Inavate magazine published a great article recently about the increasing role human resource staff appear to be playing in AV purchase and utilization within enterprises. Check it out here -- InAVate (inavateemea.com). The overall premise is that the shift in company policies towards more hybrid working has meant HR is weighing in on how to best use technology to facilitate productivity while remaining sensitive to equity and inclusion. Given the disruption of the pandemic to collective work modes this makes perfect sense as companies adapt. 

It also had us curious as we ask about the staffing and decision-making process in our quarterly demand study, MOAR. If HR is in fact becoming more involved, this study would logically show an uptick in related metrics across the 7 quarters of data. In fact, we did see some movement in an interesting area -- AV staffing and department affiliation. From Q3 2021 to Q4 2022, the percentage of organizations with AV staff who report up into the HR structure of an organization has doubled from 7% to 14%. While still a smaller minority, this does support the premise that HR is becoming more involved, in this case by housing AV professionals to help support technology utilization within a company. 

What's this mean for pro AV? Though the shift to IT has been a widely discussed trend in the stakeholder landscape, this newer development identifies another key role an AV provider may find involved as they support their clients. Like when working with IT, it means savvy AV professionals will come prepared to address the specific needs of the human resource stakeholder as communicated through their own unique language. Doing so may make the difference in whether or not a contract is won, lost or renewed. Consider it another reminder of the importance of listening to the customer!