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Next-generation workplace technologies no longer are being viewed only as tools to boost productivity.
September 5, 2023
The biggest threats to the continued effectiveness and viability of human resources include such factors as being disconnected from the strategic objectives of the C-suite, failing to keep abreast of ever-shifting regulations, and not striking the right balance between serving the needs of leadership and serving the needs of the workforce.
But lately, an even more daunting threat has emerged that strikes at the heart of HR's ability to positively impact organizations: widespread burnout and stress in the profession.
In a 2023 study by Executive Networks, HR leaders reported the highest level of burnout among all working professionals who were surveyed. That survey found HR leaders were far more likely than other business leaders to consider leaving their employers in the -coming year.
Two of the biggest factors fueling burnout in HR are -ever-expanding workloads and lack of budget to meet organizational needs. The 2022-2023 SHRM State of the Workplace Report found that 70 percent of HR professionals say they're working beyond capacity and 61 percent say they're working without | enough staff.
Feeling overworked and under-resourced isn't a new phenomenon for HR professionals. What has taken burnout to new heights are the compounding effects and long tail of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which HR practitioners have often been pushed beyond their limits-managing the shift to remote work, overseeing vaccination mandates, coping with rampant labor shortages, and providing emotional support to a frightened and unsettled workforce.
But many burned-out HR practitioners are finding hope and a new lifeline in an unlikely source: next-generation workplace technologies.
HR is rapidly adopting tools such as ChatGRT and other generative Al technologies, enhanced self-service systems, and no-code software development platforms not only with the traditional goal of boosting productivity, but also as a means of reducing or eliminating the manual, repetitive administrative tasks that account for a disproportionate amount of HR's workload and steal its scarcest resource: time.
While tools such as generative Al come with some risks and require clear guardrails and employee training to be used effectively, a growing number of HR leaders believe the benefits outweigh the concerns. The rationale isn't only time savings. Many believe the increasing...