Tech Human Resources: a study on the impact of …...3 Ringraziamenti Il primo grazie va a mio padre...
133
1 Scuola di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione Master of Science in Management Engineering Tech Human Resources: a study on the impact of digital technologies on international HR startups Supervisor: Mariano Corso Master thesis by: Anastasia Ravelli 859095 Academic Year 2016 - 2017
Transcript of Tech Human Resources: a study on the impact of …...3 Ringraziamenti Il primo grazie va a mio padre...
1
Scuola di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione
Master of Science in Management Engineering
Tech Human Resources: a study on the impact of digital technologies on international HR startups
Supervisor: Mariano Corso
Master thesis by: Anastasia Ravelli 859095
Academic Year 2016 - 2017
2
A mia Madre,
per avermi insegnato il valore dei sogni
3
Ringraziamenti
Il primo grazie va a mio padre Alberto, per essere il mio punto di riferimento in ogni
giorno della mia vita, per supportarmi in ogni cammino che intraprendo e per non
stancarsi mai di ascoltarmi.
Grazie ad Enrica, per essere il modello di femminilità ed eleganza a cui aspirare.
Grazie a mia sorella Roberta, per essere il mio esempio di coraggio e tenacia.
Grazie a mia zia Luisa, per la pazienza e la praticità che mi sono state di fondamentale
aiuto in innumerevoli occasioni.
Grazie a (La) Marina, per essere il sorriso con cui mi sveglio ogni mattina e le chiacchiere
con cui mi addormento la sera; per avermi supportata e sopportata negli ultimi anni e
per credere in me in ogni istante.
Grazie ad Elena, per avermi tenuto per mano in ogni tappa della mia adolescenza e per
continuare a farlo senza pretendere niente in cambio; per la generosità che viene dal
cuore e per le risate di cui ancora sento l’eco.
Grazie a Matteo, per aver condiviso con me l’intero percorso che mi porta qui oggi, per
i consigli e la mitezza.
Grazie al Leone, a Giulia, Alessandro, Paolo, Alberto, Daniele, Andrea, Massimo, Giulio,
Valerio e Matteo, per essere stati i migliori compagni di avventura che potessi trovare.
Grazie alla mia squadra, alle Lacrosse Milano Baggataway, inesauribile fonte di gioia e
soddisfazione.
Grazie alla Nazionale Italiana di Lacrosse Maschile, per essere stata una piacevole
distrazione negli ultimi mesi.
Infine grazie al Politecnico di Milano, ai professori del corso di Laurea Magistrale in
Ingegneria Gestionale che sono stati per me fonte di ispirazione; grazie al Professor
Mariano Corso, per avermi dato la possibilità di portare a conclusione il mio percorso di
studi. Un ringraziamento particolare a Martina Mauri, per avermi instradata e
supportata in ogni momento, prima e durante la stesura di questo elaborato.
4
Abstract
We are living the Digital Era, where technological enhancement is transforming the way
we live and work. Having a clear understanding of how technology is impacting
strategies, processes and activities is becoming crucial for enterprises in order to
succeed on the market. In the last three decades scholars and practitioners have showed
an increasing interest in investigating how technologies is changing Human Resource
function, its design and processes. The thesis aims to inspect the role of five major
technologic trends on the evolution of human resource management processes. The
considered technologies have been: Social, Mobile, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data &
Analytics and Cloud.
The study has been conducted on 619 startups founded by 2012 and 2017, whose
solutions are specifically human resource services. By doing so, it have been identified
major directions which are characterizing and will characterized the HR role of the
future. In addition, recruiting and employer branding process has been deeply analyzed
and categorized along trends identified exploring how the use of technologies is evolving
the process.
Among findings, the study reports the role of human resources as business partner,
whose nature is increasingly horizontal and its power across functions; as the
department who carry along the role of ambassador in the digital change, its role is to
promote, promulgate and support digital change at every level of the firm.
5
Sommario Viviamo nella cosiddetta Era Digitale, in cui l’avanzamento tecnologico sta trasformando
il modo il viviamo e lavoriamo. Per le imprese è sempre più fondamentale avere una
piena comprensione di come le tecnologie hanno impatto sulle strategie, i processi e le
attività, e come sfruttare queste trasformazioni per avere successo nel proprio business.
Negli ultimi tre decenni studiosi e professionisti hanno mostrato interesse crescente
nell’indagare come le tecnologie stanno cambiando la funzione delle Risorse Umane,
nella sua interezza, nella sua configurazione e come questo stanno trasformando i
processi di cui tipicamente si occupa.
Questo elaborato ha lo scopo di valutare la diffusione di cinque macro trend tecnologici
sui processi relativi alle Risorse Umane in ottica evolutiva. Le tecnologie considerate
sono state: il Social, il Mobile, l’Intelligenza Artificiale, i Big data e gli Analytics, e il Cloud.
Lo studio è stato condotto su 619 startup lanciate tra il 2012 e il 2018, le cui soluzioni si
occupano di servizi a supporto della gestitone delle Risorse Umane. Per compiere
l’analisi sono state identificate le marco direzioni che stanno definendo il ruolo delle
risorse Umane e che marcheranno le caratteristiche specifiche della funzione in futuro.
Inoltre, è stato analizzato a fondo il processo di Reclutamento e Employer Branding, e
sono stati identificati i trend che caratterizzano il processo, tenendo in considerazione
l’impatto dell’evoluzione tecnologica sulle sue fasi.
Tra i risultati ottenuti, si sottolinea il ruolo delle Risorse Umane come Business Partner,
la cui natura è sempre più orizzontale rispetto alle aziende e il suo ruolo sempre più inter
funzionale.
Viene identificato come il dipartimento che si riveste del ruolo di ambasciatore del
cambiamento digitale, il cui scopo è quello di promuovere, promulgare e supportare
l’evoluzione digitale ad ogni livello aziendale.
