Are You Using These Hot HR Technologies?

Lately, there have been numerous discussions on advancing technology and its place in Human Resources.  Unifying talent management suites, harnessing the potential of cloud storage, and exploring gamification technology are prominent in our Human Resources world of 2014. One must wonder, are we making the most of these hot HR technologies?  If not, are we aware of them and how we can use them to our best advantage?  Let’s explore each technology in more depth.

Talent Management Suites that are “Unified,” not “Integrated”

                
According to Bill Kutik, technology columnist for Human Resource Executive, the word “integrated” to describe HR tech applications can be misleading. Vendors will insist their systems can be integrated between different modules from other vendors that clients are currently using, only to find post-purchase that the desired integration may not be possible.  As a result, a new buzzword in 2014 will be used: “unified.” Instead of having pieces of a talent management suite, HR professionals will have a complete unified system, as the components would be built together.

Naomi Lee Bloom offered this thought on unified Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS) during the webinar Predict and Prepare 2014: “The number and complexity of the interconnections between what's normally in core HRMS and what's normally in talent management creates an enormous problem if you have to integrate across multiple disparate systems… can it be done? You write enough code, we can make anything work. But every dollar spent making it work is a dollar you don't have for innovation."

What systems are you currently using that could benefit from unification?  What steps can you take to harness this trend for your organization’s strategic advantage?

Cloud Data Storage 

TO THE CLOUD!! The rush to join cloud options for data storage has been an ongoing discussion for some time. In 2014, cloud storage has become safer, which means more organizations will take seriously the option to place their precious data in the cloud. Kutik speculates, "I think everyone agrees HR is moving to the cloud, …so the question is how fast will they do it, and which vendor will they choose to do it with?"

What data can you migrate to the cloud, to free up internal resources and enhance productivity?  What is holding you back from migrating to the cloud?

Fighting Low Employee Engagement with Social Performance Management and Education

A Forbes blog post quoted an HR manager with saying, “our employees are no longer looking for a career; they’re looking for an experience.” So what can HR do to make that experience rewarding, engaging, and encouraging? As explored in a recent Astronology article, gamification is a new and exciting area to consider in order to engage candidates and employees alike.

In a fairly recent eyebrow raising Gallup poll, only 29% of American employees are engaged at work. Why? While a variety of factors may be in play, broadly speaking, Human Resources has been paying less attention to employee development.  This results in the dreaded skills gap, employee feelings of inadequacy on the job, and a general sense of lack of caring by the employer.  So why does employee development get moved to the back burner, given its far reaching effects? Perhaps we have been focused on other areas in recent years and have strayed off course?  Did concerns over the cost of employee development – whether in terms of finances or time – drive those decisions?  Whatever the reason, expect more conversation on employee development plans in 2014.

In what areas can your employees grow? Have you considered using gamification to create a performance management and employee development system that facilitates sharing, development, and communication between employees and managers?  Not the standard yearly review, but rather a program that the employees can access at any time, to track their own growth, and enjoy mini-rewards for reaching goals.

It’s anticipated that organizational learning will become less formal over time. While learn-at-lunch programs and e-learning have been used with measured success, gamification is making big waves.  Don’t be surprised if you find your own organization creating online gaming formats in order to train and educate employees. Such ingenuity will create excitement for employees and will surely keep them enthused and engaged with their organization.

Are there some areas of technology not mentioned here that your organization is using successfully in Human Resources? Please share them with us!  We may feature them in an upcoming issue of Astronology.