The Technological Revolution Is Already Here: What Can Human Resources Management Do To Help Organizations Cope?

New technologies have already landed and it is essential to exploit this opportunity and to reap its multiple benefits. Those technologies such as robots, artificial intelligence, and digitization can really help organizations if they can identify their human resources gaps and to find ways to fill them fast enough in order to adopt and gain a competitive advantage. However, one question remains: how can human resources management help organizations prepare for this?

The answer will be through the acquisition of technological and digital competencies such as machine learning, big data analysis, smart applications practices, virtual reality skills, robotic and artificial intelligence understanding. Therefore, the two human resources functions that can actually help in this regard are learning and development, and recruitment and selection. That is, training and developing existing employees, so they can acquire digital and technological competencies. Recruiting and selecting new talents holding present digital competencies such as digital communication, data management and preservation, data analysis and presentation, and digital content development.

Certainly, there are various challenges to human resources management especially that many studies suggest that automation and artificial intelligence tend to take over many jobs witnessing in the near future the disappearance of a full gamut of occupations and positions. Despite the dark side of new technologies, they will represent a radical change that will enable human resources management to break into more meaningful work and career options. As a human resources expert, I think that technological development will not diminish - as some think - from the human role, but I believe that technology will be the key to a door behind which hides many opportunities and a completely new unexpected careers.

Additionally, human resources management can fill up organizations with talented employees from the new generation that are looking for a dynamic and value-added work environment since the traditional labor market is shrinking.

In its January 2019 report, working for a brighter future, the International Labor Organization (ILO) stressed that there are unlimited future opportunities to improve the quality of careers and expand available options. While technological development will produce new jobs, people who will lose their jobs during this transition may be less willing to change. The same report also pointed to the existence of some negative effects on the economic, demographic, technological and climate shifts, which necessitates investments to align human resources with the economic and technology developments. This report is aligned with our previous analysis and it indicates that human resources management needs to ensure that the workforce has the necessary skills that support technological developments. There are no signs of a reduction in employment due to this large wave of technological changes. While the change has affected certain sectors and occupations negatively, it will generate many new jobs. In a nutshell, human resources management should find ways to close the skills gap as soon as possible in order to help organizations be ready for the digital world. The five basic approaches to do so are:

1. Converting the focus to digital competencies and automation.
2. Keeping pace with rising technologies.
3. Enhancing multiple abilities such as programming and big data analysis.
4. Gaining expertise related to robotics.
5. Encouraging innovation and the use of virtual and augmented reality.

In conclusion, human resources leaders must have a forward-looking perspective and a futuristic vision enabling them to analyze business needs so they can aid organizations to meet the contemporary challenges and the rapid developments that will not wait for retirees. I am calling on all human resources professionals before it is too late as the future started yesterday!