Technology Be-Gone! What happens when you don't want to change?

Emerging Technology. No matter where you go, everyone’s talking about it. From formidable claims that it is going to “take over the world” to frightening statements like “your job is going to be over”; quite frankly – you want no business with it. For most of us the idea of change, especially one that promises to be as disruptful as some emerging tech, is scary! But what are the consequences of not embracing change and innovation? Does it even matter if what you are doing now is working for you? Besides, if something is working well; why change it!? Right? Well, maybe not! In a world where technology is being invented, innovated and adopted at an ever-increasing rate – being a late adopter, laggard or failing to adopt technology at all, could be detrimental to your company. Let’s take a look at why with a focus on technological adoption in HR and the workforce!

The 2 main changes emerging technology will bring to the HR world are:

• HOW we recruit: How we recruit refers to the software, technology we use to gather, shortlist, interview and onboard candidates. In the HR world at the moment, many technologies involving Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality have been emerging in the past few years. These technologies can have a big effect on the way we hire candidates, which type of candidates we hire etc. From advanced recruitment software to video interviews and VR assessments; the way we hire is changing at an incredible rate.
• WHO we recruit: Who we recruit refers to the type of skills we look for in candidates and whether you now recruit technology or a human to fulfill the role. With emerging tech, we may soon be in a world where you aren’t hiring human candidates anymore but rather automated tech which you are responsible for analyzing and finding the best fit.

Though these notions seem scary and in the very distant future; they aren’t that far away at all. Currently, advanced recruitment software and automated accounting platforms are eliminating the need for everyday project managers and accountants. But what if you still don’t want to adopt? What happens to those who prefer the old-world method, with tons of paperwork, long waiting times and slow onboarding? I mean, you’ve hired some pretty great candidates this way, you’re bosses are happy and old ways die hard! But in our technological age, this attitude may be detrimental to your workplace. Not convinced? Let’s take a look at history and see what it teaches us. Remember Kodak, the successful camera company that was wildly popular in the late 90s and 2000’s? At one point they were leaders in the industry, pioneering Instamatic, handheld and color film camera. Now, however, their name is sparse and brand remembered by only few. Where Kodak went wrong was failing to adopt their camera technology with the advent of digital photography, printers, software and file sharing. Early adopters to digital imaging technology such as Canon, FujiFilm and Nikon sprung to success; whereas the once successful Kodak has dropped to a share price that is 96% less than its peak in 1997.

If you still don’t believe in the power of early adoption, just think about big corporations such as ‘Blockbuster’, ‘Xerox’, ‘MySpace’ and ‘Blackberry‘ – Where are they now? These companies are also known as ‘laggards’ as they failed to identify and adapt to upcoming innovation. The imminent failure of these firms can be linked to their inability to address changes in consumer, society and their slow rate of adoption.

But how is this relevant to HR?  If you have the same slow rate of adoption to technology, other firms will be able to find and onboard better candidates and technology; making their businesses more efficient and leaders in the field. Addressing the 2 main points we looked at before – as emerging technology develops; the way businesses function with regards to employees will change too! HR departments need to be aware of new skills candidates need and have a modern free applicant tracking system that can process new forms of interviews e.g. video interviews.

Here are some ways you can make sure you are ahead of the tech revolution in HR:

• Look for areas in your HR Department where tech can do the job for you. Often manual tasks such as payroll, admin, and onboarding can be replaced by paperless onboarding technology within recruitment software.  Read our previous blog post on HR roles that can be automated through technology, to see where jobs can be automated.
• Review your current recruitment software. Make sure you have an Advanced Applicant Tracking System that accepts video interviews and can parse resumes and interviews of all formats.
• Look for areas in your entire firm/workforce where technology can replace the work. For example, the next time there is a job availability, try see if you can contract technology to do it. Also, the next time you receive a request to recruit, talk to the relevant departments to understand what extra skills are required by candidates to keep up with technology.

In the digital age, if you have an aversion to adopting change; by the time you decide to – the innovation could quite possibly be outdated and replaced with something even more advanced. So don’t wait, find areas you can adopt advanced technology in your workplace today!