The Effects of Technology in Human Resource Management

By Evar Louie H Magamay

In any organization regardless of how good the strategy would be without the involvement
and commitment of the people behind it, everything is useless. As they always said, human
resource is always the best asset of any organization and the management style must always be
evolving to be responsive to the Volatile, Uncertain, Changing, and Ambiguous (VUCA)
environment. Likewise, regardless of the capability and vastness of information available in the
digital space and to include the advancement of technology, but without the innovations and
management of people behind it, everything would still be inefficient. Thus, human resource plays
a vital role in any organization to thrive and succeed.

My definition of Strategic Human Resource Management is simply the integration of all

Human Resource functions for the attainment of organizational success. It is a compounded effort
of managing human capital so that it can greatly contribute to the mission, vision, and goals of
the organization. Regardless of any differences between the members of the organization, each
member must be aiming towards a common goal. Various aspects are necessary for any
organization to consider like, Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and
Legal. This writing is focused on the technological aspect which is also considered as the
development of the digital space. The advancement of technology greatly affected the totality of
Human Resource Management. I will be discussing the effects of technology through each major
HR functions.

Recruitment, Selection, and Placement

The technology is greatly helping any organization to recruit the best and brightest
personnel who are best suited for their job. Posting of job vacancies alone through social media
or any platform is greatly effective in gathering the most qualified applicants. Online examination
and online interviews are assisting our human resource practitioners to be efficient by processing
a larger number of applicants in a lesser time at a lower cost. Even in the background investigation
of applicants, various information is now available online and now relies on the resourcefulness
of the investigator to gather the needed data. For the internal selection of personnel in terms of
assignment or reassignment, the availability of data in the digital space provides any human
resource managers the capability to appropriately place the right person in the right job. Further,
the placement of personnel should also be based on the required competencies of the
organization so that any movement of personnel is based on organizational needs and not for
personal gains alone. In terms of the promotion of personnel, digital space is a tool that assisting
our human resource practitioners to select the deserving personnel to be promoted based on their
merits, credential, and track records. Nowadays, various platforms are available to check the
available data of our personnel for efficient recruitment, selection, and placement of personnel.

Learning and Development

In Human Resource Management, learning and development are critical to increase the
productivity of any personnel. Competency gaps are addressed by allowing personnel to undergo
seminars/training. Through technology, learning and development at this time is very convenient.
Even in this challenging time of Pandemic where the new normal is mostly online. Learning does
not primarily based on the method of teaching whether online or face-to-face teaching, but it is
mainly based on the eagerness of the students to learn. Relatedly, there would be no distance
learning without the digital space and we should be grateful to technology and now distant learning
came to reality. Besides, various types of lectures are readily available and any data can easily
be generated online. All information right now is easily accessible at the tip of your finger, anytime
and anywhere as long as you have internet and gadgets, learning is unlimited.

Performance Management

Managing one’s performance is a very demanding task. However, at this time, coaching
or mentoring someone can be accomplished through any kind of gadget. Before the age of
technology, performance evaluation should be conducted face to face. But this time, monitoring
employees' performance to include their deliverables are now easy through different
software/applications. Performance appraisal can now be done in a paperless way. The
safekeeping of evaluation reports would no longer be a concern since the data are stored
electronically. And during the selection, personnel evaluation records can be traced and
assessed online. Fostering employee’s performance is very convenient by giving feedback online
and mentoring to subordinates in distant places is not a hindrance through the use of technology.
Rewards and recognition

The accomplishment of the organizational goals are mainly affected by how it manages
the morale and welfare of its personnel. There are indeed several ways of motivating our
personnel and one way of doing it is to encourage them to perform better toward improve
performance. Giving of tangible or intangible rewards are now very convenient in any form
whether it is monetary or material things though online. On the other hand, recognition also at this
time can be easily conducted through social media or any platform to recognize the performance
of our personnel. However, rewards and recognition should always be coupled with discipline and
punishment so that there is balance in the personnel management style of any organization.

Personnel Discipline

For larger organizations, issuance of warning memorandum through private messages or

emails is essential to maintain discipline in any organization. As they said praise publicly and
reprimand privately, thus the digital space is a necessary tool in reminding the erring and
unproductive personnel through private messaging or emails. Some organizations are using
clearances as proof of no involvement of personnel in any administrative case against the policies
of the organization. The best use of these clearances is through the use of information systems
to most larger organizations that are located in different places. Through this style personnel
discipline, violations are mitigated since personnel violations can be checked and viewed
anywhere using the developed system. Personnel involved could not also acquire any clearances
which is also a requirement for personnel’s promotion, leaves, and other privileges.

Personnel Data Management

One of the most significant contributions of technology is the management of data. The
primitive ways of data recording are time-consuming and manpower demanding. These days
through the development of information systems, every data is accessible by a single click.
Searching what type of data needed can be customized so that it can be easily generated with
accuracy and reliability. Through a simple search in digital space, almost all data needed to
support any personnel requirements are readily accessible. With this, integrating HR functions
are feasible through technology. Further, the thrust of the Government which is to ease in doing
business can be easily fulfilled in the digital space. This is one way to promote good governance
by improving government services and it can best achieve through the adoption of the information
system.

Conclusion

Human Resource Management nowadays is very challenging mostly during this time of
pandemic and with the complexity and evolving challenges of any organization, it must maximize
the use of technology. Information and learning are unlimited in the online world but the success
of any organization still relies on its people on how it utilizes the technology and its available
information. There are various areas of human resource functions and each function is affected
by the development of technology. The most important is that people should keep on learning and
innovating to maximize the use of technology so that in return the organization can be responsive
to the organizational needs. Thus, the development of technology greatly affects the Human
Resource Management and the attainment of organizational success. However, if there would be
primarily responsible for the success of any organization, it would always be the people working
behind the technology.