Do new ways of working and technology = job losses?
It seems to be a problem that the Luddites struggled with and one that continues today – namely; if you introduce new ways of working, does it produce job losses?
I have to say it is a rather short sighted way of looking at the world of work, but that is perhaps because I am not looking at it from a typical employee perspective? That said, I spent a lot of my career within corporate HR functions and I always enjoyed the change and the challenges that it bought. It sort of spiced up the workplace and kept me on a learning curve. OK, it may not always have felt like that at the time, but it certainly beat the monotony of doing the same thing month in month out!
What about applicant tracking systems – are they part of a cost cutting exercise too?
Yet here we are, still wondering whether the introduction of technology such as applicant tracking systems, could simply mean a cost cutting exercise.
But is it that simple?
It may save time on some of the tedious tasks and administration needs that bedevil most HR functions and this may result in a far more relevant, interesting and challenging role for people within the HR function.
How can that be true I hear you wonder? I am acutely conscious here that we are all still sore from a bruising EU referendum campaign where hyperbole was the frontrunner and facts were traded for a good story based on made up scenarios.
But stick with me, for I genuinely believe that roles in HR will be all the richer, more interesting and more meaningful to the organisation if technology is used effectively.
Take the roles within recruitment and resourcing as a key example. At present, the tasks involved can be very moribund. They may typically involve the following:
- Writing adverts for the same type of roles;
- Repeatedly chasing up line managers to get roles signed off;
- Going through the process of posting the adverts onto different websites – or passing the details of roles across to agencies;
- Working your email inbox into folders to keep track of candidates who are applying – and remembering to get back to those who haven’t applied, but who have a query!
- Collating information and statistics to produce updates for line managers and reports for the senior team on recruitment activity
…the list goes on, but I haven’t even started with the setting up of interviews, the issuing of contracts, the taking up of references etc, etc.
It’s easy to see why the job is important, but it is essentially an admin role that is masquerading as HR and that does no-one any favours. Not least the person who feels that their hopes for a meaningful career in HR is slipping into the lower tier of in-house administration. Let alone the profile of the HR function which itself becomes seen as a sort of latter day typing pool.
But let’s look an alternative for a moment. Assume that you have a contemporary applicant tracking system in place. One that automates all of the above and reduces the administration time by something like 80%. Then, imagine how effective and influential the HR team can become by doing the following:
Reducing time to hire in line with the business growth plans
Generating timely reports on a wide range of metrics that actually mean something to the organisation and are based on real time data
Proactively managing the talent pools that contain the future skills required by the business…
Promoting positive stories from within the business and encouraging that talent to apply early in the process (saving advertising, administration and agency fees).
Identifying ‘dormant’ talent in the country by virtue of sophisticated search and match tools
In other words, a system that takes advert copy, looks at the keywords and then searches areas such as LinkedIn to produce profiles that match your needs. That isn’t science fiction – those tools are now out there ready to be used.
Imagine the power that technology can bring to HR
The end result of this, and so much more, is an organisation where HR can become central to the planning and also the execution of the businesses plans. It has the metrics, it has the wherewithal and it has the tools to deliver. All of that leads to a far richer job experience and a far less mundane position where you can use initiative alongside endeavour – and surely that is good for all?
So please don’t turn away from embracing technology. It need not be a threat and it is doesn’t need to be seen with cynicism – or indeed as a luxury! It is a real necessity for companies operating in the 21st century. It offers a platform for all those organisations who have good people in HR, but who have them weighed down with tasks rather than shaping and delivering the future of the function and the business.