Everything must go fast. How do we reconcile this need for speed, the here & now, and reliable and objective HR? It is possible! It is important that we, as HR, put on our critical glasses and do not just jump on every hype. Every day, we are confronted with new initiatives and tools. If we are not critical, the HR world will soon be hijacked by people who know very little about it.
Candidates can’t and don’t want to take a full day off anymore and if we didn’t make a proposal yesterday, the competition is gone today with our top candidate. We want employees to develop, but we don’t like to send them on multi-day training programmes. We talk about online assessment and blended training, about selecting and learning independent of time and place. But what does this really mean? And what do you as HR have to take into consideration if you want an efficient but objective HR? We give a number of tips:
Technology ≠ purpose
Think carefully about the purpose of the tools and technologies you use. We are not techies, so technology is not our first priority. We use technology as a lever to make our HR processes more efficient and to achieve our real HR goals faster.
Integrate
Always opt for an integrated approach and do not make HR decisions solely on the basis of tools or technology. Many tools are useful for entering into dialogue afterwards, but not with the intention of labelling people.
Be critical
Sounds obvious, yet we often come across tools that are not very well-founded and are widely used in organisations. Don’t just jump on every HR hype that comes along. Ask yourself what the tool really reveals and what you can do with it. For example, be alert to the following common interpretation errors:
- Drawing conclusions about someone’s behaviour/competencies on the basis of a tool that only gauges self-insight (e.g. personality tests).
- Drawing conclusions about someone’s behaviour even though the tool only measures judgement (e.g. situational judgement tests).
The benefits
The above tips could also be described as preconditions for using technology in HR and in working with people. If these preconditions are met, there are many advantages and possibilities of technology. Just think of the following:
Objectivity
As human beings, we are subjective in our assessments. Often a methodology is used to increase objectivity, but integrating tools and technology into the process can reduce the bias even further.
Independent of time and place
The use of tools and technology allows people to partially choose when and where they learn or apply for a job. This means that we can shorten the effective contact moments and work more efficiently.
Experience
The implementation of user-friendly and innovative tools also contributes to the perception of candidates and employees.
Conclusion
There is a future in a world where technology and HR shake hands. As long as we realise that we are working with people, take a critical position as HR and keep interacting sufficiently, technology can help us gain more insight and even offer us many advantages!
Have you ever thought about location and time independent selection or training? Do you agree with what you have read, but do not know how to start? Contact us right away!