A decade ago, you probably wouldn’t have thought that you would be able to ask a speaker to order your groceries, that a car could drive itself, or even that your watch could report on your heart health. Yet, here we are.
Technology is changing the world as we know it, and that includes how we do business. From the supply chain, to marketing, to graphic design, technology has impacted almost every business process. Whether it’s for the better is up for debate; nonetheless, if we want to keep up, we must adapt.
HR is one of the many sectors of business that’s been influenced by the ever-changing nature of technology. For most hiring teams, gone are the days of the resume drop-box in the lobby, enthusiastic walk-ins asking to fill out a paper application, or entertaining callers asking to speak to HR about open positions listed in the newspaper. Instead most turn to recruitment agencies, many are geo-specific, for example plan to hire in China? Work with a recruitment agency China.
Technology is also changing the way companies recruit. More often than not, when walking the rows of a career fair or networking at an industry event, you’ll hear the phrase, “Please apply online.” If you don’t hear those words, a recruiter or manager might say, “Connect with me on LinkedIn.” The majority of jobseekers today are going to go through some type of technology system or social media hub to get their credentials in front of decision makers and hiring managers.
In the coming years, technology will inevitably be more embedded into HR functions. According to the latest research by Sierra-Cedar, HR technology spending increased by an astounding 10 percent, with total sales reaching more than $40 billion. For HR leaders, it’s time to decide whether you will be on the front or back end of the technology-adoption curve.
Automation
There was a time when the term “automation” was tightly associated with advanced manufacturing plants full of robotics. Although this is still a prime example of workplace automation, it is far from the only example. Automation is present in modern businesses small and large, ranging from automatic response to an email, to deploying thousands of bots, each programmed to automate specific job functions.
Formally known as robotic process automation (RPA), CIO.com defines automation as, “an application of technology, governed by business logic and structured inputs, aimed at automating business processes.” When used correctly, automation has the power to help organizations become more productive, while simultaneously reducing operational costs and increasing profit margins.