The impact of new technologies on the HR world

The development of new technologies is generating rapid changes in Human Resources.

It is clear that, as long as there is work, there will be HR functions in companies and in all types of organizations; this has not changed, and is not likely to change. What is certain is that the irruption of new technologies is inevitably transforming this professional field, creating new needs and specialized functions that must be covered by innovative profiles.

To understand the impact that technological development is having on Human Resources, we spoke with Margarita Bravo Sanz, Director of the University's own Master's Degree in Human Resources.Director of the Master's Degree in Selection and Talent Management organized by the University of Malaga.

How new technologies are transforming Human Resources

In a field as competitive as that of companies, where having profiles trained in the latest advances can make all the difference, a lot of attention is paid to the ways in which technology allows processes to be simplified and work to be streamlined.

Margarita Bravo directs one of the Masters that are committed to creating that updated profile of Human Resources professional: specialists who can make use of resources such as Machine Learning, Big Data, and others. On this occasion we spoke with her to explain how this new wave of professionals is being prepared.

How is the development of new technologies changing the recruitment process?

Technology is transforming our lives. We are also witnessing a process never known before with respect to the continuity and speed of these changes. Digital technology is everywhere: mobile devices, expert systems, cognitive computing, or social networks in an interconnected world are good examples of this.

In my opinion, we do not yet know where this "digital tsunami" is taking us, but it is clear that it requires us to change our work styles and procedures if we want to be competitive professionals. Professionals who ultimately have to contribute to improving people's work experience.

The identification and selection of talent through robotics is already here. Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning manage this talent, saving time in the recruitment and selection phases. The use of Chatbots to automate the recruitment process is also intensifying. And not left behind in this environment is the use of specific software and data-driven Apps, designed to work in teams, and to be used on cell phones and social networks.

Today, not only our CV is analyzed, but also our digital identity or the information that exists about us on the Internet, which is usually a lot. User networks in turn are a meeting place where companies can show their image and interact directly with candidates or access professionals who are not actively looking for a job. Let's bear in mind that certain profiles, such as those related to information and communication technology, the so-called IT, sometimes require different search and recruitment strategies because there is a high demand for their profile in the labor market.

In short, we can be sure that a transformation towards the digital world is underway in the field of Human Resources, although it must also be considered that these changes are occurring unevenly. There are many companies that, although aware of the implications of the technological revolution, are not able to react because they cannot or are not prepared, and in this sense I am convinced that it is the HR professionals who have to drive this transformation, since companies will only be innovative if they are able to transform themselves with and for people.

In Human Resources, is it difficult to find a balance between the use of new technologies and human work?

As I mentioned earlier, HR has a key role to play in the transition to a new system based on transformation and technological development.

In my opinion, technology is nothing more than a tool. It is a powerful tool that changes the way we work, that brings speed, information, solutions, etc., and that is going to leave many jobs as we understand them today in the dustbin. However, digitalization will not be possible without alienation with culture and talent.

The key has to be to harness those "human skills" and combine it with the best robots and automation techniques. A human will always add value to the vision of a machine. At the end of the day, organizations are groups of humans and the future will always depend on many subjective factors understood as a way of being, feeling, thinking and doing.

In the University Master's Degree in Selection and Talent Management we talk about Machine Learning, among other things. What exactly does it consist of?

Machine Learning (ML) is an area within the field of artificial intelligence (AI) that has been defined as the ability of machines to learn by themselves automatically. When we say learning we are referring to a computer that has access to massive amounts of data (Big Data); the data can come from various sources and be of different types: images, sounds, videos, texts... so that they can be stored digitally and can be incorporated into a learning algorithm.

From Big Data, the algorithm is able to establish behavioral patterns and even make predictions about future behavioral trends in specific areas.

The use of Machine Learnig can be found in our daily lives. Search engines such as Google; voice assistants such as those incorporated in our cell phones: Siri or Alexa; social networks such as Facebook or Twitter; recommenders that determine what we would like to see or buy: Spotify, Youtube.... In turn, ML is paving the way for medical diagnosis and personalized treatment based on the particular health data of the subjects. We also find it in natural language processing (NLP), smart cars and Talent management. The list can go on and on.

Machine Learnig affects our lives and cannot be ignored either personally or professionally. From the approach of continuous updating of contents that is part of the DNA of the Master in Selection and Talent Management, we consider that the training of the Human Resources psychologist must necessarily face the new scenarios that arise with modern technologies and the way in which these are manifested in the labor market.

What kind of competitive advantages can companies have when they have HR experts who master these new technologies?

Today's organizations cannot afford to have HR professionals who are not leading current thinking practices.

A few days ago an article was published (El País, 25/12/2019) highlighting how a University in Helsinki decided to launch a free AI course that has had an overwhelming response. It has been followed by more than 1% of Finnish citizens and nearly 200,000 students from 110 different countries and will soon be translated into more languages. This gives us an idea of the importance of incorporating technological knowledge also for non-programming experts.

Human resources departments face a double challenge: on the one hand, to transform and digitize the activities of the department itself, and on the other hand, to lead the process of change towards a new work culture. In this work environment, the role of the psychologist as a specialist in human behavior and a connoisseur of intelligent software occupies a strategic and advantageous position that organizations must take advantage of if they are to be competitive.

What are the aspects of Human Resources in which the development of new forms of software will never be able to catch up with human performance?

Artificial intelligence is still in a developmental stage and there are still obstacles that can only be overcome by human intervention. No one can be sure that AI can do everything. Moreover, if we do not put people at the center of technological development, the consequences could be dire.

Voices are being raised warning about the need for control of new forms of technology, because an algorithm can also be imperfect and potentially be as racist, sexist or prejudiced as the people who program it.

We are heading towards a society in which more and more elements of our lives are going to be replaced by machines. I would like to think that what none of them will be able to replace are deeply human values, those that have to do with interpersonal relationships and self-control.

Finally... What are the areas of Human Resources in which the most promising technologies are being developed and which cannot yet be used today?

In a few years we will be facing a completely new relational context in organizations. One of the major trends in Human Resources is the active promotion of organizational ecosystems and networks with an "Agile mentality", capable of transforming leadership models and enhancing the participative experience of employees. In this context, chatbots and conversational voice technologies are advancing at a very fast pace, but technological development is open in many ways, and the development of "middlware" software that acts as a bridge between data and applications, especially in networks, is also unstoppable.

In short, the convergence of robot and human in the field of human resources will continue to be unpredictable but also exciting.