Dublin, Ireland — BrightHR, a global leader in HR and health & safety software, today revealed key insights from its second annual ‘Leaders in Tech’ report, showcasing how small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) worldwide are leveraging HR technology to navigate regulatory changes and accommodate new workforce trends.
The report, which highlights usage data from over 100,000 SMEs globally, underscores the growing role of HR technology in streamlining operations, improving employee engagement, and supporting businesses through a complex landscape shaped by regulatory change, economic pressures, and rapid technological advancement.
“As 2025 approaches, SMEs are facing a perfect storm of challenges, including rising costs, employment law reforms, and an accelerating pace of digital transformation” says Alan Price, CEO of BrightHR. “In Ireland, where changes to the Minimum Wage, Statutory Sick Pay, pensions, and new employment law regulations have introduced significant changes for all employers, technology is proving indispensable in helping businesses stay compliant and improve their operational efficiency. With almost half (42%) of SMEs surveyed by BrightHR saying they are ‘not confident’ their HR practices are compliant with existing employment laws, the use of technology to ensure compliance is more important than ever, and will become even more vital in the months ahead in the face of significant political and legislative change.”
*Key findings: HR tech adoption accelerates across small businesses *
Use of e-learning courses for HR and health & safety compliance is growing rapidly: In the light of new regulatory requirements and the changing nature of work, training employees and managers in employment law and workforce changes has become essential for businesses looking to stay compliant and competitive in a fast-moving regulatory landscape. It’s one thing adhering to legislative changes, but training employees and managers is crucial to mitigate risks and ensure accurate, proper implementation of new regulations. In the past year, the BrightHR Learning Management System (LMS) saw over 750,000 e-learning courses completed globally, a staggering 1,289% increase on the previous year, highlighting a growing trend of business owners turning to online courses to to train their staff in changing employment laws and meet new regulatory requirements.
Tech is supporting work-life balance as employee wellbeing becomes a top priority: Over the past year, over 369,000 annual leave days were logged on the BrightHR system across Ireland, a 23.8% increase on the previous twelve months. Recent studies demonstrate that wellbeing is fast becoming one of the top priorities for Irish employers and ensuring that employees take enough time off is a key part of this. With streamlined leave management, employers can ensure their staff are taking time off to recharge, resulting in a healthier and more productive workforce. In a time where employee burnout has become a significant concern, staff holiday planners that save time with automatic holiday calculations, instantly flag holiday request clashes, and automatically comply with leave laws, are quickly establishing themselves as vital tools for facilitating a better work-life balance.
HR document libraries are helping businesses navigate regulatory change: In a year of significant regulatory change for Irish businesses, staying compliant has become more complex than ever, with significant updates such as the expansion of gender pay gap reporting, increased statutory sick leave, and upcoming changes to auto-enrolment pensions. These changes have demonstrated the importance of staying compliant and adapting quickly. Amidst these legislative shifts, business owners are turning to expertly created HR documents to ensure compliance, with the report revealing that over 5.2 million pre-made HR and health & safety documents were downloaded globally in the last year, a 44.2% increase on the previous twelve months.
Scheduling software and remote clock-in technology are helping businesses adapt to flexible work arrangements: Workforce flexibility has become the new normal in Ireland, with approximately 42% of Irish employers now reportedly adopting a hybrid working model. As employers adapt to this changing landscape, technology is proving vital in helping employers accommodate flexible work arrangements. In the last twelve months, over 3.4 million clock-ins were logged through BrightHR’s time-keeping app Blip—a 40.9% increase year-on-year—while over 10.1 million minutes of work (approximately 168 million hours) were offered to employees through its shifts and rotas tool—an increase of 31.2% compared to last year. Whether employees are in the office, at home, or working remotely, businesses are embracing tools that facilitate flexible work arrangements and ensure productivity and accountability.
The future of employee recognition is digital: Employee recognition has become a key component of employee engagement and talent retention in Ireland, particularly in 2024. Demonstrating appreciation for employees’ efforts isn’t just a nice gesture—it’s become a key driver of a healthy workplace culture. According to Deloitte, companies that prioritise EX see a 25% increase in employee retention, demonstrating the benefits of employee recognition and holistic benefits packages for retaining top talent. The Leaders in Tech report indicates that small businesses are leveraging technology to improve EX and recognise employee contributions, with over 60,000 Praise points shared through BrightHR’s innovative Praise tool this year. As the market grows ever more competitive, finding ways to attract and retain top talent will become more critical in the year ahead.
Commenting on the launch of the report, Alastair Brown, CTO at BrightHR, says:
“As SMEs navigate increasing workloads and financial uncertainty, automating key HR functions is helping them manage operations, improve compliance, and control costs. At BrightHR, we’re proud to lead this charge, providing the tools businesses need to succeed and grow in the face of challenges.
“2024 has been a year of rapid transformation, from economic shifts to the growing adoption of AI, and BrightHR has been at the forefront of helping businesses adapt. We’ve launched over 24 major products this year, welcomed more than 20,000 new customers, and empowered businesses to stay ahead of regulatory changes and workforce demands.
“Our second Leaders in Tech report clearly shows that HR technology is no longer a luxury but a necessity for small businesses. By embracing innovations in employee recognition, smart scheduling, and e-learning, and using these tools to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, SMEs can protect their businesses and ultimately position themselves up for long-term growth.
“Whether it’s managing flexible working through our Blip app, supporting staff compliance with HR and health & safety regulations through our Learning Management System, or helping businesses distribute 10 billion minutes of work through our scheduling tool, our commitment to innovation is clear. As we look to 2025, we’re ramping up investments in payroll, performance management, and new features like our NFC-enabled clock-in kiosks—continuing to deliver tools that help businesses thrive in a complex and evolving landscape.
“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re proud to lead the HR tech space with solutions that are shaped by their needs. The future is bright, and it’s theirs for the taking.”
Visit BrightHR’s interactive online report to learn more.