At the turn of the century, the Internet was still considered a novelty in some quarters. Piles and piles of dense documentation could be found on the desk of almost any given HR manager. Hiring, onboarding, benefits enrollment, and other HR-driven processes were often long and drawn-out endeavors.
In contrast, nowadays, many HR-related friction points have all but disappeared. Recruiters can efficiently upload job postings and review candidate resumes submitted online within a few minutes. Managers can review and submit key documents submitted by applicants with a few clicks of the mouse. Benefits enrollment via software programs with a user-friendly interface ensures that HR staffers no longer groan in agony come November.
As the past 20 years have clearly shown, technology has had a powerful effect on the HR sector. Technology impacts HR practices by enhancing the employee experience, increasing human resource representatives' efficiency, and enabling best practices through actionable insights from data analytics.
The following information will discuss some key areas in which technology has had a positive impact on HR practices.
Issues and Challenges of HRM
There are at least four key areas of Human Resource Management (HRM) that many companies find challenging to implement. These are:
Hiring
Today's recruiting process is truly technology-driven. Recruiters often encourage candidates to apply via an online portal; hiring managers may have to compare candidate profiles on LinkedIn and other social media platforms to gauge qualifications and experience. Many business organizations employ cutting edge skills and personality assessments to bring the "cream of the crop" onboard.
Time and Labor Tracking
The days of the time clock are long gone. The proliferation of non-traditional jobs in the modern economy demands that employers use innovative forms of time tracking technology to keep up with payroll and scheduling demands.
Onboarding
A typical onboarding process involves several moving parts. For example, the employer must ensure that all necessary paperwork (tax forms, the I-9 form, etc.) has been signed and submitted to the proper department/agency. Then the employee must undergo a training program to bring him up to speed on his duties. All of this usually requires the use of modern technological tools.
Benefits Administration
This is one area of human resources that has definitely become more complicated over the past several years. Apart from traditional benefits like sick or vacation pay, 401k accounts, and paid time off, admins must also keep track of insurance requirements mandated by the Affordable Care Act, and ensure that all eligible workers are covered.
Role of Technology in Human Resource Management
Modern technological advances have greatly assisted in streamlining and consolidating HRM. The following case studies serve as just a small sample of the many ways technology can aid HR professionals in the performance of their duties.
Flexible Applicant Tracking
Dnata, a company specializing in cargo handling, catering, and travel services, needed an applicant tracking platform that was flexible enough to accommodate its diverse set of job requirements and candidate pools across multiple locations. They found a solution that allowed them to advertise job openings to a national audience while screening out unqualified applicants by means of geographically-specific questionnaires.
Time Tracking
The restaurant Coat and Thai only had one manager handling all of the hiring, scheduling, and time tracking duties. This was exhausting for her, and ultimately counterproductive for the business. In response to this bottleneck, Coat and Thai management decided to implement a digital time tracking solution. Employees are now able to clock in and out from their mobile devices, thus saving time and effort for everyone involved. An online scheduling board allows workers to submit shift requests and view their weekly itinerary easily.
Employee Scheduling
Staff members at Suncrest Assisted Living were constantly trying to keep up with scheduling changes that would arrive at short notice or get "lost in the shuffle" of emails, text messages, or phone calls. The facility's managers decided to implement a user-friendly scheduling program that enables staff to easily swap shifts, monitor their accruals and scheduled time-off, and enter in overtime availability.
Automated Tip Collection
Many restaurants and other businesses in which workers rely on tips benefit from automated "clock prompt" — in other words, customized questions that employees are asked at the beginning or end of their shift. This is an invaluable asset when it comes to accurate tip collection, mileage reporting, and other industry-specific data points.
Mobile Employee Time Management
CMS Auths is a New York-based company that provides outsourced medical authorization processing services. Their business operates within a highly regulated sector, which makes accurate time-keeping very important. Since their employees often travel to other sites for work, they found that a web-based time and attendance management program yielded several key payroll and compliance benefits.
Benefits Enrollment
Open season for benefits enrollment is typically a stressful time for HR professionals and employees alike. However, simple and intuitive enrollment platforms enable employees to easily sign up for benefits packages and insurance plans, while consolidating the important data in one centralized location for the HR department.
Technology and the Future of Human Resources
As the above information demonstrates, advances in technology are bridging the gap between business needs and capabilities. Trends in HR automation are resulting in less time spent on the performance of routine tasks, and greater availability for in-depth analysis.
For instance, recruiters in technologically progressive companies no longer have to spend the bulk of their time manually posting job openings. Now, they can focus on identifying the most effective advertising channels to reach specific applicant pools.
As technology continues to advance, HR professionals do well to keep pace with the changing times, and thus contribute to the growth of their organization.