6
Index Ringraziamenti ________________________________________________________ 3
Abstract ______________________________________________________________ 4
Sommario ____________________________________________________________ 5
Index ________________________________________________________________ 6
List of Graphs _________________________________________________________ 9
List of Figures ________________________________________________________ 10
List of Tables _________________________________________________________ 11
Chapter 1 - Executive Summary __________________________________________ 12 1.1 The Context ................................................................................................................... 12 1.2 Literature Review and Research Questions............................................................................. 12 1.3 Research Methodology .......................................................................................................... 13 1.4 Findings and Implications ....................................................................................................... 15 1.5 Limitation and Conclusions .................................................................................................... 17
Sintesi ______________________________________________________________ 18 1.1 Il Contesto ..................................................................................................................... 18 1.2 Revisione Letteraria e domande di Ricerca ............................................................................. 18 1.3 Metodologia di Ricerca .......................................................................................................... 20 1.4 Risultati e Implicazioni ........................................................................................................... 21 1.5 Limitazioni e Conclusioni ........................................................................................................ 24
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 25
Chapter 2 – Literature Review ___________________________________________ 28
2.1 Human Resources meet Information Technology ........................................................ 28
2.2 Electronic Human Research Management ................................................................... 30 2.2.1 Technology as Factor of Successful Adoption of e-HRM ....................................................... 30 2.2.2 Technology as part of the HR configuration ......................................................................... 31 2.2.3 The roles of information technology in the digital workplace ............................................... 34
2.2.3.1 Recruiting .................................................................................................................... 35 2.2.3.2 Learning, Performing and Developing .......................................................................... 37
2.2.4 Technologies influencing Human Resources ........................................................................ 41
2.3 Immersion in the Startups’ World ................................................................................ 43 2.3.1 Startups’ Features ............................................................................................................... 43
2.3.1.1 Definition .................................................................................................................... 43 2.3.1.2 Startups’ Characteristics .............................................................................................. 45
2.3.2 Startup lifecycle .................................................................................................................. 46
Chapter 3 – Research Methodology _______________________________________ 50
3.1 Literature Review Research Methodology ................................................................... 50 3.1.1 From Literature Review to Research Questions ................................................................... 51
3.2 Sample Construction .................................................................................................... 54
3.3 Database Description ................................................................................................... 55
7
Chapter 4 – Empirical Results ____________________________________________ 60
4.1 Startups’ location, creation and funding ...................................................................... 60
4.1 Processes and Technologies ......................................................................................... 61
4.2 Recruiting and Employer Branding ............................................................................... 64
4.3 Learning and Development .......................................................................................... 65
4.4 Administration and Personnel ..................................................................................... 67
4.5 Welfare and Benefits ................................................................................................... 68
4.6 Workspace/ Smart Working ......................................................................................... 69
4.7 Performance Management .......................................................................................... 70
4.8 General Future Trends ................................................................................................. 73
4.9 Recruiting and Employer Branding Trends ................................................................... 77
4.10 The Italian Startups .................................................................................................... 80 4.10.1 The Case of Recround ....................................................................................................... 82
4.10.1.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 82 4.10.1.2 The solution description ............................................................................................ 83 4.10.1.3 Integrative functionalities and clarifications ............................................................... 87 4.10.1.4 Innovativeness of the solution ................................................................................... 88 4.10.1.5 The actors and the interaction in the system ............................................................. 89
4.10.2 Merit to Meritocracy ........................................................................................................ 92 4.10.2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 92 4.10.2.2 Meritocracy’s features ............................................................................................... 93 4.10.2.3 Meritocracy’s future .................................................................................................. 95
Chapter 5 – Results’ Implications _________________________________________ 97
5.1 Comments on General Results ..................................................................................... 97
5.2 Evolution of Recruiting and Employer Branding ........................................................... 99 5.2.1 Recruiting Trends .............................................................................................................. 100
5.2.1.1 Propose an alternative to company-candidate meeting ............................................. 100 5.2.1.2 Empowerment of the candidate ................................................................................ 102 5.2.1.3 Manage Temporary workforce and evaluate candidates’ practical working skills ........ 104 5.2.1.4 Employer Branding .................................................................................................... 107
5.3 Evolution of Learning and Development .................................................................... 109
5.4 Evolution of Administration and Personnel and Welfare and Benefits ...................... 110
5.5 Evolution of Workspace/ Smart Working ................................................................... 111
5.6 Evolution of Performance Management .................................................................... 112
5.7 General Implications on HR of the Future .................................................................. 113 5.7.1. Evidences from the sample .............................................................................................. 114
5.7.1.1 All-in one solutions .................................................................................................... 114 5.7.1.2 Real time Access ..................................................................................................... 116 5.7.1.3. Engagement Focus ................................................................................................... 118 5.7.1.4 Result’s Prediction and Anticipation........................................................................... 120 5.7.1.5 (Peer-to-peer) network reinforcement....................................................................... 121 5.7.1.6 Soft Aspects Forethought .......................................................................................... 123
8
Chapter 6 - Conclusions _______________________________________________ 126
6.1 Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 126
6.2 Limitations ................................................................................................................. 127
6.3 Future Developments................................................................................................. 128
References ........................................................................................................................... 129
9
List of Graphs Graph 1 – Startups’ Distribution by process ............................................................... 62 Graph 2- Startups' Distribution by Technology ........................................................... 63 Graph 3- Recruiting and Employer Branding -Technologies' Distribution ................... 65 Graph 4- Learning and Development -Technologies' Distribution .............................. 66 Graph 5- Administration and Personnel-Technologies' Distribution ........................... 67 Graph 6- Welfare and Benefits -Technologies' Distribution ........................................ 68 Graph 7- Workspace and Smart Working -Technologies' Distribution ........................ 69 Graph 8- Performance Management - Technologies' Distribution .............................. 70
10
List of Figures Figure 1- Technologies in the e-HRM Framework ....................................................... 32 Figure 2- Design and tasks of paper-based recruitment and e-recruiting .................... 36 Figure 3 - IT Tools in digital workplace ........................................................................ 37 Figure 4- Lean Business Model Canvas ........................................................................ 44 Figure 5- Startup's Lifecycle Path ................................................................................ 47 Figure 6- Startup lifecycle and cash flows ................................................................... 48 Figure 7 - Research Methodology's Process ................................................................ 50 Figure 8- Startups' distribution on the globe ............................................................... 60 Figure 9- Recround ..................................................................................................... 82 Figure 10 - Recround Stakeholders map ..................................................................... 91 Figure 11 - Meritocracy............................................................................................... 92 Figure 12 - Role of Meritocracy ................................................................................... 95 Figure 13 - Recround ................................................................................................ 101 Figure 14- glikon ....................................................................................................... 102 Figure 15- Woo ......................................................................................................... 103 Figure 16 - Yodas ...................................................................................................... 104 Figure 17 - ProSky ..................................................................................................... 105 Figure 18 - Hired Knives ............................................................................................ 106 Figure 19 - Work Today............................................................................................. 106 Figure 20 - Welcome to the Jungle............................................................................ 107 Figure 21 - Meritocracy............................................................................................. 108 Figure 22 - beamery .................................................................................................. 108 Figure 23 - bob ......................................................................................................... 114 Figure 24 - Namely ................................................................................................... 115 Figure 25 - GameEffective ......................................................................................... 116 Figure 26 - Talent Sonar ............................................................................................ 117 Figure 27 - Plasticity.................................................................................................. 118 Figure 28 - Aquinas ................................................................................................... 119 Figure 29 - Scoutible ................................................................................................. 120 Figure 30 - Trufa ....................................................................................................... 121 Figure 31 - Jolt .......................................................................................................... 121 Figure 32 - 50skills .................................................................................................... 122 Figure 33 - AiHire ...................................................................................................... 123 Figure 34 - Bravely .................................................................................................... 124
11
List of Tables Table 1 - Variables for the Analysis ............................................................................. 59 Table 2- Startups distribution by year of funding ........................................................ 61 Table 3 - Comprehensive Results ................................................................................ 72 Table 4- Startups' Distribution on General Future Trends ........................................... 76 Table 5- General Future Trends and Technologies ...................................................... 76 Table 6- Startups’ distribution on Recruiting and Employer Branding trends .............. 79 Table 7- Recruiting and Employer Branding trends and technologies .......................... 80 Table 8 - Recround Candidate Journey ........................................................................ 90
12
Chapter 1 - Executive Summary 1.1 The Context Nowadays enterprises, public organizations and individuals have to deal with the so-
called Digital Transformation. It can be described as a proper revolution, that is
disruptively modifying the context in which firms compete and the way they are running
business.
