The world is firmly moving ahead on the path of technology and digitalization. The ever-expanding reach of technology has meant an impact not just on our personal lives but our professional lives too. Getting used to this technology and working with it is essential for HR professionals so that they can reap the benefits of technology and not be left behind by their peers in the field.
With most people being online these days, there is the need for those with non-technical skills to keep upgrading themselves and ultimately create an online presence through social networking and online shopping. Every sphere of life requires professionals to adapt fast to technological advancements, and HR also must boost its skill in technology.
How has the search for new workforce members changed?
There have been dramatic changes in the process of sourcing the workforce. The process is no more quite as simple as posting a job, receiving candidate resumes, and conducting interviews. Responsibilities are now multifaceted, and they include:
- Using social media to engage with candidates
- Working on the go with laptops and mobile phones
- Managing data stored on the cloud
To discharge these responsibilities suitably, HR professionals require a variety of skills in HR analytics, AI tools, and other aspects of HR technology.
Which are the key technology skills for HR professionals?
Below is the list of top technology skills:
- Human resource information system (HRIS) or human resource management system (HRMS): Helps to streamline several HR tasks. Managing physical paperwork is minimized due to electronic filing of forms and storage of documents that also helps in compliance, while automation of key tasks such as payroll improves efficiency and productivity.
- Talent acquisition suite: With recruitment becoming more personal, there is a need for both the employer and the prospective hire to be kept up to pace with the status of the job application. Application tracking systems (ATS) are part of talent acquisition suites, which are cloud-based and are powered by AI tools. These allow jobseekers to view their application status in real-time and HR professionals to hire smartly. It cuts down the manual workload of parsing resumes, screening candidates, and scheduling interviews, as well as the associated administrative and personnel costs. Shortlisting becomes faster with smart filters, giving more time for better interviews. This is a key part of all recruitment processes and workflows.
- Talent management software (TMS): Along with learning management systems (LMS), this helps in making the processes of hiring, onboarding, training, and retaining a lot more streamlined. Data from TMS facilitates better-informed strategic decisions, while the tracking of career objectives, skills, and performance reviews helps to identify and retain top talent through properly planned promotions and learning and development opportunities.
- Social media platforms: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter have risen in importance as tools for business networking, particularly useful for HR. These expand the reach to a wider candidate pool through job posts on the social pages of the company and roping in employees to share the same. The social media profiles of candidates help to conduct background checks and judge their fit with company culture, while information on company events shared online improves the visibility of the brand.
- Cloud: Using cloud-based systems for applicant tracking and selection as well as other tasks is essential. These help to better access, organize, and manage important data and thereby minimize interdepartmental back-and-forth communication. There is higher transparency that boosts the engagement and retention of employees. This also allows consistency across locations.
- Gamification: This is an excellent way to connect, collaborate, and motivate. A careers page with games will interest candidates more, and games are good to judge the fit with the corporate culture and values. Simulation of real-life scenarios is another aspect that betters learning and development.