Bi-Weekly Roundup: 1/26 - 2/9

In this post of Phenom People's Bi-Weekly Roundup more companies are taking advantage of A.I.'s benefits, the Olympics cost companies more money than they think from loss of productivity, and Amazon wants to put wristbands that track their employees movements. Read all about these topics!

A.I. is taking some of the ‘human’ out of Human Resources.

The benefits of using artificial intelligence to deliver value to an organization are endless. A.I. is becoming more mainstream and being utilized in various ways across all departments. Human Resources can really benefit from the help of artificial intelligence. It can help HR produce better tailored job descriptions, automate the onboarding process, and even improve employee experience by giving employees instant answers to questions about HR policies. Human Resources will definitely still remain human in the upcoming years, but the likelihood of having some type of A.I. integrated within the department will grow larger.

How has your organization adopted A.I.? You can read more about what A.I. means for the human in HR here.

Improving people analytics skills means credibility for Human Resources.

According to a global leadership survey published by DDI, HR’s attempts to adopt people analytics are failing. The report found that companies who excelled at people analytics were three times more likely to outperform their competitors, but many companies struggle to keep up with the pace at which analytics is growing. If you breakdown people analytics into component areas, almost a quarter of organizations were deemed to be succeeding at tracking efficiency metrics and 22 percent at benchmarking internally. However, just 11 percent were effectively benchmarking externally, and 16 percent had experienced success with data visualization and storytelling. Though 70 percent of HR professionals reported an increase in their analytical skills, it clearly isn't enough to keep pace.

Read more about the report and its findings here.

The Winter Olympics is costing employers billions in lost productivity.

According to data from Captivate’s Office Pulse, where researchers polled 568 U.S. white-collar workers, the Winter Olympics will be costing employers roughly $1.7 billion in lost productivity. Similar to the day after the Super Bowl, many people will be working from home so they don’t miss the action, or watching from their office. Even if employees aren’t watching the event, it will likely be brought up in discussion which would impact their productivity. Office Pulse data shows that among those who plan to discuss the Olympics in the office, 41 percent are Millennials, 27 percent are Boomers, and 24 percent are Gen Xers. So why is the Winter Olympics costing employers so much more lost productivity than the Super Bowl? The Winter Olympics is a 17-day event. So since the event is longer than the Super Bowl, Human Resources should embrace the event’s impact on team-spirit and try to incorporate the Winter Olympics as a topic for team building and brainstorming.

Do you plan to watch the Olympics at work? Read more about the event’s cost for employers here.

HR technology is helping companies win the war for talent.

About 51 percent of employers plan to increase their investments in onsite benefits and innovative technologies this year to improve productivity and retain top talent. Many will invest in HR technology and talent analytics platforms because they believe these technologies will play a critical role in sourcing, attracting, engaging, and retaining talent this year. While technology can perform most of the talent acquisition it isn’t enough to address employers’ concerns about securing talent during record low unemployment levels. Technology investments should be coupled with expert insights to develop a hiring strategy that is personalized and engaging. Developing a strategy like this can ease an employer’s concern about talent security.

Read more about HR technology and how its helping secure talent here.

Amazon’s wristbands that track warehouse workers’ hands are raising HR and privacy concerns.

Though they don’t exist yet, Amazon’s patented wristbands that track a wearers movement are troubling many. They raise issues about privacy concerns and the possible effect on employee morale. The patented bracelets would use ultrasonic sound pulses or radio transmissions so that a receiver can track an employee’s hands in relation to inventory bins at an Amazon fulfillment center. They claim it would make work easier and improve efficiency for employees, but at what cost?

Would wearing a bracelet that tracks where your hands are moving sit well with you? Read more on the concerns here.

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog to get all the latest in your inbox!