IMPRESSIONS || January 2023

Design thinking in Human Resource Management

“People are an organization's most valuable asset and the key to its success”, an illuminating quote by Dave Bookbinder that portrays the significance of the human element in any organization. The onus of making a workplace efficient and rewarding lies the human resources that comes down to bringing together the right set of people and creating an environment that provides a sense of belongingness and willingness to contribute towards achieving goals. In recent years, the world has utilized various approaches to devise plans, policies, programs, solve problems, and much more. Out of these, one such approach that has been gaining a great deal of traction is Design Thinking. The word seems simple to understand but it is more than it looks. To define design thinking in oversimplified terms, it is the process of solving problems by prioritizing the customer's needs above everything else. When we talk about human resources, the customers are the people of the company that determine the future of the company. Traditional human resource management is more focused on process building, and curating the optimal processes that support the company’s goals whereas incorporating design thinking in human resource management contributes towards designing the best experience that aligns with both the company and personal objectives of the employees. Before diving deep into discussing design thinking in human resource management, let’s first understand the design thinking framework in brief. The framework is broadly defined by five steps; Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

Empathizing; is learning about your audience and not just sympathizing with them but actually putting yourself in their shoes to get their perspective. The essence of the step is to empathize with your customer.

Define; is making a viewpoint based on the customer’s need and narrowing it down to the main problem you want to tackle.

Ideate; is to challenge assumptions and generate ideas to get a minimum viable product.

Prototype; is to build a representation of your ideas, design assumptions and create an experimental model of the proposed solution.

Test; is checking if your prototype helps solve the problem and using feedback to create a better iteration of your prototype or in some cases, going back to the various stages based on the output you get. Given below is the framework that will help you understand Design Thinking process and its flow:

The idea behind empathy or empathizing with your customer is not just to understand the problem from their perspective but co-creating solutions with them. To begin with, we create an empathy map. This map assists in understanding the main pain point for the user and identifying what we aim to gain out of the process. Elements of empathy mapping are taking into account what your user will say, feel, think and do. The result of segregating the problem in this way is to analyze the behavior of the user and spot the key areas to target.

This step leads us to the “How Might We” statement. This statement is created after prioritizing all the pain points and picking the most crucial problem we want to solve. We use the statement to reflect, How we might; intend action for; the primary user so that; the desired effect is. For instance, How might we raise funds for homeless people so that we can shelter them?

The essence of human resource management lies with the word ‘human’ itself. It becomes crucial to carefully analyze the decisions we make that will define the experience of the employee. This is where design thinking has been contributing and gaining popularity amongst human resource professionals as it helps them move away from the traditional mindset of listening to problems and at times, jumping to conclusions. Design thinking gives them time to experiment and consider scenarios rather than simply going ahead with several of the first ideas that pop up during brainstorming sessions.

A common trend that organizations have seen is that employee experience contributes to the performance of the firm and experience of its clients. It reflects the importance of interactions and information gathering. Design thinking is applicable in all aspects of human resources, for example, the onboarding process of a candidate.

The HR teams that incorporated design thinking found ways to enhance candidate experience during the application process, interviews, and knowing about the company. Knowledge about the company and its culture is essential for any employee joining the company, and to facilitate this, organizations generally provide all this information in one or two days but design thinking changed this narrative and led the companies to focus on creating an experience for the candidate (AI tools for HR is gaining popularity) which makes sure the candidate has access to information, responsibilities and can seek guidance every step of the way.

Considering recent times, the world witnessed COVID-19 which caused several firms to switch to remote working. Amid the chaos and isolation due to lockdowns imposed in major parts of the world, people were deprived of the human element of working together. Dealing with the threat of sickness, loss of family and friends, and uncertainty of how things may pan out, mental health of the employees took a massive toll. Here we realized the importance of the human element that helps us support each other and led to an increase in sensitivity towards mental health. Empathizing with the employees led to firms rolling out several programs and incentives to best cater to the needs of the employees. HR teams introduced wellbeing allowances, counseling sessions with experts, medical assistance programs, and more for its employees.

Another application of Design thinking in human resource management lies in performance management. By design thinking, performance management can improve goal setting, feedback and coaching, and evaluation, which leads to a more productive and engaged workforce. The acceptance rate of performance management decisions is higher because it is not decided solely by the subject matter experts but also reflects the customer's demand.

To understand design thinking more practically, I am sharing a personal experience (it is all about the human connection, right?).

