HR-Tech's New Frontiers: User Experience And Cybersecurity

In an age defined by technological advancements, the field of human resources (HR) has undergone a significant transformation, propelled by HR-tech platforms that are revolutionising the way organisations manage their workforce. Vijay Yalamanchili, founder and CEO of Keka delves into how HR-tech platforms are shifting their focus to enhance user experiences, tackle evolving cybersecurity challenges and propel organisations towards a tech-driven HR landscape.

“Keka is a HR-tech platform offering services across onboarding, payroll management, data administration and seamless exit procedures, however, these practices have been in place for the past 30 years. We envisioned a differentiation in terms of user or employee experience. Our focus has been on embracing this experience through the platform. If you build something easily accessible to users, they will agree on paying a premium on the price," shared Yalamanchili. 

Amidst the ceaseless march of technological progress, India finds itself grappling with an escalating surge in data breaches, cybercrimes and privacy apprehensions. This surge poses a formidable threat to the extensive employee databases maintained by organisations, encompassing a wealth of personal information, from bank account particulars and contact details to intricate demographics and beyond.

He highlighted, “In the wake of the pandemic's aftermath, a persistent wave of cyberattacks has emerged from across the world, notably originating from China, Russia and even within India itself. This escalating threat underscores the imperative for HR-tech platforms to not only evolve but to recognise the urgency to construct highly secure software. An exemplary instance of this resides in our payroll software, where protection measures have been fortified to an extent that even our own developers are unable to breach its safeguards.”

Despite the availability of numerous HR tech platforms for organisations today, many companies are still not making the most of these tools. It's important for HR-tech companies to keep track of how their new features are being used. This helps them understand how well the platform is working and if it's achieving its goals.

“By keeping tabs on the usage of each feature, HR-tech platforms ensure their staying power and encourage customers to stay engaged with the platform over time. Gathering feedback from customers is crucial in pinpointing any shortcomings in the system, which then guides the efforts to create the best possible solutions," added Yalamanchili. 

Currently, only around 25 percent of companies have embraced HR tech platforms, highlighting that a significant majority are still in the process of integrating systematic procedures into their operational frameworks.

He said, “Post covid, the HR and people function of the organisations are much more valued as the crunch for talent has risen immensely. Finding and retaining the right talent has become difficult than ever. This has underscored the pivotal role of automation, process streamlining and the enhancement of employee experiences as crucial strategies to address these mounting workforce challenges.”

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has ushered in a wave of transformative possibilities. However, it's important to acknowledge that AI currently lacks the emotional nuances inherent to human interactions. While AI has shown promise, it still requires substantial development in this realm.

“In India, the systems that provide performance review feedback are improving a lot. But making AI understand feelings like empathy, emotional intelligence and compassion is quite complex and needs advanced programming. As technology keeps getting better, we're getting better at using it around the world. However, there's still a long way to go before AI can truly understand humans as well as we do," shared Yalamanchili. 

The journey of HR-tech is one of constant adaptation, aligning with the ongoing technological revolution. There is a need for platforms to continually innovate, offering seamless experiences while keeping human-centric values at the forefront of tech-driven solutions.