The 2018 Human Resource Executive HR Technology Conference and Expo (HR Tech) just wrapped up in Las Vegas, and we’re here with the top takeaways for HR and benefits teams.
For the past 20-plus years, HR Tech has been the place where HR technology leaders gather from around the world to share ideas, trends, and assess the HR technology market. If you weren’t able to make it—or want to compare notes—here are the top 5 themes that we saw and heard about.
There was a lot of talk at the conference about how automation is impacting HR, and we see parallels in our own work with our clients. By leveraging technology, HR has begun automating routine and repetitive tasks, which frees up HR staff to focus on more strategic initiatives. With HR shifting from processing transactions to delivering business results through people, HR staff are more focused than ever on creating meaningful human experiences.
A telling indicator of shifting HR leadership attitudes comes from Ellyn Shook, chief leadership and human resources officer of Accenture, who said, “HR today is all about human beings—a dramatic change from where we were even 5 years ago. People were subjects of processes, and HR ran a lot of processes. The fact that we can use technology to elevate humans—we can really have a very human experience.”
Companies trying to improve human experiences will start by examining and changing their culture, acknowledging that with incredibly diverse employee populations and locations across the globe, a single culture just won’t cut it. Look for large organizations to figure out ways to be more like small companies or shift from one culture to a culture of many cultures.
Blockchain, augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence. So many shiny new things to consider! It’s (almost) too easy to get caught up in the buzz and forget the problem you’re trying to solve. We’ve been preaching for years—and it was echoed loudly throughout the conference—that technology is not a solution in and of itself; however, it can be a tool to help you achieve your goals.
While it might be tempting to dive right in and roll out some awesome new technology, pause and make sure that you have a solid strategy in place first.
When considering any new technology, always ask yourself:
Asking yourself hard questions like these lays the foundation for a successful strategy (and implementation).
With so much new technology at your fingertips, it’s tempting to rush right in. A pilot can help you make sure your idea is the right one. When a pilot is done right, it gives you the opportunity to try out a new approach, process, or technology with a small group of individuals before rolling it out to the masses. A lot can be learned and then applied to make a broader rollout even more successful.
Pilots can be a valuable part of your strategy; they allow you to test ideas, concepts, or tools with a small audience, then make any necessary tweaks before you implement it fully. Here are some things to keep in mind for a successful pilot.
Quick Tips for a Successful Pilot
Given the current labor market and projected labor demographics, it came as no surprise that recruiting and talent acquisition dominated the conference. This space is at the forefront of leveraging new HR technology, which makes sense in light of all the routine and repetitive tasks associated with recruiting. By automating much of the talent acquisition process, recruiters are able to spend less time processing data and more time building relationships and connections—the human element of recruiting.
John Sumser, founder and principal analyst at HRexaminer.com, has been researching the Artificial Intelligence (AI) space in HR for years. He noted that 160 of the 200 companies he’s researched have something to do with recruiting. In fact, 53 focus specifically on sourcing. We’re witnessing an absolute explosion in tools aimed at helping employers get the right candidates at the right time.
We’re also seeing talent acquisition efforts spilling over into other HR functions, like benefits, where employers are adding taglines to their benefits websites such as “We’re hiring” in an effort to support broader talent acquisition goals.
About 20 years ago, the HR world was enamored with the word “portal.” I used to say that if you asked 1,000 people to define a portal, you’d get 1,000 different answers. To be clear, artificial intelligence (AI) was referenced everywhere at the conference—the keynote sessions, breakout sessions, and throughout the expo hall, where vendors were all claiming their AI was better than someone else’s.
Depending on whom you talked to, you may have heard it referenced in any number of ways, including artificial intelligence, automation intelligence, robotics (used in Europe), or machine learning (used in Asia). The terms aren’t what’s important.
But this is: Fundamentally, AI (or whatever term you prefer) has the power to look at large data sets and process data in ways that humans just can’t do efficiently. It attempts to organize chaos, and it finds patterns that humans don’t typically find. For example, in the payroll world, AI can flag people who change direct deposits multiple times every month, trying to game the system into getting paid twice. Imagine one person trying to find that pattern among 50,000 employees.
While the usefulness and power are unlimited, AI by itself is limited, and there are several important things to keep in mind.
AI has the potential to free us up to be more strategic, but it will also change the way we all work. Experts predict AI will create more jobs than it displaces, and we’ll need more people—those with critical thinking skills—to manage the machines.
AI will become more embedded in our daily lives. For example, within the next 18 months, every Microsoft Office product will have AI built into it. When you add a new column in a spreadsheet, Excel will ask if you want analysis with that, and it will predict what you’re looking for.
As we move forward, HR software purchases will increasingly be driven by personality versus functionality. Different products will embed their points of view on the data and the patterns that will drive business results, and each product will stake its claim on the models that are most effective at driving specific business outcomes.
There’s something else that’s important to remember: Just as we humans are constantly learning, so, too, are the machines that use AI. This means that over time, as they’re informed with new facts, their output will change.
As with all advancements in technology, change management is critical for maximum impact. Megan Buttita, who leads a team of 5 librarians at Allstate, summed it up best when she said, “It isn’t just the technology that needs to learn; it is the team that needs to learn.”
As usual, HR Tech provided us with many new insights, a chance to re-connect with clients and colleagues, and take in all the emerging trends in HR Technology. We can’t wait to dive into more topics like these throughout the year in our blog, white papers, and other thought leadership efforts.
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