Like all industries, Human Resources is moving fast. While the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) had many professionals worried they’d be out of their jobs, the opposite has proven true. HR professionals are needed now more than ever before, though their role within most organizations is shifting.
From personalization to new technology, there’s a lot of disruptions challenging the status quo. With 83% of employers today agreeing that attracting and retaining talent is one of the biggest challenges, HR professionals are at the front lines of these issues.
Luckily, these trends are here to address these new realities of the workforce today. Let’s take a closer look at the top HR technology disruptions you’ll see in 2019.
1) EMPLOYEE SELF-SERVICE TOOLS
One of the biggest changes today is the rise of employee self-service tools. This improves external and internal stakeholder experience, and it’s more cost-effective for the business.
Instead of HR being in charge of time-consuming management tasks, these are things that will now fall under the employee’s own responsibilities. From requesting leave to scheduling vacation days, employee self-service tools free up HR for more important tasks.
2) BLOCKCHAIN
Blockchain has been ranked one of the biggest disruptors in HR for the past few years now, but it’s really starting to make an impact today. Blockchain sounds complicated, but it’s simply a more secure way to complete transactions with a decentralized and secure ledger. We can see it applied for things like payroll, certification, and digital process management.
3) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
No article about HR disruptions would be complete without AI. Artificial Intelligence is a way to use machine learning to incorporate data into decision-making. From using AI to streamline recruitment to automating many time-consuming tasks, this is a change we can all welcome with open arms. Within the next 10 years, AI is expected to replace 16% of HR jobs.
4) BIG DATA
Big data is a term for any massive and growing data available in organizations. For HR professionals, big data is used to make smarter decisions. Thanks to new technology, understanding this data is easier than ever before, and HR is better equipped to manage talent, plan new initiatives, and assess the quality of hiring decisions.
5) REMOTE WORKING TECHNOLOGY
Remote and flexible working has been on the rise for years. Thanks to new remote working technology, HR workers are better able to handle these gaps in geographical locations when managing hiring, management, and more across physical lines. With online project management, onboarding, and scheduling, it’s possible to attract top talent from anywhere. Find more about this and the leading tech tools here.
6) VIRTUAL REALITY
Virtual reality (VR) isn’t just for video games. From VR interviews for remote candidates to VR training, this is changing the way we learn. While most learning initiatives and ongoing training needed to be done in person, this is no longer the case. Now, we have highly immersive technology that brings this training anywhere.
7) INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT)
The Internet of Things (IoT) is defined as the network of vehicles, devices, home appliances, and other electronics which are connected via software to exchange data. From wearable devices to our smartphones, evaluating and measuring performance has never been easier. The IoT is changing the ways HR employees use people analytics, whether they use internet devices or other trackable tools.
8) SMART RECRUITING
Finding top talent has never been more of a challenge. With new smart recruiting technology, it’s easier to target your search with expedited screening, easy-to-use applications, and AI search. This levels the playing field between the big-name businesses and smaller organizations that all are looking for the same talent.
9) THE GIG ECONOMY
The gig economy is streamlined by platforms like UpWork and Fiverr. Now, organizations are starting to tap into this technology as a way to bridge the gaps in their workforce. Taking advantage of these allows companies to hire short-term freelancers who excel in certain areas without needing to hire a new full-time employee.
10) TECH MINDSET
Finally, the last disruption isn’t a specific technology, however, it’s still essential for all of the trends above. Without a tech mindset, it’s impossible to move forward as an industry. There are endless HR-infused technologies hitting the market every day, and we all need to welcome these changes if we want to prepare for the future. Creating a pro-technology mindset starts with HR, and it needs to spread to the rest of the company.
As you can see, there are a lot of disruptions ahead. If you’re up for the challenge, see how many of these are a good fit for your existing workspace. You’d be surprised how much they simplify even the biggest obstacles. It’s time to free up your energy away from those time-consuming small tasks.
