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What are the most effective ways to integrate HR technology into today’s workplace?
Bersin: Focus on employees first, HR second. This is a big deal: Almost all the tools we’ve purchased in the past were designed to “automate HR” in some way. While this is still a huge part of the market, the more important opportunity is to buy systems and simplify the environment to make work easier. There are many tricks to this strategy; the simplest is to “co-design” solutions with business leaders and IT, so we don’t go off and buy stuff we like and then find ourselves “pushing it on the business” and hoping they will use it. Such approaches as design thinking, identifying user personas and bringing design expertise into HR are all part of this new world.
Burke: Integration of HR technology into the workplace is a two-step process. First, what is the need and, second, what is required to fill that need? Let us assume that members of the C-suite are of one mind on their desire for an effective system for identifying high-potentials in the organization for future executive-level leadership. Having a clearly defined system for identifying such talent is the need and providing the technology that links talent to performance is the response. This means establishing large data sets based on such variables as personality, multi-rater feedback and learning agility that can be shown empirically to predict high performance. The technology requires knowledge and application of large-scale statistics and analysis thereof.
Goldsmith: I’m biased on this topic, but I think the business impact of HR technology today is remarkable, and it’s getting more powerful by the minute. HR technology can connect our people to drive collaboration, empower our managers to make informed decisions and enable our executives with targeted insights that advance their businesses. My advice to the C-suite is to raise your expectations of your HR technology. Don’t just use it to deliver back-off functionality–harness its vast capability and push it to deliver exceptional value for your dynamic business.
Spriggs: With the advent of European data-privacy policy General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), businesses will have to be vigilant to protect privacy and data security to assure compliance by embedding dynamic and proactive privacy principles into data strategy. An important and effective way to integrate technology is to ensure all HR analytics and reporting connect to finance. Holding this information in the cloud may be essential to providing real-time business updates, but CHROs will be held accountable for protecting the personal records and data for all employees.
McGuiness: We are witnessing an astounding number of new products and services powered by emerging technologies, but CHROs need to be careful regarding claims regarding their compliance. HR regulatory structures were implemented before artificial intelligence emerged as a force in HR technology, and regulators have yet to begin grappling with the changed landscape. CHROs want to do the “right thing,” but that can run up against existing legal doctrines.
