The influx of new technologies has dramatically reshaped the workplaces of today. This evolution has been a gradual process, however, has taken up an exponential pace lately – all in order to improve the overall employee experience. As per Deloitte’s  Global Human Capital Trends report, globally 77 and 74 percent business and HR leaders respectively believe that People Analytics and Digital HR are going to be critical considerations for organizations this year. Hence, while the advanced technologies are changing the way companies design and deliver a service, digital is changing the way they hire and manage employees. 

This digitization is also in rhythm with the changing workforce dividend – Millennials are soon going to form a major chunk of the workforce. Hence, organizations are ensuring that their workplace culture is laced with connectivity, freedom, and digitization – all the buzzwords which speak millennial’s verbiage. While delving deeper into the digital culture, it’s also important to ensure that the technology tools blend seamlessly with the workflow and empower the employees instead of just adding more complexity and ambiguity in the business operations.

Data analytics, AI, Machine Learning have no more remained words used by the technology or business development teams in a company. In fact, they are very much on the agenda of an HR as well since the time it donned the role of strategic HR from being plain and traditional HR. 

Technology strategies that are currently facilitating the HR function towards a progressive future

Social Media: Using social media makes the mundane HR operations such as recruiting process much easier and targeted. As per the Recruiting Software Impact Report, approximately 75% of recruiters and talent managers use some form of recruitment or applicant tracking software. Furthermore, 94% say that the software usage has improved their hiring process with only 5% of HR professionals preferring the traditional methods. Hence, tools like PhenomPeople, HireVue etc. are finding increased adoption. 

Real-time employee engagement mapping: With pulse-based feedback tools, HR gathers the employee feedback about any specific instance or new development. This real-time capture enables them to do timely course-correction in case if required.

People analytics: Analytics giving deep insights into the past trends, future predictions and suggested trajectories is not just a ball game of hardcore business anymore but also forms a critical element when it comes to helping HRs with best talent acquisition, employee retention, and engagement. Based on skill set mapping along with past behavioral trends it is easier to predict factors like longevity, dependability, and suitability of a candidate for a particular role. 

Anywhere-anytime learning management systems: Experiential learning which can be accessed anytime and from anywhere is the latest vogue. HRs are fully leveraging this trend and ensuring maximized learning instead of just attendance-led online courses of yesteryears, with the help of smart learning tools. 

Real-time performance assessment: With attention spans getting shorter and shorter even the patience to get the performance feedback is getting lesser day by day. Annual feedbacks are gradually getting converted into six-monthly, quarterly or even monthly pit-stops with HR having complete insights into performance metrics with performance management tools like Reflektiv, Workboard etc. Gamification of tasks is another way HR’s are able to bind together processes with rewards and recognitions. 

AI and Chatbots: These technologies have a significant impact in revolutionizing the way organizations work – by making the processes more simple, intuitive and engaging. For example, managing talent acquisition processes through AI, managing payrolls and complete the onboarding processes through bots and Machine Learning approaches etc. are quite innovative and efficient methodologies being slowly adopted in modern day workplaces.

A look at the benefits of a tech-driven workplace

With the rise of the intelligent workforce and broad range of tasks balloons, employees are eager to work with emergent players who can offer digital workplace management. Hence, a tech-driven culture lands an organization into a preferred workplace category. On the other hand, even organizations will lessen their overheads in the long run if they are able to consolidate processes or lessen the man-hours spent in iterative tasks. For such requirements, there are a plethora of digital workspace solutions available and being continuously developed in the market. 

Benefits of technology-driven workplace culture

• Enhanced workplace communication and a more flatly connected environment
  
  
• Barrier-less workplace culture with the ease of remote connectivity
  
  
• Lessening manual labor in repetitive tasks with automation taking over
  
  
• Mobile computing leading to device-friendly workspaces lessening the organisational overheads
  
  
• Clutter free IT infra owing to the advent of cloud
  
  
• Challenges which come along

Challenges

While the list can be never-ending for the benefits organisations accrue with the adoption of new age technologies, there are couple of challenges as well, from both, employee and employer PoV, which at times hinders or slows down the tech-adoption amongst organisations. 

• Security challenge: As the adoption of cloud increases enabling anytime, anywhere access, the risk of data breaches grows with it. This means that there is lack of control over sensitive, regulated and controlled information shared by employees and with the employees.
  
  
• Employee Redundancy: With machines taking over the iterative tasks, humans are getting freed up from those slow-growth profiles which mean they have more time to upskill themselves and get into innovation zone may be. However, the technology at times gets seen as a tool, making humans redundant.
  
  
• Training Gap:  As advanced technologies are implemented, organizations are required to upgrade and train their employees to become more agile for adopting newer technologies. In the absence of proper training, business operations might be hampered due to lack of knowledge for these tech-driven tools.
  
  
• Lack of Human Touch: Too much interference of technology driven processes risks the loss of a certain unquantifiable human element from the processes along with the rising implications of legal liabilities.

Moving towards a digitally transformed workplace

Reaping the benefits of modern technology, the industry is efficiently moving towards a new-age solution for better talent acquisition, performance management or data storage within an organisation. However, it is critical to ensure that technology should act as an enabler and not the replacement of humans. Therefore, the crux lies in balancing the amalgamation of efficient technologies leveraging intelligent human interface within organisations to garner maximum benefits.