From Sci-Fi to Reality: The Race for Workplace Efficiency through Futuristic Tech

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In this issue:

• Chart of the Week
• AI in the Workplace: Transforming Industries and Entrepreneurship with Rachel Lyubovitzky
• Battle of The Bulge: How Fighting Fat Affects Your Employee Benefits
• From Sci-Fi to Reality: The Race for Workplace Efficiency through Futuristic Tech
• The Key to Recruitment Success? Soft Skills Matter Most
• An Interview to Remember

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Chart of the Week

The recent data has shown a loss of economic momentum, with declining job openings, tightening lending conditions and surveys indicating lower business spending and hiring plans. Chart by @JPMorganAM

Battle of The Bulge: How Fighting Fat Affects Your Employee Benefits

Join HR Influencer – Jim Stroud in his groundbreaking series, HR Reactions, as he reacts to public comments on work-related topics. In this episode, Jim dives into the urgent issue of how fighting fat is affecting employee benefits. Discover the struggles faced by employees desperately seeking weight-loss treatments that their employer-provided health plans refuse to cover. Hear their compelling stories and witness the impact this has on their lives and well-being. Get ready for eye-opening insights, real opinions from different camps, and thought-provoking discussions. Don’t miss this engaging and informative episode that sheds light on the untold side of employee benefits. Tune in now and be part of the conversation!

This video brought to you by:?ClickUp – the future of work and collaboration . Get ClickUp for?free— no credit card needed!

AI in the Workplace: Transforming Industries and Entrepreneurship with Rachel Lyubovitzky

Join us in an insightful conversation with Rachel Lyubovitzky, a trailblazing entrepreneur and AI enthusiast, as she shares her expertise and experiences in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to shape the modern workplace. As the CEO, co-founder, and Chairwoman of Setuply, and with a remarkable track record of successful exits, Rachel brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. In this captivating episode, Rachel delves into the impact of AI on the workplace and unveils specific real-world examples that have revolutionized industries. From client onboarding to fostering innovation and diversity, Rachel explores the potential benefits and challenges of integrating AI, while highlighting the ethical considerations surrounding its use. Don’t miss this thought-provoking conversation that explores how AI is transforming traditional job roles, disrupting industries, and offering exciting opportunities. Discover what it takes to navigate the evolving landscape of AI and gain insights into the skill sets and areas of focus that will be crucial for individuals as AI continues to advance. The future of AI in the workplace awaits—join us on this exciting journey of exploration and unlock the limitless potential it holds.

From Sci-Fi to Reality:The Race for Workplace Efficiency through Futuristic Tech

Just the other day I was laying on my couch and generally ignoring the world. Its not often I get to kickback and do nothing, but Father’s Day gave me the opportunity and I was not squandering it. My DVR and multiple streaming services were ready and set to keep me company. My agenda was pretty much set, eat, sleep and repeat as necessary. Eventually, I caught up on all the Disney+ Marvel shows, Dr. Who episodes and a classic Bruce Lee DVD that I picked up in a garage sale a few years back. (It’s good to have goals.)

With nothing else to do, I decided to channel surf for new adventures. To my surprise, I stumbled across a new channel on my satellite listings –?HR TV, a station devoted solely to content of interest to Human Resources professionals. Imagine my shock! In progress was a show called “HR News” and its topic was “The New Normal.” I watched as they discussed?a new report on ? Neurotechnology ?from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”). (FYI, Neurotechnology is technology used to monitor neurodata, the information coming directly from the brain and nervous system.) In the report, the ICO warned that “that newly emerging neurotechnologies risk discriminating against people if those groups are not put at the heart of their development” and it predicted that the use of such technologies would become “widespread over the next decade.” The reporter went on to say that neurotech devices could?give employers access to incidental information ?that can be used to discriminate against employees, such as information about early cognitive decline.

I was glued to the screen when they delved further into neurotech devices and how they could be used in the workplace to do things like:

• Monitoring fatigue ?to ensure?employee safety ?and productivity.
• Tracking attention ?to boost productivity.
• Enhancing safety by detecting?when workers are losing focus .
• Decreasing stress by creating a more responsive working environment.
• Extracting productivity-enhancing?data from workers’ brains .
• Giving workers?superhuman ?abilities.
• Bringing a?brain-tracking wearable to office workers , including those working remotely.
• Enabling commercial devices, like phones,?powered by mind control .
• Analyzing and influencing the human nervous system , especially the brain.

As fascinating as the news reports were, I still managed to fall asleep on the couch; which typically happens when I watch TV there.?I started dreaming?but as I think of it now, I think my subconscious mind was still following the reports on TV. I kept reflecting on how companies have been relentlessly pursuing workplace efficiency via technology for decades. In a surreal way, I was traveling back in time.

2017

• Employees at Three Square Market, a technology company in Wisconsin,?can choose to have a chip the size of a grain of rice injected between their thumb and index finger . Once that is done, any task involving RFID technology — swiping into the office building, paying for food in the cafeteria — can be accomplished with a wave of the hand. No need to carry a keycard anymore or press in a code. Microchips in your hand is more efficient.

