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Much like other aspects of work today, the human relations (HR) industry is changing. To keep up with current needs, HR professionals are shifting in focus towards cultivating a positive culture when hiring. Aside from tried-and-tested strategies such as sign-on bonuses and student loan repayment, HR managers are also using technological advancements to help improve hiring practices and employee management.

HR professionals can continue to disrupt the industry from AI to analytics while keeping a people-first focus. And these modern trends are the main focus of HR training, particularly at higher education institutions. Educational programs for human resource managers reflect these industry trends by focusing on applying modern HR principles and technologies to facilitate strategic talent recruitment and development. However, as helpful as technology can be, it can only work best when it centers its processes on people. Today, we’ll look at how technology is changing HR:

Increasing employee engagement

Businesses that pay attention to their employees’ needs gain a competitive advantage over rival companies. Case in point, to investigate cases of employee mistreatment and negative working experiences, Starbucks is investing in a digital community that connects 270,000 employees. A proactive effort to boost employee engagement and experience, the digital platform aims to create a unified global company that prioritizes employees.

Improving corporate wellness

Corporate wellness initiatives are tough to establish and maintain. Digital wellness apps and trackers can help HR teams keep track of employees who participate in company wellness initiatives, and which ones may need more motivation or incentive. According to a recent survey, 42% of job applicants say that wellness perks and benefits are a vital part of their final decisions. Investing in employee wellness — and knowing how to maintain it — makes you a more viable company in a competitive market vying for limited talent.

Predicting future outcomes and trends

One of the best use cases for digital technology in HR is the use of AI analytics. Using analytics and predictive technology, HR professionals can make sense of recruitment and workforce management data to understand better past recruits and employees and what needs to be changed to attract talent who will thrive in the company. While HR teams can do these functions without digital technology, AI can help them accomplish them quickly and with less room for human errors or biases. Understanding past recruits provide you with insights into potential candidates, allowing HR professionals to take on more proactive approaches to recruitment — an essential edge in today’s competitive talent market.

Optimizing corporate training

Lastly, a critical part of workforce management and employee retention can be achieved by providing them with the necessary opportunities to grow their skill sets. Businesses can save time and resources by offering corporate training using augmented and virtual reality technologies, a useful “hack” for employee onboarding, and on-the-job training, which can help recruits familiarize themselves and engage with the working environment. Aside from virtual realities, businesses can also use AI and data analytics to break down employee training data to enhance training approaches for future cases.

Ultimately, the different forms and uses of today’s emerging technologies can be incorporated into modern HR strategies. These will help save time and resources while streamlining an employee management workflow that works in favor of improving business success while addressing the needs of employees. 

Article by Colleen Laurie