In Paris this week, I joined more than 3,000 People Tech professionals to take a glimpse at the future of HR. And there was plenty to see. HR is embracing technology, supporting leaner, more user-friendly and efficient services, flexible working structures and benefits, and enhanced data analysis and machine learning. As an industry, we’re delivering on our promises. Here’s a quick roundup of my thoughts and reflections:
We’re putting users first
The new world of HR is a shining beacon for enterprising businesses. And that’s being achieved by placing people front and centre. Employee care is now privileged throughout the entire tech delivery journey. Many speakers evoked this deepening emphasis on user experience, as well as the growing attention to CSR, and the rapid evolution of training and learning opportunities. All this has been made possible, or has been enhanced by, tech innovation. Directly, via development and application, and indirectly, too – by freeing up people’s time.
People are under more scrutiny
What’s the flipside of harnessing technology to manage employees with more care? An increase in monitoring, rating and scoring them. Sure enough, there was a marked rise in the attendance of data analytics and machine learning thought leaders at the conference. Smarter tech means more employee data on file. As businesses gain more people, it’s important to ensure these people don’t become just numbers.
Feedback and analysis should work both ways
If employees are going to be increasingly managed, rated and scored digitally, businesses should apply the same rigor and analysis to their own activities and performance. There lies serious potential for transformation. Employers should be ready to listen to, and change according to, their people’s feedback – on everything from HR and leadership, to teams and technologies. It’s a symbiotic process. Employers could and should be using measurement and analysis tools to understand more about their talent, and to improve their operations, as well as the delivery of HR and talent services. HR Tech Paris 2016 showed how far HR has come. In the next couple of years, I hope to see even more stands demonstrating how tech is being harnessed to capture people’s insights, feelings and feedback, with operations supportive, responsive and agile enough to learn from and incorporate that feedback.
Change management is more valuable than ever
A brave new world is upon us. There are countless SaaS and cloud vendors, mobile applications and people, data and tech services all bringing real value to businesses and their teams. In the years to come, workers’ lives are going to become increasingly digitised. This means companies don’t just need to be good at asking their people to adopt a new process or technology. They need to be excellent at it. Investing in innovation without investing in change management is like asking someone to build a piece of flat-pack furniture without the instructions. It spells disaster. Before embarking on an exciting transformation journey, speak to a modern, experienced change and adoption manager, to make sure it’s a success. Interested in Tech Adoption? You can read more about our specialist services here. Or to start talking, please email info@laceparters.com. Alexandra Wright. LACE Partners Associate. Founder and CEO, Able.
Further reading
Five simple steps in making a successful HR tech business case Ice cream and HR tech: making the right choice What is a HR tech roadmap and why should it shape your 2020 strategy?
