Digital Transformation Needs A Future-Ready HR

I have recently started keeping track on the number of mailers I receive on the new HR start-up technology companies that keep connecting with you over email, LinkedIn and even Facebook.

With time, the numbers are increasing exponentially. Many of us tend to avoid these mails due to lack of time or delegate to the team for them to review, but the few that you do call for a discussion out of sheer curiosity, brings with it some interesting surprises.

A recent example is worth noting where I had this young computer engineer presenting to me on some of the most revolutionary ideas and concepts on ‘doing HR better’!! Some even left me wondering ‘How did that skip my mind?’!! Like using technology to screen the video interview and suggest the best fit candidate - predictive model on attrition that can tell you how many people and in which category can leave your organisation within next 1-2 months. We all understand that times are changing and the level of disruption across the societal ecosystem is just going to increase with every passing day. But, are we prepared?

Today, the digital tsunami and the speed at which it is moving is compelling businesses to relook into their operative model, their strategic plan and also their framework. HR also proactively or reactively has to undergo this test of time and transformation and adopt to this new wave. This is easier said and done in the present context. In fact, according to a recent Gartner report, ‘HR organizations spend as much as 70-80% of their time dealing with administrative activities and employee/manager questions and issues’. In such a scenario, are we prepared for the next leap forward? Will digitizing certain HR processes, just for the sake of it, give us the desired outcomes or will buying expensive technologies solve our existing people problems in the organization?

How should we look at being a part of the digital revolution and navigate within the organization and keep the relevance of ‘Human’ in HR where AI, ML and talking bots are taking centre stage.