Applying Tech Innovations in People & Organization: Balancing Automation and Human Interaction
The role of technology in People & Organization management can be debated endlessly. As HR Teams are faced with lean staffing and a push towards innovation, tech solutions like chatbots and employee self-service platforms are being deployed at 100 mph pace. And here is a question: Is technology helping People & Organization become more efficient, or is it eroding the essential human element? In this post, I’ll try to dive deeper into this dilemma and discuss how to find the right balance.
People & Organization departments are often staffed in a lean fashion, leading to a natural desire to automate tasks. Tech like chatbots/AI-agents and self-service platforms are popular choices for this very reason. These solutions promise efficiency and offer immediate answers to common employee questions, freeing HR folks from answering the same questions over and over again.
While the development of employee self-service portals has streamlined many People & Organization functions, it comes at a cost. Such platforms, although mostly efficient, reduce the opportunities for People & Organization professionals to interact with team members, and feel the pulse of the Company. As a result, HR Teams become siloed and resort to sending out engagement surveys to figure out the workplace environment. Unfortunately, in the absence of a trusting relationship with the humans behind these surveys, employees are less likely to provide honest, meaningful feedback.
In my opinion, the main focus of People & Organization tech should be on automating the routine and mundane aspects of operations. This allows People & Organization professionals to devote their time to understanding the unique needs, motivations, talents, and potential of every employee in the organization. When HR team is liberated from constantly juggling Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint slide decks, they can focus on what truly matters: people.
One significant obstacle to fostering closer relationships with the organizational community lies in outdated staffing models within the People & Organization department. The ratio of People Partners to team members is a critical factor in determining the quality and depth of engagement. If a single People Partner is tasked with managing the needs and expectations of 500 employees, for example, it becomes nearly impossible to build meaningful relationships or to truly understand individual needs, motivations, and talents. Given the increasingly complex demands placed on People & Organization professionals, it's time to reconsider how these departments are staffed. A more balanced ratio of People Partners to team members would not only improve the quality of service but also enhance the department's ability to make a meaningful impact on the organizational community.
Technology can certainly assist in automating routine tasks, but it should be a tool, not a replacement for human interaction. People & Organization professionals are not just administrators; they are also counselors, mentors, and strategists. They need to maintain a deep connection with the organizational community to understand its pulse and to guide it effectively. By freeing themselves from mundane tasks, they can foster a culture of meaningful engagement, employee growth, and organizational success.
As we march further into the AI age, People & Organization Teams must carefully assess which tasks to automate and give to AI and which require the irreplaceable nuance and empathy that only humans can provide. A balanced approach will enable People & Organization to utilize technology to its fullest potential, without compromising on the quality of human relationships.
After all, at the heart of every organization are its people, and it's crucial that technology serves to enhance, rather than diminish, this human element. The future of People & Organization lies in successfully balancing the efficiency of automation with the depth of human understanding, creating a more harmonious and productive work environment for all.
