SHRM观点:2018年HR必须关注的6个HRTech的发展趋势AI, bots and digital twins will shape the year.
Aliah D. Wright
2018年,随着人工智能(AI),机器人,预测软件和增强现实技术的重塑,物理和数字世界将继续融合。
首先接受人工智能将塑造组织环境,特别是智能系统学会适应用户的需求。“我们不再需要学习这些软件,”位于北卡罗来纳州Raleigh的技术公司WalkMe的总裁兼联合创始人Rephael Sweary说道,“AI已经在更多地了解我们的个人角色,行为和行动,以个性化我们使用人力资源和其他商业软件。“
根据研究公司Gartner发布的2018年度十大战略技术趋势, 企业平台也将发展为提供更自然和沉浸式的互动。
Sweary说,这样的进步将使人力资源专业人员能够显着减少学习和开发预算和资源,因为采用了可以根据情况指导人们如何使用任何系统的技术。
据Gartner称,2018年影响人力资源最多的六大趋势将是:
1.区块链。这项技术对于希望更有效地验证候选人的招聘人员具有希望,并且对于想要使其组织的全球薪酬流程成本更低且更及时的薪资管理者而言。区块链使用加密的公共记录的数字分类账,将公共记录结构化为称为区块的数据集群,并分散在网络中。这是一个功能强大的工具,用户可以找到可靠且易于浏览的工具 专家预测,HR将在未来18-24个月内开始使用区块链。
2. AI基础。据Gartner报道,制造自主学习,适应和行动的系统至少将成为技术供应商的重点。人工智能将用于改善决策制定,重塑工作流程并改善客户体验。它将推动到2025年数字商业计划的投资回报。
3.智能应用和分析。公司正在使用AI实践来制作新的应用类别,例如虚拟客户助理和机器人,以提高员工绩效,销售和营销分析以及安全性。智能应用有可能改变工作的性质和工作场所的结构。Gartner表示:“在构建或购买人工智能应用程序时,请考虑其影响将在如何完成,分析或改善用户体验的过程中发挥作用。”
4.物联网(IoT)。人工智能正在推动“智能”物品的进步,例如自动驾驶汽车,机器人和无人机。它还增强了许多现有产品,包括物联网(IoT)连接的消费和工业系统。例如,在某些时候,人力资源专业人员需要雇用可以操作无人机,监视无人机安全并遵守FAA规定的人员。
5.数字双胞胎。此工具是真实世界实体或系统的数字表示。来自多个数字双胞胎的数据可以汇总为真实世界实体的综合视图。例如,未来的人类模型可以提供生物识别和医疗数据,而数字双胞胎将允许进行高级模拟,报告解释道。数字双胞胎在物联网项目的背景下可以通过帮助用户响应变化,改进运营和提高性能,显着改善企业决策。
6.会话平台。想想Alexa或Siri。在人力资源部门内部,这些计划可以通过让员工与团队成员“交谈”来改善员工的自助服务。这些工具将推动人类与数字世界交互方式的下一个大范式转变。随着技术的成熟,“极其复杂的要求将成为可能,结果会非常复杂,”该报告指出。
准备就绪,设置,实施
人力资源领导者如何应对这些技术进步?Gartner分析师建议他们:
使用AI设计业务场景以通知新业务设计。
通过会话平台和增强现实创造更自然和身临其境的用户体验。
通过开发有针对性的高价值业务案例并确定优先次序来支持物联网举措,以构建数字双胞胎并协同开发云计算和边缘计算。
采用基于风险和信任的不断调整的安全和风险战略方法。
如果你不把这些技术趋势归因于你的创新战略,你就有可能失败。“包括数据科学家,开发人员和业务流程负责人在内的多个选区需要协同工作,”副总裁兼Gartner研究员David Cearley说。
Sweary预测,2018年将是人力资源的一个分水岭年,因为节省时间的技术将释放人力资源团队作为其组织内的战略顾问。
“数字化转型始于对员工的理解,HR将在调整公司文化,人才,结构和流程方面发挥关键作用,确保企业选择合适的工具来提供最佳员工数字体验。”
一个美丽的新世界
当Gartner公司的分析师凝视他们的水晶球时,他们看到了未来的情况:
到2019年
大多数领先的数字资产和产品信息管理系统将实施功能,允许品牌自动公开标签和元数据以改善语音和视觉搜索结果。
所有主要公司和零售商中有一半将重新设计其在线网站以适应语音搜索和语音导航。招聘委员会和招聘人员可以效仿。人才搜索引擎已经开始使用工具来帮助招聘人员找到并联系候选人或特定角色,方法是允许他们提出基于语音的搜索查询。
到2020年
人工智能创造的假冒内容将超过AI检测它的能力,这可能加剧不信任和错误信息的扩散。
到2021年
铁道部企业电子超过50%会花更多的每年创造的机器人和聊天机器人比传统的移动应用程序开发。
大多数 稳定经济体的人们会消费比真实内容更多的虚假信息。
到2022年
物联网(IoT)的所有安全预算中有一半将针对“故障修复,召回和安全故障”,而不是保护。
来源: 2018年前十大技术趋势 (Gartner Inc.)。
以上由AI翻译完成,仅供你参考。HRTechChina倾情奉献,转载请注明HRTechChina
Aliah D. Wright是SHRM的前任编辑,现在负责管理SHRM Speakers Bureau。
人力资源杂志Stephan Schmitz的插图。
n 2018, the physical and digital worlds will continue to merge, as the workplace is reshaped by artificial intelligence (AI), bots, predictive software and augmented reality.
Start by accepting that AI will mold the organizational landscape, especially as intelligent systems learn to adapt to users' needs. "We'll no longer need to learn the software," says Rephael Sweary, president and co-founder of WalkMe, a technology company based in Raleigh, N.C. "AI is already learning more about our individual roles, behaviors and actions to personalize how we use HR and other business software."
Enterprise platforms will also evolve to provide more natural and immersive interactions, according to the Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2018 report from the research firm Gartner.
