Tech in HR: Changing The Way We Work and Hire

This era is seeing the emergence of a new group of workforces that are digitally-driven as the pandemic resets major work trends and speeds up innovations in HR. Gone are the days when everyone is working and wants to work 9-5 in an office, 5 days a week.

With the pandemic necessitating working-from-home and rotation policies, a majority of the workforce nowadays are rethinking and reassessing their priorities and responsibilities, and with it, comes the gig economy, which gives these employees not only the freedom to choose their gigs but also when and how to do it.

So, what is next for HR leaders, especially in Malaysia?

Last Saturday, our General Manager Joelle Pang spoke with Roshan Thiran, the Founder and CEO of Leaderonomics on the technological trends that are affecting HR and recruitment space, the future of work, where Malaysia is in terms of technological advancement, and how companies can prepare for it especially in preparation for the post-COVID-19 world, and here are some tidbits that we would like to share!

Last year, understandably, was all about business survival and not necessarily growth or exploring big new ideas but with the reopening, demand for labour is increasing and employers are fighting to onboard the best talents. Hence, it is time for HR leaders to rethink workforce and employee planning, management, performance and experience strategies.

How can we adapt and get on with the shift of the mindset of the workforce? How can we work with and cater to the needs of the people who can no longer be a part of the traditional workforce while still allowing them to fulfil their job responsibilities? And with the rise of AI and automation, what will happen to the traditional definition of the workforce?

At FastJobs, we have seen how gigs as we knew is being broken down by new definitions – nowadays freelance positions are not only limited to e-hailing, or say, copywriters or translators. Even traditional jobs such as store supervisors are being divided into several different shifts fulfilled by gig workers, and it is exciting.

There are also concerns on whether employers should be allowing their employees to “moonlight” and take up side gigs. We think leniency is not a bad thing at all – as long as it doesn’t go against the company’s policies. We would like to see more workplace that can create a safe and encouraging environment where employees are free to take up side gigs that do not interfere with their main job, where they may pick up new skills that can be brought back to their organisations.

AI and automation, on the other hand, should not be looked at as something scary or something that is replacing traditional jobs. Instead, this is when leaders should look at their organisations and think ahead – which way do I want my organisation to go?

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Think of it as an opportunity rather than a challenge – and think about the existing talents in your organisation whom you’d like to bring along in your digitalisation journey. This is when you can look into providing learning opportunities for your team, and give them the chance to upskill and reskill and equip themselves with the knowledge that can bring your organisation to where it wants to be.

Listen to this podcast: How is HR Dealing With The Rapid Use of Technology At The Workplace?

Hence, it is up to the HR leaders to show how progressive they can be by rolling out policies that are able to not only keep their employees engaged but also drive meaningful innovations with them. As HR professionals, it is important to know how to create an environment that would encourage our employees to become the best version of themselves, and at the same time create resiliency in the workforce as we ride the digital frontier together.

About the author: Fathia Adanan is from MNAIR PR Consultancy Sdn. Bhd. and this article is written on behalf of FastJobs Malaysia.

This article was first published in FastJobs Malaysia's LinkedIn.

Watch the interview here, where Joelle Pang speaks on the technological trends that are affecting HR and the recruitment space, the future of work, where Malaysia is in terms of technological advancement, and how companies can prepare for it especially in preparation for the post-COVID-19 world.