combining technology with a human touch
The global market has picked up over the years, and unemployment in most economies is low. As a result companies are facing greater difficulty finding and retaining the right talent to fuel their business strategies. And the C-suite is taking note; according to the CEO Global Talent Survey by PwC, 77% CEOs stated that they are facing challenges in getting creative and innovation skills – they are looking for uniquely human capabilities – from talent.
Talent leaders need to find ways to ensure that their organizations are getting the skills they need to stay ahead of the competition, and they need to do it faster. Technology has become a game changer for companies in this aspect. It has evolved from just helping companies with automating tasks to fundamentally changing the way organizations work and how talent is acquired and retained.
Randstad Sourceright’s 2018 Talent Trends Report highlights that talent leaders should look for areas for growth and implement strategies that will not only attract talent but ultimately drive business outcomes. Technology plays a major part in talent strategy, but it needs to be combined with human intelligence to be successful.
holistic talent acquisition that considers all work arrangements
The notion of traditional workforce is changing with the proliferation of independent workers, statement of work (SOW) contractors and other contingent talent. As the war for talent continues to grow more challenging, employers have realized that the right talent can come from all over the globe. Talent leaders need to consider how a holistic approach can deliver greater agility for their business.
According to the figures in the Talent Trends Report, 76% of organizations state that the right person for any role may be an employee, contractor or contingent worker and could come from anywhere in the world. When looking at the APAC region, most companies in Singapore (84%) agree, as do employers in Japan and Australia – 70% and 69%, respectively.
Consider how technology can be a great enabler for non-traditional work arrangements – it allows workers to connect with teams and leaders from any corner of the world, regardless of their classification. For example, research from Adobe Think Tank shows that employees say tools that allow collaboration from anywhere, such as web and video conferencing, are key for them to be innovative at work.
develop a road map for optimizing automation
The business world is changing rapidly every day as a result of technological advancements. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have made repetitive or transactional HR processes easier to carry out. These range from matching technologies, to email automation, chatbots and more. Automating such processes frees up HR to focus on value-add interactions with hiring managers and talent, as well as further aligning talent strategy with business goals.
According to our Talent Trends research, most organizations across the globe (81%) feel positive about how technology can impact HR processes. Companies across the APAC region — for example, 98% of companies in China and 90% of companies in Australia — are especially interested in transforming through automation.
And while globally, the majority (65%) of companies state that HR technology has had a positive impact for them in the last year, the figures are even higher for companies in APAC. In India, a nation with one of the youngest workforces in the world, 90% of companies agree. Employers in Australia may also be eager to digitialize workplace experiences, with 71% reporting positive results through technology adoption.
How can you effectively develop strategies for optimizing your use of these advancements as part of workforce planning? This can be a difficult task that involves navigating the ever-growing HR technology landscape, identifying which make the most sense for your organization, and then determining how machines and humans can best impact your talent attraction, engagement and retention strategies.
emotional intelligence as part of your HR tech strategy
No matter the HR technology an organization uses, human empathy in talent acquisition and retention is essential. Companies should not lose sight of the importance of human interaction with potential and current workers in pursuit of using technology for its own sake.
Companies in APAC state that the use of technology has helped enhanced attraction, engagement and retention of talent. For example, almost all organizations in Singapore (98%) and the majority of companies in Australia (79%) agree. Despite this, they also recognize potential challenges that the use of technology presents.
Just over half of companies worldwide (51%) state that online recruiting takes away the people side of the business. Most companies in Singapore (82%) attest that technology can be dehumanizing in recruiting, while the numbers are lower in other countries, such as Australia (58%).
The right balance of human and machine can be the determining factor in whether your company wins and keeps the high quality talent it needs. Be sure you are looking at how you can keep developing emotional intelligence skills on your HR team and consider ways that HR technologies can simplify or amplify important touch points, such as scheduling, onboarding, training and more.
Want to learn more about the technology trends that are shaping the world of work this year? Get your copy of the 2018 Talent Trends Report here.
about the author
Follow on Twitter
