Learning To Love HR Tech

HR departments are concerned about advances in technology, but they shouldn't be

Seventy-five years ago, people would have thought it was impossible that a computer program could sort through job resumes or that a robot could answer employee questions in real time. Today, these advancements in technology are used daily to help streamline workflows. Technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, providing products and results we never imagined.
 

Many executives and employees are concerned about implementing new technology, specifically tech advancements in the HR department. Twenty-eight percent of HR executives claim to see no need for such advanced technology. Change can be overwhelming, but also incredibly beneficial. First, executives must understand the advantages of implementing new HR tech into their daily processes.

A great company starts with a great workforce. To develop the best employees, many businesses have made efforts to improve their training programs. Training Magazine’s 2017 Training Industry Report states that the overall training expenditures in the U.S. increased by 32.5 percent to $90.6 billion dollars last year, and 58 percent of these companies plan to increase learning and development spending in 2018.
 
The future of training looks toward learning management systems (LMS) which are software applications used to distribute training and development programs. Thirty-eight percent of companies surveyed anticipated purchasing an LMS system, and as technology develops, the platforms regularly add new features. One example, tone analysis, evaluates mood and voice on client phone calls for managers to provide feedback. LMS systems can also be used to track employee progress in learning modules and analyze information throughout the process. Employees have the option to take more personalized courses and engage with the information in ways that increase retention.

Many see artificial intelligence as a threat to the human workforce when it’s actually a tremendous benefit. Sixty-six percent of CEOs believe that cognitive computing can drive significant value in HR. This industry will always be human-driven, but new technology can help shift HR professionals’ workload in a positive direction. Executives can focus more on personal interactions and advanced company strategy, leaving behind the tedious, mundane responsibilities. For example, AI simplifies the recruiting process by scanning applications and sourcing candidates based on set criteria. It can also schedule interviews with applicants and send formulated email responses.

"Chatbots are another tool that can simplify HR executives’ workloads and let them shift focus to more big-picture tasks". These AI programs interact with employees through text message conversations and can address everything from common customer concerns to company policy questions. Employees receive timely responses to their questions, while executives avoid answering repetitive requests. Additionally, this tool can be used to improve the performance review process. Fifty-eight percent of HR leaders feel that the traditional review process is out of date and ineffective. Chatbots and other internal communication tools modernize the process by providing feedback when it’s most convenient for all parties.
 
The HR department is evolving, and this is a cause for celebration, not concern. New technology continues to transform the day-to-day responsibilities of HR professionals, providing opportunities for efficiency and growth. Once the HR department learns to love HR technology, the rest of the organization will, too.

Matt Thomas is the President of Indianapolis-based WorkSmart Systems, Inc., which he founded in 1998. He is active with the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) and has dedicated more than 20 years to the PEO industry dating back to his early career with industry leaders ADP and NovaCare Employee Services. Follow @WorkSmartPEO Connect Matt Thomas