While technology is changing and shaping the world around us it is also changing the world of human resources (HR). Social media, remote working, global workforces, and cloud technologies have completely changed the human resources landscape in the past few years and will continue to do so as these technologies mature further.
Contents
1. Recruiting and Talent Management
Technology has changed the way companies recruit, handle applications, and even the interview process. Businesses can now leverage the latest recruitment platforms as well as social media to recruit from a global talent pool. For many jobs, your choices are now wide as these jobs can be performed remotely and you can recruit from the best candidates in the international market.
There are also some great systems for managing the application process. Candidates can be tracked and evaluated with these systems. These systems are generally known as applicant tracking systems (ATS). They can be used to post job openings, screen candidates based on their applications, schedule interviews, and provide feedback. You can often also use these systems to keep track of a list of pre-screened candidates for future positions that might become available.
2. Payroll
Payroll systems have evolved to leverage cloud technologies and adapt to having remote and international employees. With a remote workforce tracking hours and work done is also now an important function of payroll software. It is also important for payroll systems to handle contractors, freelancers, and consultants. An online payroll system like www.zenefits.com/payroll handles all these seamlessly. Data security and privacy of employee data are critical.
Gone are the days of payroll systems being installed on local machines or company servers. The best payroll systems currently run on cloud servers. This helps as the security and maintenance are in effect outsourced to the supplier. It is also great as the HR team can access the system remotely and securely.
3. Communication
Communication and employee engagement have become easier to manage as well as complex due to the software and apps involved. There are newsletter platforms, messaging apps specifically for business as well as company intranets that can be used for communication. These apps and systems are often designed to keep employees engaged and even when working remotely to get them to feel part of the company as a whole.
The important thing with company communication is to use a platform or platforms that make sense for the company and culture. A combination of a messaging app and a video platform is usually a great idea for a team that includes remote workers. Gamification is another popular technique that some apps use to get employees to feel engaged and rewarded.
4. Training
The options for training are also now magnitudes more than only a handful of years ago. Just like recruiting has now expanded to a global talent pool your options for training are also now global. Webinars and live video training sessions are extremely popular within remote teams.
LMS (learning management software) can be used to deliver video courses for employees. These courses can be on external platforms and the employer can buy subscriptions for employees. Internal LMS systems can also be set up to deliver internal training specific to the company that outsiders are not able to access.
5. Performance Management
With new human resources systems, performance management is now also possible on an ongoing basis. We are quickly moving away from annual performance reviews with these new systems that can track performance on an ongoing basis.
HCM (human capital management) systems that include HRIS (human resources information systems) and HRMS (human resource management systems) can help track employees and performance. Employees are in effect seen as assets and just like other company assets the employees need to be looked after and managed correctly.
6. Privacy Concerns and Digital Security
Connected to all the above systems is the current focus on digital security and privacy concerns that employees might have. Because HR systems will contain sensitive personal information it is paramount that these systems are kept secure.
Cloud-based human resources systems are great as the responsibility is outsourced. When using large and trusted suppliers you can rest assured that your employee data is secure. Local software installations are often easier to breach by hackers than large cloud-based systems.
In the fast-changing global IT landscape, human resource professionals need to keep up to date with technology. The functions and systems available are ever-changing and these IT-related skills are needed by HR managers and practitioners. What do you see as the next technology that will change HR?