Technology is transforming the way people interact with each, within and outside
working boundaries; it’s bringing the removal of typical job roles and activities, with the
rising of new competences that go under the umbrella of digital professions. It is
fundamental for firms to understand the direction this revolution is taking and how the
evolution of technology is modifying people desires and expectations as well as the
channels to reach the target.
The aim of the thesis is to investigate the impact of technology on human resources and
to picture what will be the fundamental characteristics of human resource management
in the future.
Taking a worldwide perspective, thanks to their anticipatory nature, the study has been
conducted on startups, whose solutions address HR Management services.
1.2 Literature Review and Research Questions
Two major stream of literature have been investigated, at first in order to elaborate on
the relevance of the theme as well as understand under which perspectives
technologies are been related to human resources.
Secondly, an overview on the startups definitions, features and characteristics of life-
cycle has been performed.
Scholars and practitioners have been reported a particular interests in Human Resources
connected to Information Technology in the last twenty years. In particular Human
Resources has been given not only a operational and tactical role but a strategic one,
which has been empowering by the use of technology.
13
Technology can be considered as part of Human Resources configuration, as a facilitator
of tasks performing, as well as a key toll to automatize activities and as essential support
to translate strategies into actions. The role of technology is spreading in all processes
which composed Human Resource function: form Recruiting to Learning and
Development, form Performance Management to Administration, from Workspace and
Smart Working management to Employer Branding , form Onboarding and Welfare
management.
According to the research the most relevant technologies involved in the human
resource tech industry are Social, Mobile, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Analytics
and Cloud.
Here the relevance to investigate the overall impact of technological enhancement on
Human Resources processes, which has brought to research question number one:
• How will technological enhancement change the HR tech industry ?
Thanks to literature investigation, a particular attention has been given to e-recruiting,
due to the rising of dedicated online platforms and social media channel that are
disrupting the way the process of Recruiting and Employer Branding has typically run.
This brought to research question number two:
• How Recruitment and Employer Branding is changing due to technological
enhancement ?
1.3 Research Methodology
1.3.1 Literature Methodology The literature overview which have been reported has to be considered as selective. In
order to perform the papers and articles research, key words related to the topic have
been insert in Scopus, a large and well-known database for literature. Research output
has been screen according to the relevance of the publications, both in terms of citations
and journal importance, and it has been screened by year, taking advantage on the most
recent papers.
14
A second researched has been conducted on relevant analysis and surveys performed
by the most reliable consultancy companies, which are largely investigating the theme.
1.3.2 Sample Construction and Description
The sample of the analysis has been created merging datasets coming from two external
database extractions: a larger one coming from crunchbase, which has mainly regarded
international startups and a smaller which has contributed for the Italian side of the
sample. The extraction has been performed using tag words, thought which
organizations have already been labeled.
The sample of 1567 active startups has coming from the restriction that startup are
founded at earliest in 2012, following the definition on innovative startups which
imposes that the organization is not more than five years old.
The sample have been screened manually by evaluating that the content of each startup
is a solution that can be used by human resources at a corporate level: this resulted in a
final sample of 619 organizations.
The variable that have composed the database, and through which the sample has been
analyzed have been 42. The first regard startups’ characteristics as founded location,
year of foundation, fundings received, .. the second ones have been manually added and
regards the process addressed by the solution, the technologies used by the solutions,
the target customers, the users, and the operational consequences – solution efficiency
oriented or effectiveness oriented. While the categorization according to the mentioned
variable had been performing, it has been search for relevant repetitive pattern that
could lead to the formulation of HR future directions, both in general terms and
specifically for what concerns the Recruiting and Employer Branding.
A specific investigation has been performed considering Italian startups, and in
particular it have been reported two relevant case studies that concerns solution
addressing Recruiting and Employer Branding and belonging to Italian market.
15
1.4 Findings and Implications
The sample is composed by 619 startups distributed all over the world, majorly in North
America (53%) and in Europe (29%). The most addressed process is Recruiting and
Employer Branding (53%), followed by Learning and Development (35%): it has to be
noticed that categorization by process, as well as the one by technology, has not been
considered exclusive, indeed one solution could address more than one process. Taking
a general perspective, technologies’ distribution reveals a spread use of Cloud, which is
present in the 68% of cases, followed by Big Data and Analytics, which is in 63% of
solutions. Social and Mobile technologies are respectively 51% and 43%: they are
certainly quite diffuse, their potential is still partly unexplored. Quite significant the
spread of Artificial Intelligence, a new technology applied in the Human Resources field,
who is present in 20% of cases, suggesting that startups and established firms are
looking for exploit the possibility to involve intelligent system in Human Resources
processes and activities.
The core part of the analysis has been performed taking a prospective by process.
Regarding Recruiting and Employer Branding process, it has to be noticed the massive
diffusion of Big Data and Analytics (67%), and relevant diffusion of Artificial Intelligence
solutions (27%). Both technologies are mostly use to analyze and predict candidate
features and support the Human Resource manager in sourcing and selection phases.
This process is generally moving towards a digitalization of its phases: most of solutions
offer the possibility to avoid or postpone the physical encounter between the candidate
and the company. On the company side, there is the necessity to be transparent, and to
attract the right candidate at the right time: this why several solutions offer support in
applying marketing technique to attraction and sourcing phase. The candidate has the
opportunity to what the company from the inside before the beginning of his working
experience, so that the culture of the firm can be known.
The availability of job seeker towards job commitment is changing, this is why it can be
noticed the rising of solutions that support the management of a temporary workforce.
As far as Learning and Development is concerned, Could technology is the most spread
(85%). E-learning is no more a trend but an habit in learning programs, and the most
16
interesting direction are going towards virtual training and micro-learning, where
contents are short and development activity is performed every day, with flexibility of
hours.
The Administration a Personnel activities will be mostly streamlined and automatized,
thanks to the strong use of Big Data and Analytics (92%) and Cloud (85%), which allow a
quick and optimize reporting.
Welfare and Benefits solutions are suggesting the consideration of off-work experiences
where to strengthen work team spirits and engage employees balancing the work-life
rhythm. Mobile solutions are the most diffused (71%).
