Top 10 Articles for April

In April, there was no shortage of articles dedicated to HR technology.  Other topics of discussion included leadership and improving HR for the better.  There were also several articles that focused on flexible workspaces, empathy, and network energy. 

In no particular order, here are top 10 articles from April.

The Competitive Edge Leaders are Missing:  How HR Can Help Bridge The Empathy Gap

Expect the labor market to continue as it is at the moment:  tense.  That’s because unemployment is still low and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.  HR departments and their respective companies are working harder than ever to fill necessary roles and to keep employees engaged; not just engaged, but also retained.  There are several critical strategy pieces all companies use to accomplish this including compensation.  But there is a piece missing, according to Forbes.  That piece is empathy.  Read more here.

Kuala Lumpur outpaces APAC Cities in Growth of Flexible Workspaces

The concept of the flexible workspace has taken hold in the APAC region of the globe.  According to new research from Instant Offices, Kuala Lumpur has “become the fastest growing market for flexible or co-working supply in Asia Pacific.”  The city tops other major APAC cities including Gurugram, Chennai, Brisbane, Hong Kong and Sidney.  In 2017, Kuala Lumpur saw a 36% increase in flexible workspace growth and saw an additional 12% in 2018.  Compare that to Singapore which saw a 19% growth in 2017 with an addition growth of 9% the next year.

Network Energy is the New Employee Engagement

Disengaged employees are more likely to quit than those that are engaged.  In his latest article for the HR Exchange Network, Amazon Web Services VP of Talent and Development Michael Arena says employee engagement, today, is “lagging measurement of something much more immediate, network energy!”  If you’re unfamiliar with the term, network energy specifically refers to the linkages between employees on any given team.  For more information on this and how to leverage positive energy to the betterment of the employee, team and company, click here.

Automation complicates recruiting in the cybersecurity space, survey finds

A new report  from DomainTools and the Ponemon Institute says automation is needed in cybersecurity.  That’s according HR Dive.  But leveraging automation means an increase in recruitment will be needed.  The report specifically looked at APAC, the U.S. and the U.K.  Key points of data include:

• 73% of respondents said the IT security function is understaffed
• 65% believe human involvement is necessary where automation is concerned
• 53% believe their respective organization doesn’t have enough personnel to monitor threats all day, every day.

Building diversity isn’t an HR role:  How leaders across the board invest time into it

All over the world, HR is working to create work environments that are more aligned with gender equality; making it a key business strategy.  At the same time, they are working to be more inclusive to women and minorities at all levels.  In this article from Human Resources Online, leaders from companies with a presence in the Asia Pacific region discuss what they are doing to “build a gender inclusive environment in all aspects of their lives.”  Companies include Chevron, HubSpot, and Marriot International.

Related Article --  Diversity and Inclusion:  The Business Case

Assessing your HR Analytics Capability

HR loves data.  So much so, analytics has become quite the buzzword across HR departments globally.  But with so many different concepts involved, the noise around analytics in HR can be quite deafening.  Human resources thought leader Dave Ulrich, in his latest piece, explains what analytics actually is and why HR wants to pursue it as a strategy.  He also explains some of the key points of data HR wants to look at and use.  In the end, Ulrich provides a way for HR to assess its own analytics efforts.  Read more here.

Feedback that’s Wanted

Feedback is often a gift, but not many people take it that way, especially when it comes from human resources or leadership.  Whether it’s the content, its delivery or even the person receiving and giving it, feedback is rarely wanted.  How can HR change that?  HR Exchange Network editor Mason Stevenson explains how feedback is currently viewed.  He also provides some tips on ways to overcome the negative perception that often accompanies feedback and provide feedback that can actually be received and used in a positive way.  The article can be found here.

Want to know more about feedback delivery?  Sign up for this free webinar:  Deliver Feedback as a Gift People Actually Want to Receive

The Best Way To Improve HR Is To Get Out Of It

No doubt you’ve heard that sometimes it’s better to leave something alone for a period of time and come back to it with fresh eyes and/or a fresh perspective.  In Zoe Harte’s latest article for Forbes, the HR Council member says leaving HR gave her an opportunity to learn more about HR than what would have been learned staying in the position.

“I’ve spent the majority of my rewarding, 20-plus-year career in HR. Somewhat ironically, the most important lessons I’ve learned about HR come from time spent working in another department. The perspective I gained elsewhere has been invaluable to how I approach HR and how I lead my teams today.”

Harte takes a look at the different roles she’s held over her career and how those positions have informed her decision making and her approach to human resources, specifically taking time away from HR to build business acumen.

IBM sees the value of putting AI to work in human resources

“IBM, however, is the company going big and bold in championing the benefits of technology driving work efforts to retain the best, the brightest, the most apt to contribute something to the conference table.”

In their article, techxplore.com takes a deep dive look into how IBM is using AI technology.  The website sat down with IBM CEO Ginni Rometty who provided some real numbers on the success the company is seeing to date.  Specifically Rometty discussed their predictive attrition program.  The AI retention tool is part of an IBM suite of products that changes the way the company approaches HR.  For instance, “IBM artificial intelligence can predict which employees will leave a job with 95% accuracy.”

Why Human Resources and Analytics make a Great Team

In his piece for Associations Now, Ernie Smith says there is growing evidence that human resources departments benefit from analytics more than any other department within a company.  Smith quotes a report from Oracle which says HR has “quickly leapfrogged into one of the most valuable departments for corporate analytics”, faster than other departments such as finance.  More can be found here.