Such advancements will allow HR professionals to significantly reduce learning and development budgets and resources, as technologies are adopted that can contextually guide people on how to use any system, Sweary says.
The six trends that will affect HR the most in 2018, according to Gartner, will be:
1. Blockchain. This technology holds promise for recruiters hoping to verify candidates more efficiently, and for payroll managers who want to make their organization's global compensation process less costly and more timely. Blockchain uses an encrypted, digital ledger of public records structured into clusters of data called blocks and dispersed over networks. It is a powerful tool that users find reliable and easy to navigate. Experts predict HR will begin using blockchain within the next 18-24 months.
2. AI foundation. Making systems that learn, adapt and act autonomously will be a major focus for technology vendors through at least 2020, Gartner reports. AI will be used to improve decision-making, reinvent work processes and revamp the customer experience. It will drive the return on investment for digital business plans through 2025.
3. Intelligent apps and analytics. Companies are using AI practices to make new app categories, such as virtual customer assistants and bots to improve employee performance, sales and marketing analysis and security. Intelligent apps have the potential to change the nature of work and the structure of the workplace. "When building or buying an AI-powered app, consider where its impact will be in the process of how things get done, analysis, or to improve a users' experience," according to Gartner.
4. Internet of Things (IoT). AI is driving advances for "smart" items such as autonomous vehicles, robots and drones. It is also enhancing many existing products, including Internet-of-things (IoT)-connected consumer and industrial systems. At some point, for instance, HR professionals will need to hire individuals who can operate drones, monitor drone safety and comply with FAA regulations.
5. Digital twins. This tool is a digital representation of a real-world entity or system. Data from multiple digital twins can be aggregated for a composite view across real-world entities. For example, future models of humans could offer biometric and medical data, and digital twins will allow for advanced simulations, the report explains. Digital twins in the context of IoT projects could significantly improve enterprise decision-making by helping users respond to changes, improving operations and enhancing performance.
6. Conversational platforms. Think Alexa or Siri. Within HR, such programs could be applied to improve employee self-service by enabling employees to "talk" to members of your team. These tools will drive the next big paradigm shift in how humans interact with the digital world. As the technology matures, "extremely complex requests will be possible, resulting in highly complex results," the report states.