The management of Workspace and Smart Working is principally performed in a
combination of Cloud (82%), Social (61%) and Big Data and Analytics (67%) technologies.
A particular attention is given to employees’ well-being, which translates in a more
productive attitude toward job and a most consistent collaboration among colleagues,
and orientations to results: technology is helping in the support conflict management,
anticipation of people risks, and in translate strategies into concrete actions.
Finally in the evolution of Performance Management technologies are taking their space
as follow: Social (71%) and Mobile (65%) solutions, are helping in the sharing of the
feedback and the rising of the culture oriented towards continuous feedback, in which
employees at every level of the firm are actively involved. Artificial Intelligence (21%),
Big Data (86%) and Could (81%) are supporting the identification and elaboration of best
performances and in the replication of the actions to achieve them.
From the performed analysis it has been identifies six major trends, which can be
considered as explicatory of what will be the treats of Human Resources Tech of the
future. On one side technologies are able to support all processes, thinning the
boundaries among them and offering a comprehensive support (1). Candidates and
employees at every level have to be engaged (2) to boost motivation and productivity.
Every information is accessible real time (3), Human Resources has to develop systems
which allow quickness of information sharing within and outside the function. Results
are analyzed and sometimes anticipated (4): starting form strong fact-based reports, the
direction is the one to predict what will happen in the future, so that anticipate reactions
17
and actions. An increasing attention is being given to the forethought of soft aspects (5)
and the building of strong network (6): the latter can be an advantage in managing an
healthier work environment, the former as key relative advantage when hard
competences are consistently diffused.
1.5 Limitation and Conclusions
The study performed have some limitations which concern the intrinsic nature of the
sample as major one, it has to highlighted that considering the extraction methodology
adopted, the sample analyzed certainly does not contain all startups launched in the
world, but some of them can be missing. As a matter of fact, it also to be considered
that trends are subjected by the author interpretation, who has a unique perspective.
It would be interesting to continue the investigation in the startups world, both
reconsidering the sample used for this analysis and creating a new ones, since
temporary organizations can anticipate what will be successful in the market in the next
recent years.
Further investigations should be performed on the roles and competences technological
enhancement is requiring to firms and in particular to Human Resources department.
In conclusion it has been reported that Human Resource management will be driving
the force of future organizations, whose human capital and the capability to adapt of
rapid changes are the most powerful and competing resources to win the market.
18
Sintesi
1.1 Il Contesto
Oggigiorno le imprese, le organizzazioni pubbliche e gli individui si trovano ad affrontare
la cosiddetta trasformazione digitale. Si tratta di una vera e propria rivoluzione, che sta
radicalmente modificando il contesto in cui le aziende competono nonché il modo di
fare business.
La tecnologia sta trasformando il modo il cui le persone interagiscono le une con le altre,
all’interno del contesto lavorativo e al di fuori di esso; si assise ad un vero e proprio
sradicamento dei tipici ruoli e attività aziendali, e si erge il bisogno di nuove
competenze, le cosiddette competenze digitali. E’ importante per le imprese identificare
e comprendere la direzione che questa rivoluzione sta prendendo e come
l’avanzamento tecnologico sta modificando i desideri e le aspettative delle persone,
nonché come si stanno evolvendo i canali attraverso cui raggiungere i propri target.
Lo scopo di questo elaborato è quello di indagare l’impatto delle tecnologie sulla
funzione delle Risorse Umane ed elaborare quali saranno le caratteristiche fondamentali
che delineeranno la funzione nel futuro.
E’ stata presa una prospettiva globale e, fruttando la loro natura anticipatoria, è stato
condotto uno studio sul mondo delle startup che offrono soluzioni a supporto della
gestione delle risorse umane.
1.2 Revisione Letteraria e domande di Ricerca
Sono stati indagati due principali ambiti di ricerca, innanzitutto per approfondire la
rilevanza del tema, nonché per comprendere sotto quali prospettive le tecnologie sono
state accostate alla gestione delle Risorse Umane.
19
In secondo luogo, è stata data trattazione generale riguardo le startup, riportandone
una definizione comprensiva, i principali tratti distintivi e caratteristiche chiave del ciclo
di vita.
Negli ultimi trent’anni studiosi e professionisti hanno riportato in crescente interesse
nei confronti dell’evoluzione tecnologica delle Risorse Umane. Infatti è stato identificato
nella funzione non solo un ruolo tattico e operativo ma anche strategico, ruolo che le
tecnologie contribuiscono ad enfatizzare e supportare.
La tecnologia, intesa in senso generico, può a tutti gli effetti esser considerata parte
integrante della configurazione delle Risorse Umane, sia come aiuto per portare a
termine delle attività, sia come strumento chiave per automatizzarne alcune fasi, sia
come supporto essenziale per tradurre le strategie in azioni. Il ruolo delle tecnologie è
sempre più rilevante in ogni processo tipico della funzione delle Risorse Umane: dal
Reclutamento allo Sviluppo e Formazione, dalla Valutazione delle Performance
all’Amministrazione del personale, dalla gestione delle pratiche Smart Working all’
Employer Branding, dall’Onboarding alla gestione dei Benefits.
Quanto emerso dalla ricerca letteraria è che le tecnologie più rilevanti coinvolte nella
gestione delle Risorse Umane sono: il Social, il Mobile, l’Intelligenza Artificiale, i Big Data
e Analytics e il Cloud.
E’ evidente la rilevanza del tema che necessita un’approfondita indagine su quello che
è l’impatto dello sviluppo tecnologico sul processi delle Risorse Umane.
La prima domanda di ricerca è stata così formulata:
• Come l’avanzamento tecnologico cambierà la gestione Risorse Umane?
Un attenzione particolare è stata data all’ e-recruiting, dovuta principalmente al
diffondersi di piattaforme web dedicate al reclutamento e all’utilizzo dei social media
come canali di attrazione per i candidate. Queste due modalità stanno radicalmente
modificando il processo di Reclutamento e Employer Branding.
La seconda domanda di ricerca è stata così elaborata:
• Come il processo di Reclutamento è Employer Branding sta cambiando grazie
allo sviluppo delle tecnologie?
20
1.3 Metodologia di Ricerca
1.3.1 Metodologia della Ricerca Letteraria
La revisione letteraria è stata effettuata in maniera selettiva. Per ricercare paper
d’autore e articoli rilevanti, è stato utilizzato Scopus, un celebre database di letteratura,
e sono state inserite alcune parole chiave legate al tema di ricerca. La lista dei paper,
derivante dall’inserimento delle parole chiave, è stata scremata secondo la rilevanza
della pubblicazione, sia in termini di citazioni di paper o articoli, che in termini di
importanza della rivista di pubblicazione. La lista è stata inoltre ridotta, prioritizzando
paper e articoli recenti a quelli di pubblicazione precedente.
Una seconda ricerca è stata effettuata e ha riguardato paper e report di ricerca delle più
grandi società di consulenza, che si sono largamente interessate al tema.
