Intelligent SME.tech Issue 09 | Page 20

? EDITOR ’ S QUESTION //

INSTEAD OF TAKING OUR
WORK FROM US ,
AUTOMATION WILL ALLOW US TO TAKE
BACK OUR TIME
AND USE IT TO COMPLETE HIGHER-VALUE
OBJECTIVES .
Christine Park , Chief People Officer at Sitecore
Every month , we pose industry experts a question pertinent to the issues of the day . This month . . . .
UTOMATION IN HR will

A remove repetitive and mundane tasks , giving HR professionals more time to focus on tasks which need a human touch and creativity . But as Christine Park , Chief People Officer at Sitecore , pointed out , automation cannot be discussed without someone expressing a concern about job impact .

She said : “ It ’ s an understandable issue – no one wants their career to be taken over by a machine . But while their concerns may be rooted in the evolution of technology and how it has replaced various tasks , automation stands to elevate – and not eliminate – the jobs of human resources professionals .
“ Think about what technology has already brought to the table . Through the power of digitisation , we no longer have to print , file and store endless sheets of paper . Everything can now be stored digitally – either locally or in the cloud – providing a quicker , more seamless and less wasteful experience for both HR professionals and employees .
“ Now consider how automation can take all of our most mundane tasks and provide even greater benefits . Instead of taking our work from us , automation will allow us to take back our time and use it to complete higher-value objectives .”
Park knows how important a job offer letter is to a jobseeker , while HR , on the other hand , would rather not think about offer letters .
She added that they are even less excited about handling paid time off ( PTO ) requests and other absences . HR would also like to avoid the task of processing visas for incoming employees or termination papers for untimely departures – in other words , all the very necessary but very mundane tasks that take a good amount of time .

HOW WILL HR ROLES BE IMPACTED BY AUTOMATION AND TECHNOLOGY ?

“ The good news is that all of these things could move from humans to machines , enhancing the role of HR professionals by allowing them to focus on more meaningful tasks : elevating the employee experience ,” said Park .
Automation is a wonderfully capable technology that will revolutionise the world of HR and is already making a noticeable impact with regard to applicant screening . But it cannot motivate and inspire people the way that other humans can . That is the job of a leader .
Park said : “ Automation will not be able to create a high-performing team or build a culture where people can thrive and grow within their careers . Coaching , mentoring , creating a sense of belongingness – those are things a machine simply cannot do . This means that , as automation takes on a bigger and more prominent role in performing simple and repetitive tasks , HR professionals will be free to turn their attention to their most valuable objective : their employees . As a result , they ’ ll be able to focus on helping employees enjoy the moments that matter most with personalised experiences and an employee-centric strategy .”
The future of automation is in elevation , not elimination . It will propel the great work that HR professionals do , empowering them to succeed in completing higher-value objectives . This will result in happier , more satisfied and more motivated employees who eagerly rely on technology for day-to-day assistance while reserving their HR enquiries for the moments that matter most and drive business results through the most important asset of a company : people , Park concluded .

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. tech
Intelligent SME . tech