teams in charge of all the administrative aspects of human resources management,” explains Nicole Dochen at Banque de Luxembourg. “But its benefits go much further. For example, we have put in place a powerful and comprehensive e-learning tool, covering business, regulatory and soft skills training needs. We also use it to co-create bespoke content tailored to our processes and tools.”
“The diversity of the HR function--from administrative management to talent management, succession planning and engagement--makes it an excellent playground for digitalisation and applications of AI and generative AI. As in other business areas, technology is helping us to simplify and automate production tasks, freeing up time for higher value-added tasks. With the deployment of our Almia artificial intelligence solution for the AG2R La Mondiale Group, we're exploring the possibilities in terms of answers to frequently asked questions or semantic analysis of open-ended responses to questionnaires. AI will then enable us to optimise recruitment, skills management and internal staffing,” says Delphine Bath of La Mondiale Europartner.
Myriam Sibenaler of the ABBL confirms: “We are relying on digitisation to simplify administrative tasks, allowing us to focus more on human and strategic initiatives.”
Efficiency
At Lombard International Assurance, “We have made digitisation a key lever for boosting the efficiency and strategic impact of the HR function (automation of administrative tasks to refocus HR on high added-value missions, adoption of self-service solutions, etc.), optimising training using artificial intelligence technologies (LMS) and predictive skills analysis, launching internal communication platforms that require feedback from employees, e-learning and e-learning heavily deployed for continuous and autonomous learning, regular HR KPI monitoring,” explains Edith Brunner.
Digitalisation is an ally of the HR function, through the use of HR software for talent management, predictive analysis and the simplification of administrative processes.
“Digitalisation is becoming an essential ally for the HR function by automating administrative tasks (managing salaries, holidays, recruitment and training), which frees up time to concentrate on high value-added tasks such as monitoring and developing employees,” says Marc Parage at Lalux.
Matina Korma, from BDO, adds: “Digitalisation is integral to our day-to-day operations, encompassing our applicant tracking system, HRIS, employer brand platform and bias-free job ad checks.” “In addition," she says, “we are exploring the introduction of artificial intelligence and chatbots to improve onboarding processes and meet other HR-related demands.”
“The HR function has not only been waiting for this digital transformation, but, in my opinion, needed it,” says Pictet’s Lise Roda. “In just a few years, the HR function has evolved from a simple ‘personnel management’ function to a complex strategic function, characterised by greater multidisciplinarity, a multidimensional aspect and increased monitoring. Without the digital tools at our disposal, this mission would be impossible today!”
Transformation
“Adopting new technologies, including generative AI, in a secure and reliable way is the first step,” says Julian Troian, at ING Luxembourg. “Our global academy and group strategy help us deliver innovative learning and development solutions, integrating digital tools for smoother and more agile talent management.”
“We have developed new reporting tools that give us a quick read on key HR metrics. We also use Harvey, our in-house artificial intelligence tool, to optimise our processes and communications,” says Magali Maillot, from A&O Shearman.
In terms of progress, “in 2024, we undertook a major transformation with the change of our HRIS tool,” says Géraldine Hassler of KPMG. “This complex project, like any digital project, was not without its challenges and is still in the finalisation phase. In 2025, our priority will be to integrate this tool with other key systems, such as our finance system, in order to maximise the use of data and derive strategic analyses to support our decision-making. By adopting the right technologies and tools, HR can deliver a better employee experience, while optimising internal processes, talent management and decision-making, and this will keep us busy for some time to come.”
Investments
For Post, Isabelle Faber says: “The company is launching a major HRIS programme that requires significant investment in time and resources. This digital transformation aims to modernise HR tools to improve the efficiency of processes and services.”
“One of the HR projects carried out in recent years has been to digitalise the HR function,” also reports Rockids HR director Anaïs Bouillet. “We have implemented an HRIS and digitised our recruitment process by implementing recruitment software. Internal communication has been optimised with our educators via internal newsletters.”
“Digitalisation is an ally of the HR function, via the use of HR software for talent management, predictive analysis and simplification of administrative processes,” recounts Julien Bossu of CDCL Group.
“Digitalisation is at the heart of our strategy,” stresses SLG’s Fabrice Encelle. “However, it is essential that this is done in a concerted and coherent way with the other departments in the company. HR data alone will hardly help. Used alongside operational and financial data, however, it will enable management, and more generally all employees, to make the best decisions. AI also needs ‘clean,’ labelled data to function optimally. The same applies to HR systems, which need to be able to interface with tools from other business lines to deliver their full potential.”
“Digitalisation strengthens HR by making communication faster, facilitating flexibility (simplified management of schedules and administrative processes), and enabling rapid adaptation to needs thanks to effective analytical and management tools,” sums up Christelle Noel, at Dussmann.
