By Sanjoe Tom Jose,
The COVID-19 pandemic has completely overhauled the dynamics of work culture. On one hand, many initially struggled working from home, and subsequently finding a healthy work-life balance. On the other hand, people found opportunities that were previously inaccessible to them. The pandemic not only levelled the ground for everyone with equal parity for all candidates, Work from Home and Hybrid work culture has opened a large pool of potential candidates.
Adoption of artificial intelligence by businesses has increased exponentially and is projected to reach $266.92 billion by 2027. Embracing technology in the midst of the pandemic was inevitable. In the past, in a traditional office setup, diverse groups like women, elderly, LGBTQIA+ and People with disabilities don’t get the opportunity to fully embrace their potential. Married women and newly mothers would sometimes resign due to hectic work and daily travel. The Work from Home format marked a shift in perspective, with growing acceptance towards inclusivity. Asking and sharing pronouns has become a new normal. Age was no longer an impediment but a boost in a job application. Simply put, inclusivity is no longer an exception but is a way of life.
The Covid-19 pandemic has played a major role in making diversity and inclusion initiatives of companies a new normal. Organisations have fully embraced technology in that regard. It allowed them to split traditional skill set grouping, creating unique job opportunities. Technology allowed them to scout talented individuals irrespective of their geographical location. Companies re-evaluated their skill set requirement, leading to an increase in the number of contractual and consulting job positions. It has completely changed the recruitment process for both the organisations and the job hunters.
Artificial Intelligence, and its introduction in Human Resources, became a high talking point. Introduced in an attempt to decrease discrimination, it soon became highly contested. While a lot can be said about A.I being at a nascent stage and still an evolving technology, it cannot be denied that A.I has already evolved the way candidate assessment takes place.
Fifty-two percent of Talent Acquisition leaders find identifying suitable candidates from a large applicant pool a particularly challenging aspect of the recruitment process. The hiring process, which generally consists of multiple rounds, has been simplified with the intervention of A.I. Automating an array of mundane administrative tasks has standardised the metrics. Artificial Intelligence has improved the end-to-end recruitment process across the globe.
As for any criticism pertaining to discrimination in A.I, it can be solved by more inclusive training of A.I. models. A.I is what you feed into it. When the A.I development is inclusive, it reflects in its task-oriented actions. Details like the age and gender of a candidate’s profile, to consider or not consider when configuring the tools, can be reanalysed.
Additionally, the pandemic has made businesses realise the importance of a stable work environment. A stable work environment that fosters communication has a positive impact on business aspects like product roadmaps and even ROI. This is particularly true in the case of start-ups and small businesses. A good work culture can translate the owner’s passion into long-term sustainable growth. Technology can quantify and analyse the organisation policy and HR practices to create a supportive work environment.
HR leaders recognise the importance of building inclusive technology cultures that foster engagement, collaboration, and belonging that reflect a diverse workforce and deliver value. HR managers need to incorporate the realities of various experiences of their diverse employees in the organisation. Tech-enabled solutions and access to data have deepened our understanding of people and markets and have the potential to transform DEI outcomes. With the help of technology, HR managers can not only include diversity in the recruitment process, but also in equity and inclusion in the retaining process.
We are rapidly moving towards a lifestyle that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in entities. HR and diversity can no longer operate in silos. Technology is rapidly entering every facet of our lives. With strategic and inclusive planning, the path ahead is clear- it is a tech-driven, inclusive work environment.
(The author is CEO at Talview Inc.Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.)
