Most of the organizations have the presence of technology automation in the HR sector, but with the coming of ML, AI, and a new tool every day, organizations find it challenging to pick the right fit. While we know that there is nothing that technology can't do, it all boils down to what you are seeking. In recruiting, most of the tasks are people-oriented, but they can be easily automated. The aim should be moving your team from being recruiters to talent advisors. That is when they can engage better and at a larger scale with the workforces.
While adopting any new technology, make sure that the decision is made in consideration with the two parties in play; stakeholders and end-users. It is crucial to consider the feedback of your immediate stakeholders and managers. They are the ones who understand the problems of the organization. Secondly, the end-users will be your teams who will be working with this technology. They have to be convinced that this is going to make a significant impact both on the organization and the employee's daily activities.
How do you decide which technology to adopt?
The question of where to start from and which is the best technology arises in the mind of every CHRO or manager when it comes to bringing in innovative technologies. Aristotle once said, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." So, the first thing to understand when looking for a new system is what is important and what is non-negotiable for you. When you go to the market there are so many products and every product is better than the previous one. Start by making a list of all the problems, then put them as per priorities and then adopt systems from the market that can solve these problems. The key is to prioritize, socialize, and then re-prioritize.
Some things to keep in mind while adopting new systems:
- End-user experience: When bringing in new implementations the first thing to keep in mind is how user-friendly the system is. If it is creating double work for team members rather than saving time, the system is just a liability.
- Time to install the system: It is essential to evaluate how early the training for the systems installed can be completed. Also take into account, the post-implementation support and the time the team who installed it with taking to revert.
- Decide if you need to adopt new technology: There are chances that your organization does not need technology intervention right now. It is crucial to evaluate at what point in the journey you need to introduce new systems. Don't adopt technology because everyone else is doing it.
- Everything won't work correctly on the first day: Today, implementation cycles are cut shorter, but it's essential not to rush things. It would help if you focused more on developing a strong relationship with the partners to make sure the implementation is done correctly.
- Fail fast. Fail safe: While it's vital to fail fast, so you know what works for you and what doesn't, it's crucial to be safe too. Always make sure you have a backup option to mitigate risks.
Bringing systems that let you leverage internal data
When it comes to hiring, you will realize that over time, your own database becomes a big source of candidates for you. Year on year, you go on and buy portal memberships, but the best candidates are often found internally. Most of the systems do not have the capability to match your requirements with the internal database, so look for technologies that can do so. The advantages of going back to your database inevitably include saving of cost and time. Secondly, since they already know about your organization, they are aware of the values and vision of your, and there is no need for alignment like you do with cold-candidates.
Conclusion
Sometimes it might get intently frustrating to align your team with your vision. The two reasons are often they don’t want to be disrespectful or are scared of confronting you. In such situations, make sure to tell your team what you want and let them figure out how. Many times you have gone through the journey in your head with the solution, but you need to invest time in making sure your teams live that journey too.
(This article is based on the Functional Design Thinking Masterclass on bringing innovation & efficiency in recruitment conducted during People Matters TechHR2019.)