Human resources technology is helping corporate India save millions every year. According to PeopleStrong, an HR outsourcing and technology firm, India Inc. can save at least $600 million annually by 2021, using HR Technology. It’s not only helping HR personnel, even employees are benefitting. The credit goes to the streamlined and time-saving benefits that technological advancements offer. It’s because of these advancements that many say the role of HR is one that is more mobile, analytical and adaptive, nowadays.

HR technology is now a major part of the digital transformation agendas of leading companies across sectors. Adopting technology is also allowing HR time to play a role in the strategic decision making of companies. This signals a massive shift from the days when HR was just another business function – It’s finally turned into a strategic partner.

Employee wellness as a rapidly evolving component of all engagement programs today is also benefitting from technology. It’s long been an enabler that helps HR collect information in the workplace with ease. From knowing your workforce, including their needs and preferences to analysing the overall results – technology has huge implications for the successful running of your wellness program, and your businesses bottom line.

HR technology: Back in the day

HR technology at the workplace is not new. Back in the 1990’s, ERP’s seamlessly integrated HR processes such as payroll, attendance and training. It was even used to create polls, collect feedback, and to fill out grievances and leave requests. These were the primary data points that were measured through technology. Information was either conveyed through emails sent or through posters put up on the office notice board.

Technology was mainly seen as a data collection platform by HR. Even employees didn’t rely on a centralized platform as a primary source of company information. Not to mention, the sky-rocketing internet costs that employees had to bear, which affected adoption of these technologies.

Current scenario: How technology is powering HR

1. Employee life cycle processes: Presently, companies are beginning to levitate towards the use of technology for every aspect of the employee life cycle, be it hiring, training, career development, appraisals, and employee engagement, as well as employee exits. Studies have found that almost 50% of HR compliance work will be automated if the Indian government continues with its focus on digital agenda.
2. Welfare strategy: Data is the fuel that powers a good employee welfare strategy. With the use of technology, HR can collect data from various employee touch points in a single place and formulate a wellness plan that suits employee’s needs. It even solves the problem of scale – where there is a greater need for connected resources across offices. Technology is helping HR connect employees’ welfare needs throughout various offices with ease.
3. Resource saver: From maintaining records using biometric attendance to having conference meetings on video – technology is minimizing the use of time and resources, and increasing efficiency. According to the latest PwC HR Technology survey, 40% of the 300-plus companies surveyed globally have their core HR applications in the cloud.
4. New HR job roles: HR now focuses around analytics, program management, vendor management and employee experience and productivity management.

Benefits of technology for HR processes and wellness programs

1. Employees are more responsive: The adoption of any employee welfare program is of utmost importance to HR. It can increase or even get better with the help of technology. New-age corporate wellness programs (AI & analytics enabled) will be the future going ahead in the pursuit to achieving greater employee engagement. With the use of digital technology, Employees are far more prepared and planned for any upcoming events or activities.
2. Customization: Having a better understanding of employee needs through data and insights will help HR to streamline their wellness programs. It will also allow organizations to focus on a more holistic approach to their wellness programs. A plan that includes occupational, emotional and physical wellness, and driven by a process that reaches out to employees in their time of need.
3. Tracking data: Today, there are mobile tracking apps that help you manage employee mileage, per diem, and other fiscal concerns in real time, without the use of log books, receipts, and physical records. Thus, improving accuracy and reducing manual processing. You also receive faster feedback to measure employees’ preferences, and much more. This applies to wellness programs too. For example, lifestyle coaches and dieticians can review employee progress towards their health goals in real time and provide remote feedback and support.
4. Boosting your wellness efforts: Technology can also help employees achieve positive health outcomes. Gamification with elements like teamwork, competition and instant rewards, can add fun to your wellness program. It will also bring a community aspect, where employees work together to track their progress and improve. Measuring minutes of meditation, steps, or clean-eating days can also accelerate the positive results delivered by your wellness program.

Obstacles in the way of adopting HR technology

1. Changing roles and perspectives: When you introduce new technology, the transition process becomes a major undertaking. With new tech, HR has to deal with constant follow ups, tracking and vendor management. However, it is important that HR look at HR technology investments from a business problem perspective, rather than only focusing on improving efficiency and effectiveness of HR processes. It’s time that organizations really make the transition to hold HR accountable for specific business outcomes and not just single them out for HR process metrics.
2. Justifying costs: The financial cost that a company has to bear may stand as an obstacle in the way of adoption. However, it’s been found that using latest technologies to connect employers with the workforce will be crucial to talent attraction, engagement and retention. The current states of affair, both economic and social, show a promising trend for adoption within our society. While earlier there were stark differences between urban and rural areas, today these differences are diminishing, thanks to emerging technologies. It’s a win-win situation for companies and their employees.
3. Resistance to change: A report from an Indian news agency revealed that nearly 75% of HR managers are using technology to improve HR practices, but a staggering 25% are still not keen to switch over to using technology in HR. Additionally it has been found that, only 60% of companies are using HR technology in areas like recruitment, onboarding, talent relationship management, and background verification. To fix this, experts suggest that whenever a new technology is rolled out, it has to be socialized. Employees need to be completely informed on its benefits, so that the purpose is clear. Only then can you boost adoption and address it.
4. Unclear objectives and use: Technology is everywhere in the office these days. But are they of any use to all employees? This is a question to be asked before adopting any program. Employees today, according to a study, are overwhelmed by e-mail, and by the new tools their organizations have introduced. It’s been revealed that over 25% of an employee’s time goes in dealing with e-mail. Hence, it is important that the objective and use of the technology does not complicate the process, rather it should simplify the employee engagement process.
5. Lack of training: According to a recent study of HR professionals in India, 70% admitted in a survey they don’t have the skills to deal with robotics, artificial intelligence, automation etc. These disrupting technologies need to have a proper training plan in place, long before their introduced. Lack of training or education on the part of the user can cause major adoption hurdles.
6. Employee disconnect – less human touch: Some organizations end up customizing the program so much that, they end up being of more use to HR and less for employees. Employee experience should be at the core of your wellness program or any technology initiative for better adoption. Adding too much technology can also lead to a disconnect between the employees and HR.

Tips on how to introduce HR technology at the workplace

1. Introducing new technology means a change in the management framework, too. Just purchasing a tool or software doesn’t cut it. The organizational culture needs to have technology embedded in it. The whole process is always on-going, so make sure that you don’t introduce any technology unless the management framework is in place.
2. Addressing employee concerns at the right time is crucial to achieving your desired outcomes from your HR tech solution. Because, when you take up new technologies, you need to ensure you have the correct upskilling program in place, to compensate for new roles and to avoid losing any knowledge capital, that’s built over the years.
3. Aim for small changes. The goal for organizations that are looking to embrace HR technology should be to make small changes that speak directly to individual employees. Their impact should last well into the future and only then will it become an accepted part of your organizations culture.

In closing, a well- developed plan for introducing HR technology requires a cultural mind shift and a change in management framework. While the benefits of introducing HR technology are tempting, the reality is that change is difficult, and many businesses struggle with it. However, the speed at which technology is being adopted in business today, its members invariably have to adapt to this change or get left behind.

The future roles and responsibilities of HR professionals will also undergo major changes. They will have to welcome new technologies, and not fear them. Businesses should step-up and take advantage of disruptive technology to save precious time and focus on bigger missions.

If your organization is looking to embrace HR technology, attend CHS 2019 to know more! Our expert panellists will walk you through those technological changes that you need to make, in order to speak directly to your employees and create an everlasting impact on the health and happiness of your workforce!