To be or not to be, that is the question. Talented individuals working efficiently or automated processes? Or a mix of both?
As long as we have talented individuals in the team, who do their job well and deliver results, why invest in technology or robots? What does automation help us with, as long as things are functioning well without it?
The answer is simple: to retain our talented people in the team, to develop them, and to invest in them for the highest return on investment, ensuring they have a high level of satisfaction. The quality of people’s work and their satisfaction level at the workplace are essential pillars in the entire ecosystem of a business – from the quality of relationships within the team to the ability of individuals to deliver projects at the highest standard, with a direct impact on the quality of relationships with clients.
Who is afraid of technology?
The labor market has been experiencing, for years, a phenomenon felt by every Human Resources department: difficulty in the recruitment process, attributed to a high demand for professionals in the market. Remote work becomes an increasingly important criterion when it comes to choosing a new job; moreover, employees feel the need to be valued and connected to the organizational culture, no matter where they work.
Perhaps counterintuitive in some instances, all these factors have a common and accessible solution: technology makes people choose companies where they work in a modern, efficient manner, where there is no need to allocate hours to a repetitive task. Technology enables remote work without disconnecting from the pulse and updates of the organization, providing the time and mental space needed to come up with new ideas, approaches, and solutions in business relationships with collaborators.
As repetitive tasks disappear, people are motivated to become the best version of themselves. They have a real opportunity to showcase their value, space to learn new things and put them into practice, and can respond to new technological challenges that can take them and the organization to the next level as professionals.
How often has it happened that you recruited someone with significant growth potential? And, after these candidates with potential have become team members, how many of them have truly reached their potential?
Certainly, growth is a time-consuming process, we would say. But it takes even longer if the first 3 months are for enrollment, the next 6 are filled with repetitive tasks, and only after 9 months of hiring does the person begin to focus on indicators.
The first year on the job is about getting used to the new work environment; the team leader does not have the possibility to grow the team, and the new employee already has low motivation because they couldn’t prove their qualities. The organization grows more slowly than it could, even though it has experienced and talented people, as well as juniors with potential.
A vicious circle that technology can transform into real growth: everyone gains time and space for development, reaching a high level of job satisfaction.
It’s worth mentioning that an employee with access to advanced technology becomes a spontaneous brand ambassador in discussions with other professionals. These brand ambassadors feel more empowered overall, which will be reflected in the quality of the organizational culture.
Let’s see what the statistics say…
In Romania, a third (35%) of companies face challenges in recruiting personnel, and 41% struggle with the lack of skills needed to meet current requirements, according to the Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends 2023 study.
To overcome these challenges, companies are adopting strategies such as ‘workforce ecosystems,’ integrating consultants and subcontractors to complement the traditional workforce. The digital transformation of a company becomes a key element in this equation, with 30% of study participants mentioning the implementation of technological solutions and artificial intelligence to optimize human resources.
A McKinsey study also indicates a significant increase in the adoption of generative artificial intelligence, confirming the regular use of AI in one of the departments of organizations for a third of respondents.
What do these figures reveal?
That recruitment is becoming an increasingly challenging process, making it harder to retain talents within organizations.
That it would be beneficial to give our people the necessary space for growth.
That adapting to the new market needs and ensuring employee retention become major challenges for any company aspiring to remain competitive and claim new growth territories.
Some of these difficulties may stem from the reluctance of many organizations towards technology.
For leaders who have yet to prioritize the digital transformation of their company: to what extent is the technology used in your companies a differentiator in recruitment?