How tech is helping HR and People teams to be a force for good
Businesses mostly recognise that if their people are looked after, they’ll look after the company. This is why, in more and more companies, HR’s role has shifted from looking after the needs of the business to looking after the needs of talent, and even keeping employees happy.
Today though, keeping employees happy isn’t only about looking after their needs and facilitating their lifestyle. It’s also a matter of caring about what they care about – society, inclusion, the environment. And how effective you are often depends upon the tech you have on your side.
The rising phoenix of HR
The world has changed, we’re sure you’ve noticed. There’s now a more socially conscious workforce, an increasingly competitive talent market, and… oh yes, several world crises.
It’s clear that we’re not where we used to be. And in some ways that’s for the better. All these changes have combined into a fire that has forged HR into a serious force for good.
HR is now no longer primarily about monitoring employee performance or ensuring engagement. It even goes beyond curating the employee experience.
That’s still important, obviously, but the role has changed because the people have changed. Employees don’t just want to achieve things and have a good time, they want to give themselves to a good cause.
The best People teams are the ones championing the well-being and values of their people, particularly in the difficult and micro decisions. They’re rising to become part of the solution to society’s challenges rather than one of its problems.
Four types of tech powering HR’s flight
To fulfil their role as a force for good, People teams can’t rely on legacy systems and tech. If they were designed in another age, they were likely made according to another set of values.
Likewise, if you’re missing the tech altogether, your ability to champion good values is going to be limited by your finite time and resources.
Here’s a few examples of what’s out there and how it can help you in your cause.
1. Outreach tech
Check on your tech that reaches out to talent. If it’s not reaching diverse candidates, if it’s not reaching beyond the pool of university leavers, you’ve failed before you’ve even started.
You want your outreach tech to be able to analyse more than graduate outcomes. There’s those who have completed apprenticeships to consider as well as those who need support through the application process. Some of the best talent and most diverse thinking won’t have a degree or a middle class upbringing, so make sure you have tech that can help you find it. Check out Diversely as a potential solution here.
2. Onboarding tech
With onboarding, it’s crucial to address sustainability cues and mental health challenges. If they aren’t, then you can expect some of your new team members to start looking elsewhere almost as soon as they step foot through the company’s front door.
For many people, their first weeks at a new company are emotionally and sometimes psychologically testing, and the right onboarding tech can make all the difference. Platforms like Connectr use digital mentoring to help you support the best people from every background – and help them to quickly feel like they belong.
3. Returner tech
After a long absence, perhaps because of maternity leave or illness, returning to the workplace can be tough. People can feel disconnected from the business and struggle to feel like they still fit, and in fast moving fields like tech, they might have some gaps in their expertise.
Returner tech can ease the transition back into the workplace with access to training updates, business data and mentorship, along with the facilitation of alternative working arrangements. This helps a company retain staff with key skills and experience and enhances people’s lives at a potentially difficult time.
4. Reward and benefits tech
A standard set of employee perks can help offset costs when costs are high, which is a step in the right direction. If you’ve got a flexible benefits platform, you can also create a more bespoke offering that better represents the needs of diverse employees.
We’re a fan of both of these, but Lumina is designed to go one step further, offering values-based perks that allow your teams to make more socially and environmentally conscious decisions.
An interconnected world
All of the types of tech we’ve listed are interrelated. These days, everything is built with open architecture in mind, and there’s a lot of collaboration going on as tech companies rally to support HR and People teams. Your teams are already a force for good in the world, the tech just gives you a better way to fight their cause.
If you want to see how Lumina can help you champion the values of your people, you can always book a demo.
