How do you see the current state of HR digitalization in your organization?
HR digitalization in our organization is still very much at the beginning of its journey. While some processes are already supported by digital solutions, many others still need to be digitized—and rethought—from the ground up. As a bank, we approach this transformation with a high level of responsibility and caution, balancing innovation with stability and compliance.
As a bank within the Erste Group, we operate in a highly regulated environment. This means that innovation must always go hand in hand with compliance, data protection and risk awareness.
We are currently in an experimentation phase: curious, open to learning, and willing to test what truly adds value. Rather than rushing into solutions, we take the time to understand what works, what doesn’t, and why.
Our ambition is clear, though: to move beyond isolated tools and gradually build a truly connected, end‑to‑end HR ecosystem—one that supports people seamlessly across processes and makes work genuinely easier, not just more digital.
What was your main motivation for introducing HR technology developments?
Our main motivation was very simple: people deserve better HR experiences—and HR teams deserve tools that actually support them.
In an organization like Erste in this complexity, with multiple entities, countries and regulatory requirements, manual processes quickly reach their limits.
We wanted to reduce manual effort, increase transparency and enable better decision‑making through data. At the same time, scalability plays a big role for us, especially in an international environment.
Technology is not a goal in itself for us—it’s a lever to create impact. Or, to put it humorously: we don’t want to introduce new tools because we love tools, but because Excel sheets should not decide the future of talent.
What trends do you see in HR technology over the next 3–5 years?
For me, the most important HR tech trend is super‑human.
The more AI we embed into our systems, the more intentionally we need to design human touchpoints—in a banking environment, where trust, transparency and accountability are critical.
Many people are still uncertain when it comes to AI: what it does, what it decides, and what it means for their role. HR has a key responsibility here—to create clarity, confidence and ethical guardrails.
AI is moving from standalone tools to embedded, agent‑based support within HR workflows. Its real value isn’t automation alone, but better decisions, less friction and more focus.
Future‑ready HR is not AI‑first. It is human‑first—powered by embedded, intelligent AI.
Do you measure the return on investment (ROI) of HR technology investments? If so, how?
Yes, we do—but we look at ROI in a broader sense.
Of course, we measure efficiency gains such as reduced time‑to‑hire, lower manual effort or process speed. But we also focus on qualitative indicators like user adoption, candidate experience and decision quality.
Some value simply doesn’t show up immediately in a spreadsheet—but you feel it when recruiters, hiring managers and employees actually enjoy working with the tools.
So our approach is a mix of hard metrics and human feedback. HR is, after all, both science and craft.
What are you preparing for HRTECH CEE?
For HRTECH CEE, I’m preparing to share honest learnings from our HR digitalization journey at Erste—such as implementing a new applicant tracking system or developing our preboarding companion, Marie.
We’ve learned that in a highly regulated environment, technology alone is never the solution. Clear processes matter just as much. That’s why we increasingly think in end‑to‑end processes, for example using SIPOC logic to define scope, roles and responsibilities before selecting tools.
One challenge I want to address openly is focus. There are new HR tools every week, new AI promises, new inspiration—and it’s easy to get distracted. Especially in HR, where input is constant, maintaining strategic focus is a real leadership task.
My goal is to speak honestly about complexity, change management and decision‑making beyond polished slides—so participants leave with insights they can realistically apply in their own organizations.
Thank you for the answers Cornelia Schwaminger, the Global Head of Employer Branding & Talent Acquisition of Erste Group Bank AG!