Posts: Technology

Organisational change is a constant for business – whether it involves wider cultural change within a company, the introduction of new technology or systems of work, or even a restructure or downsizing of the workforce.

With so much information at our finger tips, it is easy for the personal and the professional to be confused. This is particularly the case where employees can BYOD (bring your own device) and use their personal devices for work purposes.

Social media is also recognised as a powerful information sharing tool and many social movements are commenced and advanced online.

It started out as the humble smiley emoticon “:-)” in 1982 created by a computer scientist who wanted a “joke marker” to help people decipher his jokes in emails.

Last month, the Fair Work Commission handed down a decision criticising a manager for dismissing an employee by text message. This decision is far from the first condemning employers for dismissing employees via text message, but it does highlight the FWC’s ongoing frustration with employers who have no regard for procedural fairness.

In Colella v Aroona P&T Pty Ltd T/A Aroona Alliance [2017] FWC 5533, the Fair Work Commission decided an unfair dismissal case involving GPS tracking, alleged absenteeism and interference with a GPS device.

In the modern day workplace, employers are becoming increasingly reliant on computer systems and introducing new forms of technology and equipment to increase productivity and output. It is often therefore a requirement that employees be proficient in certain computer programs or, at least, that they undergo training to become proficient.

We’ve all heard of “blind” recruiting, particularly in the early phases of the recruitment process, but what about the opposite? Actively recruiting based on a visual medium? Look no further than the “Snaplication.”

Text messaging is a good way for people to communicate as messages are generally short meaning senders stick to the point and messages are direct to a person’s phone. Unfortunately there are some major drawbacks to the use of text messaging in the employment context and we have noticed a steady increase in cases before the Fair Work Commission (FWC) where text messages have contributed to the situation in dispute.

Technology is often used to make the performance of our daily or work tasks easier – however it has become increasingly sophisticated and can now be used to measure and monitor our every move and task.

As reported this month in HRM Magazine, Futurist Chris Riddell predicts that artificial intelligence will play a key role in business leadership in the next five years. Riddell says, “Artificial Intelligence will start to make decisions and will ‘co-pilot’ the running of business.” But, as the functionality of HRIS increases and technology generally gets smarter, will an employer’s reliance on the recommendations or decisions of a HRIS put the employer at risk?

Human resources management is experiencing a digital revolution as online platforms and data collection solutions flood the market. If the make-up of a workforce can be understood and managed through data alone, will future HR departments be the domain of data analysts?

Today it seems like every HR magazine or e-newsletter contains an advertisement or article on “HR tech” that promises to provide all manner & quantity of data on a workforce. There is also a running conversation about how HR will become more automated in the future with computers supervising robots!

In recent years we have observed the increased use of technology and big data in Human Resources. The question is whether this shift is taking the “human” out of Human Resources by devaluing genuine personal interactions and conversations when it comes to matters such as employee wellbeing and performance.