Jacqui Canney
Managing human resources, like just about every other facet of running a business, has changed with and because of technology.
Jacqui Canney should know. Canney, the executive vice president of Global People Division at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., was the luncheon speaker at the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit on Tuesday at the Hammons Center in Rogers.
Canney started her career as an accountant before using those skills when she moved into human resources. HR, Canney said, used to be a heavy administrative position keeping track of off days, sick days and the like.
Now, HR has evolved to deal with a technological-advanced market — and a technological-advanced workforce that views work differently than those of a generation ago. When Canney started her presentation, she showed a slide — making a joke that slides weren’t very high-tech — showing a quote from John Bersin that said, “The war for talent is over, and talent has won.”
“Many workers now view jobs not as a career but as a tour of duty,” Canney said. “People are looking for an experience. We need to let people freely do that. I don’t think [long-term service] is a realistic expectation any more.”
Canney joined Wal-Mart earlier this year after 25 years with Accenture. She said when her employees have switched jobs before she has given them a “boomerang” so they know they can return when they want.
HR will be characterized by concepts such as big data, social media and gamification, Canney said. Technology can assist HR by removing some of the cost and manpower required for administration and by removing bias in talent recruitment.
Interaction is still important but Canney said all humans have bias that can affect the judging of resumes.
“The machine takes the bias out,” Canney said. “It’s a combination of using technology and human behavior.”
Gamification, Canney used as an example, is using game-like learning to attract and engage workers. The old days of handing someone a manual to learn the ins and outs of their position doesn’t work with today’s emerging workers.
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