Ready, Set, Implement
How can HR leaders respond to these technological advancements? Gartner analysts recommend they:
Devise business scenarios using AI to inform new business designs.
Create a more natural and immersive user experience with conversational platforms and augmented reality.
Support IoT initiatives by developing and prioritizing targeted, high-value business cases to build digital twins and exploit cloud and edge computing synergistically.
Adopt a strategic approach to security and risk that continuously adapts based on risk and trust.
If you don't factor these technology trends into your innovation strategies, you risk losing ground. "Multiple constituencies, including data scientists, developers and business process owners, will need to work together," says David Cearley, vice president and Gartner Fellow.
2018 will be a watershed year for HR, Sweary predicts, because time-saving technology will free up HR teams to serve as strategic advisors within their organizations.
"Digital transformation starts with understanding your employees. HR will play a pivotal role in aligning company culture, talent, structure and processes to make sure that businesses select the right tools for delivering the best employee digital experience."
A Brave New World
When analysts at Gartner Inc. gaze into their crystal ball, here's what they see ahead:
By 2019
Most leading digital asset and product information management systems will implement features that allow brands to automatically expose tags and metadata to improve voice and visual search results.
Half of all major companies and retailers will redesign their online sites to accommodate voice searches and voice navigation. Job boards and recruiters may follow suit. Talent search engines are already working on tools to help recruiters find and contact candidates or specific roles by allowing them to pose voice-based search queries.
By 2020
AI-driven creation of fake content will outpace AI's ability to detect it, which could fuel distrust and the proliferation of misinformation.
By 2021
More than 50 percent of companies will spend more per year creating bots and chatbots than on traditional mobile app development.
Most people in stable economies will consume more false information than true content.
