With COVID-19 changing the workforce so drastically, many HR leaders have turned to new technology to adjust to the new normal and to improve company culture.
In an HRE Twitter chat this week, Joey Price, founder of Jumpstart: HR and an HRE Top 100 HR Tech Influencer, explained the importance of steering positive change in the workplace, particularly around diversity, equity and inclusion.
Joey Price
“Start with vision for DEI, assemble an internal team to champion goals, set milestones + accountability, communicate progress along the way,” he wrote. “Automation can help you manage change at scale but you need to a) have a goal and b) assess progress along the way.”
Learn more: HR cannot rely on just tech alone to improve D&I
Responding to a question about “lesser-known strategies” for remote work, Price said, “I think the conversation should be ‘lesser adopted’ and not ‘lesser known’ … now that #remotework is the new normal, there are plenty of recruiting, payroll, employee self-service, and performance management tools for virtual teams.”
Small and medium-sized businesses have had to quickly make changes as employers adjust to the COVID reality, and HR technology can play an important part in helping businesses overcome some of these challenges, said Price, who will speak this fall at the HR Technology Conference & Exposition® about evaluating, training and implementing tech for small businesses.
“Payroll companies who have pivoted to include #PPP guidance have been GREAT for SMB who need to navigate this new payroll issue,” Price said. “SMBs are also understanding the role HR Tech can play in bridging the communication divide + improving/maintaining workplace culture.”
HRE columnist Jason Averbook, CEO of Leapgen and also a Top 100 HR Tech Influencer, commented during the chat, addressing some of the shifts happening in the workplace.
“#DigitalTransformation has never been more vital. [The single most dramatic] shift [is] from focus on tools for #HR to true tools for #managers #leaders,” Averbook wrote.
Related: 4 steps for digital success in the COVID-19 era
Replying to Averbook, Price added, “To @jasonaverbook’s point, HR is not just for HR pros anymore. HR is spinning away from being a “department” and more a “function.” (Think People Ops) This makes HR a facilitator of, not owner of, the people function.”
Looking forward to the future, Price said “The next chapter of #futureofwork includes combatting virtual chat fatigue, helping employees manage childcare/school, managing anxiety pre-Covid cure. Expand your definition of #HRTech! Leverage apps that help employees manage #mentalwellness!”
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