The document discusses how emerging technologies like wearable devices, the Internet of Things, data analytics, and robots will impact the future of work and the role of HR professionals. It outlines opportunities for HR to use new sources of data from technologies to improve health and wellness programs, workforce planning, production, customer service, and talent management. While these changes will make some professionals uncomfortable, they also open up new ways for HR to help organizations and better understand and manage their workforce.

2. Don’t Fear the Future
HR Technology in the Era of Drones, Robots,
and Infinite Data
Steve Boese August 2014

3. Presenter Info
• Steve Boese
• Co-Chair HR Technology Conference
• HR Exec Magazine Technology Editor
• Co-Host of HR Happy Hour Show and Podcast
• Co-organizer HRevolution
• Blogger at Steve’s HR Tech
• Your New Best Friend

4. There are two ways to think about the future.
One
way
is
to
plan
for
a
future
that
will
be
only
incrementally
different
and
almost
indistinguishable
from
the
present.
The
better,
(and
more
interesting)
way
is
to
envision
a
future
that
will
be
almost
unrecognizable
from
today.
“The
future
will
be
new
enough
that
we
will
be
uncomfortable,
we
will
be
unprepared.”

5. Prologue

6. So what does this rapid acceleration in technology
innovation mean for the HR/Talent professional?
It
means
new
ways
of
working,
new
sources
of
talent,
and
increasingly,
new
technologies
that
will
make
us,
at
times,
uncomfortable
Today,
we’ll
discuss
how
some
of
these
future
technology
trends
and
how
they
might
help
shape
work
and
workplaces.
And
by
the
end
of
the
talk
you
will
think
I
am
crazy,
or
that
I
just
might
be
the
sanest
person
you
know

7. 1. Wearable
technology
2. The
Internet
of
Things
3. In
Data
We
Trust
4. Making
peace
with
the
robots
5. Wrap-­‐up,
Q&A
Agenda

8. 1

9. <not just for the geeks and nerds anymore>
Wearable technology

11. What is Wearable tech?

12. 58% of employees would be willing to use wearable
tech if it enabled them to do their jobs better.
Wearable at Work?

14. Kinds of things made possible

15. ‘Wear’ is your opportunity in HR?
• Health
and
Wellness
–
Augmenta,on
and
expansion
of
organiza,onal
wellness
ini,a,ves.
Manage
challenges,
track
success
against
goals.
Prove
your
‘Biggest
Loser’
jam
is
working.
• Workforce
planning
and
alignment
–
Ability
to
track
responsiveness,
fa,gue
levels,
outside
s,mulus
and
then
provide
insight
to
make
staffing
plans
and
adjustments
• Produc7on
–
Beam
real
,me
video
from
customer
sites
to
HQ
and
team
members
for
review
and
assistance.
Crowdsource
solu,ons.
• Customer
service
–
Facial
recogni,on
tech
and
insight
to
provide
personalized
service,
tailored
responses,
and
customer
history.
Movement
trackers
like
iBeacon
to
alert
staff
on
customer
movement,
tendencies
• Talent
Management
–‘Glass’
applica,ons
for
interviewing,
delivering
learning
content,
and
in
onboarding
apps.
Huge
poten,al
here.

16. 2

17. <do I really need my toaster talking to
my refrigerator?>
The Internet of Things

18. The Internet of Things

20. • Connect GPS, vehicle sensors,
delivery statuses to transmit
route, driving, and performance
data to HQ
• Identify potential and emerging
issues with fatigue, stress, or
undetermined performance
problems
• Incorporate talent management
and coaching and mentoring
elements
• Compare data pre and post
interventions to assess
effectiveness
Example: The IoT at work

21. 3

22. In Data we Trust
<Or would you rather just play the odds?>

23. The Data Explosion

24. Where your data resides
Traditional sources of
HR/Talent Data:
HRIS, ATS, Talent Systems,
EE files, resume DBs, Excel files,
piles of paper on someone’s
desk…
Where new data actually
resides today:
Social networks, smartphones,
cloud storage services, personally
activated cloud productivity
services, with third parties…

25. A Word About The Types of Analytics

26. Turn Data into Opportunity
• Hiring: Data science applied to
finding which candidates are best
fits and most likely to succeed
• Performance: Use data on historic
trends, employee profiles,
managerial impact to predict
performance
• Compensation: Data to determine
which compensation levers have
the most business/talent impact
• Retention: Flight risk identification
and suggested remedial actions
• Productivity: Quantify and track
success of new employees

27. 4

28. <believe me, you should>
Making peace with the robots

33. • Industrial: Smarter, more flexible,
and cheaper robots like Baxter
• Healthcare: Companions for
elderly and sick, assistants for
human healthcare workers
• Service: Automated servers,
bartenders, cashiers, cooks, gas
station attendants…
• Agricultural: Tractors, pickers,
herding, fertilizing
• Knowledge work: Financial
advice, research, accounts,
customer service, telemarketing
The Robot in the next cube

35. The Robot Opportunity
• First: Understand how/where/why
automation makes business sense
for your organization
• Next: Assess the ability and
applicability of increased automation
for your company scenarios
• Then: Step back to evaluate
workplace readiness and acceptance
of robot or other automation
technology
• Remember: Some theories suggest
the most productive outcome is
humans and robots working together

36. Four Closing Thoughts…

37. Wearables – You simply can’t underestimate the impact that wearables can
have, especially for front line and field workers. Think about augmenting worker
capability and improving customer service.
IoE – As machines connect to the internet, communicate with each other, and
change how humans interact with them, ability to improve people performance
will be significantly enhanced. Think about how machine data can mashup with
people data to make better business decisions
Data – Every job in HR is going to become at least some kind of a data analysis
job. Since you will have more data than ever, think about what critical business
questions need to be answered. Think what could you do if you had the answer
to…
Robots– While they seem kind of distant, allow yourself to think about a
workplace with much more robot/human interaction. Where could automation
make your company better, faster, and where is the technology heading?
That will enthuse or confuse

38. One last thing…
The challenge is how do you
get your HR organization and
your leaders to think about
technology and people with a
slightly longer view.

39. ?

40. Missing me one place, search
another...
steveboese@gmail.com
steveboese.squarespace.com
HRTechConference.com
hrhappyhour.net
Twitter: @SteveBoese
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveboese