HR technology has come a long way in recent years, which further proved its capabilities in managing the long-term effects of the pandemic in the workplace. As companies learn new techniques in managing employee experience, the current situation urges employers to invest in modern tools and adopt fresh approaches to learn, listen, and improve the overall employee experience.
Like any other industries, the pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation in recruitment, talent development, employee engagement, and other HR facets. Many also recognized the beauty of modern HR tools in bridging employers and employees despite the distance. The same goes in the recruitment process, with proper recruitment analytics tools to find talent faster and reduce the costs per hire.
As the pandemic gradually eases in most areas, employees are slowly returning to their offices, and HR teams strategize workflow processes in the post-pandemic world. This new phenomenon can lead to bigger challenges in the workplace, especially in handling employee experience. To successfully adapt to the post-COVID world, here are the best practices in using HR tech in the new workplace environment.
Implementation of smart automation
The pandemic has pushed business leaders to use automation in managing work processes and ensuring the success of remote working. In turn, employees witnessed a dramatic change in their roles and manner of working because of online collaboration tools. The same goes for HR processes, where manual tasks can now easily accomplished virtually, such as hiring candidates, providing feedback, and conducting performance evaluations.
In the post-pandemic world, HR teams will likely continue using HR automation tools after realizing their benefits in streamlining HR activities. For example, instead of spending hours reading applicant resumes, recruitment tools will do the entire work by analyzing quality candidates and setting schedules in a single platform.
At the same time, the competency profile of HR managers will also change. They will no longer manage the tasks of every employee. Rather, they can now focus on collaborating with employees to help them connect with their coworkers and balance personal life and work. This is very important since employees today no longer focus on salaries and benefits alone. They want to work for companies that will help them attain a successful long-term career.
To keep up with the changing employee demands, HR managers should learn to accept digital literacy and understand how automation can help them create worthwhile decisions in times of crisis.
Navigating changes
Visibility, communications, and leadership decisions significantly impact work confidence and will likely prevail in the post-pandemic future. This means companies will continue navigating changes in office arrangements, work locations, government regulations, and changes in work culture.
Since remote working became a primary catalyst for investing in HR technology, companies should take the opportunity to maximize digital tools to better navigate the emerging changes in the workplace. New work arrangements require flexibility, so companies should ensure rapid adjustments to get a better hold of the current situation.
One way to do this is to obtain employee feedback to determine which tools can positively impact the company, customers, and employees. This approach can make employees feel more invested in the workplace changes and more inspired to ensure the company’s success. Online feedback tools come with features where HR managers can easily identify the weak points and apply the right solution.
Embracing diversity
HR tech also offers an effective way to reinforce equity, inclusion initiatives, and workplace diversity. Experts are already expecting a huge transformation in the workforce structure in the coming years. Still, an increased emphasis on equity, inclusion, and diversity will help companies accelerate the composition of the workforce.
Companies should maximize technology to understand the workforce structure and survey employees to determine if they will get the needed support once a new opportunity arises. Start by understanding the employee experience in the work culture through intersectionality — the combined identity and characteristics. Some examples are women, ethnic minorities, and low-wage employees who were hit the hardest by COVID-19.
In this case, HR tech offers a comprehensive look at the distribution of performance ratings according to subgroups. This will help HR managers to determine systemic bias once employees return to the workplace. As a result, HR teams can evaluate work based on the employees’ actual performance instead of their background.
The role of HR tech is more critical than ever as companies navigate the changing trends in the workforce. This will open doors to HR leaders to rethink recruitment and employee experience as they move towards the post-pandemic future. In this case, HR teams should utilize HR tech to create a more holistic experience for their employees.
