The pandemic heralded a new era for the HR function. Employee priorities changed drastically, and in a short period, the conventional tenets of HR became obsolete. An unforeseen exodus of quality talent from organisations caught most HR teams off guard.

Quick fixes have fallen flat as employees expect lasting changes to how organisations create value for them. CEOs are now looking to HR leaders for solutions to attract and engage talent in this tumultuous environment. HR teams are rising to the challenge by leveraging next-gen automation to elevate HR to the strategic role it deserves.

HR leaders must recast their teams into agile squads reinventing each aspect of the employee experience (EX), much like marketers analysing every touch point in the customer journey. It requires a shift of focus from administrative activities, cross-functional collaboration, and a data-backed strategic mindset. Automation enables all of these. Besides imparting efficiency, automation generates a wealth of analytical insights that can feed into the enterprise HR strategy. 

The need of the hour is to design a compelling employee value proposition (EVP) that can shine through your employer's branding efforts and attract top talent. 

Recognise soft motivators

Post-pandemic, employees are willing to sacrifice higher salaries or bonuses for flexible timings, better mental health, and overall well-being. Remote and hybrid workplace models enabled by cutting-edge collaboration tools empower employees to be productive on their terms. 

Build a diverse workforce

Recruitment automation enables you to move beyond tokenism and build a truly diverse and inclusive workforce that boosts workplace productivity. Blind resume screening applications, remote test assessment apps, and objective interview scripts ensure your company attracts the best of talent from distinct backgrounds.

Automation raises retention levels

HR Tech can help save on recruitment, onboarding, and training costs by ensuring that the talent you nurture stays with your organisation. 

Hire to retain

Modern HR teams prioritise personality tests and skill assessments over qualifications and work experience. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based analytical models can help you foresee which candidates are likely to stay longer with your organisation based on these data.

Minimise talent risk

Predictive Analytics can help you identify top performers who are at flight risk and take timely corrective action. Performance data can help you identify training needs, redesign career paths, and facilitate role mobility to retain your best resources.

Automation amplifies employee engagement

While engagement improves performance, the reverse is also true. Effectively recognising and rewarding performance leads to a sense of fulfilment for employees and fuels productivity.

Manage performance in real-time

Automation enables modern performance management methodologies like Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and Management by Objective (MBO ) that require tracking business outcomes in a quantifiable manner. Real-time reporting of leading performance indicators makes it possible to set clear goals and offer transparency in performance appraisal discussions.

Create a productive environment

A digital-enabled work environment signals to employees that the enterprise values their time. Self-service portals empower employees with the knowledge and efficacy to complete administrative tasks so that they do not interfere with their productive endeavours. 

Automation elevates leadership quality

Manager ability is one of the most critical factors determining employee engagement and growth levels. Automation makes it easier for leaders to understand and empower their teams. 

Get hands-on

Continuous feedback platforms enable regular one-on-one interactions between managers and employees. Automation allows managers to adapt employee goals to strategic goals, changing business environments and individual strengths.

Upskill employees

Customised online training programs and learning paths enable leaders to update their team skill sets and drive performance. Managers also get greater visibility into employees' career aspirations and can tailor their development paths accordingly. 

Automation is on the rise and so is HR

Automation has gone much beyond being an instrument for process improvement. It is the chief enabling factor for agile HR operating models and is now the cornerstone of organisational transformation. It has shifted the spotlight back to the strategic objectives of the HR function - talent development and EX design. Leveraging HR technology and analytics is the next frontier for modern enterprises looking to elevate their human capital.

This article was originally published in September 2022.