Read the article How Does Technology Impact HR Practices?, then compose a summar

Question

Read the article How Does Technology Impact HR Practices?, then compose a summary of the article. In addition, answer the following questions. Make sure your responses are conveyed through complete sentences, and are fully developed ideas/thoughts.

                 1. What are some ways that technology is impacting human resources practices?
                 2. What is the benefit of using technology in the training process?
                 3. What considerations from an information security perspective need to be made when it comes to storing employment information digitally?

How Does Technology Impact HR Practices?

Technology changes the way HR departments contact employees, store files and analyze employee performance. Used well, technology makes HR practices more efficient. When used poorly, it can get in the way of managing the company's human resources. Good HR practices maximize the benefits and minimize the problems.

Recruiting Transformed

Before the internet and email, connecting with job seekers meant phone, face time or a letter. In the 21st century, it's routine for companies to post openings online, and require job seekers to apply through an online applicant tracking system. That frees up a great deal of time that HR would have spent dealing with paper resumes or personal calls.

However, HR practices don't always take into account how well the system works for the candidates. Online forms have a standardized format that often makes it hard to tell a star performer from a slacker. A badly designed system with confusing instructions and slow response times can actually turn job seekers off to applying with a firm.

Ease of Communication

With email, text and messaging apps it's easier than ever for HR staff to stay in touch with the rest of the company. If a manager wants to share a new schedule with a project team, one email with an attachment or a conversation on Slack can share the word with a dozen people at once. There's a risk of relying too much on tech as a time-saver though. Information in a two-page email may be better off delivered to the group face to face. That way everyone can ask questions and hear the answers.

Data Analysis

Analyzing employee performance used to depend on personal assessments and obvious standards: Did the employee finish the task on time? Does their boss trust them? Technology makes it easier to gather and break down data on employees to get an overall picture. Which tasks do they perform best? Do they meet all the goals from last year's performance appraisal? If they fell short, was it by 12 percent, 50 percent or 75 percent? Software programs can even take over much of the work in evaluating employees.

Too Much Data

As HR makes more use of data collection and analysis, employees might feel their privacy shrinking. If, say, a company has security cameras that monitor employees every second, it can be easier to find the facts behind a harassment charge or someone drinking on the job. However, being constantly monitored can alienate employees as well. Good HR practices involve not only knowing how much data can be gathered but also how much should be gathered.

Another risk is that the HR department can end up getting more data than it can manage. After a certain point, wading through data to pick out the relevant material becomes an impossible task. It's also possible that HR will misread data or make assumptions that a face-to-face conversation could clear up.

Security Practices

Securing employee records used to mean locking a file cabinet. In the 21st century, best HR practices have to include security for the digital data. Some security is more an IT matter, such as a good firewall. HR needs to have good policies in place, though, governing who can access confidential data, both hard copy and in electronic form.

Explanation / Answer

Summary-

How Does Technology Impact HR Practices?

Technology changes the way HR departments contact employees, store files and analyze employee performance. Technology makes HR practices more efficient if put to proper use. Otherwise, it would be difficult to handle the company's human resources. Thus, good HR practices maximize the benefits and minimize the problems.

Recruiting Transformed

Before the invention of the internet and email, connecting with job seekers meant phone, face time or a letter which was a cumbersome process. However, after technology advancements, the companies post openings online which make it easy for job seekers to apply through an online applicant tracking system. This saves a lot of time for the company. However, online forms have a standardized format that often makes it hard to tell a star performer from a slacker.

Ease of Communication

With email, text and messaging apps it makes communication easy for the HR staff to contact other employees. However, there's a risk of relying too much on technology as a time-saver. Information in a two-page email may be better off delivered to the group face to face.

Data Analysis

In the past, analyzing employee performance used to depend on personal assessments and obvious standards. Today, technology makes it easier to gather and break down data on employees to get an overall picture.

Too Much Data

As HR makes more use of data collection and analysis, employees might feel their privacy is interfered. Constantly monitoring might alienate employees. Good HR practices involve not only knowing how much data can be gathered but also how much should be gathered.

Another risk is that the HR department can end up getting more data than it can manage. After a certain point, wading through data to retrieve the relevant material becomes an impossible task.

Security Practices

In the 21st century, best HR practices have to include security for the employee data. HR needs to have good policies in place to access confidential data whether it is a hard copy or electronic form.

1. What are some ways that technology is impacting human resources practices?

Technology advancements have both pros and cons to HR practices. For example, when employees are constantly monitored to avoid any illegal activities in the company such as drinking and harassment activities, technology is considered to play a major role in these issues. However, it might interfere the privacy of other employees as well.

2. What is the benefit of using technology in the training process?

- easy access

-improves employee engagement

-improves knowledge retention (visual aids play a greater role than texts)

- encourages individual learning

-Students can use technology to enhance their skills

-Trainers’ use technology to make their teachings more effective

3. What considerations from an information security perspective need to be made when it comes to storing employment information digitally?

-Confidentiality

-Limited access to people

-Secured from being hacked

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