Isn't it ironic that machines invented to ease humans are seemingly becoming a threat to humans losing their jobs? – And the HR industry might not be an exception. In this technological era, we see things changing at a rapid pace. That puts forward a question – Is disruption in HR technology causing HR to lose its human touch, thereby making it a hot victim? Let's analyze.
The term 'human resources' may soon become obsolete, only to be replaced by the term 'hiring resources.' As machines are getting smarter every day with the dawn of modern-day advancements such as artificial intelligence, we can see a colossal drift in how companies hire, train, retain and fire employees. Shortly, a resource in HR's vocabulary need not only refer to a human but could also refer to a machine as well.
CEO: I want 100 resources for the upcoming project.
HRM: Human resources or machine resources
Let's break it down into three ways how technology serves to transform the entire hire-to-retire cycle of employees and helps HR retain the human touch.
The applications of artificial intelligence in HR are endless! As machines can learn faster and give better accuracy than humans, HR operational jobs could become obsolete in a matter of time. With machine learning, robotics, and artificial intelligence, HR processes like hiring, onboarding, payroll processing, attendance tracking, and appraisal can be more efficient by leveraging big data. Every individual has a physical and digital identity in today's business environment. Background verifications are becoming a piece of cake with digital identities. All these time-consuming operations can be automated with the help of handy tools available in the market.
With augmented reality coming into the picture, training sessions are becoming outmoded. Unlike mundane, boring sessions, employees can learn much better through augmented reality. Moreover, the internet is available and accessible even in remote places.
So, are HR professionals losing their purpose? No. If we take a closer look, we can see a gap between behavioral personas and the impact of HR process automation. Automation has probably reduced the reasons for HR to connect with employees and resulted in employees speaking to a system that does not have the human touch. HR strategy should be devised so that technologies like augmented reality do not become the sole solution but are instead utilized to assist HR.
On the other hand, the character and behavior of the employees are constantly evolving. They are more open-minded toward the work that they are involved in and are less concerned about job security. This change in behavior, which has taken multiple decades, was once a daydream. Individuals are getting more comfortable with 'freelancing' where they need not necessarily be committed to an employer long-term. The 'You pay, I work' attitude is becoming the new trend.
"What you do is work and not where you do" has become the trending mantra of employees these days. They want to work from home, beaches, restaurants, coffee shops, and where not! The traditional way of working from 9 to 6 inside an allotted cabin is on the verge of death. Employees want to work anywhere and anytime they like. Engaging such a remote workforce is paramount to HR – whether the employee is hired full-time or is a contractual staff for the organization.
Why the employee experience is the key
New employees don't want to be tagged as paid enslaved people to an employer. They desire to feel at home and be appreciated often. As the saying goes, "claps get an artist high," and appreciation can make a resource far more productive than you think. Human resource executives hope that merging AI into HR administration can positively impact employee experience.
It's high time HR professionals realized things are not the same and acted on it immediately. Transforming an organization's work culture has already gotten into the list of the following big things in HR. Take care of the employees, and they will take care of the company. Ultimately, the experience the employees get matters, as that will proportionately reciprocate in the results they deliver.
With all these shifts and drifts, the dust is far from settling. There's more to come. The HR department certainly needs to re-architect itself to escape being obsolete and remain the backbone of a company. An intelligent machine can be an assistant but can never be a replacement. Everything in this world needs a human touch, and the human resources industry is no exception. Technology is just another opportunity for it to become better.
To understand more about the changing trends in the HR world and the tools available, click here.