Working with an inclusion school (a school with special needs kids), we encountered three main problems in the domain of finance, marketing, and human resources after multiple rounds of interactive sessions with different stakeholders. We worked on resolving the human resource problem; the school was facing issues with retaining teachers and thereafter replacing teachers on short notice is a tedious task. To stop this occurrence, the school offered exorbitant salaries and perks to increase the retention rate but there was no significant improvement in the scenario. With the help of interviews and empathy mapping, we were able to identify the reasons as to why even after the corrective actions taken by the school, they are unable to retain their employees. The school only focused on the compensation part of the equation. It turns out that the employees were struggling with their mental health due to the nature and demand of the job and also lacked a sense of accomplishment as there was no feedback and recognition program in place, among other reasons. Based on this information, we created a How Might We statement. How might we structure policies and programs for the school so that its retention rate increases?

Working our way from here, we moved to the ideate stage and later created a prototype of an employee retention program that addressed some prime concerns. We then incorporated the feedback from the stakeholders and made changes to our prototype. Our prototype was just on a piece of chart paper with sticky notes. The purpose of highlighting this is that often the professionals work in isolation and have no interaction with the customer. When they come up with a well-defined prototype, it might be entirely different from what the customer expected. It is the basis of the Agile method that is highly popular in the IT industry. Moving on to the final prototype, we moved to the testing stage of implementing a few changes.

A principal thing to note here is that design thinking is an iterative process. It talks about the minimum viable product. Post the successful testing of the prototype, we will learn new things and then use that feedback to enhance the prototype. This process will continue till we reach the optimal solution.

Conclusion

In conclusion, design thinking is a valuable tool for human resource management that encourages creativity and innovation. It allows companies to understand the needs of their employees and come up with solutions that address those needs and wants. By applying design thinking to recruitment, employee development, and retention, human resource management can become more effective and efficient, leading to a more productive and engaged workforce. Additionally, design thinking can help human resource management to anticipate and adapt to changes in the market, technology, and employee expectations, which leads to a more agile and resilient organization. Overall, design thinking can be a constructive approach for organizations looking to improve their human resource management practices and create a more positive and productive work environment for their employees.

Harshil Gupta LBSIM

Introduction

This research focuses on studying the implications and consequences faced by organizations when adopting a cost-conscious approach to recruitment by using social media networking The research aims to gather information on the usage and satisfaction of using social media sites for recruitment and to understand the data output, draw relevant conclusions, and predict the future usability of this new approach of employing people or seeking a job through internet portals. The research intends to develop a thorough understanding and maximize learning on the topic.

What is the Industry Scenario Like?

LinkedIn, Instagram, Glassdoor, Futur, Naukri.com, and Monster are all online platforms that are used for job search and recruitment processes. LinkedIn is known as the king of e-recruitment and was introduced in 2002, Instagram is known as a social media platform for informal activities but is also used for professional purposes, Glassdoor is a website where employees can anonymously review companies, Futur is an online educational platform that also helps people find teaching jobs, Naukri com is an Indian-based website that operates in India, and Monster is a global website for employment purposes that was created in 1999.

Understand The Contemporary Issues

According to LinkedIn, 75% of job seekers consider the employer's brand before applying for a job, highlighting the importance of effective recruitment strategy and employer branding.

According to LinkedIn, 75% of job seekers consider the employer's brand before applying for a job, highlighting the importance of effective recruitment strategy and employer branding.

A study by the National Federation of Independent Business found that 87% of HR professionals reported difficulty in finding qualified candidates for positions.

Glassdoor reported that 76% of hiring managers find it challenging to attract the right candidates, with a large employee market but a small employer market in India

Employers are facing challenges in effectively assessing candidates due to the use of traditional assessment methods such as interviews and personality tests.

The large labor market in India can lead to an excessive amount of time spent on the selection process, and there are concerns about the reliability of job offers and candidates' confidentiality when using online platforms for recruitment.

Career Builder Research found that 74% of employers make the wrong hiring decision due to fake resumes and profiles, a problem that is prevalent in both traditional and e-recruiting methods.

A study by the National Federation of Independent Business found that 87% of HR professionals reported difficulty in finding qualified candidates for positions. Glassdoor reported that 76% of hiring managers find it challenging to attract the right candidates, with a large employee market but a small employer market in India

Employers are facing challenges in effectively assessing candidates due to the use of traditional assessment methods such as interviews and personality tests. The large labor market in India can lead to an excessive amount of time spent on the selection process, and there are concerns about the reliability of job offers and candidates' confidentiality when using online platforms for recruitment.

Evolution Journey of Recruitment Process:

During the 1950s to 1980s, the primary medium for recruitment was newspapers and magazines, with 75% of candidates obtaining jobs through newspaper advertisements.

In the 1970s to 1980s, radio and telephone were added as recruitment mediums, but face-to-face interviews remained the primary selection method

In the early 1990s to 2000, print media, radio, telephone, and television were used for recruitment, but the World Wide Web introduced email as a medium and the first-ever job posting website, the Online Career Center by Bill Warren in 1992.

From 2005 to the present, online job portals such as Monster, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor have become the primary means for job advertising and seeking, replacing traditional methods such as newspapers, magazines, radio, and television.

