What Does The Future Hold For Human Resources And Technology?

Technology to assist you and change the current HR environment

We've seen changes in technology that we couldn't have predicted just a few years ago. Everything we know in the business world has gradually shifted into a more digitized format, making things easier for the end-user. The same can be said for the Human Resources Department as time goes on. HR itself has different branches, which are quite hard to distinguish. Everything falls under Human Resources, from candidate hiring to providing the best employee experience, making it difficult for HR leaders to manage each department. However, everything is on the path of automation, thanks to the technology we now have at our disposal. 

But what does the future hold for Human Resources and our technology? Let us have a look at it. 

How Has the Pandemic Changed HR Technology?

The Covid-19 pandemic was a real eye-opener for everyone in the corporate world, and it highlighted the grey areas that organizations needed to focus on. With the sudden implementation of work from home, workplaces needed to adapt swiftly to keep their daily operations alive while maintaining a high level of productivity. 
 

Even though working from home was the best possible option, the main issue was communication and how to keep the employees motivated. This is where technology came into play and was a crucial player in changing the whole game for the HR department. 

With the help of automated tools, the HR department can now create an ecosystem where employees can connect with their managers with just a click. On top of that, managers can now keep their employees motivated and engaged with platforms that provide a robust Rewards and Recognition system. This enables the ability of an organization to remotely acknowledge their employees for their dedication during such trying times. Moreover, hiring employees has now completely changed with the help of application tracking systems that automatically sources candidates that fit the appropriate job profile. 

The big picture here is that technology will only evolve and get better with time. You need to pick out the ones that suit best for your organization and become capable enough to face changes accordingly. 

There are specific areas in which technology will assist HR in the future. Some of them are listed below. 

1. Shortlisting of Candidates

Let's admit it, shortlisting candidates with potential for a vacant position is a daunting task. And as an HR manager, the task becomes even more challenging when there is no proper channel for selecting candidates. However, there has been a significant shift in how things are done in the current hiring process. 

The use of advanced hiring tools has automated the process and helped recruiters select candidates based on their skillset. One of the biggest advantages of using such tools is that they can sort resumes quickly. Moreover, it can save databases, which will help recruiters select candidates, in the future. It is still in the early stages of completely transforming the recruitment process. However, it is more likely that these tools will be the stronghold of every recruitment manager in the future. 

2. Use of AI and ML to Elevate Employee Experience

The most crucial thing that an HR manager needs to focus on is the overall employee experience in the organization. If employees are not subjected to a good employee experience, then it is highly likely that they will not be able to enjoy their work. This, in return, will increase your organization's attrition rate. 

The important thing to keep in mind is that 69% of employees are experiencing burnout symptoms. However, things are beginning to change in the current work environment. Since the pandemic, the HR department has shifted its focus to providing the best possible employee experience that will help reduce burnout levels. The crucial factor here is understanding which tools will align with your goal of improving the overall experience by using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The use of AI and ML will greatly reduce the workload of the HR managers and is likely to automate the various processes related to the HR department. 

The goal is to reduce HR's overall efforts and provide employees with tools that make it easier to carry out their daily tasks.

3. Automate the Existing Rewards and Recognition Program

Rewards and Recognition are an integral part of the employee engagement framework. Without any acknowledgment from the employees, it is hard to generate engagement. This can harm the overall organizational performance and hinder the growth of each individual. In the long run, this can make life difficult for HR managers as they will struggle with the demands of the workforce. 

But with improved and newer cloud-based technology, acquiring a robust reward and recognition platform is now not an issue. Various platforms in the market are aimed to streamline the rewarding process and make it easier for the end-users to experience a digital solution. These solutions allow on-the-spot rewards, remote access, impactful employee recognition, etc. These platforms will replace traditional methods and make recognition efforts simpler and better in the near future. 

The HR leaders only need to integrate such software with the help of a few clicks and provide a culture that empowers employees to do better. 

4. Better Learning and Development Opportunities

Everything we do or are involved in has a minimal relationship with technology. The digital shift that we have always imagined is rapidly taking place, and it is for the greater good of humanity. And this very shift has enabled us to improve our learning capabilities and develop ourselves with a plethora of digital learning platforms. This very same thing can be implemented in the workplace and make learning opportunities easy to access for the employees. 

