IoT APPLIED TO HR

IoT will most likely impact the business landscape just as profoundly as the cloud. Although not yet quite as robust in its offerings to HR, IoT is predicted to provide undeniable benefits and spur new, ingenious applications. IoT is like a digital nervous system of mobile devices (including wearables) and sensors that connect devices with each other and with people. Because of this network of connectivity, IoT can collect a lot of data. 

IoT is and will be increasingly more useful to HR departments. Mobile phones and tablets can serve as central hubs in IoT because they provide easy access to people and their preferences. HR incorporation of IoT allows managers to provide continuous performance management by gathering performance data through IoT and providing immediate feedback. Employees will someday use IoT to identify the availability of flex workspaces because through IoT vacant rooms will be shown as “available.” Attendance and location IoT trackers can monitor employee alertness on the job or provide time tracking to capture time and attendance data. IoT has endless, as yet untapped possibilities.

KSAs of Client-Centric Staff

HR staff must have the interpersonal skills needed to relate effectively to clients and the creativity skills to resolve problems when they occur (for example, conflicting goals among clients).

Manufacturing employees can be quite confident that each car on the assembly line will have essentially the same task requirements as every other car when it reaches their workstation. An assembly-line worker can also rely on the quality-control inspector to catch any errors before a car is shipped to a dealership. Not so in HR. HR staff must successfully perform their tasks with all types of clients who have all types of personalities — in the absence of a “quality inspector” to catch service mistakes before the client’s experience is completed.

HR staff must find and fix mistakes quickly, appropriately, and creatively when HR fails the client in some way. The nature and criticality of each client’s judgment of the quality of each service experience make it essential to assess an HR applicant’s attitude toward client-centric service before that person is hired.  

Spotting Talent for Service  

Former Chili’s Chairman Norman Brinker said, “Look for people who are smart. Remember, sinners can repent, but stupidity is forever.” At go!Mokulele Airlines in Hawaii, a receptionist was overheard telling a prospective employee on the phone, “You don’t need specific qualifications to work here. You just need to be customer-focused.” Among the best predictors of performance in any job are cognitive ability and three personality dimensions that are good indicators of a client-centered disposition:  

•» Conscientiousness: the extent to which a person is dependable and organized and perseveres on tasks 

•» Agreeableness: the degree to which a person is amiable, tolerant, honest, cooperative, and flexible 

•» Emotional stability: the degree to which a person is secure, calm, and independent and can work autonomously