Embracing the Future of Work with Innovative HR Technologies

As competition for top talent intensifies, human resource departments must tap innovative technologies to attract and acquire skilled workers from new demographics. Guillermo Corea, managing director of SHRM Labs, said, “Diverse organizations are not just inclusive, they are also 35% more likely to outperform their competitors financially.” Yet, as Corea noted, “A whopping 71% of HR professionals surveyed aren’t currently working on evaluating untapped candidates.”

By showcasing disruptors such as Nexus Edge that combine education and recruiting to tap into nontraditional talent pools, the WorkplaceTech Spotlight series showcases opportunities for HR to gain competitive advantages through technology adoption. This episode explored how platforms like Discord and Artificial Intelligence can drive equity while future-proofing workforce capabilities. Talent teams gain immense leverage over legacy models by utilizing platforms like Discord for affinity-based community-building alongside AI algorithms for process enhancement.

Overcoming Talent Shortages Through Tech

With inclusion and diversity budgets tightened even as expectations are rising for representation and retention, HR teams must optimize outreach efficiency. Eddie Lin, co-founder of Nexus Edge, said, “One of the biggest challenges right now is the decrease in DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] budgets while at the same time the expectation of the same high level of results.”

Luckily, technologies can fill gaps through automation at a scale previously unimaginable. As Lin noted, “Leaning on technology allows folks to reach out to different campuses and build those communities there, to find nontraditional candidates, to expand your talent pool.”

Enter Nexus Edge: Train, Don’t Hire

Instead of traditional recruitment, Nexus Edge’s philosophy centers on educating and upskilling untapped groups as well as converting high-performers to new roles. Lin said, “During 2020, when all the students were locked indoors, Discord became the place where they essentially had an online community for colleges.”

Rather than just sourcing candidates, forward-thinking HR teams should actively create branded talent communities on the platform. They can nurture high-potential individuals over months through relevant content, coding camps, challenges, and more — all while continually assessing capabilities through skill-based assessments. This methodology unlocks overlooked yet qualified talent pools with immense efficiency gains.

The Case for Nontraditional Hiring

With many enterprises valuing aptitude over pedigree, nontraditional hiring confers immense benefits. Lin said, “Diversity in background creates diversity in thought; diversity in thought leads to great levels of innovation.” Goldman Sachs’ success illustrates this in practice. The company hired workers who are neurodivergent or have other disabilities and empowered them through workplace policy adjustments.

By proactively tapping gifted candidates from overlooked or marginalized demographics, organizations can enhance innovation through cognitive diversity, strengthen cultural resonance with new customer groups previously not understood by legacy workforces lacking lived experience, and increase community embeddedness locally and globally as operations expand abroad into new regions.

AI and Future HR Technologies

What comes next for HR tech? Lin said, “Generative AI is going to be even more disruptive than mobile was to multiple industries.” 

Much as iOS and Android erupted to redefine communications, AI promises unprecedented leverage for talent teams around orchestrating high-value workflows that span personalized at-scale candidate interactions, predictive analytics that minimize recurrence churn, and more.

Savvy HR organizations are already piloting generative writing tools to eliminate repetitive documentation burdens, freeing up overextended teams to align their strategic priorities. Intelligent chatbots likewise promise immense candidate experience upgrades through 24/7 responsive, personalized support at fractional costs. As processes such as screening and onboarding digitize, HR’s capacity for value-added consultancy expands accordingly.

Concluding Thoughts

The widening talent and skills gap demands action as our understanding of what tomorrow’s workers seek accelerates. By embracing emerging technologies as talent multipliers while expanding hiring funnels to value aptitude equally alongside pedigree, HR organizations can strategically future-proof for an unpredictable tomorrow.

Seismic technology shifts are already disrupting long-standing practices, so adaptation is now mandatory for talent organizations to avoid business obsolescence. Luck favors the bold, and early AI adopters will reap exponential dividends over laggards. As Lin urged, “Really try to have an open mindset to adopt change, adopt technology, and adopt innovation.” The future of work awaits.

FAQs

What challenges confront talent teams today?

Tightened budgets constrain diversity initiatives as expectations rise, leading to difficulty tapping overlooked talent pools efficiently at scale. New creative approaches must enter the mix with legacy outreach methods that are no longer scaling.

How can technology bridge gaps?

Platforms such as Discord and Nexus Edge enable large-scale personalized outreach to niche groups using automation and assessed education funnels to control costs while reducing hiring friction through novel sourcing.

Why prioritize diversity?

Beyond moral imperatives, diversity of thought and experience unlocks innovation, better market insights, and improved financial performance through avoided groupthink. Hiring those with nontraditional backgrounds enhances creative collisions from interdisciplinary thinking.

What emerging technologies show promise?

When applied creatively, early-stage artificial intelligence, such as generative writing tools, displays massive potential for redefining workflows such as predictive analytics and mass personalization.

How can HR staff stay current?

Organizations like SHRM, media publications curating bleeding-edge coverage, and online communities discussing experiments with next-gen platforms help HR teams continually expand their mindsets to recognize opportunities on the horizon before their competitors do.

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This article was written based on Episode 24 of the WorkplaceTech Spotlight.

Thank you to Eddie Lin, co-founder of Nexus Edge, for contributing to the conversation.