Professor Sir Cary Cooper, 50th Anniversary Professor of Organizational Psychology & Health, ALLIANCE Manchester Business School, University of Manchester calls for HR to take the lead with IT.
Albert Einstein once wrote: “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction the world will have a generation of idiots.” This fear is now a reality, particularly with the introduction of AI. Decisions are being made, in almost every aspect of business, the public sector and the third sector, about the speedy introduction of these advanced technologies without, in many cases, considering the profound impact it will have on employees. Because AI and other recent technologies are moving at speed, decisions by senior managers are being taken without HR professionals having involved. HR is being told to implement the introduction of the technology in the ‘least disruptive’ way, to reconfigure the workforce strategy and to ensure the smooth transformation of change without considering the impact on the workforce in terms of transparent communications, job insecurity, staff retention, etc.
HR has to be at the top table when introducing the technologies of the future, if they want to avoid ‘regrettable turnover’ of key staff, the resistance to the change, stress-related sickness absence, ‘quiet quitting’, a drop in productivity and a negative brand in talent attraction. It is important for HR to be more assertive with senior management about the importance of their involvement in technological change, rather than accept the decisions reached without their input. The successful introduction of technological change can enhance employee health and wellbeing, increase productivity and attract future talent, but HR professionals must advocate for a greater voice in these managerial decisions. As Mark Twain once wrote: “If you aways do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got”.
