HR – Opportunities Galore

Bill Kutik ribbed me recently about a decade + old prediction that the HR function would evolve into a Knowledge Management function.  He is right, of course. Microsoft and IBM and others sold plenty of Sharepoint and Notes and other tools, just not to HR.

I also predicted HR would take a bigger role in managing growing  contingent and outsourced labor pools. Actually procurement did. I also thought HR would jump at telepresence and collaboration technology to increase employee productivity. It did not – IT did.

HR folks often complain they are not given a chance to be “strategic”. Actually they are given many chances, but often choose not to step up.

A new wave of opportunities is opening up

Data Science

You have probably heard of the UPS analysis of its driver routes. It found plenty of wasted time and fuel while idling at left turns so minimized such turns in its routing algorithms. Every business has its own employee related “left turns”. Sensors, GPS devices, mobile phones, sentiment analysis tools, email pattern analytics – all provide all kinds of employee related data which HR could leverage. Or someone else in the enterprise will.

Man machine interaction

The auto industry is innovating in a number of ways – driverless cars, humanoid robotics assisting not replacing workers, augmented reality training. Other industries are similarly leveraging sensors and tags and devices for other operational efficiencies. There are man-machine – not to mention union, worker hostility – implications in each.  Will HR be in the middle of all this?

Work redesign

As tablets and thin displays and scanners become mainstream, office design is being revolutionized (just think how much space you can clear up if you do not need filing cabinets for paper documents and deep desks for old school monitors). More employees are working out of their cars, at home, at their Starbucks, with airplane wi-fi. Is HR influencing new work designs and policies?

Aging workforce

Entire countries like Japan and sectors like the US government are facing the challenge of aging workforces with related recruiting, knowledge transfer, delayed retirement scenarios (with technologies needed for workers with diminished eyesight and other faculties). Is HR ahead of this challenge?

Changing definition of skillsets

With the emergence of MOOCs, wearable computing guided OJT, newer forms of trade schools and digital education, the concept of entry level and continuing education is rapidly morphing. This has huge impact on skillset expectations and on recruiting and learning management systems. If HR does not step up some one else will.

I could go on, but the good news is there never has been a better time for HR to become more strategic.

Will it?