In a virtual presentation to students on 26 March, DecodeHR Head of Technology Annie Kok gave a comprehensive overview of how technologies can transform every facet of HR. She also dove into the specific applications of technology in recruitment and engagement.

When the students attending the virtual session on HR technologies were asked for their thoughts about HR’s role in today’s organisations, the answers they keyed into an interactive presentation software called mentimeter came fast and furious.

Onscreen, the word cloud formed from their inputs expanded quickly. But the one word which swiftly grew larger in size, as more and more students typed in that same word, was “recruitment”.

The presenter, DecodeHR’s Head of Technology Annie Kok, quipped, “I guess recruitment is the closest to students’ hearts!”

The virtual event Annie was speaking at was “Technology of Tomorrow”. Organised on 26th March by AIESEC - a global youth leadership development platform – over 70 participants learnt about emerging technologies from a range of industry experts while gaining deeper insights into the technology industry. Technology is a key part of DecodeHR’s consulting business - with the firm setting up a tech arm dcHR.tech in 2019.

In her keynote address, Annie spoke about “Decoding HR with Technology”, where she gave an overview of how emerging technologies are transforming traditional HR functions.

For the students who might be unfamiliar with HR, Annie first gave them an overview of the various HR functions.

She added that the HR technologies which are available today apply to every single one of these functions. From data analytics and AI algorithms to apps and gamification, there is a solution to make life easier for HR personnel involved in every category.

At a glance, these are the benefits of technology in HR.

While the benefits of technology in HR are vast, the journey to effectively choosing and using HR technologies is not that easy.

Drawing from the findings of dcHR.tech’s 1st Digital Transformation Survey in 2021, Annie said, “The pain points of digitalisation are real. It’s quite tough to make a choice when it comes to transformation because there are too many HR software options out there.

“It’s an investment of time and money, and many organisations cannot afford to make mistakes because they are choosing for the entire organisation. Clients really need help with finding the right digitalisation strategy.”

Diving into the elements that most resonated with the young audience, Annie elaborated specifically on gamification, and how that is taking recruitment and employee engagement to a whole new level.

Playing Games to Apply for a Job

Traditionally, recruitment would comprise HR personnel sifting through physical resumes, job postings would be put up on job boards, and they might also use phone screening or third-party assessments.

But these methods of recruitment might not work on millennials. Data from dcHR.tech partner The Talent Games found that 75% of millennials thought such recruitment methods were outdated.

Instead, one of the most exciting advancements in recruitment is the use of gamified assessments - candidates play games which assess their abilities and suitability for a specific role.

Bonding with Colleagues via an App

Another HR technology application is in engagement.

Traditionally, engagement might take the form of physical team bonding and townhall sessions, dinner and dances, physical networking events or meals and special event days.

These days, apps can actually connect employees in fun ways via team competitions (most number of steps taken by members of a team in a week, for instance), rewards and recognition and other platforms.

Customised wellness apps such as those offered by dcHR.tech partner wellteq are also playing an increasingly important role in keeping employees engaged, by ensuring that they are sleeping, eating or exercising well, and can manage their stress.

That said, even with gamification and technology, Annie emphasised: “The essence of HR is people. That would not change. But a lot of the more tedious processes will be taken over by technology. It makes the work a lot more efficient and hopefully, you will become a happier HR person.”

In her parting words to the students, she said, “A lot of it is down to first keeping an open mindset and being open to new technologies.”