Q&A with HR Tech Influencer Emily He

 

Emily He
Senior Vice President of Human Capital Management, Cloud Business Group
Oracle

 

What is the single most dramatic shift you see happening in the HR tech space today?

The most significant shift in today’s workplace is changing mindsets. Desiring to bring their whole selves to work, people expect to use the technology they’re familiar with in their lives, such as conversational user interface and AI-driven recommendations, when they come to work. Both employees and employers are moving away from being afraid of AI to realizing the positive impact of emerging technologies and its ability to actually make work more human.

The traditional uneasiness and fear of AI is subsiding as HR teams are getting used to using this technology to improve the employee experience, make more strategic data-based decisions, and free up significant time by automating administrative tasks. And employees are on board too: We’ve found that 93% of employees are actually ready to embrace AI at work.

Are there certain strategies that are more effective than others when it comes to getting your workforce to use new HR technologies being put in place?

The key is having a people-centered approach. Be sensitive to the challenges for your employees and remember that each employee or department may have a different level of familiarity with new technologies such as digital assistant or AI.

In order to achieve a successful implementation for your workforce, personalize your approach. Take the time to understand the concerns, challenges and opportunities specific to each team or department and tailor the onboarding to fit their needs. This way they will immediately see the benefits to them specifically and will be more interested in working it into their workflow.

How can HR leaders best make the business case for HR technology investment?

HR leaders must make the case for technology investments by showcasing the benefits that matter most to C-level executives–meaning to the business as a whole, rather than just the HR department.

At Oracle, we’ve found that cloud technology delivers value in two major ways that resonate well with C-level decision-makers: operational excellence/agility and HR modernization. One retail brand was able to save $1M by utilizing technology to avoid risks and meet compliance standards. Another saw an 80% improvement in their training process by reducing total time and spend needed. Highlighting metrics that matter to the overarching business and the bottom-line are instrumental in making the case for HR technology investment.

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