Grace Holliday
3 min read
We live in a world of rapidly evolving technology, it seems that every day there is a new app, software update, device or iPhone that changes how we live our lives.
What does this mean for the HR sector in terms of culture, communication and engagement?
Today we wanted to try to answer that question by sharing our predictions for what we see happening for HR technology in the next 3 years.
First off, everyone needs to keep mobile optimisation in mind and understand what this means. Mobile is so important and relevant that earlier this year, Google announced that websites that are not properly optimised for mobile devices will receive a lower ranking in Google and most likely a lot less traffic.
This is confirmation that people use mobile devices all the time - that’s where your staff are spending time, searching for, and consuming information.
It was reported last year that while there are 1.5 billion users of desktop and laptops, there are 1.6 billion users of phone and handheld devices.
For HR this means that important information needs to be available and accessible on mobile devices including job opportunities, company updates, people news, and any other critical information you want to share.
HR and technology are also colliding in a lot of ways when it comes to social media. Similar to the first point, a huge amount of your staff are on social media sites and will continue to join.
Using sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for communication, developing a culture and listening to feedback can be an effective strategy.
Alongside these social media sites are the company review sites, like Glassdoor. Founded only 8 years ago, the company now boast anonymous reviews on 8 million companies. It’s important to be aware of reviews because it can be some of the most honest feedback you’ll receive and will impact how those outside your company perceive it.
But daunting though it may be, HR departments don’t need to fight either the social media or the review sites. Instead, they should embrace them. Employees appreciate companies that are open and honest.
It should also be remembered that this increase in sharing online can have a positive effect. Staff who are nurtured and proud to work for their company are a great asset, and their ability to share the praise online will reach far and wide.
Lastly, the way technology has affected how we can get in touch with each other will have a huge effect on HR. If your business uses any chat system your staff and colleagues are just one message away. This type of availability is changing the way we work already and will continue to do so. This ease of communication will facilitate the growth of global teams and remote workers, and increasingly break down barriers to work-life balance.
It can seem overwhelming how quickly technology changes how we work and live. It’s important for HR to embrace these changes to help communicate important information, gain valuable feedback, and build a vibrant company culture.