Article: When technology makes us more human

Technology

When technology makes us more human

Organizations are realizing that utilizing technology and leveraging data helps in gaining greater insights
When technology makes us more human

What if technology can predict what kind of talent an organization requires? If the technology was smart enough to figure out what kind of roles the organization needs, the people who will fit those roles and what makes those people perform at their best? We are in an age where technology is not just a disruptor in terms of changing business models, but also the way we deal with our talent.

Word cloud engagement, social media mood and predictive sentiment analysis are just some examples of the things possible today. When GPS debuted, it allowed companies to gather information that was rarely accessible. Today, social networking sites can even influence the kind of mood a person is in. Facebook’s controversial study on whether moods can be influenced created a huge uproar around the world, but it kind of hit the nail right on the head. While it gave social media marketers a lot to think about, it also showed how technology can provide never-before-seen insights to decision makers in a format that they could readily use.

More and more organizations are figuring out that utilizing technology and leveraging data helps in gaining greater and richer insights into the talent management conditions in their organizations, and this in turn helps them make better decisions.

Our cover story, HR Cyborgs, shows us a world in the near future where all this is possible. Access to data provides insights that can augment human judgment. It is not about technology being clever, but about technology making us cleverer. While a lot of HR pundits argue that technology will reduce human intervention, we believe that it will actually have the opposite effect. Technology will relieve HR from being a prisoner of processes, thus giving them more time to focus on culture and behaviors that drive performance, success and sustainability of the business.

For example, using technology and predictive data analytics in talent testing and behavioural assessment can help the hiring process in such a way that the talent manager can focus on the human aspects of hiring such as whether the candidate is friendly and will fit in the culture of the organizationhas the set of values expected. This is exactly where technology and access to data brings the edge of joining the rational and emotional sides of HR.

Also in this issue, Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at London Business School, takes center-stage in our Big Interview. Timely news features on the Union Budget and the FIFA World Cup 2014 and our regular columns. We also have interviews with Expedia Senior Director-HR Barrie Stone and Eric Morse, Associate Dean of Ivey Business School. The Special Story this issue focuses on Boardroom diversity and its significance in India, where the Company Law was amended to make it mandatory for companies to nominate at least one woman independent director on the Board.

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Technology’s role in HR is obvious to us at People Matters. In fact, we see HR-Technology becoming a single domain eventually. In this backdrop, we have conceptualized India’s first conference in HR technology–TechHR Conference with the theme ‘Futurism for the Workplace’. The TechHR Conference will aim at helping HR leaders keep up with the pace of change and enable their path to becoming first movers by incorporating tech solutions in appropriate aspects of HR.

Happy readingthis August 22nd at TechHR!

Esther Martinez Hernandez

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Topics: Technology, #Updates, #Trends

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