By 2022
Half of all security budgets for the Internet of Things (IoT) will be directed toward "fault remediation, recalls and safety failures," rather than protection.
Source: Top 10 Technology Trends for 2018 (Gartner Inc.).
为什么区块链招聘可能是未来的人力资源趋势Why blockchain for recruitment might be a future HR trend
区块链能否验证事实和交易?能否提高招聘效率和人力资源领导者的其他关注领域的效率?我们看看。
by Pam Baker
在人力资源和招聘工作中,有时候会觉得自己在玩弄两个事实和一个谎言 - 不知道谁在玩什么或什么时候玩。如果我们现在玩游戏,它会看起来像这样:区块链是确保准确性的突破。(真相)一些人认为区块链是未来人力资源重要趋势。(真相)。使用HR区块链的细节全部解决。(谎言。)
事实上,尽管在招聘和其他人力资源流程中使用区块链的承诺确实存在,但现实充满了复杂性。这里看看两者。
作为人力资源趋势的雷达上的区块链
区块链是由一系列经过验证的事实组成的分布式共享数字分类帐。这些事实可以是从金钱到信息的任何事物。作为记录保存的数字系统的一部分,每笔交易及其细节都经过验证,然后通过计算机网络进行记录。每个有权访问分布式分类账的人都会收到这些信息,并且各方在块之间被复制,共享和实体之间同步之前达成一致。区块链几乎不可能被篡改,因为每个信息块都会引用它之前的区块。
在这个信任既难以捉摸又高昂的时代,区块链的吸引力正在飙升,因为它提供了一种确认,验证和验证价值和事件的方式。这就是为什么多个垂直行业(如银行业,制造业和保险业)和多个业务横向行业(诸如会计,履行,供应链和运输等部门)被吸引到并且非常兴奋的地方 - 在他们的工作中使用区块链。
为什么区块链吸引人力资源专业人士
“很容易看出,如何能够确保个人教育或工作经历的细节 - 以及可能更多的个人事实 - 是不可改变的,这对人力资源部门来说非常有吸引力,”Carol Van Cleef说,与律师事务所Baker&Hostetler合作,经常就金融科技问题向客户提供建议,包括区块链。
她说:“假设原始输入是准确的,重复验证相同信息的成本可能会显着降低,对结果的信心增加。”
鉴于近期工作性质发生了变化,这不是一项小任务 - 或者是小额费用。
企业软件供应商Workday的学习产品战略主管James Cross说:“十年前,求职者可能拥有一所或两所大学的学位,并明确定义了两三位以前雇主的长期职位。提供基于云计算的人力资本管理和金融云应用程序。“即便如此,验证员工的经验和教育费时费钱,通常在招聘流程结束时以及通过外包背景调查提供商进行,”他说。
Cross指出,在当今的商业环境中,招聘与过去截然不同。“一位候选人可能会有比以前更多的工作和更多样化的职业,个人和学习经历,”他说。
美国劳工统计局的调查结果证实了这一点。2016年,25至34岁的千年工人的平均工作年限为2。8年。这很重要。根据皮尤研究中心的资料,千禧一代现在是劳动力中最大的一代。教育也发生了巨大变化,现在更难追踪和验证。
“候选人可能曾为一家经营人才市场的雇主工作,或者已经完成了几次轮岗'职责之旅' - 一路获得技能,知识和反馈,”克罗斯说。“他们也可能已经完成了按需在线培训,并获得了徽章或数字凭证,甚至可能为多家雇主开展了'演出'。”
这只是为了初学者。考虑到人力资源是一项数据密集型功能,区块链可以在部门范围内拥有更多的应用程序。
Baker&Hostetler的Van Cleef在区块链上提供了一些关于人力资源趋势的警告。她说:“我们在建立区块链技术和这个术语涉及的所有领域都处于非常早期的阶段。“对于像HR这样的数据密集型功能来说,潜力可能并不是真正的无限,但实际用途将会非常多。”
教育验证可能是人力资源首次使用区块链
由于人员及其背景可能如此复杂,因此在招聘过程中使用区块链有一些棘手的因素。要让区块链技术成为一份坚实的履历或无可置疑的就业历史,谁在每个区块贡献和验证数据是关键。在某些用途中,如教育验证,这些问题的答案相对简单。非常如此,一些大学已经为他们的学生提供了这些数据块。这不仅是您在那里找到的成绩和学位。
“在区块链的世界里,成绩单是防篡改的,基本上是由发行机构签署的,我们已经为卡尔加里大学的学生做了这个,允许他们在他们的”cocurricular record“上放上志愿者职位,然后我们“卡尔加里大学计算机科学教授,以及上周在旧金山举行的RSA 2017区块链非金融应用的发言人Thomas P. Keenan解释说。
工作时间,达到目标以及由此产生的工资和奖金都是雇主和员工的有用记录,获得的奖金记录对未来的就业机会也是有利的。
机构之间共享教育数据也很简单。
“另一个很大的优势是降低成本,”基南说。他说:“我们花时间检查来自国外大学和大学本身的申请人的证书。用于验证机构的区块链注册将大大消除这一繁重的任务。”
然而,人力资源专业人士可能希望以区块链形式提供这些信息,以打击欺诈行为,从而降低验证流程的成本。
Keenan说:“虽然大学成绩单通常具有较高的认证水平,但我可以告诉你,我们已经看到一些完全虚假的成绩单,在遥远的国家被编造出来并被认为是真实的。”