Data Published by other sources.

Diving Into The Process of E-Recruitment:

The recruitment process through Social Media has undergone a shift in methodology with the incorporation of new techniques. These methods are alternatives to traditional job advertising in newspapers, career fairs, or walk-in interviews.

To initiate the process, both the job seeker and employer must establish accounts on relevant professional Social Media sites or apps. Personal and professional information must be uploaded to the profile to increase visibility and attract relevant job offers. This includes data such as name, location, educational background, current job position, experience, skills, certifications, and resume.

Employers can post job ads on online portals using hashtags or name tags to attract the attention of relevant job seekers. Utilizing an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can streamline the process of employee referrals. ATS can be implemented in any organization, small or large.

Interested candidates can express their interest by commenting or messaging the employer directly on the same platform. They are then asked to submit their resumes via email or provided link. After reviewing the applicants' profiles, shortlisted candidates are informed through email or direct message and directed to participate in the next rounds of interviews, online tests, psychometric assessments, etc. These can be done through a link provided on the portal or by email.

While in-person interviews are preferred, it may not always be possible if the candidate is located remotely. With the rise of COVID-19, many organizations have implemented the use of online interviews via video call. While this is a time-saving and tech-savvy method, it does have drawbacks such as the inability to observe the candidate's body language and dress sense.

To understand the scope of the study more and reach out to a conclusion, we have used Primary (200 Respondents) as well as secondary data.

On asking our respondents:

1. What do you find as the drawbacks of using social media sites for professional purposes?

The survey found that there are several drawbacks to using social media platforms for professional purposes. These include:

Unprofessional use of platforms, where people use these platforms in a nonprofessional manner, leads to a lack of professionalism and more irrelevant posting, hashtags, accounts, suggestions, bogus messages and requests, and connections.

Addictive, where users find it difficult to not use these platforms excessively. Genuineness, where fraudulent people and offers drive people to problematic situations and can lead to the misuse of personal information. Additionally, employers have concerns about the genuineness of employees and their background information.

In general, these drawbacks affect not only employees but also employers and make it difficult for recruiters to rely on social media for the recruitment process.

2. Are you satisfied with the job/people you chose through social media?

The survey found that a majority of respondents were satisfied with the people and jobs they have recruited or applied to through online recruitment platforms. Specifically, 47 respondents said they were satisfied, while 32 said they were not. However, 59.1% of respondents chose the option of "neutral," indicating that they were okay with using social media platforms for seeking jobs and recruiting people. Overall, more than half of the population (50%+) is satisfied with this new age method of the online recruitment process.

3. Do you consider hiring people/searching for a job through social media in the future?

The survey found that a majority of respondents want to continue using online social media platforms for the recruitment process. Out of 193 respondents, only 39 said they would not want to continue using this method, while 154 said they would. This indicates that 79.79% of respondents prefer to continue using online platforms for recruitment. The survey data suggests that online social media platforms are becoming a major part of the recruitment process and are increasingly preferred over traditional recruitment methods. The reasons for this preference may be that there are no better alternatives or that the benefits of using online platforms outweigh the drawbacks.

4. What do you find as the perks of using social media platforms for professional purposes?

The survey found that the majority of respondents believe that the benefits of using online social media platforms for recruitment and job seeking outweigh the drawbacks. Respondents were asked about the benefits they find in using these platforms and it was found that nearly half of the respondents chose one or more options. The most popular options were "time-saving" and "a wide range of choices available." 53.26% of respondents (106 people) believe that online recruitment is more time-saving than traditional methods, while 50.25% of respondents (104 people) believe that online platforms provide a wider range of choices.

This suggests that the ability to quickly find and apply for jobs, as well as access to a global pool of candidates and job opportunities, are some of the benefits that respondents find in using online social media platforms for recruitment and job seeking.

What have we found and concluded by performing this research is…

This new-age online method of recruiting will go a long way and it has been accepted, appreciated, and understood by the majority of the people. This conclusion has been made by looking at the figures received through the question that was published by me to 200 respondents. We can also conclude that LinkedIn is the most appropriate site for the process of online recruitment as it has been chosen as the most preferred and used site by the respondents. Apart from that on the advantages and disadvantages, this study has come off with certain issues like genuineness, relevant offers and the heavy number of applications as the major issues of using online social media platforms. The majority of the respondents have chosen these issues as the disadvantages of using social media platforms. The study has also tried to comprehend the merits of using social media platforms for professional purposes and has come up with the advantages like time-saving in searching and having a wide range of options. All in all, it is also interpreted that the advantages of social media platforms for professional purposes overshadows its disadvantages as people in a great chunk out of 200 respondents have shown their interest to continue using social media applications and website for future usage of Sourcing candidates for seeking job opportunities.

Yukti Sutavani IMI New Delhi