This week in HR: from technology to menopause

We’ve pulled together a bit of a mixed bag for you in this week’s roundup. The metaverse has made headlines, along with the importance of tech investment in the workplace. We’ve also seen why women with menopause need support at work.

Why HR needs to understand the metaverse

We noticed that the metaverse was being discussed on LinkedIn earlier this week by HRTechRadar founder, Anita Lettink.

Some believe that VR workspaces will take over. Bill Gates made a bold prediction in December 2021: “Within the next two or three years, I predict most virtual meetings will move from 2D camera image grids… to the metaverse, a 3D space with digital avatars.”

HR leaders may benefit by beginning to understand VR and the metaverse in case Mr Gates’ prediction comes true.

HR manager at Solar Panels Network USA, Michelle Hague, said to SHRM in August this year: “I know that the metaverse is going to have a big impact on HR."

Ms Hague continued: "On the one hand, the metaverse offers a new way for employees to connect with each other and with customers. But on the other hand, there are potential risks associated with working in virtual reality, including everything from data security to eye strain."

"As we start to explore the possibilities of the metaverse, we may need to bring on board some new talent with expertise in virtual reality and mixed reality technology. More importantly, though, we'll need employees who are comfortable working in a virtual environment and who are excited about the potential of the metaverse,” said Ms Hague.

Employers should be investing in HR technology

With emerging technology in mind, employers may benefit by investing time and resources into HR tech. Forbes discussed the current HR innovations this week.

An article by the CIPD from May this year noted: “Evidence suggests employees need to be managed effectively, understand any new requirements on them and may need to develop new skills if business investment in technology is to be optimised to boost firm performance.”

A post by Whatfix in January discussed HR digital transformation. They listed some tech that businesses are investing in to streamline the employee experience:

• Digital onboarding
• Employee self-service portals
• People analytics
• AI-powered applicant tracking systems
• HR chatbots
• Recruiting chatbots
• Digital adoption platforms

As far back as May 2011, Synerion discussed the significance of HR tech investment: “HR technology is used to attract, hire, retain and maintain talent, support workforce administration, and optimize workforce management.”
“The goal from automating the following functions is to help managers work faster and more efficiently. HR technology is used by managers, employees, HR professionals, IT and operations departments all in different ways to improve the way they do business,” they said.

Women need more support for menopause

Moving in a completely different direction, Management Today’s 19 October bulletin talked about increasing support for menopausal women at work.

According to Menopause and work: why it’s important, the quickest growing demographic at work is menopausal women. Three out of four women experience symptoms, with one quarter having serious symptoms.

The article says symptoms can impact work: “All women experience menopause differently. Symptoms can be physical, such as hot flushes, headaches, poor sleep and erratic periods, or psychological, such as anxiety, low mood, lack of confidence and poor concentration. We’ve found that most people are surprised at the range of symptoms.”

The Faculty of Occupational Medicine says menopause mainly occurs between 45 and 55 years old, give or take, usually lasting four to eight years. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 80 per cent of women aged 45-54 were working in Australia in 2021.

The Australasian Menopause Society said: “Research has shown that the more frequently women reported experiencing menopause-related symptoms and the more bothersome the symptoms were, the less engaged they felt at work, less satisfied with their job, the greater their intention to quit their job and the lower their commitment to their employment.”

The CIPD released A Guide to Managing Menopause at Work in May 2021. These guidelines can assist employers in supporting menopausal women in the workplace.

To view our other roundups, see below:

https://www.hrleader.com.au/learning/23395-weekly-roundup-workplace-innovation-and-a-look-overseas 
https://www.hrleader.com.au/wellbeing/23371-dei-the-focus-of-hr-news-this-week 
https://www.hrleader.com.au/business/23352-this-week-in-hr-news-from-the-uk