事实上,欺诈性教育索赔在外包时期猖獗,并且仍然对在多个国家运营的公司构成问题,因为这些公司有时难以跨地域同步信息,并且将学位与学位的差异等同起来。
区块链可能有助于建立此信息,然后为将来可能需要此信息的公司保留该信息。此外,区块链有可能追踪员工从工作到工作,并为员工提供快速可靠的手段,以提供教育证书并快速聘用。
记录工作历史中的问题
验证教育是一回事,记录就业历史的细微差别是另一回事。
“虽然你可以对特定事情进行核查,例如申请人是否拥有学位,但是很难有独立咨询或合同工作经验的明确公式,或者在工作时可以清楚地了解职位的头衔是什么意思即使它们属于同一行业,甚至在不同业务中也会有所不同,“Saba Software Inc.产品和合作伙伴市场营销高级总监Paul Ardoin表示,该公司生产依赖机器学习的基于云的人才管理应用程序。
验证历史数据也会遇到问题。
Ardoin解释说:“公司或教育机构在收购中失业或被吞并,可能根本没有这些信息,或者它可能是一个挑战,找到合适的人。” 如果我们试图以追溯的方式记录职业道路,“这将会导致人力资源部门和他们尝试招聘的人们头痛数十年,”他说。
简而言之,这表明从现在起为就业目的构建区块链比回溯并建立完整的过去记录更实际。反过来,对于许多员工来说,区块链只会是部分就业纪录。
另一个棘手问题是应用程序跟踪系统的广泛使用,或者更具体地说,人力资源依靠关键字对申请人进行分类。尽管自动化对人力资源有帮助,但对于申请人来说,这往往是一个障碍,他们随后写出多个版本的简历来触发各种工作中的特定关键字搜索。在当前的区块链概念中,申请人不太可能这样做,而招聘公司可能错过伟大的人才。
HR使用区块链与法律,隐私问题
SAP公司人力资源副总裁Bianca McCann表示:“当然,这种[长期员工记录保存]可以在法律和数据隐私的背景下加以考虑。
例如,现在有些地方向候选人询问过去的工资或当前的年龄是违法的。但是,这些信息可以存储在区块链中,根据就业相关用途的发展情况以及围绕隐私的概念如何发展,求职者的私人信息可能会在未经他人许可的情况下被访问。这引发了许多问题。例如,如果招聘组织在区块链中查看某些信息,是否承担法律风险?或者,潜在雇主是否可以访问这些信息,对不想放任它的员工构成真正的风险?
另一方面,区块链在招聘过程中成为人力资源趋势在某些情况下可能是双赢的。
“在需要确保正常工作许可并促进海外安全支付的国际招聘方案中,区块链的可信安全可以帮助雇主和员工,”技术和管理Keyrus的首席顾问Hannah Curtis说。该公司最近发布了区块链连接器。
工作时间,达到目标以及由此产生的工资和奖金都是雇主和员工的有用记录,获得的奖金记录对未来的就业机会也是有利的。
“在候选人被聘用后,区块链智能合约可能会对员工的工资,福利和退休计划产生影响,例如,在另一个事件(例如根据达到既定目标收到奖金)的情况下,编码并通过智能合约自动触发,“柯蒂斯说。
智能合约 - 帮助促进和管理数字流转移的计算机协议是资产 - 存储在区块链中。
她说:“这对自由职业者和承包商职位来说特别有用,因为智能合约可以确保只为完成的工作付款。”
区块链作为人力资源趋势开始显而易见
虽然大多数专家都认为区块链将在某些时候被人力资源部门用于招聘和管理目的,但这还不是一种常见的甚至趋势的做法。还有很多细节需要解决。
“与财务应用程序不同,招聘,简历或工作经历没有任何目前可信的历史情景,”Saba Software的Ardoin说。
这意味着人力资源使用区块链技术可能仅限于验证和记录教育和培训 - 至少,起初是如此。
Ardoin说:“ 黑白分布式分类账方法在跟踪公司和非正式学习和培训时仍然是一个有用的模型。“我们已经在Learning Record Stores(一种数字教育资料库)中看到了这种功能,同样存在一些挑战 - 例如支持新类型的内容,并确保非正式学习得到适当的评估 - 但是实施区块链学习应用程序比处理简历和作业历史记录的细微差别要简单得多。
以上由AI翻译完成,仅供参考。HRTechChina呈现
Working in HR and recruitment can sometimes feel like playing a game of two truths and a lie -- without knowing who's playing or when. If we were playing the game now, it would look something like this: Blockchain is a breakthrough in ensuring accuracy. (Truth.) Some see blockchain as an important future HR trend. (Truth.) The details of using blockchain for HR are all resolved. (Lie.)
Indeed, while the promise of using blockchain for recruitment and other HR processes does exist, the reality is filled with complexities. Here's a look at both.
