It is indisputable that technology has become an integral part of people’s lives. However, did you know that organizations need to adapt it to their operations in order to remain relevant? There are many types of organizations. Depending on their nature, they are more friendly to this change in their production processes. However, something is growing to implement them in Human Resources management.
The HR area is more and more predisposed to implement technologies in its operation. Without going any further, in the last few years, different techniques to help it function more efficiently have become evident.
Summary
- It is clear that technology is here to stay. Companies must stay informed of these changes in order to adopt those that are beneficial to make them more efficient.
- All changes that are implemented must be planned and for a particular purpose. They should not be done with the motivation that it is something that everyone does.
- Employees are the most important resource of the organization, so the most important thing to think about is to keep them motivated to stay with the organization.
What are the current challenges in HR?
It is clear that the appearance of the coronavirus generated many changes towards the digital world. Even in areas that were reluctant to this idea, this acceptance has accelerated. In particular, one of the most relevant cases is that of technology in HR.
Undoubtedly, teleworking was not common and was not expected to be massively adopted. Thanks to social isolation, it was installed in society. As a result, it became accepted by many companies.
Issues to be taken into account in HR technology trends
The new trends in HR technology help a lot in the development of HR tasks. It also brought new issues to consider when managing employees in an organization (1).
| Changes | Challenge |
|---|---|
| Adapting space and resources to the new way organizations operate: Although remote work is incorporated, several companies have not completely said goodbye to face-to-face work. | Generate this coexistence between virtual and physical work. That is, ensuring comfortable working conditions for employees in each of the areas. |
| Running more sustainable organizations: companies are increasingly committed to counteracting climate change. Reasons: on the one hand, brand image. Being an environmentally friendly company generates more public acceptance. On the other hand, countries implement regulatory policies for companies operating within them. | Make your processes more efficient to be eco-friendly and consume the least amount of unnecessary resources. At the time of hiring, it should be people with an adequate profile for this type of change. Since you will probably have to manage them more on a daily basis in the future. |
| Global talent crisis: The operation of many organizations was planned in a context that no longer exists. This means that they demand skills that today’s HR is not interested in providing. Workers are looking for jobs that allow them to have a work-life balance. Most companies have not yet started to adapt their work-life balance to this reality. Consequently, this leads to a high turnover rate. Employees migrate to companies that allow them to have flexible schedules and enjoy their lives without neglecting their professional profile. | Adapt the way companies operate to retain useful talent. |
Trends in Human Resources technology applied to remote work
There are many new trends in technology to apply to HR. Undoubtedly, the remote model is here to stay. Several studies reveal that workers are more predisposed to a hybrid model.
However, there is a trend towards the creation of 100% digital companies. This generates a reduction in the need for physical offices. This leads to the development of more and more tools to help the HR area to measure its performance.
Employee well-being in a virtual way
One of HR’s current challenges is to achieve a balance between the work and personal lives of its employees. Technologies applied to HR help organizations to achieve this balance.
Likewise, they expect work environments with a good working environment. As a result of this, an important concept emerges to develop HR today: Emotional pay.
Emotional pay: intangible benefits of the job that improve the employee’s quality of life (2).
This brings greater employee engagement, improves the work climate, and increases productivity. In other words, it improves employee well-being. Consequently, it translates into lower employee turnover. This generates an improvement in the long-term planning of the organization.
Technology to monitor employees
HR technology trends can be applied to a host of practices. For example, how does a company know if it is performing as expected? A fundamental task for a company is to be able to measure and generate indicators.
In the home-office, there is no physical interaction between employees. This challenges the HR area to be creative in order to measure, for example, motivation.
Currently, there is software that helps to monitor the performance of workers. Thanks to them, real metrics are obtained. This enables the HR area to have timely information to make decisions. (See the best employee monitoring software)
Improve online training with new technology
Remote work demands the same training as face-to-face work. In addition, many companies allow their employees to work at the times they feel most productive. This is why training should be asynchronous.
Remote and asynchronous training should be designed. The result is that people decide when to train without losing demand. Employees demand jobs that are challenging and that allow them to grow professionally. They also want to maintain flexibility and balance in their lives.
What does an ideal training plan look like?
A good option is to use educational platforms so that employees can do it in the time they want.
