First published on Monday, May 20, 2024
Last updated on Monday, May 20, 2024
Each May 20th we celebrate International HR Day, recognising the pivotal contributions of HR professionals worldwide. They are the cornerstone of employee-management relations, nurturing a harmonious and productive workplace culture.
HR’s role in adapting the workplace to meet new demands, laws, and societal shifts is crucial to each and every business. This year’s theme—how HR is shaping the new future—is a testament to HR’s influential role in driving progress. But how can it do this fairly, transparently, and intelligently? And how can small businesses ensure they’re not left behind by this progress?
1. Championing Ethical Tech & AI Integration
It’s hard to overstate just how fast the AI revolution has made waves in almost everything we do. Within two months of its launch, generative-AI tool ChatGPT had reached over 100 million active users, setting a record for the fastest growing user base in history.
Despite this, a recent webinar by CIPD highlighted that only 1 in 10 global workers have AI skills. With a revelation that 52% of Americans feel more concerned than excited about AI, the issue of ethical AI integration is underlined more clearly than ever.
Bjørn Taale Sandberg of Telenor highlights in a recent webinar that using AI, Telenor were able to predict to an accuracy of 60% whether an employee would leave in the next few months. He questioned whether, using this information, it would be ethical to single out those employees for additional salary and benefits in an attempt to keep them. The answer was of course, a resounding no.
So comes the “black box problem” of AI and the dilemma of fairness. This term refers to the challenge of understanding how AI systems make their decisions, which currently, has yet to be solved.
Other more well-known risks of AI include exposure to data breaches, privacy violations, and regulatory non-compliance.
As HR professionals at the forefront of the AI revolution, fostering fairness and transparency is key. Clear criteria and open communication about AI usage, alongside diverse and transparent team involvement are vital. To help small business owners take advantage of the benefits of AI, we developed BrAInbox.
Bright BrAInbox is an AI tool backed by 50 years of expertise and gives you 24/7 answers to over 11,000 HR and health & safety questions in a flash, without hefty solicitors’ fees.
2. Future Workplaces
As we move towards workplaces fit for the future, HR’s role is vital in shaping environments that are adaptive, inclusive, and conducive to growth. Policies should be created to reflect the needs of a diverse workforce, with HR playing a key role in advocating for flexibility.
To facilitate this change, we’d suggest making use of innovative tools available. Like Blip. Blip is the ultimate time-tracking app that makes it easy for staff to record their hours with just a click, helping small businesses facilitate the change towards flexible working. The benefits for employers are three-fold, widening the talent pool, and boosting productivity and employee retention.
3. People Leadership
“People Leadership” refers to the vital role of HR in nurturing leaders who not only serve as catalysts for change but are prepared for the new and evolving challenges that now confront businesses. HR must adapt and educate leaders on the changing needs of the workforce.
Additionally, with the rise of damaging social media misinformation trends which can quickly destroy a company’s reputation, and generative AI tools which allow for easy and often disparaging impersonation of individuals, HR teams need to be ready for the fast-changing array of risks facing unprepared businesses.
With this tidal wave of increasing risks, keeping your business informed and protected is more important than ever. That’s why we developed BrightAdvice —a 24/7 beacon of expert HR and legal guidance, designed to keep businesses in the know with confidence and compliance.
4. Continued innovation in skills and education
HR stands at the forefront of cultivating a workforce that’s adept in tomorrow’s skills through continued innovation in education. HR professionals are instrumental in identifying and nurturing the necessary competencies to prepare employees for potential risks, as well as new ways to streamline processes that traditionally might have required more time and effort.
Leveraging the right tools for this is essential and HR software solutions are at the heart of this transformation. For example, with BrightLearn’s comprehensive e-learning courses, you can upskill your team with ease, keeping them equipped with the latest HR and health & safety knowledge—anytime, and anywhere.
Parting Words
The role of HR is essential in shaping the future of workplaces. HR helps drive innovation, inclusivity, and adaptability, preparing any organisation for the challenges ahead. HR’s strategic role in promoting employee well-being, lifelong learning, and technological integration cannot be overstated.
HR’s commitment to balancing human interests with organisational goals will be crucial for sustainable and ethical success.
If you’re interested in how BrightHR can help future-proof your business, or simply need some support, book a demo with us here.