1.3.2 Costruzione e Descrizione del Sample
Il sample dell’analisi è stato creato integrando due set di dati derivanti da due estrazioni
da database differenti: la parte più consistente del sample è stata estratta da crunchbase
e ha apportato startup di stampo interinazione, mentre una seconda estrazione, piccola
in termini numerici, ha contribuito a integrare startup italiane nel sample finale.
Entrambe estrazioni sono state fatte usando tag, cioè parole chiave tramite cui le
organizzazioni erano già state categorizzate a sistema.
Il sample totale, composto da 1567 startup, è stato generato filtrando la ricerca a tutte
e sole le organizzazione fondate dal 2012 in avanti, prendendo come riferimento la
definizione di startup innovativa che prevenire che un’organizzazione, per essere
definita tale, non sia costituita da più di 5 anni.
Il sample è stato scremato manualmente, valutando il contenuto di ciascuna riga e
conservando solo le soluzioni che offrono alle aziende servizi a supporto delle Risorse
Umane.
21
Le variabile che compongono il database, e attraverso le quali è stata condotta l’analisi
sono 42. Le prime riguardano principalmente caratteristiche legate alle startup in
termini di: anno di lancio, luogo di fondazione, finanziamenti ricevuti, ...etc. le successive
variabili sono state aggiunte manualmente e riguardano il processo a cui la soluzione si
indirizza, le tecnologie principali utilizzate nella soluzione, il target a cui si rivolge, gli
attori che la utilizzano, le conseguenze operazionali – soluzioni orientate all’efficienza o
all’efficacia - .
In contemporanea alla categorizzazione in base alle variabili sopra citate, sono stati
ricercati i pattern ripetitivi e le caratteristiche simili che sono stati rielaborati e possono
essere considerati come le direzioni future che prenderà il dipartimento delle Risorse
Umane: questa operazione è stata fatta sia in termini generali che specificatemene per
il processo di Reclutamento e Employer Branding.
E’ stata inoltra analizzata la situazione italiana, e sono stati indagati due casi di studio
rilevanti di due soluzioni che si rivolgono al mercato italiano e si focalizzano sul processo
di Reclutamento e Employer Branding.
1.4 Risultati e Implicazioni
Il sample di analisi è composto da 619 startup distribuite in tutto il mondo, la
maggioranza ha come area geografica di origine il Nord America (53%) e in Europa (29%).
Il processo più convolto è quello di Reclutamento e Employer Branding (53%), seguito
dal processo di Formazione e Sviluppo (35%): si noti che la categorizzazione per
processo, come quella per trend tecnologico, non sono da intendersi esclusivi: infatti
una soluzione potrebbe offrire supporto a più di un processo e coinvolgere più di una
tecnologia. In generale la distribuzione delle tecnologie rivela un forte uso del Cloud,
che è presente nel 68% dei casi, seguito dai Big Data e Analytics, presenti nel 63% delle
soluzioni. Le tecnologie Social e Mobile si trovano rispettivamente nel 51% e 43% dei
casi: sono certamente abbastanza diffuse, ma il loro potenziale rimane parzialmente
inesplorato. E’ significativa la diffusione dell’Intelligenza Artificiale, una tecnologia di
nuova adozione del campo delle Risorse Umane, che è presente nel 20% dei casi
22
analizzati, suggerendo che le startup e le aziende stanno cercando di sfruttare il
coinvolgimento di tecnologie intelligenti nei processi e attività legati alle Risorse Umane.
Nella parte principale dell’analisi è stata mantenuta una prospettiva per processo.
Per quanto riguarda il processi di Reclutamento e Employer Branding, si noti la
diffusione massiva dei Big Data e Analytics (67%), e una diffusione consistente di
soluzioni che adoperano l’Intelligenza Artificiale. Entrambe le tecnologie sono
principalmente utilizzate per analizzare e predire le caratteristiche dei candidate e
supportare il responsabile delle Risorse Umane nella fase di ricerca e selezione.
Questo processo si sta muovendo verso una forte digitalizzazione: molte soluzioni danno
la possibilità di posporre, o in alcuni casi eliminare del tutto, l’incontro fisico tra il
candidato e l’azienda. Da una parte l’impresa deve essere trasparente, e deve essere in
grado di attratte il giusto candidato al momento giusto. Il candidato, dal canto suo, ha
talvolta la possibilità di addentrarsi nelle dinamiche della compagnia ancor prima di aver
iniziato l’attività lavorativa, e di confrontare i suoi stessi valori con la cultura aziendale.
Anche la disponibilità del candidato rispetto a orari e luoghi di lavoro sta cambiando,
deve infatti essere notata una crescente attenzione alle soluzioni che supportano le
imprese alla gestione di manodopera temporanea.
Per quanto riguarda lo Sviluppo e Formazione, la tecnologia Cloud sembra essere la più
diffusa (85%). L’e-learning fa a tutti gli effetti parte dei programmi di formazione: le
direzioni più interessanti che sta prendendo questo processo sono il virtual training e il
micro learning, dove i contenuti sono brevi e fruibilità in qualsiasi momento.
Il processo di Amministrazione del personale è quanto mai efficiente e il più possibile
automatizzato, grazie ad uso massiccio di Big Data e Analytics (92%), che permettono
rapidità di esecuzione di attività e di elaborazione di reportistica.
Il processo di gestione del Welfare e dei Benefits suggerisce crescente considerazione di
esperienze extra ufficio, in cui poter rafforzare lo spirito di squadra e coinvolgere
positivamente gli impiegati trovando un buon bilanciamento del ritmo vita-lavoro. La
tecnologia Mobile è la più diffusa (71%).
Workspace e Smart Working sono principalmente supportati da soluzioni Cloud (82%),
Social (61%) e fanno leva su Big Data e Analytics (67%). Di particolare interesse è il
23
benessere del lavoratore, che si traduce in un atteggiamento più produttivo e
collaborativo sul luogo di lavoro, e un forte orientamento ai risultati: la tecnologia si
rivela di aiuto nella gestione dei conflitti, nell’anticipazione dei rischi e nella traduzione
delle strategie in paini di azione.
Infine nel processo di gestione delle Performance le tecnologie più rilevanti sono il Social
(71%) e il Mobile (65%), che facilitano la condivisione dei feedback e il rafforzamento di
una cultura orientata al miglioramento continuo. Intelligenza Artificiale (21%), Big Data
e Analytics (86%), and Cloud (81%) sono a supporto dell’identificazione delle best
performances e si rilevano fondamentali nella replicazione delle azioni per raggiungere
i risultati fissati.
Dall’analisi effettuata sono stati identificati sei trend principali, che desiderano
esplicitare quali saranno le caratteristiche delle funzione delle Risorse Umane, ormai
sempre più Tech.