Blockchain on the radar as an HR trend
A blockchain is a distributed, shared digital ledger made up of a trail of validated facts. These facts can be anything from money to information. As part of this digital system of record keeping, each transaction and its details are validated and then recorded across a network of computers. Everyone who has access to the distributed ledger receives this information, and the parties agree on the accuracy before the block is replicated, shared and synchronized among the entities. A blockchain is virtually impossible to tamper with since each block of information references the block before it.
In an age when trust is both elusive and held at a high premium, blockchain's appeal is soaring since it presents a way to confirm, validate and authenticate both values and events. This is why multiple verticals (such as banking, manufacturing and insurance) and multiple business horizontals (departments such as accounting, fulfillment, supply chain and shipping) are drawn to -- and very excited about -- using blockchain in their work.
Why blockchain appeals to HR professionals
"It is easy to see how the idea of being able to ensure [that] the details of one's educational or work experience -- and potentially more personal facts -- are immutable could be very attractive to HR offices," said Carol Van Cleef, partner with law firm Baker & Hostetler, which regularly advises clients on fintech issues, including blockchain.
"Costs associated with repetitive verifications of the same information could be reduced significantly and confidence in the results increased, assuming the original input was accurate," she said.
That's no small task -- or small expense -- given how much the nature of work has changed recently.
"Ten years ago, a job candidate may have had a degree from one or two universities and clearly defined long-term roles with two or three previous employers," said James Cross, director of learning product strategy at Workday, an enterprise software vendor that offers cloud-based human capital management and financial cloud-based applications. "Even then, verifying an employee's experience and education was time-consuming and expensive, typically happening right at the end of the hiring process and through an outsourced background check provider," he said.
Cross points out that in today's business landscape, recruitment is quite different than in the past. "A candidate is likely to have had more jobs and a more diverse tapestry of career, personal and learning experiences than previously," he said.
Findings from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics bear this out. In 2016, the average job tenure for millennial workers ages 25 to 34 was 2.8 years. This is significant. According to Pew Research Center, millennials now make up the largest generation in the labor force. Education, too, has changed drastically and now is much harder to track and validate.
"Candidates may have worked for an employer that operates a talent marketplace or have completed several rotational 'tours of duty' -- gaining skills, knowledge and feedback along the way," Cross said. "They may also have completed on-demand online training, and been awarded badges or digital credentials. And they may even have worked 'gigs' for several employers."
And that's just for starters. Considering HR is a data-intensive function, blockchain could have many more applications within the department's scope.
Baker & Hostetler's Van Cleef offers some caveats on blockchain as fledgling HR trend. "We are at a very early stage in the build-out of blockchain technology and all that the term involves," she said. "For data-heavy functions like HR, the potential may not be truly unlimited, but practical uses will be numerous."
Education verification likely the first blockchain use for HR
Because people and their backgrounds can be so complicated, using blockchain in the recruitment process has some tricky elements. For blockchain technology to work as a solid resume or unquestionable employment history, the question of who contributes and who verifies the data in each block is key. In some uses, such as education verification, the answers to those questions are relatively straightforward. So much so, that some universities are already providing these data blocks for their students. And it isn't only grades and degrees you'll find there.
"In a blockchain world, the transcripts would be tamperproof and, basically, signed by the issuing institution. We already do this for our students at the University of Calgary by allowing them to put volunteer positions on their 'cocurricular record,' which we then certify for them," explained Thomas P. Keenan, M.A., professor of Computer Science at the University of Calgary and a presenter on nonfinancial uses of the blockchain at RSA 2017 in San Francisco last week.
Time worked, goals met, and resulting pay and bonuses due and paid are useful records for both the employer and the employee, and a record of earned bonuses could be a plus for future employment opportunities, too.
The sharing of education data between institutions is potentially straightforward, too.
"Another great advantage will be cost reduction," Keenan said. "We spend time checking the credentials of applicants from foreign universities, and the universities themselves. A blockchain registry to validate institutions would go a long way to eliminating this onerous task," he said.
HR professionals, however, are likely to want this information in blockchain form as much to combat fraud as to cut costs in the verification process.
"While college transcripts usually carry a high level of authentication, I can tell you that we have seen some totally bogus ones, fabricated in faraway countries and submitted as authentic," said Keenan.
