Study Shows Several HR Roles Could be Replaced by Technology in the Next 3 to 5 Years

Once, when someone asked you to imagine the future, you’d probably have thought of flying cars, holographic projections walking around, or maybe even robots helping you to scoop cai png dishes into your plate.

Technological advancements are usually seen as the forefront of transformation and the future, especially with new online services coming into play thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just like our current future saw Hai Di Lao lessening their need for waiters thanks to their robotic servers, jobs that require mainly human processes could very well be taken over by technology too – even human resources (HR).

HR = Human Robots?

The Ministry of Manpower and the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) and advisory, broking and solutions firm Willis Towers Watson conducted a study analysing several HR roles and the impact technology would have on them.

Interestingly, it was found that some of these roles might be at risk of being replaced by technology, with 24 out of the 27 roles eventually being impacted by technology at various levels in the next three to five years.

At risk of being completely replaced and the most severely affected are eight of the studied HR roles, which are lower level positions in the talent management, performance and rewards, as well as organisation development areas.

These roles are actually administrative in nature and can easily be taken over and automated by robotic process automation, machine learning and social robotics, fields that have seen advancement.

The other 16 roles are of higher level positions at the manager and head levels. While these will not be at risk of replacement, they will be augmented by technology and require data analytical skills.

On the other hand, people in positions such as head of talent management, HR business partner and manager of organisation development might get to keep their rice bowl for these three jobs will have minimal impact from automation.

New Roles Will Be Created

Newton’s third law states that with every force, there is an equal and opposite reaction – with the loss of some jobs to technology, spaces have opened up for new roles as well.

Highly specialised roles such as an HR data analyst will be created with the advancement of automation and technology, with people analytics being a key skill across all HR roles instead of a specialised position in the long term, stated the report.

Currently, more than 90% of the 48,000 professionals working in HR in Singapore are taking up professional, manager, executive and technician (PMET) roles.

This study serves as a fresh reminder to highlight the fact that HR processes need to be reinvented to catch up to technological advancements by driving business transformation, said the firm behind the study.

Predictive analytics may very well create new capabilities in HR as well, something that is important for leaders to recognise and implement, they added.

Speaking at the People Behind People Forum on 10 Dec, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad reiterated that it is important for HR to invest in and adopt technology to increase efficiency and effectively deliver more “seamless and cutting-edge” services. More strategic high-value activities and value creation for the business can thus be pursued as such, he added.

He also promised that MOM will continue to support businesses to improve their HR capabilities and ensure professionals in the field can gain new skills to remain relevant.

SkillsFuture, anyone?

Digital Training Courses Provided, Too 

Of course, it won’t be easy for HR professionals to adapt to the industry’s digital transformation especially with the rapid change rate.

To help with the adjustment, the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) is also looking into and developing new training courses for HR professionals.

In the tough times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, HR professionals have been the unseen heroes in keeping companies and their workforces safe and afloat, commented Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat. With business transformation being rapidly accelerated by online services in the pandemic, this makes the roles of HR professionals even more important.

“HR professionals, too, need to step up and take ownership of their own skills development and adopt a growth mindset in embracing digitalisation,” Mr Zaqy added at the forum, encouraging HR teams to adopt technology to improve productivity.

Perhaps we’ll really soon see a future where you might actually be hired by robots now.

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