Evolution of People Analytics
More and more the HR profession is growing in influence through advanced technology, but as humans ourselves we are deeply aware of the potential to do harm. Here is just a few examples of some of the speakers and content at the event:
HR TechWorld was re-branded ‘Unleash’, and there is really great content on their main site.
Some of the most highlights were from Josh Bersin, Ariana Huffington, and Henrik Scharfe.
Thought leadership on predictive analytics in HR, such as David Green and Andi Britt.
This is a few of my thoughts on the overall message:
Impression #1 – ‘Digital Transformation’ is providing us with an opportunity to ‘Lead’ it!
Impression #2 – Our knowledge is needed to build the strategy and tools to ‘Do’ it.
Impression #3 – HR Tech is a diverse group collectively building the future workplace.
HR Tech is an opportunity to drive ‘Digital Transformation’
You might be cringing at that statement, but one thing was clear from this conference.. back office administration work is going to likely become software very soon. There is an app for everything, and there is a lot of competition in the vendor space. Many of us are currently working in pre-digitized roles, so we need to think about ways to stay competitive.
Although our jobs will likely go away, this may be a positive.. Who wants to keep doing this work anyway? The potential for us to influence the transition as process specialists is enormous!
The point is – companies will need people who ‘do’ digital transformation. This role is a unique blend between traditional CIO developer/engineer responsibilities and back office operations. The focus will be on building great client experiences while also keeping the process requirements in scope. There are a lot of complicated problems to solve to make this work, and the ‘new’ skilled labor will be in building and maintaining systems.
Strategies, Skills and Philosophy
Technology is great, but the general consensus is that it is advancing faster than our ability to manage it. When thousands of HR practitioners come together to discuss how we will apply these technologies, this is the part we are focused on. There are a lot of great examples of people writing and sharing about the work being done, such as Jonathan Ferrar’s new book: ‘The Power of People‘. Also, the links provided above are some of the leading examples of thought leadership in this space.
The part that struck me the most in the presentations was an element of a respectful, more humble approach to what is taking shape here. Things have the potential to go Gattaca.. We lived through 1984, but maybe Orson just was off by a few decades. We have to be careful, thoughtful, respectful and hyper focused on the Human side of this equation.
We are part of an incredible HR Tech community!
If you are reading this blog.. odds are you are a HR data wonk like me. We come in all types, and the diversity of thought and discussion is encouraging. Today, there seems to be a second generation of leaders who will carry the torch from the recognized elite, who deeply understand the concept of a community and what it means to be connected in a digital space. Collaboration and change are a part of our everyday reality – running to work ourselves out of our current jobs which are less than satisfying.
There is a deeply experienced HR research group that is looking at all the data that has been collected, and able to develop predictive tools and chatbots. There is an equally experienced group of scientists who focus on the social impact of Digital Transformation. There is also an energized group of consultants and sales people who intuitively understand the ways that these tools will impact the lives of the people who use them. It was a wonderful two days getting to know them better!
