The progress of technology advances with giant steps, causing a great impact in all industries and sectors, which reaches and produces adaptive solutions for companies.
The departments of human resources are not an exception to this reality.
Long, very long is the path that has been taking place since those days when the personnel were managed through spreadsheets.
Current situation
Although the solutions are many, there is some weakness when implementing new technological systems in the departments of HR that allow professionals to manage human capital efficiently.
True, it is becoming increasingly common in SMEs and new startups to realize investments for the implementation of ERP systems. However, most of these systems are more focused on financial, production or logistics aspects, and in some cases, they do not have an HR module and we need to look for external solutions.
Facing this scenario, HR professionals see an overload of data and information that is really difficult to manage through traditional methods, as currently, the human resources departments of a company not only assume personnel management tasks such as recruitments, layoffs or payrolls, but also the nexus in charge of speeding up and improving communication between the company and its employees.
Technology in human resources
The internal communication of any company can be complex. And it is precisely here where Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) come into play, with the aim of streamlining these processes and procedures; In addition to finding multi-tasking tools that are responsible for communicating and being able to perform the administrative tasks that become endless.
When we talk about human resources technology, we start from three bases:
- Computer applications for the complete management of people
These are software that offer solutions that span multiple processes, such as staff selection, recruitment, analysis of performance indicators, ongoing training, job site definition, risk prevention, etc.
- Advancement of telecommunications
It has led to remote labor relations. In some way, it has helped to reduce personal contact, reduce waiting times and errors and reduce the number of offices. Work teams are now more and more geographically distributed, remoteworking is a key tool for improving efficiency and capability.
- Robotics
Robotics allowed developing continuous changes in the production processes, transforming the profiles and reducing the employment index. Robots have long been in factories, while backoffice activities are still very manual.
In any case, we have long seen “bots” (robot abbreviation) automatically performing repetitive tasks over the Internet, such as scheduling doctor appointments, informing us about the available banking services or managing our connection to a Pay TV system. Even behind the erotic lines there are robots!
It is clear that these software programs have a long way to go if we apply them to provide services to our collaborators in our tedious HR tasks in backoffice.
ICT solutions for HR management
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERPs)
At the moment it becomes indispensable for many companies to have a system that not only manage administrative tasks, such as calendars, schedules, incidents or vacations; It also allows the company to cover the changing legal requirements, for example.
With this type of software, we unify tasks and allow execution times to be reduced considerably. While deciding for the best management software (ERP) that suits us, it is important to know the volume of the company. Small brands can still find software brands that offer optimal sector solutions.
As we increase the volume of the company, we must say that the range of possible solutions is reduced. We can say that we basically go to hegemonic ecosystems, Microsoft or SAP. When I say ecosystems, I mean the model that both have set up, defining a true global platform that isolates the core of the ERP from all the applications and parameters that can be developed.
This central core is periodically updated to include all the essential modifications to guarantee new services, legislative changes by country, or solve problems of any kind, of the rest. Above this non-modifiable core we can “connect” applications of all kinds that respond to all business problems, in the case of HR, payroll management, training, risk prevention, career plans , control of the workers, etc.
All this in a global context and with virtually monthly updates, so that we will always have the latest “core” updates that will improve the efficiency of our management.
This architecture is necessary to be able to develop the strategic line that these two software giants have set up and that will take them in medium term to contemplate only solutions in the cloud and with payment by service (SAS).
There is one of the points that must be taken into account, the fact that the current trend of “servicing” that affects all products, in the case of software and ERPs is definitive.
E-learning platforms
Corporate e-learning can transform a whole company.
In an increasingly competitive world, it becomes essential to have specialized personnel in very specific tasks. And that is why training is essential. Managing the training of the human team of a company is not an easy task. That is why e-learning training has become a great solution with multiple advantages
Just a few years ago it was unthinkable to have what this type of platform offers us: intranets that facilitate communication between teachers and students, live classrooms, interactive exercises, etc. We cannot forget the flexibility that this solution offers both to the company and to the professionals, allowing the training to adapt to work days.
Moodle is one of the most popular e-learning solutions available to companies to implement distance learning through their HR departments. But little by little, others start to appear, as evolCampus for example.
Registration, validation and signature systems
Adapting to changes and legal requirements by complying with regulations and obligations is very necessary, but also involves many resources. There are ICT tools developed precisely to offer solutions to this type of regulations and legal requirements in a simpler way.
Through them, it is possible to efficiently and safely manage the signature of documents, validate employees’ work schedules, register days …
And thanks to the cloud servers, all the data generated by companies are managed virtually in real time by people assigned to it; In addition, these types of servers facilitate tasks for those who are responsible for HR, allowing them to access the information from any device.
In short, immediacy and global availability are the differential values of these solutions.
Electronic signature systems such as Docusign are an example of what we are saying.
Gamification tools
Let’s start with the beginning: what is gamification?
It involves the use of techniques, elements and dynamics of games in non-recreational activities, such as the work environment. The objective is to enhance motivation, strengthen behavior to solve complex problems, improve productivity, enhance learning and evaluate individuals.
Facilitating the interaction between employees or members of a team, encouraging them through prizes, levels or ranking games, can provide them with a supportive and motivational tool at work, as well as improving productivity and commitment within the company.
There are already multiple tools that allow these tasks and techniques to be implemented in order to inform and encourage employees.
A good example of this is the Badgeville startup, which offers a platform for managing fidelity programs based on the behavior of online users. This tool allows us to reward users with personalized gifts.
Conclusion
Although the implementation of this type of ICT solutions may seem as a complex task a priori, as they are still unknown to many companies and professionals, we must take into account that suppliers are prepared to design solutions adapted to each company, guaranteeing start-up, initial training, technical support and continuous assistance, to ensure that their introduction and subsequent development are successful.
While digitization of factories and productive processes is already a reality for many companies if we look at the processes of the backoffice of companies and, in particular, human resource management, we will see that there is a long way to go. We find inefficient processes, manuals and management without criteria of efficiency and capability.
In summary, what should be done by HR departments is not to ignore advances and get updated tools. Only in this way it will be possible to prevent companies from becoming obsolete facing unremitting technological advances.
