Mapping the Digital Shift: A Bibliometric Review of Human Resource Information Systems and Workforce Optimization in South African Construction

Amidst the digital evolution of the construction industry, this study addresses the critical need to understand how Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) enhance workforce training and operational efficiency. Utilizing a bibliometric analysis, a systematic literature review of the Scopus database was conducted using keywords including “human resources,” “construction industry,” and “information management,” resulting in a final corpus of 29 relevant documents. These were analyzed and visualized using VOSviewer to map prevailing research themes. The analysis identified six dominant thematic clusters: Organizational Integration, Technological Innovation, Digital Integration, Workforce Optimization, Systems Management, and Operational Efficiency. These clusters collectively reveal a growing academic focus on leveraging HRIS to improve project delivery, strategic decision-making, cost control, talent development, and digital readiness. The findings offer practical insights for construction professionals and stakeholders, demonstrating HRIS’s potential to optimize workforce performance, facilitate robust information flow, and align human resource strategies with emergent digital practices. This is particularly salient in developing contexts like South Africa, where skills shortages and demands for accountability make HRIS a vital driver of professional agility and sustainable change. Consequently, this research underscores how HRIS-driven digital transformation is fundamental to building resilient, future-ready workforce strategies, directly contributing to navigating disruption and fostering a sustainable built environment.