Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER April 4, 2016 20 FEATURES potential and their economic con- tributions to the province. The government should also endeavour to bridge wage gaps between men and women, and encourage more participation from women in knowledge-based occupations and executive posi- tions — including at the student level. Funding for technology re- search and adequate national savings are undoubtedly major drivers of innovation — but so too is diversity and, by extension, cre- ativity — both of which will come from encouraging workforce participation from marginalized groups. Create more work-integrated learning opportunities: Univer- sity graduates all face a common problem: A lack of work experi- ence. Employers covet experience — and rightfully so. However, work experience requirements can often be unrealistic. Many highly educated, skilled and driv- en students do not bother apply- ing to entry-level positions they are qualified for and when they do, they are unsuccessful because the position calls for three to five years of relevant work experience which, in most cases, students could not have attained by the time they graduate. Work-integrated learning — in the forms of co-op programs, in- ternships and other professional development opportunities — provides valuable work experi- ence for students and, critically, the opportunity to apply the the- ory, skills and knowledge they've gained from the classroom to the workplace. Not only do these opportunities allow students to earn work expe- rience to bolster their resumés and demonstrate to employers that they have capably functioned in a professional workplace, but it allows them to explore differ- ent career paths and decide for themselves which occupation is the best fit. Support and facilitate adapt- ability: Even the best economic policies can only go so far. At some point, market events can be overpowering to even the most robust, evidence-based programs and initiatives. Indeed, it was the fallout from the 2008-09 global financial crisis that initially put a spotlight on the issue of high youth unemployment in Canada. A highly skilled workforce can adapt to macroeconomic trends and is able to transition to other sectors of the economy when em- ployment in their field is negative- ly affected by global forces beyond their control. e impact of low oil prices on Fort McMurray in Alberta is the most recent example in Canada of such events. Displaced workers, including many students, need support and possible retraining for other occu- pations when they are faced with no other choice. Finally, universities have an es- sential role to play in improving adaptability by providing students with well-rounded skill sets that make them capable of transition- ing between several job types at different points in their lives. Ultimately, employment is a measurement of how efficiently an economy is using its labour re- sources. If high levels of student unemployment persist, Ontario will not be functioning at its high- est potential. To realize the gains from higher education, the five courses of ac- tion outlined above should be implemented. Doing so will en- sure education remains worth the investment for students and Ontario's economy benefits from a highly educated, highly skilled workforce. Justin Bedi is a research and policy analyst at the Ontario Undergradu- ate Student Alliance (OUSA) which represents the interests of more than 140,000 university students at seven institutions across Ontario. For more information, visit www.ousa.ca. EDUCATION < pg. 17 Provide experience quickly digest large amounts of information for human users and act as an extension of their rea- soning ability. is helps employees to acquire expertise faster. And since these systems can be taught by experts in one field (whether it's engineer- ing or customer service), expert knowledge is then available to a broader population. Cognition infused in tools, products and services With cars, medical devices, ap- pliances and even toys enhanced through cognition, we can envi- sion how the Internet of ings will impact the workplace. Solu- tions will learn and understand worker behaviour and suggest complex actions and responses that users can approve by voice or simple mobile input. What if calendars can talk to each other and decide when peo- ple should be having a meeting (or if they need to be in that meeting at all, given the stakeholders involved)? Or what if a digital assistant can recommend which experts might be able to help solve a problem by inferring expertise from a col- league's activity? By infusing the tools employ- ees use (such as email, social, mobile and content manage- ment) with cognitive capabil- ity, employees can dedicate their mental resources (attention and effort) to activities that matter, and let the never-tired, unbiased artificial "minds" surface only rel- evant information. Just like cognitive systems can recommend chef pairings of food that are both unexpected and tasty, they will be able to recommend which team members should work together for maximum impacts, based on their expertise, experi- ence, personality, compatibility or the goal of a project. Enhanced exploration, discovery What everyone wants from data are insights — relationships that are true and relevant. Rather than testing it, we would rather have a smarter system guiding us in the exploration and easily showing us true patterns that matter. Rather than using brute-force analyses (looking at all the possible correlation in a data set) or learn- ing the complexities of statistical software, cognitive computing can simplify analytics by helping pro- fessionals to explore data visually, try different combinations and re- lationships, and conduct predic- tive analytics in a few clicks. Exploring data or knowledge with a cognitive system becomes a conversation with the content, a natural exploration similar to a stream of consciousness. is helps organizations anticipate in- ternal and external trends before they have an impact. ese scenarios are not science fiction — these technologies exist today at different levels of matu- rity and commercialization. is suggests the technological revolu- tion has only begun to revolution- ize the HR profession. ink about the following HR activities and how the HR practi- tioner's work could be amplified by cognitive systems: Cognitive recruitment: A cog- nitive headhunter is being told to source potential candidates who would be high performers in a role. Based on their online profile and activities, the scout can an- ticipate who would be a great cultural fit or who could have the right skill set, despite having the exact same experience (What if research found ex-waiters make great project managers?). If the passive candidate accepts the scout's invitation, she can have a cyber-interview first, and the scout can make a recommenda- tion to the hiring manager as to whether an in-person interview is necessary. e HR professional will offload some of the work to the cognitive system while remaining the final arbiter of the hiring decisions. Cognitive onboarding. Em- ployee engagement starts from day one (and even before) so being able to customize the onboarding experience is crucial to making a good first impression. A cognitive "buddy" or mentor can help new employees quickly find the information, resources and expertise needed to be rapidly productive. It can answer every question about systems, process, policies and benefits without overwhelm- ing the employee. HR professionals can then study the employee experience and use this knowledge to refine the behaviour of the system. Cognitive employee engage- ment: The ability to grow and develop within an organization is a powerful driver of engagement. A cognitive career advisor could guide employees in their careers. It would be able to suggest training and activities that will benefit employees' careers or rec- ommend internal job openings, and suggest how to approach a difficult conversation with a man- ager based on his personality. Just as employees learn about an organization when they come onboard, organizations will learn about employees. HR professionals will lead, structure, shape and inform these processes. Cognitive talent manage- ment. While cognitive systems will gain a deep expertise in the area of human resources, labour law or work psychology, they will also act as a decision support sys- tem and help an HR practitioner make better decisions based on the best available information: who to hire, pair, promote, sepa- rate or train. In the end, cognitive systems will not replace humans — to the contrary, they will make people more human. All the hard, analytical, ratio- nal processes are better left to machines that won't suffer from biases, fatigue or envy because humans excel at empathy and their deep interpersonal needs are better satisfied by humans — therefore, these interactions will need flesh-and-bone humanoids. ey will also make us more accountable. People need to seek and take ownership of decisions, and cannot hide behind excuses. Humans need to stay in charge, to set collective goals and own them. e execution can be left to automated processes that are monitored. e HR function of the future, working hand in hand with artifi- cial systems, will be wide awake, alert and capable of action. Benoit Hardy-Vallée is the practice lead and thought leader for IBM Smarter Workforce & Social Business, developing strategies for talent man- agement, collaboration, leadership development, performance manage- ment and employee engagement that makes use of technology, science and analytics. Universities have an essential role to play in improving adaptability. HR should work hand in hand with artificial systems COGNITIVE < pg. 19 A cognitive career advisor could guide employees. It could suggest training and activities or recommend internal job openings. Credit: Steve Rosset (Shutterstock)

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