Da un lato le tecnologie sono in grado di supportare tutti i processi, assottigliando i
confini tra essi e offrendo una prospettiva trasversale (1). I candidati e i lavoratori
devono essere positivamente coinvolti (2) ad ogni livello per incentivare la loro
motivazione e produttività. Le informazioni sono fruibili in real time (3): la funzione delle
Risorse Umane deve procedere nell’adoperamento di sistemi che accelerino e
velocizzino lo scambi di informazioni all’interno della funzione stessa e da quest’ultima
verso l’interno. I risultati aziendali complessivi e individuali sono sempre più analizzati,
e talvolta si è in grado di anticiparli (4): a partire da reportistica basata sull’accaduto, la
direzione è quella di predire cosa succederà in futuro, e anticipare azioni e reazioni
possibili. Viene inoltre data una particolare attenzione gli aspetti cosiddetti soft (5), e
alla costruzione di un network solido (6): quest’ultimo può essere un vantaggio per il
lavoratore che è in grado di calarsi in un ambiente di lavoro sano e coinvolgente, il primo
si pone come aspetto chiave in un momento in cui le competenze hard sono piuttosto
diffuse uniformemente.
24
1.5 Limitazioni e Conclusioni
L’analisi condotta presenta alcune limitazioni. Queste riguardano innanzi tutto la natura
intrinseca del sample, infatti considerando la metodologia con cui è stato costruito,
questo sicuramente non contiene tutte le startup lanciate nel mondo delle Risorse
Umane Tech, dunque alcune sono mancanti. E’ necessario considerare inoltre che i
trend sono soggetti all’interpretazione dell’autore che li ha elaborati.
Sarebbe certamente interessante continuare ad investigare il modo delle startup, sia
riconsiderando questo stesso sample, sia creandone uno nuovo e differente: infatti le
startup sono molto spesso in grado di anticipare cosa avrà successo nel mercato nel
futuro prossimo.
Ulteriori indagini potrebbero essere condotte considerando l’evoluzione dei ruoli e delle
competenze all’interno delle Risorse Umane, evoluzione dovuta principalmente dallo
stesso sviluppo tecnologico.
In conclusione si noti come la gestione delle Risorse Umane sia chiamata a guidare il
cambiamento all’interna dell’azienda e come il cui capitale umano e capacità di adattarsi
ai cambiamenti rapidi siano le armi più potenti per rimanere competitivi sul mercato.
25
Introduction
Digitalization is everywhere. Technology and its enhancement are transforming the way
people live, the way people interact with each other, as well as the way people work. The
implementation of technological changes is having a strong impact of most life aspects
which characterize human routines, as well as desires and future perspectives.
Living in the so-called Digital Era, humanity is facing the challenge of understanding
potentialities of technological – or digital - enhancement and of finding the right
channels, targets and methods to fully exploit them.
The context in which firms are competing is global, highly competitive and increasingly
complex; difficulties in facing barriers and in dealing with changes, in recognizing
opportunities and embracing challenges to achieve better goals are key aspects which
characterize more and more businesses and companies at every level, in every industry,
in this Era.
As reported in N. M. Abdikeev (2017) todays’ world is the one of postindustrial economy,
characterized by three main driving forces: knowledge, as intellectual capital is more and
more considered a strategic factor; continuous changes, changes happen with rapidity
and their complexity generate uncertainty and unpredictability of the context;
globalization, as world is immersed in a global perspective which causes worldwide hyper
competition of businesses.
Our age is the Era which is called the knowledge-based economy, cognitive economy or
digital economy, all terms that can be all linked together to fully describe the evolution of
the management field.
Knowledge-based economy concept deals with the importance of generate and use
knowledge to create business growth and competitive advantage. Cognitive economy
refers to the contribute of individual cognitive abilities to economy. Digital economy, as
the result of the fourth industrial revolution refers to the predominance of information,
communication and activities enabled by digital technologies such as Big Data, Internet
of Things, cyber-physical systems, Artificial Intelligence and machine learning systems...
In the last years, all these elements have contributed of generate the cognitive
management approach, defined as a “systemic management of processes by which
26
knowledge are generated, identified, accumulated, distributed and used in the
organization to improve its activities” N. M. Abdikeev (2017). In a moment of substantial
evolvements and improvements, where timing can be a strategical factor of success,
cognitive technologies (artificial intelligence, analytics and cloud, ..) are key elements not
only for big firms but also for small and medium corporations.
At the center of the organizations there are people: the generations are changing the way
work is run, managed and developed. In a world in constant evolution, also Human
Resources practices have to evolve, one side in order to answer to new generations’
needs, on the other in order to exploit the full potential of technologies. The generation
of Millennials will represent the 35% of total workforce in 2020, according to Manpower
Group (2016, Millennial Carrers: 2020 Vision), and in the future the so-called Generations
Z will take the interest of firms and organizations. Every generation has its own inner
driver forces that guide the motivation and approach to work.
In addition, the birth of the so-called new digital professions, whose demand is
consistently growing, has to be considered, as well as the necessity to find the right
channels to reach the interested target.
According to the report 2017 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends, whose purpose is to
conduct researches, investigate analytics and provide industry insights to help design,
manage the Human Resources in order to enable business through people performances,
it appears a gap in business performance potential, while comparing the rate of change
of technological enhancement and the rate of change in business productivity. This gap is
augmenting over time: in other words, the progresses in business productivity appear
substantially lower if compared to the one of technology decade after decade.
Startups and their offers can be considered as foregoers of what will happen in the future
in a specific industry: the ones who succeed now carry to the market what will be a
solution, an approach or a business model that will be adopted and somehow
transformed by established firms few years later.
The aim of the thesis is to globally investigate and analyses the impact of digital
technologies in Human Resources field. To do so, startups that are providing solutions for
Human Resource department at a corporate level have been considered, this in order to
27
understand how Human Resource Management is evolving and will evolve thanks to the
employment of digital technologies.
Before entering in the specificity of the research study is necessary to revise the streams
of literature which have had the purpose to investigate the impact of technology
employment and its consequences on Human Resource Management and Human
Resource Development.
28
Chapter 2 – Literature Review
2.1 Human Resources meet Information Technology
In the last 25 years, scholars and practitioners have been increasingly interested in
understanding how technological enhancement have impact on working environment,
and particularly on human resource management (Ulrich 1997, Gardner and Lepak 2003,
Strohmeier 2007, Bondarouk and Ruell 2009, … et al.).
Furthermore, this field of investigation is cyclically object of studies for consultancy
companies and research institutes (Deloitte, Boston Consulting Group, Accenture, … etc.).
Taking the perspective specific perspective of technologies applied to Human Resources,
firstly it’s necessary to understand the general role of Human Resources (HR) in
businesses, the general purpose of IT technology in literature and secondly to which
extent scholars have been considered the influence of the latter on the former.
In the last years of 20th century practitioners and scholars underlined as the role of HR
shifted from a pure functional and administrative role, to a more strategic and business
oriented one.
