HR teams will excel at technologically advanced smart hiring and overcoming the past challenges will be easier in 2019,says Abhijit Kashyape
The global human resources industry witnessed massive disruption in 2018. With technological innovation at its peak, job roles and hiring practices transformed at a remarkable pace. On the back of this deluge of innovation, the sector is projected to reach a whopping $30 billion by 2025.
Across the globe, HR teams adopted technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Data Analytics in order to streamline work and make the hiring process more efficient. Recruiters utilized the power of AI to carry out job-candidate matching, a process that is a leg up from traditional, commoditised hiring practices. Through job-candidate matching, the skillsets demanded by a particular job role are meticulously matched with the skills possessed by candidates, leading to smarter hiring decisions. Recruiters can therefore cast a wider net while searching for candidates and rest assured that only the best and most suitable ones will finally appear for face-to-face interviews.
The HR managers gave higher importance to candidate experience in the entire hiring process. This ensured that the right talent was not lost to competitors due to poor engagement or lack of timely feedback. In order to amplify the recruiting experience for candidates, HR managers began using automated chatbots to provide feedback post interviews. Through Natural Language Processing and machine learning, AI allowed HR managers to assess everything from the cultural fit to the skills of candidates almost instantaneously. With neutral assessment being a key point while getting the perfect fit, Monjin, a video interviewing and assessment platform has established a network of elite interviewers, a unique on its own. Lastly, recruiters also took to social media, online classifieds and video-based hiring platforms to further optimise the entire hiring process.
While innovative technologies disrupted industries, HR faced a unique challenge in 2018. Technology created several new jobs across industries, but there exists a lack of skilled professionals that can take up these roles.
In 2019, upskilling and reskilling will be one of the key focus areas for HR teams. HR managers will adopt a continuous learning culture within workspaces to motivate employees and ensure definitive career growth. Retention is also a major challenge for recruiters who struggle with attrition month after month. A greater focus on candidate and employee satisfaction, and communication with existing employees can help HR managers overcome this challenge. Further, company culture and regular incentives can also give a significant boost to employee retention.
Greater focus will be laid on employee development across all parameters from technological to soft skills. Further, HR teams will focus on hiring candidates who possess relevant skills and have a vigor to continue learning.
Additionally, HR teams will need to become technologically adept in order to stay abreast with the rapidly changing job landscape. While people skills will remain at the heart of all HR roles, managers will need to adopt skills in AI, data analytics and automation to further augment HR practices. Technologically advanced HR teams will excel at technologically advanced smart hiring, and overcoming the past challenges will be easier.
