Will technology replace HRBP’s or will it make their roles more critical?

We live in a world which is evolving rapidly and in center of it is technology. Ongoing innovations and technological advancements like AI, AR, Machine learning & Block-chain have disrupted every aspect of our lives. We are ushering in a new phase of human era, which has the potential of changing our ethos all together. While organizations today are awe stuck by how new technological tools can make their lives easier, better and faster, there is a looming threat in each of our minds of being replaced by very same technologies. 

It has been a while that assimilation of technology has also translated to the talent or people dimension. Newer technological tools are defining the way we interact with our internal talents and support them. Complexity & diversity of our workplace is ever increasing with multiple generations working together coming from different backgrounds, needs, and expectations. Millennial's are progressing up organizational hierarchies and have started to reshape the DNA and the organizational culture to align with modern needs. To manage this massive shift and winds of change most organizations rely on HRBP’s (Human Resource Business Partner’s) who are entrusted with the responsibility that organization keeps moving forward without feeling any turbulence, but how do these HRBP’s see this massive paradigm shift, where it is still a dilemma whether technologies like chatbots are competing with them or assisting them?

HRBP’s need to make peace with the fact that, there will be increased Influx of technology in their roles, as more and more organizations are investing millions in these new talent related technologies hoping to stay ahead or receive an edge over competition in this war for top talent. As people agenda is gaining more and more importance in boardrooms, HRBP’s must become highly agile in every facet of their role and re-examine and reinvent themselves. They need to foresee, plan, and adapt simultaneously to the changes around and leverage technology to the fullest. It is highly possible to become obsolete or redundant in this massive wave of automation as even virtues like intelligence are also becoming artificial (AI). What will get us through is our USP in maintaining a strong employee involvement, commitment, and zeal. Employees need to feel that they matter to HR, that the organization and HRBP’s care, that their opinions & feedback matter, and that they can make an impact. HRBPs should act as role models of human touch and interact directly with people across levels.

While organizations are trying to increase employee engagement and involvement through newer technological innovations? Question is, will it be enough to retain desired talent in the organization? As technology continues to evolve, what may work for our average workforce won’t necessarily be enough for our top talent and Hi Po's. Technology cannot be the substitute of human essence and intervention. In near future technology will be standardized, easily available and accessible to organizations of all size and scales, it will be the human element which will play the role of a differential.

People, their knowledge, skills, motivation, experience and competencies are the greatest assets organizations can have. organizations acknowledge that, but often lose the human touch when connecting the people agenda primarily through technology, policies, and processes. This is where HRPB’s will continue to play a critical role provided they too display the ability to meta-morph. Today it may feel like that we (HRBP’s) are competing with these technologies for the right of, who will define who’s future but, when the dust settles, it will be evident, that their only role is to equip us better to navigate through workplace complexities and set us up of success rather than failure.