The change of perspective resides in believing that HR department is able to create value
for the firm and deliver it results. It’s clear that the roles of HR department have become
come many and differentiated.
In 1997 Ulrich identified four main roles that have to be fulfilled by HR department in
order to represent an added value for the firm. Firstly, it’s suggested the role of HR
department strategic partner being able to align company’s strategies to organizational
actions and practices; secondly HR department sustains the role of administrative expert
by delivering efficiently all processes the department is in charge to accomplished. Thirdly
considered as employee champion, the department has to be able to increase and sustain
employees’ motivation and provide them what they need to perform their job at the best.
Finally, Ulrich identifies in the HR the key resource that is able to facilitate changes and
transformation, acting as a change agent.
29
Taking a general perspective on Information Technology, the literature indicates three
main stages of use, which are the automation, the information and the transformation
(Remenyi, Money, & Twite, 1991; Zuboff, 1988). Automation is intended especially linked
to routine tasks: technology helps in reducing the number of tasks and the time to
perform them. The information sharing is enabled by technology and for this reason it’s
easier to align the all organization, producing a benefit effect and increase the
effectiveness of the whole system. A transformational use of technology enable to foster
new culture and give the possibility to face changes with the open perspective and the
correct mindset.
The implications of the three uses on human resources are not difficult to be identified.
“IT transformation may also lead HR professionals to create innovative practices or to
innovatively deliver HR practices to their clients” (S. D. Gardner, D.P. Lepak and K.M.
Bartol, 2003). It should be also highlighted that IT gives the possibility to perform different
activities as getting the visibility on how to enhance, or at least explore, a professional
career.
Nowadays, the automation contribution can be mostly considered established for HR
department: in fact, professionals are enabled to automate certain task and spend more
time in interpreting information.
Considering the informational impact and the fact HR perform informational intensive
activities, the IT technology can be considered as an enabler, to increase responsiveness
and be more autonomy, augmenting clarity, transparence, and comprehensives of
information. IT have also the power to connect organizations, by linking professionals
which are external to the organization people are working for. To sum up, technology
represents an opportunity for HR department since HR professionals are enabled through
technology to access information and share them more efficiently, and that IT can also
influence what is expected from their professional role.
30
2.2 Electronic Human Research Management
2.2.1 Technology as Factor of Successful Adoption of e-HRM
In 2016 T. Bondarouk, E. Parry and E. Furtmueller, investigate forty years of adoption of
Electronic Human Resource as well as its consequences in a managerial perspective.
E-HRM has been defined as “an umbrella term that covers all possible integration
mechanisms and contents between HR Management and Information Technologies (IT),
aiming at creating value within and across organizations for targeted employees and
management”. (Bondarouk and Ruell, 2009).
The definition has been revised and adapted, it’s always highlights that the concepts
summarize multiple elements which integrate in all types of HRM contents that convey
and are shared thought IT, to strengthen the function’s impact and create a long-term
opportunity for the business.
Researchers and scholars have not been always able to demonstrate that the adoption of
e-HRM solution haven’t generated difficulty in the implementation and usage, creating a
possible barrier for working personnel. They arrive to define that adoption of e-HRM
technologies helps in the achievement of strategic goals as well as administrative
benefits, such as cost reduction, service improvement, reorientation of the function to be
more strategic rather than just an operational one.
In the past, the adoption of e-HRM solutions has enabled a replacement of administrative
tasks, letting HR professionals to get concentrated other value-added activities: the
adoption doesn’t mean necessary an improvement on the HRM service. After 2000, the
e-HRM technologies has started to be considered as strategic support for HR, due to the
increasing importance acquired by the function thanks to the greater number of
researches conducted on the field.
The factors that affect the successful adoption of e-HRM have been identified. It had to
be underline that these factors don’t necessary imply organizational e-HRM effectiveness
(Wright, Dunford, & Snell, 2001).
• Technological factors: which refers to data integrity, system usefulness, the
evaluation and decision of in-house development or the use of external HRSI
31
software.
• Organizational factors: organizational characteristics that have generally positive
impact, planning and project management tradition whose lack has a negative
impact, capabilities and resources considering the investment in the system and
possible shortage of personnel as potential barriers.
• People factors: they can be considered the most relevant ones, as they are
essentials of successful adoption. Top management show sometimes high
resistance since members do not perceived the benefit and high cost are difficult
to justify. The user acceptance, which considers to involve the user during the
system development has a positive influence on the satisfaction in personnel
departments DeSanctis(1986). In any case, it has to be consider a possible
resistance of personnel typical of the organizational change, so it is necessary HR
and IT department shares the same vision. HR skills and expertise, HR personnel
training plays a crucial role for the employees’ satisfaction. For a leadership and
culture aspect it’s necessary the department have a visionary support to
encourage the adoption of e-HRM solution, better if in the company there is an
already spread IT-friendly culture.
2.2.2 Technology as part of the HR configuration
E-Human Resource Management definitions reported by different authors highlight the
multilevel nature of the e-HRM phenomenon in which information and communication
technology is applied to perform HR activities. In these terms technology has two
different relevant aspects: on one side technology is used as connector system which is
able to put in communication different actors and integrate different activities. On the
other side sometimes technology is used as substitute of executive HR activities,
exploiting its automation use mentioned above.
Every now and then a similar concept is assimilated to the of e-HRM: the so-called
“virtual HRM”, where a pool of internal and external actors provides the company with
the needed HR services, without the creation of a proper HR function or business unit.
32
Similarly to “virtual HR(M)” used (e.g., Lepak & Snell, 1998) there is the concept of self-
explained web-based HR(M) (e.g., Ruël et al., 2004), and the term business-to- employee
(“B2E”) (e.g., Huang, Jin, & Yang, 2004), which considers exclusively the contribution of
internal actors of the business such as employees and managers, if compared to wide
concept of e-HRM.
A general framework has been generally applied to previous researches on e-HRM and
ca be considered the most appropriate structure to understand the relevance of the
topic. (S. Strohemeier 2007).
Figure 1- Technologies in the e-HRM Framework
The proposed framework can be read taking on consideration two level of detail: the
micro-level, which refers to the individual level, and the macro-level which considers the
organization a broader sense and take into consideration the parts’ interactions in the
entire mechanism.
“The framework distinguishes between context, configuration and consequences of e-
HRM, proposing that the configuration will determine the consequences of e-HRM,
while both configuration and consequences may be preceded and moderated by
contextual factors” as reposted by S. Strohmeier, 2007.
Starting from the left side of the framework, e-RHM context refers on the micro-level
on the availability of computer level or the attitude of peer groups, while on macro—
level refers to culture or legal conditions.
33
Moving to e-HRM configuration the components are identifies as the actors involved in
performing e-HRM, in the strategies and activities concerning the organizational level at
which e-HRM is performed, and technology as the relevant HR-related functionalities
and properties.
