Stimulating exploration on Future-Proofing HR Technologies at 4th HR4ICT

Stimulating exploration on Future-Proofing HR Technologies at 4th HR4ICT London, 16 April 2012 – Technology, talent and teamwork emerged as the buzzwords of a future-proof HR strategy at the CTO’s 4th Annual HR4ICT, held at the BIS Conference Centre in London from 16 to 18 April 2012. Social media is transforming the very nature of recruitment and training, said author Jacqueline Davies in a scene-setting keynote on the first morning. “You don’t need a Learning Management System if you have YouTube.” She drew on examples of companies around the world to illustrate that first and foremost, “social media is not about technology, it is about relationships—quick, convenient and customised.” Zain Khan , CMC Founder, Alliances Consulting Group, Canada, spoke about the need to integrate HR strategies as a core part of broader organisational strategy. He shared his views on how best to build a customer-centric culture, engaging positively with cultural change management. The afternoon of the first day’s proceedings was devoted to examining the complexities of privacy and security issues relating to employee information in the cloud age, while the second day dealt with strategic future projections, deliberating how data protection will affect future HR decisions, where HR technologies will be in a decade’s time, what their impact on HR professionals is likely to be and how mobile communications will change the company standard. David McLeman , Managing Director, Ancoris, UK, rated the pros and cons of using the cloud to ease the burden of unmanageable data storage. Dr. Gus Hosein, executive director of Privacy International, highlighted the concerning extent to which technology can be used to track employee movement and behaviour, raising challenging questions regarding the nature of privacy in the 21st century. Lutz Bartsch, chief technologist, EMEA, for Munich-based SAP Success Factors, pointed out that for multi-country enterprises, local data protection laws would have to be reflected in the global cloud-based HR systems and selection of vendors becomes very important. According to a Deloitte study, 90% of employer data is electronically stored information (ESI), and 40% of executives say that data volumes are becoming unmanageable. Locating relevant data becomes more challenging, manifesting in significant losses through wasted storage space and reductions in productivity. Excessive data volumes are especially troublesome during litigation that requires electronic discovery. The prevalence of e-HR also highlights Cybersecurity issues which need to be addressed in the current climate of frequent cyber attacks. “e-HR”, the future-looking theme of the 4th Annual HR4ICT has drawn together ICT regulators, administrators, operators and training institutions from Bangladesh, Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and the United Kingdom. HR4ICT is an annual event designed to discuss how ICT institutions can make the most effective use of human resources to achieve their institutional objectives. It has been traditionally aimed at HR professionals working for institutions in the ICT sector, mainly practitioners in the telecom, broadcasting and Internet/data networks. Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation With a history dating back to 1901, the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO) is the oldest and largest Commonwealth organisation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), and uses its experience and expertise to support members in using ICTs to deliver effective development interventions that enrich, empower, and emancipate all peoples within the Commonwealth and beyond. For more information, visit www.cto.int Organisations already registered