2016

• When companies were?buying their employees fitbits in order to encourage a healthy lifestyle . The end goal being to boost employee productivity and save money on health insurance costs. Another point for workplace efficiency.

2013

• Some companies were using?technology in keycards to monitor employees in real time so that they could measure productivity . The sensors they used identified a person’s tone of voice, movement and even their posture when communicating with others. Why? So they could study the chemistry behind what makes certain workspaces like Google great at building teams. #Efficiency

2001

• Back then?hospitals had a tracking system attached to name tags ?so that management could see where their staff was, how much time was spent in each location and who they were with (i.e. multiple employees in a patients room providing care vs in the lounge) #Efficiency

And then I woke up on my living room floor because when I dream about HR technology, I toss and turn a lot. You would be surprised by how often that happens to me. In any regard, as I adjusted to the light, I could not help but ponder all the news reports I watched and the flashbacks in my dream. No doubt there will be new tools and processes invented with the claim that they will make companies more efficient. Some of the tools will deserve the hype (ChatGPT, for example) while others will cause discord among the rank and file. How can these future companies and the leaders that will manage these technologies, make these tools acceptable for all concerned??A few ideas come to mind.

• Have employees opt-in to the new efficiency technology. Do not force them to comply or punish them if they opt-out; especially if they have privacy concerns. That could really backfire against you in terms of your Employer Brand.
• Clearly specify what data is collected when using these efficiency tools and narrowly define its use. This is most concerning when you are microchipping workers. For that matter, when possible, anonymize and aggregate the data for the sake of managers tempted to snoop on workers. You may want to limit who has access to the general data.
• Employees should always have access to the personal data being collected on them from the next efficiency tool. The tool could be fallible in its data collection and thereby harm the work reputation of the employee. Said employee should have the chance to defend themselves as such tools could hamper their work performance review.
• Put a time limit on how long the data can be stored and delete it after a predetermined time.
• Most importantly, use data to inform your decisions but, do not forsake human judgement. No machine, no matter how well built is perfect.

Anyways, if you have Satellite TV or Cable TV, it may be worth your while to check out?HR TV. It is amazing the kind of information you will find there. If it’s not available in your area, sorry for your luck. If you do find it in your TV menu, I suggest the following shows:

• The Real Recruiters of Atlanta
• Dancing with the HR Stars
• Friends with Benefits and Compensation
• Boolean Bandits
• The Walking Dead Hiring Managers

All quality shows worth a weekend binge.

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The Key to Recruitment Success? Soft Skills Matter Most

Technological advancements make for popular headlines, but the secret to hiring success are candidates with excellent soft skills. These invaluable qualities are increasingly important for companies seeking new talent. If you are a recruiter who is eager to improve your hiring success rate, here are some things you need to know.

Soft Skills > Tech Skills

• Employers rank soft skills higher than technical skills ?when hiring new employees.
• Companies are focusing on?upskilling workers ?to address the social and emotional skills that are in high demand
• Research studies have concluded that?85% of job success comes from having well-developed soft and people skills , and only 15% of job success comes from technical skills and knowledge.
• Employees with strong soft skills are?more likely to be productive, engaged, and collaborative , leading to better overall organizational performance

Once you understand how important soft skills are, the next question is:?How can we evaluate these skills when hiring someone??Here are some simple suggestions to help you assess soft skills during the hiring process.

• Give candidates an opportunity to work with the team. This is?the most accurate way of assessing soft skills.
• Develop interview questions that allow you to extract the information you need.?Employers often use skills assessments ?― for both hard and soft skills ― to gauge the cumulative abilities and skill sets of current employees. These tests can also help you measure whether a candidate has the attributes to perform the job successfully.
• Administer pre-employment personality tests . Options for soft skills evaluation range from the formal, like personality tests, to informal directed questions in the interview setting.
• Observe how candidates interact with others during the interview process . This can include how they greet the receptionist, how they interact with other interviewees, and how they respond to unexpected situations.
• Ask behavioral questions ?that require candidates to describe how they handled specific situations in the past. This can help you assess their problem-solving, communication, and conflict resolution skills.

As recruiters, it’s crucial for us to recognize the increasing importance of soft skills in the hiring process and adapt our assessment methods accordingly. Behavioral interviews, personality assessments, and group exercises are effective tools we can employ to evaluate candidates’ communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities. By incorporating these techniques, we can make informed decisions and select individuals who possess the ideal combination of hard and soft skills, ensuring the best fit for the role and the organization.

An Interview to Remember

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• Will Your Job Survive the AI Revolution?

One last thing…

Subscribe now to get my newsletter in your email ?each week! In addition to what you see here, there is even more content that is designed by AI to fit your specific tastes.?Sign up now ?and see for yourself.

Until next time, see you in the funny papers.

Jim Stroud

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