The Issues / Problems / Negative Impacts with Technological Advancements in HR

The ability to evolve has been a defining characteristic of human existence. Many advancements have resulted from this evolution, the most important of which is technology. Technology's primary goal is to assist humans. However, technological innovations such as AI have had both positive and negative consequences. The benefits and drawbacks of technological advancements in human resource management are unavoidable.

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While many people believe that technology will improve human resources, others believe that it will have the opposite effect. This viewpoint is far from pessimistic. It is justified by early indications that technology is robbing every human resource department of the humanity they desire. The dangers of moving away from traditional human interaction will be discussed in this article. It will also look at how artificial intelligence and other innovations are being pushed forward.

Here are some ways that advances in technology can affect your HR:

More Unemployment

As technology advances in the field of human resources, more workers will be laid off as a result of automation. As more machines replace human labor, an increasing number of workers will be unemployed. Furthermore, increased productivity and efficiency will be the driving force behind every business.

Many human resource departments will be put in jeopardy as a result of technological advancements. Workers may lose their value within the company if the company's profitability and productivity are improved. Technology advancement, on the other hand, is disruptive. The estimated job loss as a result of automation could be as high as 90%. It will be impossible to initiate or facilitate any real human interactions if companies do not employ workers.

In the past, technological advancements have had little or no impact on job creation. As the world's population continues to rise at an unprecedented rate, more human jobs will be required in the future. The worker is at the heart of every human resource department. Because of technological advancements, the need for a human resource department may become obsolete.

Loss of Human Contact

Many businesses are making haste to implement chat-bots and other technologies. Distancing humans from one another in the hopes of increasing profits will reduce social interaction, particularly in the human resource department. These methods are effective because they can simulate human relationships. In human resource management, these bots will replace direct human contact. Machines can only imitate or pretend to understand the human experience.

Customer dissatisfaction may result from the use of chat-bots in human resource management. People want to be able to connect with other people. Feeling connected is a basic social need, and removing it from the human resource field could be disastrous.

Inability to Keep up With Technological Trends

Humans are not progressing at the same rate as machines, despite the numerous technological advancements. When one can't keep up with the rate of change and its consequences, the pursuit of progress becomes unjustified. Many businesses are still catching up on technological advances.

Technological advancements make it difficult to implement because workers need time to learn new skills and adapt to the new environment. However, as soon as one course concludes, another begins. Human resource management and technological innovation both necessitate frequent updates. This rapid pace creates a cycle in which workers try to keep up with the latest trends.

Companies should prioritize team-building activities. These activities will strengthen the bonds that employees have with one another and with their clients. It's advantageous to try to keep up with ever-changing trends.

Less Human Activity

Using technological devices, technological advancements in human resource management can be implemented. People become immobile when they use devices like laptops because they must sit for long periods of time. This significantly reduces physical human interactions.

Less human activity is also bad for your health because it can lead to obesity and raise your risk of high blood pressure. Reduced human contact in the workplace may result in lower employee morale and productivity.

Over-Dependence on Technological Advancements

Many businesses' over-reliance on technology may be their undoing. Despite its efficiency, technology can be vulnerable to cyber-attacks and viruses. This could result in the loss of crucial company data. The human resource department may end up losing vital information about employees, such as their contact information. Workers who are overly reliant on technology may be less productive in their jobs.

Technological advancements may also put human interaction between workers in jeopardy. Rather than a physical workplace, more businesses will focus on creating a virtual one. Although a company's operating costs can be reduced in the short term, the unintended consequences for most small businesses outweigh the benefits in the long run. Over-reliance on technology could lead to significant losses. It may also lead to a greater focus on the company's technological requirements rather than the needs of employees.

Ethical Dilemmas

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is devoid of morality. In the field of human resource management, having a moral compass is crucial. Companies may face more ethical dilemmas as a result of technological advancements because they must choose between doing the right thing and doing the easy thing. Humans can't solve such problems, and technology can't either. As a means of increasing efficiency, it might decide to lay off more workers.

Artificial intelligence has unintended consequences that you can't predict.

Poor Social Well-Being

The use of technology to keep in touch could lead to mental health problems. This new approach to HR may have a negative impact on the relationships that employees have with their coworkers, friends, and families. Relationships like these are essential for a person's health. Human progress threatens to usher in a society devoid of genuine human interaction. The absence of relationships may contribute to an increase in depression and suicide.

Moving Into the Future

With time, technological advancement will undoubtedly continue to shape many aspects of human life. However, technological advancements like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and remote working will have an impact on human relationships. This shift has the potential to rip the human resource management system apart. Because of the disconnection of social connections, it will be difficult to integrate workers' needs into the HR system as we know it today. The modern dilemma that every business will face as it moves forward is balancing the need to make your company more productive while also keeping your employees happy.

In addition to the above, according to an Accenture report, more than half of the world’s population is worried about losing their jobs to automation. Experts predict that between 5 and 10 million jobs could be lost to automation by 2020. Tesla CEO Elon Musk considers automation as humanity’s “biggest existential threat (Elon Musk, 2019).” People across industries like automotive, finance, and manufacturing are worried about their future. However, studies show that only 5% of the jobs are fully functional without human intervention. Simply put, even machines need human beings to operate them.

References;

• Shrm.org. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/special-reports-and-expert-views/documents/hr-technology.pdf> [Accessed 5 April 2022].
  
  
• Mettl.com. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://mettl.com/downloads/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2018/05/impact-of-technology-on-human-resource-management.pdf> [Accessed 6 April 2022].
  
  
• Ripublication.com. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.ripublication.com/gjbmit/gjbmitv4n1_05.pdf> [Accessed 8 April 2022].
  
  
• PossibleWorks. 2022. Top Challenges In Implementing HR Technology And How To Overcome Them. [online] Available at: <https://possibleworks.com/blog/top-challenges-in-implementing-hr-technology-and-how-to-overcome-them/> [Accessed 8 April 2022].
  
  
• FactSuite - Blog. 2022. Negative impact of technology in the workplace - FactSuite - Blog. [online] Available at: <https://factsuite.com/blog/negative-impact-of-technology-in-the-workplace/> [Accessed 8 April 2022].