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rarity in most offi ces, but today
they are the nucleus around which
most processes occur. The recent
proliferation of smartphones
and mobile internet services has
transformed the way business is
conducted and enabled a world
where even physical offi ces are no
longer necessary. With all these
drastic changes occurring in such a
short span of time, what the future
holds becomes anyone’s guess.
Perhaps the biggest technological
breakthrough of the coming
decade will be the incorporation of
Machine Learning Algorithms and
Artifi cial Intelligence into regular
business operations. But these
systems have raised many red fl ags,
begging two existential questions
i.e. will this new technology replace
people, and is human resources
itself obsolete? The answer to both
of these questions is of course, No.
As advanced as AI may be, at least
in the foreseeable future, it will
never be able to match the prowess
of a human being when it comes to
dealing with other human beings.
It will therefore simply serve as
a powerful tool to aid companies
deal with their employees more
effectively. Just like the introduction
of computers into the workforce
in the 1990s did not cause millions
of offi ce workers to lose their jobs
overnight, they simply made work
easier, AI and Machine Learning
will serve as a tool to aid business
operations, nothing more.
Perhaps the most infl uential
recent change in the workforce
has not been driven by technology,
but rather by people’s mindsets.
This phenomenon is known as a
‘gig economy’. In a gig economy,
temporary positions are common,
and organizations contract with
independent contractors for short-
Technology and data analytics enable HR
departments to undertake mass assessments
of performance in real time, with very
precise results. This has rendered annual or
half yearly performance reviews obsolete.
term engagements. Freelancing
work on websites like Fiverr
are an example of this. At the
center of it all, there is a buyer, a
seller, and a short-term fi xed-rate
relationship unlike the current
employer-employee relationship.
The Gig Economy is a manifestation
of the individual’s (especially
the millennial’s) desire not to be
restricted to one place, one project,
or one company, and offers the
advantages of fl exibility for the
worker and cost savings as well
as reduced liability for the hiring
company. As it redefi nes the talent
landscape, HR will have to gear up
to harness the opportunities that
the gig economy provides. In such
a scenario, the fundamental role
of HR i.e. hiring and fi ring talent
will not change, but there will be
substantial modifi cations to its
transactional roles. HR will have
to outsource the transactional part
of their jobs to technology and this
will give them time to get involved
in employee engagement and other
strategic roles.
The future of HR is not some
hypothetical that is being debated in
academia, it is very much here. The
last few years have seen HR evolve to
incorporate changing technologies
and new ideas in the following ways:
Hiring
AI is excellent at processing
large amounts of data that would be
impossible for a human operator. As
a result, it is used to fi lter through
countless CVs and is proven to be
far more effi cient at picking out
more suitable candidates than a
person ever could. HR departments
now employ AI to deal in part with
the hiring process because of their
ability to process large volumes of
data with low margins of error.
Performance Appraisal
Technology and data analytics
enable HR departments to undertake
mass assessments of performance
in real time, with very precise
results. This has rendered annual
or half yearly performance reviews
obsolete.
Operations
Chatbots and apps can now
resolve employees’ day to day queries
and can also potentially provide tech
support without the need for human
interactions. While this may still be
in its nascent stages, it has proven
effective at dealing with simple
queries that constitute the bulk of
interactions with HR.
HR is not obsolete, for as long
as organizations employ human
beings, they will continue to remain
essential to even the most basic
business processes. As time change,
HR as a discipline will evolve, but
the fundamentals and basis for its
existence will remain unchanged.
P & M
Vol. 9 Issue 6 • Sep-Oct 2018, Noida / Pre-Event Edition |
81