Indeed, fraudulent education claims were rampant at the height of outsourcing and still pose problems for companies operating in multiple countries where it is sometimes difficult to sync information across geographies and to equate differences in degrees and schools.
Blockchains could be helpful in establishing this information and then preserving it for companies that may need this information in the future. In addition, a blockchain has the potential to follow an employee from job to job and provide a fast and reliable means for that employee to present education credentials and get hired quicker.
Problems in documenting work history
Verifying education is one thing, documenting the nuances of employment history is quite another.
"While you can check off boxes on specific things like if the applicant has a degree, it's harder to have a definite formula for things like experience in independent consulting or a contract job, or a clear understanding of what titles for jobs mean when they can even vary from one business to another, even if it's the same industry," said Paul Ardoin, senior director of product and partner marketing at Saba Software Inc., which makes cloud-based talent management applications that rely on machine learning.
There are problems with validating historical data to contend with, as well.
"Companies or educational institutions that have gone out of business or been gobbled up in an acquisition may simply not have the information available, or it may be a challenge getting to the right person," explained Ardoin. If we attempt to document career paths retroactively, "it will cause headaches for decades for both HR departments and the people [who] they try to recruit," he said.
In short, this indicates that it is more practical to build blockchains for employment purposes from this point forward than it is to backtrack and build a complete past record. In turn, for many employees, a blockchain would only be a partial employment record.
Another thorny issue is the widespread use of applicant tracking systems, or more specifically, HR's reliance on keywords to sort applicants. While automation is helpful to HR, it's often an obstacle to applicants, who then resort to writing multiple versions of their resume to trigger specific keyword searches in various jobs. It would be unlikely that applicants could do that in the current conceptions of blockchain, and hiring companies may miss out on great talent.
HR's use of blockchain vs. legal, privacy issues
"Of course, this [long-term employee record keeping] would be something to consider in context of laws and data privacy," said Bianca McCann, vice president of HR at SAP.
Right now, for example, it's illegal in some places to ask a candidate their past wages or current age. But such information could be stored in a blockchain and, depending on how its employment-related use develops and how concepts of privacy surrounding that develop, the jobseeker's private information could potentially be accessed without his or her permission. This raises a number of questions. For example, if a hiring organization views certain information in a blockchain, is it taking a legal risk? Or, could a potential employer's access to this information pose a real risk to the employee who did not wish to indulge it?
On the other hand, blockchain becoming an HR trend in the hiring process could be win-win in certain scenarios.
"The trusted security of blockchain can additionally assist both employers and employees when it comes to international hiring scenarios where there is a need to ensure proper work permits and facilitate secure payments overseas," said Hannah Curtis, principal consultant at Keyrus, a technology and management firm that recently released blockchain connectors.
Time worked, goals met, and resulting pay and bonuses due and paid are useful records for both the employer and the employee, and a record of earned bonuses could be a plus for future employment opportunities, too.
"After candidates are hired, blockchain smart contracts could have an impact on employee wages, benefits and retirement packages, as well. As an example, any benefit contingent on another event, such as receiving a bonus based on hitting a set target goal, could be encoded and automatically triggered via a smart contract," said Curtis.
Smart contracts -- computer protocols that help to facilitate and manage the transfer of digital currents are assets -- are stored in a blockchain.
"This is particularly useful in the case of freelance and contractor positions where smart contracts could ensure payment only for completed work," she said.
"Unlike financial applications, recruiting, resumes or job histories don't have any current scenarios in which the history is currently trusted," said Saba Software's Ardoin.
What this means is that HR's use of blockchain technology will likely be confined to verifying and documenting education and training -- at least, at first.
"The black-and-white distributed ledger approach can still be a useful model when tracking corporate and informal learning and training," Ardoin said. "We're already seeing this kind of functionality within Learning Record Stores (a form of digital education repository). Again, there are challenges -- such as supporting a new type of content, and making sure that informal learning is properly valued --but the implementation of a blockchain for learning applications is much more straightforward than dealing with the nuances of resumes and job histories."