With digital advancements and technological wonders, HR professionals can now onboard different learning tools that will help employees upskill. These tools are powerful and have the potential to provide flexibility through remote access. This makes the life of HR professionals much easier as they can implement solutions that meet the workforce's needs. In the long run, it helps organizations to provide good professional development for their employees and enables them to grow their career curve. 

5. Improved People Management and Greater Assistance to Hybrid Working

The capability of technology is paramount, and it shows its functionality to provide greater people management assistance to HR professionals. Most of the tools are now mainly focused on delivering features like-
 

• Automated query resolution
• Reduction of paperwork and human error
• Ease of decision making with proper and real-time analysis of the organization
• Use of employee pulse survey with advanced eNPS parameter
• Better communication channels for an organization

These features are and will assist HR professionals in making things easier in the workplace as the dynamics change. Furthermore, it will assist employees in producing effective work while maintaining high levels of productivity. It will make it easier for businesses to adapt to a hybrid work culture and integrate with easier tools to use.

6. Digital Wellbeing of Employees

Since the pandemic and the implementation of work from home, the emphasis on employee wellbeing has grown rapidly. As the employees were confined to their homes, high levels of burnout and frustration crept in, reducing overall productivity. This presented a new challenge for HR professionals, who needed a quick solution to improve employee productivity while working remotely.

The most effective solution was implementing digital platforms that catered to and focused on improving employee well-being. Not only did the HRs need to improve their physical health, but they also needed to improve their mental health. There are already tools that offer cognitive wellness sessions, but the demand is far greater. The platforms will help the HR professionals and the employees in numerous ways, like- 
 

• Virtual wellness campaigns like e-marathons
• Accurate food intake records and recommendations
• Use of AI to track physical workouts with in-depth analysis
• The ability to provide a psychologically safe environment in the workplace

The Benefits of Technology in HR

The benefits of having the right technology in human resource management are critical. Once you get the bigger picture, you will have the right knowledge to improve the workplace and channel it into something more meaningful. Here is a list of a few benefits that an HR professional can enjoy with the advanced technology- 
 

• Makes transition hassle-free with lesser paperwork
• Equips an organization to deal with the technological changes in the work environment
• Enables a workplace to be more flexible to newer developments
• Automates the traditional methods of HR processes
• Better data security with blockchain technology
• Improved integration capabilities for enhanced employee experience

The Impact of HR Technology vs Human Touch

Even if the corporate ecosystem is shifting towards a more digital approach, one thing is there to stay- the human touch. The systems that we have or are planning to have in the future will make our tasks easier and automate them. But the main shortcoming is the creativity and the ability of a human to connect. 

The impact of HR technology has been positive and helped organizations develop an environment that enables them to fulfill all the needs of employees in an instant. Moreover, the ability of HR technology to assist workplaces in empowering employees to become better in their job has been a great boon. In the long run, it will only get better with improved technology and human efforts side by side. 

Technology will certainly streamline and strengthen your efforts toward a perfect workplace, but all of that will not be possible without someone to execute it. Moreover, even if technology can accomplish its task efficiently, the human ability to cater to employees' specific needs is still crucial. For instance, compassion and emotional drive are essential components that machines cannot emulate. On top of that, the human touch of perceiving things and adapting to situations is a completely different ball game. Until and unless you program the technology similarly, the human touch and existence are here to stay in the long run. After all, technology is made by humans for humans. 

Summing it Up!

Given how rapidly technology changes with each passing day, it will only get better. The interesting thing to remember is how it will assist you and change the current HR environment. Furthermore, it is critical to consider how an HR professional will integrate new technology with existing ones. You must understand the landscape and adapt to it so that the workplace becomes technologically driven to provide the best opportunities to employees. The future is bright with the right approach and strategy. Stay in the loop and positively develop things. 

Anjan Pathak is the Co-Founder & CTO of Vantage Circle, a cloud-based employee engagement platform, and Vantage Fit, an all-in-one corporate wellness platform. He is an HR technology enthusiast, very passionate about employee wellness, and actively participates in corporate culture growth. He is an avid reader and likes to be updated on the latest know-how of Human Resources.  Connect Anjan Pathak