Summary: This article discusses the importance of Human Resources (HR) technology and introduces a new standard in development: ISO/AWI 30440 HR Management: Guidance for risk management and the ethical use and adoption of technology.
Technology advancements are transforming people, organizations, communities, and society at an exponential rate. The rapid pace of technology innovations challenges organizations and their leaders to continually imagine, anticipate, and address the implications and impacts on work, workers, the organization, and society at large. Workplace technology can even foster the development of new business models and industry transformations.
In light of the above , ISO TC 260 is developing a new standard on ethical use and adoption of technology in HR Management. Technology, in this standard, refers to the application of scientific advancements used in support of performing organizational processes, work, workers, interactions between or among people, organizations, and activities. This definition includes the application of advancements in automation, machinery, computing, mechanization, and communications. Examples of recent advancements include Internet-of-things (“IoT”), big-data analytics, artificial intelligence (“AI”), automation, cloud computing, robotics, wearable technologies, and other emerging technologies (e.g., Web 3, metaverse).
While the use of new technology is intended to streamline processes and improve overall productivity, some technology can pose negative impacts to people, organizations, and society at large. Despite the risks, opportunities abound for organizations who are able to ethically and strategically adopt and use technology to augment human contributions. Organizations that continually imagine, anticipate and address implications for ethical use and adoption can leverage benefits of using technology to add real value to their workplaces.
This ISO/TC 260 working group, and the standard under development, focuses on enabling organizations to mitigate the human capital risks associated with the use and adoption of technology and capitalize on the opportunities of technology to assist organizational leadership in decision making for:
- changes to the nature of HR processes and practices;
- eliminating or changing the nature of job roles;
- technological change impacting the worker (e.g., surveillance, sensors, automation)
- technology impacts related to distress or anxiety among workers.
Capturing and managing personal data is outside of scope of this proposed standard.
Interested in getting involved? ISO members are encouraged to join ISO TC260 WG 16 HR Technology. Non-ISO members are welcome to contact their Standards Body (https://www.iso.org/committee/628737.html?view=participation), to participate in polls/questionnaires supporting the development of ISO 30440 HR Management – Guidance for risk management and the ethical use and adoption of technology, and to be informed when the new standard is published.