TRANSFORMATION OF HRM PRACTICES IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Dr.S.SUNDARARAJAN, Associate Professor-MBA, Sankara College of Science and Commerce

HR now-a-days has become a strategic business partner. Although it is becoming increasingly clear that business innovation can be helped by forward thinking human resources function there is reluctance on the part of top management in many progressive organizations to allow HR assume strategic partnership role. ‘These HR guys talk about strategic role, e-learning and e-recruitment but they really don’t want to do this stuff. They would rather read about it in the quiet of their offices or sit passively in an audience while other people talk about doing it. I have my doubts about their understanding of our business goals’. We all know that the pace of technological innovation will continue to accelerate. HR can take advantage of these changes by automating HR processes and becoming more effective in communicating with its internal customers.
1. HR Information System
As the web is becoming more reliable, organizations are increasingly turning to Application Service Providers to host software and manage it from remote computers. Through this technology outsourcing many companies can avoid front capital costs associated with buying systems. When managed well there is no performance loss.
2. Home Pages
Web portal offers tremendous advantage in learning knowledge management support, business process support and employee self-service opportunities. The web has revolutionized the way HR services are offered to employees. Internet and Intranet enabled HR services has facilitated data capture and retrieval and freed HR executives from shackles of personnel administration trivia allowing them to concentrate more on HR strategy and employee well -being.
3. HR on Mobile
As Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) and digital phones become a fixture in corporate world the next step in the evolution of devices is wireless access to news, personal information and corporate data. Progressive organizations are already offering HR services through hand held Palmtops.
4. Bluetooth Technology
Bluetooth named after a 10th century king who united Denmark and Norway is poised for widespread roll out later this year. Imagine carrying your mobile phone into office and while it is sitting in your pocket, having it automatically exchange data with your PDA and desktop PC or setting your mobile phone down next to your PDA and checking e-mails without cords or wires.
5. Virtual HR Managers
With the introduction video streaming technology, the HR Manager has a powerful communication tool in his possession. He can stop shuffling video tapes and trying to gather employees in front of the TV for CEO’s monthly address. He can beam it to the PCs making it easier for employees to view video without leaving their desk.
6. Intranet Monitoring
The media is flooded with articles on internet security and internet misuse. Many organizations are installing sophisticated software to track down web sites an employee is accessing. The HR Manager has to formulate an E-Policy and give it widespread publicity. There are issues related to discipline, corporate ethics that might come up due to increased use of internet and networking technology.
How does transformation differ from change? Although essentially the approach is same, transformation is about starting over from an entirely new perspective. It requires, first and foremost, a change in mindset followed by change in processes, and finally a change in services. HR is being challenged to transform in order to:
1. Provide flexible alternatives to previously restrictive HR processes
2. Visibly demonstrate value addition to the accomplishment of organization mission
3. Improve individual and organizational productivity
4. Provide change management strategies
5. Partner with operational units to achieve goals and measurable success
6. To grapple with these challenges in future, HR technology can help.
In this fast-evolving business world, corporates have a multiple challenges. But how they deal with them reveals their eagerness to embrace the future and their desire for real change. New challenges need newer solutions, not reprocessing the old resolutions or “doing more of the same”. Hence the roles of the HR need high emotional quotient to boost diversity at work. Recruiting the right person becomes important for corporate to face this challenge. HR people were rushed off to feet with the directorial and administrative roles, and once in a blue moon had time to explore tools that could boost their contemporary tasks and effectively make a massive constructive impact on the business success.