A global survey has shown that a third of companies plan to increase their HR technology budgets this year. The same percentage plan to rethink their HR structure over the next two years in a bid to improve efficiency.

The 2014 HR Service Delivery and Technology Survey, conducted by Towers Watson, gathered data from 1,048 different companies. The survey revealed that only 15% of those companies surveyed plan to spend less on HR technology in the coming year.

Tim Richard, Towers Watson’s EMEA HR service delivery and technology practice leader, says, “Despite cost cutting in some areas of HR, we are seeing a substantial spike in technology spending. Companies are realising the value that consumer-grade technology brings to HR and are willing to make smart investments that can grow and evolve with the business.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly the survey also revealed further integration of mobile technologies; nearly half of the respondents reported using mobile for HR transactions, an increase of 10% since 2013.

In terms of structure change, companies identified streamlining their business processes as their number one priority.

“Organisations are narrowing their focus on HR initiatives as they attempt to strike a balance among people, processes and technology priorities. We attribute this shift to high-impact HR investments, such as streamlining business processes and implementing manager self-service, to a commitment to running the HR function more like a business,” says Tim Richard.

Respondents to the 17th annual HR Service Delivery and Technology Survey included HR and HRIT executives from 45 countries. Two-thirds of respondents were large or midsize organisations with more than 5,000 employees.