Is HR loosing its essence by leveraging more on technology??

HR can never be completely automated as the very fundamental aspect of HR is the human touch given the complexity of human nature all of which cannot be computed or rated.

Technology can provide smooth performance of HR by making available all the concerned information at a click of a button and helping the HR executive take a more balanced decision.

The processes like Appraisal, competencies, job profiles, gaps, training programmes, scheduling and collecting feedbacks, various HR processes like offer letters, appointment letters, confirmation letters, review letters, relieving letters, and MIS reporting of HR Metrics can be a herculean task if attempted to do humanly. The same would also be historic as data collection and assessment of the same shall take time.

On automation, dynamic up-to-date information can be collected as the applications can be powered by internet with inputs from various locations happening concurrently.

We at Metier Software Solutions P Limited have developed a solution to this end and have successfully deployed at Rs 10,000 Crore enterprise with commendations.

good technology always strives to become invisible to the user or its end-purpose.

Take cellphones for instance.
You interface with a human on the other side using the cell phone.You never get confused that you are talking to your handset

Same applies to any good HRMS system.It strives to eliminate non-productive work and tries to bring staff & HR closer through collaboration.

The introduction of intercom or mobiles never hampered justifiable face-to-face communication.Same applies to HRMS systems,they are not a replacement for requisite human interaction.

Technology is only an automation tool to make the HR business Processes fast, efficient and with multi reach (internet applications etc.) ... it can never replace the actual human interactions and therefore cannot dilute the HR effectiveness / essence

i belieave the new technologies  are  making  the HR  more stronger and  tactful  and  giving  more way to  solve  a  situation and  also  to  share  and  grow   with  knowledge  power..

First of all I shall congratulate you to have risen this topic and thank you for referring to me.

I have recently read a very short story, it goes..." A husband and wife fought with each other and husband kicked their dog in anger. The dog went to another room and came back wagging his tail after sometime but the two humans hid themselves in laptop and plasma TV and managed to keep distance from each other"

So the story has dog also and humans also.

I may sound controversial but w.r.t. this story if we show more of dog sense and less of human sense then may be we can use the technology in a better manner without compromising with the 'human' touch

Any tool or person or event is considered helpful or value adding only if it supports or enhances the core functions. If a tool is detracting from achieving key result areas it is no longer of any use other than giving a cosmetic value. Similarly use of technology is like a knife - can be used for productive purposes or destructive purposes.

Actually by not using technology, HR personnel are spending most of the productive time in documentation and record keeping work rather than giving human touch to its role. By using technology to take care of mndane tasks which do not need human touch, HR personnel get sufficient free time to do other more important HR activities - As you said giving it a personal touch

Technology as a tool is fine and I support it.  The mistakes we make is in understanding a term.  HR is all inclusive.  There are so monay functions.  Can every thing be automated?  Certainly not.  For instance, the most important productivity tool is to assign right job for the right individual.  This involves both technological and human elements.

On another occasion in toostep I had proposed that every organisation can index its employees' capabilities vis-e-vis divide jobs to suit the indices.  Starting and maintaining the index could be technological but appraisal of an individual and categorising his performances is human.   

It is always a right mix of human capabilities and technology that works in HR functions.