The content should be adapted to different devices so that employees can consume it wherever they prefer. It is preferable to divide the lessons into short videos.
Short videos allow the employee’s attention not to be prolonged for too long. A few minutes with a short final evaluation to understand the lesson is much more productive (3). Finally, the progress of each individual in the training must be measured, so that action can be taken if necessary. This is essential for efficient decision-making.
What do employers want from their HR?
Employers define characteristics that people must meet in order to achieve the organization’s expectations. Likewise, companies have general characteristics that coincide with most of them, among which we can name:
- Positive attitude and willingness to work
- Reliability when carrying out tasks
- Continuous learning and training
- Initiative
- Cooperation
What are the latest trends?
Artificial Intelligence applied to Human Resources
Artificial intelligence is interrelated algorithms in machines that allow them to possess the same capabilities as people. Therefore, being able to take advantage of this in the area of human resources is very beneficial. Among the possibilities of applying this tool, we find:
Advantages
- Ability to automate repetitive tasks with little added value
- Better talent attraction
- Faster and more personalized employee onboarding
- More efficient and effective employee training
- Increased connectivity between candidates, employees and managers
- Cognitive support in decision making
See the best artificial intelligence software.
Hyper-automation
“The approach in which organizations identify, examine and automate, rapidly, both business and IT processes in a disciplined manner (4).”
Hyper-automation is not designed to replace humans in organizations, quite the contrary. Implementing it allows humans to be detached from repetitive and tedious tasks.
This is so that they can engage in those tasks where they can add value by performing them, most famously by using chatbots to solve people’s problems. However, this is a tiny part of what can be done.
Similarly, you should not automate processes just for the sake of it. There is a way to achieve this through three steps:
- It is necessary to plan what process I want to improve.
- Define through which tools I can do it.
- Determine what change I expect to happen from it.
Cybersecurity Concern
Remote work for companies has many benefits. Equally, a great responsibility: protecting employees’ personal data and company-important data.
No company is exempt from data theft. However, they must know which are the most vulnerable points in order to take measures. Among the measures that can be taken are:
- Check that the Wi-Fi networks and devices used are secure.
- In the event of a cyber-attack, companies should have a protocol on how to act.
- Conduct training for employees on how to use the tools correctly.
See the best cybersecurity software.
How can HR technology help an organization?
In short, HR administration has become more accurate with the help of technology. In general, implementing technology allows knowing what is the level of commitment of employees to the organization. It helps to analyze their performance and make corrective decisions if necessary.
Likewise, these trends in HR technology help to make decisions. They allow companies to strategically plan their training and recruitment needs.
Indeed, among the advantages of implementing technology in organizations to monitor personnel we find:
Motivation to meet performance objectives
Employees need information about what is expected of them and their performance. This allows them to estimate whether their work is in line with the company’s expectations. That is why it is advisable to have a dashboard to measure objectives.
This will translate into increased productivity and employee satisfaction. After all, they will have a clear idea of what is expected and the retribution for it.
Talent management
It allows knowing what are the current talents in the company and what is the growth potential of them. Specifically, it helps to project what the future talent needs will be according to the company’s plans.
The real control of the company’s activities
They allow a current and integral vision of the company in real-time in relation to the fulfilment of the objectives. It also helps to set the respective action plans to achieve them.
Conclusion
In summary, the implementation of new technologies in organizations makes them more efficient. Making these implementations in HR allows employees to focus on tasks that really add value to the organization. Time is money and it is very important to know what the processes are like. They must be designed to be more valuable at the end of the tasks.
In addition, we must not forget that we are social beings. It is recommended that, if remote jobs are to be adopted, the company should organize workdays. As a result, this will help employees interact, share spaces and enhance the organizational culture.
References
1. Orlandi AM. Big data and analytics technology applied to human resources management in a financial institution. A case study. Utneduar [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2022 Sep 8]
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2. Rubio, S. M., Beltrán, C. A., Baltazar, R. G., & Sánchez, R. V. G. (2020). The concept of emotional wage. Revista Científica Retos De La Ciencia, 4(8), 15-24
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3. Miguel Angel Velarde Pelayo- CEO & Founder of Thincrs: Lifelong learning for lifelong employability
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4. Marin R, Clara M. Strategic communication manual for the implementation of hyper-automation in organizations. Javerianaeduco [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2022 Sep 8]
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