It's no secret that technology and digital have now invaded every aspect of our lives. This is with computers and the internet of course, but even more with all the connected objects that punctuate our daily lives (robot lawnmowers, watches and connected speakers, connected thermostats, etc.). But what about the impact of digital on Human Resources?

The influence of digital on recruitment

Forcibly and in a very logical way, 'digital' changes work practices.

  • Now we are moving towards more and more collaborative work. There has been an end to highly hierarchical structures where everyone works in their own corner to accomplish the task to which they have been entrusted. It is now a question of everyone collaborating, especially via communication platforms and online project monitoring that facilitate exchanges and allow creativity and performance to be optimised.
     
  • One of the great advantages of digital for all companies that want to make it a strength is the large volume of data that can be harvested. This is valuable because it provides these companies with important information about their customers and prospects, and also about themselves. However, this advantage conceals a defect: the sometimes too great an amount of data to be analysed and the need to find a really organised person who can deal with it quickly and efficiently.
     
  • Finally, digital is also the source of a new way of perceiving work in itself. Now, companies value "value-added tasks" more, i.e. those that are more strategic. The collected data makes it possible to anticipate events and be more proactive.

But how do these new practices influence our way of recruiting? In this changing world of work, and knowing that studies believe that 60% of today's youth will be in jobs that do not yet exist, HR must open up to new profiles, different from the more traditional ones. It is no longer a matter of hiring people based on the skills they have already acquired, but rather for their willingness and ability to learn and progress. So the skills that really become essential are things like languages, entrepreneurship and teamwork.

This obviously requires a new way of teaching but also of recruiting. It is now necessary to focus on attitude and soft skills since we do not yet know what the jobs of tomorrow are. In the same way, we have to identify people who are reluctant to change and who are still relying on the skills they have already acquired.

Work is changing but workers are too

If work practices change, workers have to too. Indeed. Time flies and generation Z, the one born and raised with digital, is gradually coming to the job market. Their relationship with technology is obviously very different from other generations: these young people are hyperconnected, and are probably the ones who best master all the subtleties of digital. And obviously HR has to take this into account. Why? Because:

  • Their view of work is different from that of previous generations. Nowadays, employment, job security and salary are earned. So, work is no longer an end in itself. Today’s young people are not worried about leaving a position that does not suit them or that they do not like. There are indeed many of them who multiply their experiences in various companies. What they are looking for above all is a fulfilling job they will take pleasure in and where they can make the most of themselves.
     
  • Also, their way of working is different. Just in the way they communicate, at work or at home, their behaviour is different. They don't send letters or make phone calls. They work more with social networks or instant messaging like WhatsApp.
     
  • They are far more entrepreneurial than our grandparents and parents, which means we have to nurture their desire to be a player within the company. Rather than entrusting them with assigned tasks that they have to follow without asking questions, they must be allowed to go further, by participating in the development of the company.
Written by: Protime
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