IIM ROHTAK HUMANE-R PRESENTS IMPRESSIONS June 2022 HUMANE.R@IIMROHTAK.AC.IN
HR TechnologyDesigning the workplace for tomorrow
Abstract Human resources are the backbone of every business organization irrespective of the sector where the business is operating. They are the ones who take the work forward, develop business, make plans, implement machines, leverage technology and achieve outstanding results. However, in recent years with the advent of machine learning and artificial intelligence every business domain is undergoing a period of renaissance and HR is no exception. Much discussion has focused on AI and whether the current jobs will be eradicated by robots, but the cognitive technologies are one aspect of this massive shift that is underway. The shift has been further fueled by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic with corporate offices shifting from the sky scrapers to living rooms, board rooms to zoom meetings. This shift has led to the emergence of a redefined workplace. To support this redefined workplace and with the aim to leverage the productivity of the employees, organizations are investing a lot on automation to provide a seamless work experience to their employees.
Redefined
Workplace
With the advent of advanced technology and fueled by the outbreak of the world-wide pandemic, a major transformation has been observed in the workplace. Where once physical proximity was required to complete the work, the advent of collaboration platforms, digital communication technologies along with market changes have ushered the opportunity for more distributed teams. Organizations are able to orchestrate a completely new range of workplaces, from traditional cubicles to those completely distributed and dependent on virtual interactions. Workplace not only involves the place to work but it is an area which helps employees to innovate. As teams become more distributed, organizations might need to rethink how to foster both culture and team connections.
For employers, there is a need for more explicit attention to creating community and connections as workplaces become more virtual and filled with contingent workers. Many organizations have created a new role called Work from Home Facilitator who is responsible for imparting education to employees who are working from home. The redefined workplace has made the job of HR professionals more challenging. Increased Automation HR Automation leverages software to digitize and automate repetitive and timeconsuming tasks including employee onboarding administration, payroll, time keeping thus giving HR professionals more time to focus on other aspects of human resource management. They will be able to devote their time in crafting training sessions, skill development programme for their employees.
The potential for digital platforms and AI to underpin and grow the world of work is unbounded. This platform brings a digital value chain and automates the back-office work. However, many researchers have found that AI and humans complement each other and should play their own part instead of competing. AI is evolving into an intelligent assistant to help HR professionals work smarter. IBM and a number of other startups have designed chatbots and computer algorithms to recruit employees, answer HR questions and simulate human conversation.
A survey conducted by IBM found that half of the sample survey recognize the cognitive computing to transform the key HR operations. It has been found by IBM from the survey that for HR leaders, chatbots are well suited to improving talent acquisitions and onboarding process by increasing speed and providing greater consistency in answering HR questions.
Future HR After the careful analysis of the various aspects that are driving this transformation, now the time has come to give shape to the idea of future HR. The concept of future HR has been conceptualized below. The future HR should comprise of these three actions to consider in directing the forces of change.
To do these things well, employers should activate the workforce and use technology in ways that generate broad and valuable benefits for the organization and for the society as a whole. These steps can be further classified into(A) Redefining the organization: Re-establishing organizational culture will become a top priority for HR departments as organizations look to adopt more flexible arrangements. The transition from online form of working to hybrid mode of working is going to be more challenging for the existing HR departments to handle. Organizing regular check-ins, promoting open dialogue and direct communication channels will help to build a workplace which will promote innovation among the employees. As organizations are shifting to a hybrid mode of work, the future HR should focus on employee engagement through pulse and satisfaction surveys and emphasize on building a workplace that puts people at the forefront of every decision. HR should place more emphasis on health and
safety of their employees. Not only physical, but mental wellness is also important. Installing sensors around the organization, implementing social distancing measures will help employees stay safe and prevent the spread of the virus. In conclusion, HR should assist all workers, past and present, by establishing mental wellness programmes, offering around the clock support to those who need it and raising awareness by disseminating. (B) Driving People transformation: After the massive outbreak of the pandemic, many employees have been laid off by several companies across the sector. However, this may be suitable for short term, the pandemic has opened the discussion around rethinking employee rewards and benefits in the long run. Many companies have reduced the fixed portion of the salaries of the employees and increased the variable portion which will keep the employees working hard. Another possibility that many companies have moved forward with is to allow employees design their compensation packages under some terms and compensation. HR should consider upskilling their employees with unique skills that will help them stay updated with current edge technology and fast changing corporate world.
(C) Enabling Data Driven Decision Making: The future HR should leverage workforce analytics and take data driven decisions to stay competitive in the complex business landscape. By regular analyzing and monitoring HR will be able to determine the strategic talent acquisitions, development required to prepare the workforce. Organizations should reimagine their recruitment and talent sourcing strategies and focus more on the recent technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) which are driving the automation of HR functions.
Sounak De International Management Institute, Kolkata