{"id":8860,"date":"2019-08-01T09:04:17","date_gmt":"2019-07-31T23:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roubler.com\/hk\/?p=8860"},"modified":"2021-03-10T11:18:10","modified_gmt":"2021-03-10T00:18:10","slug":"is-hr-tech-reducing-human-interactions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roubler.com\/hk\/resources\/blog\/is-hr-tech-reducing-human-interactions\/","title":{"rendered":"Is workforce management technology reducing our humanity?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Life in Australia is often associated with trips to the beach, outdoor culture, BBQs and unspoilt wilderness. But that doesn\u2019t mean technology isn’t having a huge impact on our lives\u2014 not least our places of work, with the rise in the use of HR and payroll software, workforce management software, and more companies automating tasks that once took up valuable hours.<\/p>\n

The idea that the vast majority of jobs might soon be automated is nothing new. People have been writing about this<\/a> for as long as science fiction has been around, and thinking about it for even longer.<\/p>\n

Automation is happening in every sector, but few have been met with the same concerns of HR and workforce management, jobs that traditionally involve human interactions and rely on social skills for success. But just because machines are doing more and more doesn\u2019t mean these departments are becoming redundant. The reality is far from it.<\/p>\n

On the face of it, the conversations involved in successfully managing shift workers and other staff may seem mundane and \u2013 thanks to payroll and HR software \u2013 unnecessary. But these interactions facilitate closer bonds between ourselves and those around us. If we have no reason to pick up the phone or head to the 17th floor because the company has been successful in their attempts at automating tasks, we are surely likely to miss out on asking colleagues how they are, offering congratulatory words, helping new arrivals settle in during onboarding or even forging plans for the team night out.<\/p>\n

Or perhaps it\u2019s not quite so simple.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest benefit of workforce management automation<\/a> is being able to let a computer do what it does best, while people do what they do best \u2013 interact on a one-to-one human basis,\u201d says Andrew Northcott, Roubler’s CEO, who\u2019s understandably keen to see more firms adopt automation where appropriate. \u201cEmployees need managers on the floor to guide, support and train them \u2013 that\u2019s something technology can\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lot of workplace technology has just made work more accessible and flexible.<\/p>\n

\u201cCloud technology and being able to get on the internet mid-flight to check your emails has certainly opened up more places to work. But there is a distinction between technology that enables work and technology that automates it. Workforce management technology is designed to reduce workloads by automating manual tasks. And if it doesn\u2019t do that, it isn\u2019t built correctly,\u201d he continues.<\/p>\n

The point being managers need to view their roles in the 21st Century as more pastoral. It\u2019s true that they will more than likely still need to perform some administrative tasks \u2013 not everything can be automated with workforce management software or HR and payroll software, and not everything should. Nevertheless, thanks to the advancement of technology used within these departments time can now be better spent ensuring a harmonious environment. Which is arguably the most difficult thing to achieve because problems may not initially present themselves clearly. Then again, neither do solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cTechnology can be a great ally so automate spreadsheet and paper-based processes whenever you can \u2013 creating rosters, creating or approving timesheets, printing out payslips,\u201d Northcott replies when asked what steps management should be taking to maximise time for face-to-face human interactions. \u201cAnything that\u2019s manual that requires you to sit at a desk on your own prevents you from having meaningful conversations with your team.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso prioritise team meetings, even if it\u2019s just a huddle for 10 minutes in the morning once a week or at the start of a shift. You can also help managers get the most out of their one-to-one time by giving them a list of really specific questions they should ask employees to uncover challenges or achievements, rather than wasting time with a generic \u2018What\u2019s been going on for you\u2019 conversation that often goes nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

What this means is that simply freeing up time to talk with colleagues, team members and staff isn\u2019t really enough unless we are willing and ready to really make the most of that time. A well-managed department is only possible when questions \u2013 both difficult and easy \u2013 are being asked and answered, by and for people, in an effective way. Without that cemented within company culture, it\u2019s impossible to identify and tackle any personal issues and professional problems staff may have, let alone actually solve them.<\/p>\n

Words by Richard Trenchard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Life in Australia is often associated with trips to the beach, outdoor culture, BBQs and unspoilt wilderness. But …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":8862,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32,885],"tags":[36,593,958,957],"class_list":["post-8860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hr-technology","category-managing-employees","tag-automation","tag-hr-technology","tag-managing-employees","tag-workforce-management-technology"],"yoast_head":"\nIs HR Tech Reducing Human Interactions at Work Roubler Australia Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Workforce management systems are automating tasks for managers at a fast pace. But that doesn't mean people become redundant. Far from it. 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