At a time when talent management has become a much higher priority for companies, many are planning to replace their manual talent management processes with automated ones that integrate compensation, recruiting, performance management, learning management, career development and succession planning, according to a survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm.

Watson Wyatt's 2009 HR Technology Trends Survey found that more than half of companies (56 percent) are planning to use more talent management technology over the next 24 months. Among those companies, 46 percent said they plan to integrate their existing technologies or leverage their current integrated systems, while 27 percent will start from scratch with a new integrated suite. The survey, which was conducted in February and March 2009 and includes responses from 181 large employers, also found that 37 percent of companies have made talent management a higher priority as a result of the economic crisis, while only 15 percent of employers have made it a lower priority.

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