“For the past two years, we have been undergoing a transformation and have digitised HR, in particular, very quickly, and our teams are delighted with this,” says Chantal Trausch from Rak Porcelain Europ.
Meeting needs
At the University of Luxembourg, “digitisation not only improves operational efficiency,” says Claire Audollent, “but also enables us to respond better to the needs of employees and managers. Having digitised the majority of our HR processes (leave, absences, payslips, teleworking declarations, flextime, recruitment, etc.), we are now focusing our efforts on electronically signing all HR administrative documents (employment contracts, amendments, etc.) and setting up electronic safes for the university’s employees. The next step will be to use AI to answer our employees’ HR questions and help with candidate selection.”
In healthcare, “the implementation of digitised HR processes such as the HR portal, recruitment tools, work plans, makes it possible to support all employees in their HR administrative procedures,” notes Karine Rollot, from the Fondation Hôpitaux Robert Schuman. “The HR teams, for their part, can devote more time and human contact to employees. The digitised management of HR dashboards, meanwhile, constitutes a steering and decision-making tool for management and managers.”
“We have begun digitising personnel files and providing direct access to the individual training platform. Direct communication via our digital tools is easier and allows employees to manage their personal space independently,” adds her counterpart at the CHL, Olivier Schmitt.
For Dorothée Schneider and the Luxembourg Red Cross, “digitisation is an opportunity to improve the traceability and accessibility of information and to reduce the complexity of certain procedures. It’s a way of speeding up decision-making, while harmonising practices and increasing transparency.” Before asking: “It’s the old debate: should we adapt the structure to the tools, or the tools to the structure? It’s rare to have software that corresponds 100% to our context or our practices. Not to mention the usual resistance to change, which of course has to be listened to... and then managed.”
Au-to-ma-ti-ser!
At Sodexo, Ann De Jonghe explains, “In 2024, we carried out 503 engagements, i.e., 503 contracts, 503 identification files, 503 CNS affiliations, 503 medical check-ups... Our objective is therefore to automate more and more repetitive administrative tasks with little added value, so that we can devote ourselves to fulfilling missions that are essential to attracting, developing, engaging and retaining our talent, and thus becoming ‘business boosters.’”
For La Provençale, Liliana Alves also emphasises the “simplification of HR processes and the use of data analysis tools for decision-making,” while Léa Piot, at Cocottes, notes: “Future employees are born with digital tools and embrace them, so digitising our processes allows us to keep up with the times.” Piot adds: “When I arrived, the company didn’t have any HR management tools, so we developed them as the needs of the business and the structure of the HR department changed. We now provide platforms for salaries, interviews and training, but we still have a long way to go when it comes to digitalisation.”
“Since last year,” concludes Tatiana Escure of Stëmm vun der Strooss, “we have been using digitalisation to simplify and optimise HR processes. This includes adopting an HRIS for administrative management, monitoring training and employee induction. We are also working to improve internal communication via this HRIS so that all employees can share information. We can work in a different way and free up time for requests from staff.”
“Preserve face-to-face moments”
Internal organisation, recruitment, teleworking... At BGL BNP Paribas, “the digitisation of our collaborative tools has enabled us to develop and enrich the hybrid working mode by offering teams the means to communicate easily, in real time, and to interact with their colleagues, regardless of where they work,” explains HR director Louis de Looz-Corswarem. “Digital tools are also our daily allies in improving operational efficiency and enhancing the experience of our employees. For example, we have developed our chatbot Charlie, which enables us to respond automatically to our employees on certain subjects, and we develop it regularly. In this way, they gain time and autonomy in their search for information.”
“Digitalisation is also enabling us to offer new tools to facilitate the career paths of both our employees, for internal mobility, and our applicants, for recruitment. They can now submit an application in just three minutes. And finally, digitalisation is also helping us to optimise the collection and management of data, so that we can offer our teams ever more tailored and personalised experiences and services,” he continues.
When asked what obstacles remain, de Looz-Corswarem replies: “These are not obstacles, but rather situations where human contact remains essential and which, in fact, limit the use of digital technology. While it is essential to rely on digitalisation to simplify the experience of our employees and our customers, it is also important to preserve face-to-face moments of sharing and conviviality and appointments whose content lends itself better to face-to-face exchange.”
40%
According to figures from last year, just under 40% of large companies based in Luxembourg use at least one AI technology. In SMEs, the rate is under 10%.
This article was written in for the to the magazine, published on 29 January. The content of the magazine is produced exclusively for the magazine. It is published on the website as a contribution to the complete Paperjam archive. .
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