Tech-Ready: Preparing Your HR Team for Tomorrows Training Tools

Patrick Yearout, Director of Innovation, Recruitment & Training, Ivar’s

As technology keeps racing forward, human resources teams are finding their everyday tasks more and more tangled up with the latest digital tools, and what once felt like far-off sci-fi is now becoming our everyday reality. HR teams are starting to work with cutting-edge innovations like artificial intelligence, chatbots that help employees get quick answers, and predictive analytics that make workforce planning a whole lot smarter. And this tech wave? It’s only picking up speed. As these systems get cheaper to use (thanks to economies of scale) and more success stories pop up showing how well they work and pay off, we’re bound to see even more of them.

As these high-tech tools evolve from “wow, that’s cool” concepts to “how did we ever live without this?” essentials, HR directors can’t afford to wait passively, cross their fingers, and hope everything works out. Instead, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get ready for this tech transformation. By taking action now, you’ll make sure your team is primed and ready to embrace these changes, rather than scrambling to catch up when they become the new normal.

For those who wish to be the architects of their future relevance as tech and HR become more interconnected, here are six strategies to achieve this objective:

1. Invest in technology literacy “ Start by prioritizing your own education on the fundamentals of AI, chatbots, gamification, and whatever other tools you see looming ahead at your company. Learn everything you possibly can, from the standard jargon and acronyms to best practices for troubleshooting problems and selecting the right vendors. Hurman resources professionals should be seeking out articles, webinars, and podcasts about tech usage across industries, talking to colleagues about their experiences, and making connections with experts in the field both online and at industry events such as HR tech conferences and expos.

2. Forge a partnership with IT “ In addition to self education, you must recognize the value of the true tech subject matter experts of any organization: the IT department. If you do not have a strong relationship already, reach out to your IT team sooner rather than later to initiate discussions about how you could work together to make this possible future a reality. Consider starting small and informally with a few lunch meet ups or coffee breaks to build rapport and learn about their perspective on this topic (What are your thoughts? What obstacles do you see? What other resources might we need?). These initial casual interactions can help pave the way for more frequent and more structured agendas about budgets, timelines, and individual department responsibilities as you draw nearer to actual implementation.

3. Gain insights from other departments “ IT should be your first call, but certainly not your only one. Contact key members of other divisions, such as marketing, operations, training, or accounting and ask if they are considering anything in this arena. If your company is looking into using AI for customer interactions, for instance, discuss the new system with the team involved and ask what they are learning by going through the process. By working together cross functionally, the HR department can develop valuable understanding into the potential impact, challenges, and benefits of these technologies within their company and ultimately improve the quality of future programs when they start adopting these same innovations.

4. Plan for evaluation and feedback “ Before these new technologies are incorporated into your human resources programs, work with your team to assemble a plan for receiving ongoing evaluation and feedback. It should include a) anticipated review time periods, b) strategies for collecting and analyzing data, and c) mechanisms for gathering reactions directly from administrators and users. Additionally, this extra work will eventually need to be assigned to someone (and paid for somehow), so its good to have those personnel and budget conversations early to ensure you will have the resources to make it a reality.

5. Prime users with tech tastings “ Most people have heard the term amuse-bouche before; its a small hors doeuvre served to diners while they wait for their orders to arrive. An amuse-bouche is meant to be more than just filler, however, as it is carefully selected and designed to whet the appetite and prepare guests for the courses ahead. And thats the same tactic you can take to help get your team ready for new technologies. Lets say that you believe that gamification will help improve your companys training programs and classes, but you do not have the capability to implement it right away. You can still incorporate gamification elements like earning badges, leaderboards, and challenges to familiarize trainees with the concept and generate excitement. By starting small with these elements, you essentially provide a ’taste’ of whats to come, building anticipation and readiness for when a full-scale gamification strategy becomes feasible. This approach not only keeps training engaging but also smooths the transition to more complex technologies, ensuring that when the time arrives, your staff is eager and prepared to embrace the full experience.

6. Pilot small-scale projects “ Before diving headfirst into a company-wide tech overhaul, it’s smart to test the waters with some controlled experiments. For instance, you might try out a chatbot to handle common employee questions in just one department. This approach lets your team collect real-world data and tweak the tech as you go, and these pilot projects become great case studies to show your higher-ups the concrete benefits and potential ROI. It’s a way to minimize risks, customize the technology to fit your company’s unique needs, and build a solid argument for rolling it out across the entire organization.

The technological horizon for human resources departments is fast approaching, laden with opportunities to revolutionize how we engage, educate, and ultimately retain our workforce. By taking these key steps now, your HR team can ensure everyone in the company not only adapts but also thrives in this new tech-driven environment.

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