HR executives have a tendency to tackle the large, strategic issues within the organization, such as competitive pay, job flexibility, transparency and leadership development, all of which are vital issues. But it is also important for HR to be aware of hidden sources of employee dissatisfaction, which may be more difficult to measure.
Although technological advancements, including artificial intelligence, have been a game-changer for automation in the corporate world, they can also be a source of friction that is hard to measure but consequential when implemented incorrectly. When this friction is left unchecked, it can compound and result in detrimental, enterprise-wide consequences. For effective large-scale HR strategies to work, CHROs need to be cognizant of these areas of friction and work to eliminate them through communication and partnership.
In some ways, friction bears similarities to micro-aggressions: They may be undetectable to an unaffected outside observer, but result in the fracturing of loyalty, satisfaction and productivity. They both emerge when seemingly small frustrations result in harm to people. When friction is extended over time, or applied to scaled-up organizations, it results in “compounding friction,” causing exponentially larger problems.
However, whereas micro-aggressions frequently occur in human interactions, compounding friction can result from situational harm arising from technology or layers of bureaucracy in which human interaction is limited. When technology removes the responsible party from the source of the frustration, that friction is more difficult to address.
See also: Harnessing gen AI: Why CHROs must lead organizational redesign to drive growth
When AI makes life more difficult for HR
Most people are familiar with a common complaint about doctors’ offices: Administrators ask patients to download apps and create accounts to upload multiple versions of the same forms—in addition to filling out those same forms upon arrival. It is a nuisance that can result in negative views towards the industry for those who frequent healthcare providers. In these situations, technology, which was designed to streamline processes, has added unnecessarily complex requirements for the end user. Further, when technology malfunctions, it is not clear who is at fault, and the lack of avenue to address the problem causes fatigue for the patient. This type of fatigue can occur from HR technology as well.
For example, recruiting strategies that ask applicants to create accounts and upload resumes to autogenerate responses into applications can cost applicants time and energy to correct, and have them avoid applying altogether. Employees who have to navigate user-unfriendly HRIS systems for time-tracking, uploading of personal information or dealing with poorly designed AI chatbots for benefits-related questions can result in burnout in the long run.
Although the technology underlying these processes has a well-meaning intent, HR needs to be aware of the human costs that it can create. Although none of these individual issues appear serious in isolation, when scaled, they can cause compounding friction, leading to long-term consequences for recruitment, retention and efficiency. Even worse, compounding friction is difficult to measure and resolve once it has become prevalent within an organization.
5 strategies to smartly implement new HR tech
This is not a warning against AI technology. All forms of technology are tools that HR departments can utilize to their advantage to actually reduce friction. Cutting down on repetitive tasks, streamlining manual processes and increasing cost efficiency are fundamental to that goal. But technology that is poorly researched or administered can cause the problems it was intended to alleviate.
Below are some strategic tips for making HR technology decisions:
Weigh the benefits
Any time HR technology is used, the costs and benefits should be examined. More specifically, it needs to be clear who will benefit. What saves time for one department may result in more work for another. If technology only eases the strain on HR departments by pushing more tasks onto employees, then HR needs to understand these hidden costs before making the decision to implement.
Partner with IT
HR must partner with IT to ensure the technology is effective and user-friendly. The need for HR and IT teamwork was raised in a recent HR Executive column by Laura Coccaro, and it is crucial that HR departments understand that a shared vision is the only way to successfully proceed with implementation of any technology. And once implemented, the tools must be monitored for glitches, unnecessary steps and outages, all of which require cross-departmental relationships to troubleshoot.
Automation, not duplication
If processes are automated, make sure that duplicative, manual efforts are cut out; otherwise, the benefits will be lost. HR departments need to be familiar with the capabilities of their tools and review manual processes to determine their continued necessity.
Don’t avoid human interaction
At some point, nothing can truly replace a conversation with a human being because nuances are difficult to convey through algorithms. It is important for HR departments to understand where this line occurs—where AI can streamline automation and efficiency, and where human input is needed. To do this requires both an understanding of the technology and the value that real people bring.
Establish a feedback loop
Employees need to have an avenue to voice their dissatisfaction with any new and existing technology. Ensure that help desk complaints are both easy to submit and track. Listen. Make sure the organization can respond quickly to areas of friction. Also, there should always be a human being available to assist as needed.
Ultimately, human resource professionals should never lose touch with the human side of their role. There is no way around it: Technology can be a strategic benefit to all organizations, but HR needs to be involved in the beginning of discussions and provide strategic partnership with all departments in order to prevent compounding friction before it can gain a foothold.
