HR tech basics: Tooling around
New is perhaps an inaccurate adjective for technology. Technology has, in this millennium, transformed lives young and old, rich and poor, man, woman, and beast, the world over.
So what’s happening in the world of HR tech? A lot. Of activity. Not much impact. Yet. In his interview with diginomica.com Josh Bersin – founder and principal at analyst firm Bersin by Deloitte – asserts that despite the incredible things technology can do, we don’t yet know how to manage it. He says “I believe we are in a funny cycle where the attractiveness and the addiction of the technology are bigger than the productivity enhancement of the technology.”
Hmm. Let’s look at the brighter side, shall we? Here are some critical processes that have used technology very efficiently in the last decade to enhance employee experience and empower HR
- Let recruiters – recruit! and strengthen candidate experience
Ask some recruiters about their job, and you will hear nightmarish stories about managing a CV database, conducting assessments (still using pen and paper), scheduling interviews, booking conference rooms, sending offer or rejection letters and preparing dashboards. They feel they are caught in a vicious circle. Well, they seem to be doing everything else except recruit (i.e., finding, engaging and hiring the best talent).
One of the probable solutions could be to adopt mobile recruiting as a strategy – using mobile technology to attract, engage and convert candidates. Some of the standard practices of mobile recruitment include mobile career sites, recruiting apps and social recruiting.
In last few years, traditional HRIS with mobile interface and hiring apps have gained immense popularity. Some of the favourite features of hiring apps are:
- Ability to view candidate information on the go – anywhere and anytime. You see the entire data and evaluate quickly. Some apps also let you tap on a candidate’s profile to email or call him/ her for an interview. You can capture the feedback using text or voice recognition, though the latter technology is in nascent stages
- An innovative way of networking with the candidate is by creating a Company profile page using a social media account to post jobs. If the candidates find your job interesting, they will swipe right and upload a resume or a link to a social media profile.
- Some tools also offer a real-time update on the interview process. If selected you keep your prospective employees engaged by uploading content – snippets/updates about your organisation.
- Onboarding – Hit Refresh
Do you remember your last Onboarding (a common term used is Induction) experience? Was it like going back to school – never-ending presentations and probably dull speakers (definitely a few if not all) or was it an e-learning module with loads of information to be grasped in a limited time and do a test right afterward? Your ESAT is likely to show low scores on Induction if the answer is yes.
A couple of technology companies seem to have found a way out by introducing the concept of gamification. Gamification in simple terms refers to applying game design (digital) to make the information engaging. Imagine learning topics like Corporate Governance or Information Security using a game like ‘Clash of Clans’ or ‘Clash Royale.’
Typical characteristics of game-based onboarding/ induction training include scenarios and challenges which compel learners to make choices that have different consequences and outcomes, thus educating and testing in a single interaction. More fun too, as compared to a standard death-by-powerpoint induction session.
- Learning on the go
The way employees learn has evolved in the last decade – from facilitator centered and classroom to learner-centered and e-learning. The current trend seems to shift towards a culture that is learner driven and mobile/social learning and expert share using social media.
Today’s workforce needs real-time performance system that is AI first (artificial intelligence) and Mobile first. The employees expect programs that could help solve their day-to-day issue at work-place (e.g., During the performance review cycle, your line managers can quickly watch a 10 minutes video for a few minutes before conducting a performance review)
Anywhere learning is possible with a platform and a mobile interface. The intent is to curate all the available content available – In-house, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) or social platforms – and make it available in the form of bite-sized modules, as and when needed. These platforms help discover and curate personalised content.
Some of the advanced features are:
- Aggregate learning content from various sources – LMS (Learning management system), Intranet, SME’s and your team’s preferred resources on the web.
- Create in-house libraries (video or audio lectures by your SME’s)
- Learning recommendation using AI
- Real-time analytics
For the L&D function, such enhancements can be a game changer.
These were just three examples. There are plenty more out there. Would love to hear about experiences you have had with HR tech in its myriad forms.