E-HRM consequences can be considered at a micro-level as user satisfaction or
acceptance, as individual impacts, or at a macro-level as operational, relational or
transformational consequences (Snell, Stueber, & Lepak, 2002) as reported in
Bondarouk (2016).
It’s necessary to briefly explain the factors that affects consequences of e-HRM, which
have been reported by T. Bondarouk, E. Parry and E. Furtmueller (2016):
• Operational consequences: they refer to efficiency, effectiveness, cost and time
saving the firms can benefit in the adoption of e-HRM system.
• Relational consequences: related to an improvement in communication,
cooperation thanks the effective sharing of information, as well as an increased
appreciation and awareness of the programs. This is an essential aspect for
talent retention, as well as the fact with e-HRM there is an increasing visibility of
possible career path and company’s image.
• Transformational consequences: these are to intend considering HR in a global
perspective. The positive impact of the investment, through which the practices
become more consistent, and the increasing strategic orientation role of the HR
function leaving space to operate on the planning and decision making phase,
and enable the entire organization to embrace effective changes.
Strohmeier 2007 reveals that “the respective technological applications are usually
considered on a very general level”, sometimes even vague. It’s underlined the necessity
to investigate in a systematic categorization of relevant technology.
According to the author, the researches on the individual consequences report that “e-
HRM obviously seems to be generally accepted and sometimes even preferred to
conventional HRM” (Strohmeier, 2007).
The actors involved in e-HRM are applicants, employees and HR professionals. In 2007,
34
Strohmeier announced that “since actor reactions constitute a main topic of current
research, there is a need for further exploration.”
There is also the need of investigate operational consequences which might regards
efficiency and effectiveness on the adoption of e-HRM, being aware of the potential
difficulties in measure and balance the gain and losses in efficiency and considering the
deskilling (R. J. Burke and Eddy Ng, 2006) of actors is nowadays an issue firms is trying
to overcome in quite satisfying manner. Development of computers and machine which
can substitute human work and increase productivity of the organization; nowadays it
has raised the need of new skills which transform the human work in complemental to
the one of machines.
Relational consequences, as the interaction between actors, represent a relevant topic.
Information technology leads to, or at least possesses the potential for, (global)
integration and harmonization of HR activities. Since spatially separated actors can be
networked, e-HRM seems to be a means to standardize HR and to overcome hurdles of
different cultures and languages (Hannon et al., 1996; Ruël et al., 2004; Tixier, 2004).
Finally, relevance studies on transformational competences revealed the “overall
changes of the HRM function that centrally aim at the role the HRM plays in company
performance and strategy support” (e.g., Barney & Wright, 1998).
In Strohmeier 2007, the suggested implication on the future researches regards all
elements of the framework: what is particularly interested are implication on
technology.
2.2.3 The roles of information technology in the digital workplace In 1998 Malhotra stated that “knowledge workers need to be facile in the applications
of new technologies to their business contexts. Such understanding is necessary so that
they can delegate ‘programmable’ tasks to technologies to concentrate their time and
efforts on value-adding activities that demand creativity and innovation”.
This represents a key aspect in the role of technology at workplaces.
35
2.2.3.1 Recruiting
HR Departments as well as recruiting organizations are increasingly using web based
solutions to address and attract their target candidates.
According to the contributions of the Authors mentioned below, the movement of
recruitment activities to the World Wide Web can result in estimated financial savings
of up to 90% of the costs of traditional recruitment methods and considerable time
savings as the hiring cycle is reduced by almost 25% (Cappelli, 2001; Cober, Brown,
Blumental, Doverspike, & Levy, 2000; Freeman, 2002; Lievens & Harris, 2003).
The use of electronic recruitment, also called e-recruitment, in the developed countries
is rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing recruitment techniques (Bartram, 2000;
Lawrence, Sauser, & Sauser, 2007).
As reported by Sylva and Mol (2009), digital solutions applied to recruiting benefit the
candidates letting them search and apply for job position quicker and in a global
perspective, and receive a response in short period of time. Due to globalization,
technological innovation and social trends, recruiters are increasingly challenged in
attract, acquire and retain talents.
Recent developments, as the increasing dominance of Facebook’s social recruiting tool
and LinkedIn, and the radical approaches to web which highlight more and more a
connected nature of the environment, represent a big opportunity for companies that
can be exploited with the aim of achieving better results.
As a result, personnel selection and recruitment practices are increasingly characterized
by marketing approaches (Cappelli, 2001; Lievens, Van Dam, & Anderson, 2002;
Liljander, Riel, & Pura, 2002).
According to Anna B. Holm (2012), there has been little research on the impact of e-
recruitment on the recruitment considering the entire process.
Figure 2 reports how the design and sequence of tasks is changing using e-recruiting.
Tasks are no more sequential but related to each other and they can be performed
concurrently. The communication with the applicant starts earlier and maintenance of
the system hat to be considered in the definition of activities to be performed.
36
Figure 2- Design and tasks of paper-based recruitment and e-recruiting
According to Parry and Tyson (2008) “the effective use of e-recruitment might
necessitate far reaching changes to the recruitment process as a whole, even though it
was hardly a new phenomenon by this stage”. Nowadays this statement can be
considered still consistently relevant as far as many more methods of social online
engagement are emerging.
The benefits of e-recruitment are the value of a positive candidate experience and
strong employer brand. (Natasha Allden, Lisa Harris 2013). There are possible limitations
to the effective delivery of a positive candidate experience and they are either
operational or cultural.
Sylva and Mol (2009), who performed a study on the applicant perception of an online
application system revealed the aspects that influence the applicant reaction as the
perceived efficiency and user-friendliness of the system, information provision towards
the applicant, the fairness of the perceptions, and the Internet selection image.
To briefly sum up sup up e-recruitment has transformed and is transforming the
traditional recruitment process into a time and space independent, collaborative hiring
process. In addition, research at the macro level can contribute to the field by
37
determining how environmental factors attributed to society in general, e.g. culture,
regulations, etc., affect organizations’ recruitment strategies and practices (Holm,
2012). In 2001 Cappelli argues that e-recruitment is more than just an HR tool, but
represents a change in the culture of how to get hired.
2.2.3.2 Learning, Performing and Developing The activities in which HR Department professional role is involved concern not only the
sourcing and recruiting, but, taking the perspective of HR pure development, it has also
influence also the learning activities, as well as the evaluation of employee
performances. In all these case the hardest task is the selection of an attractive option
which is able to promote both organizational and individual improvement.
In 2002 Angela D. Benson, S.D. Johnson, K. P. Kuchinke reported a framework which is
triangular representation of the uses of IT technology in the digital workplace. The three
sides represent the leaning mediated by technology, the performance enhancement
and the organizational development and change. Inside the triangle the tools are
named, and they contribute to the three sides at different levels.
Figure 3 - IT Tools in digital workplace
38
Authors underline the supportive role of IT tools in learning activities. Since beginning
of the century the potentiality to merge formal learning classrooms with e-learning
appeared clear, exploiting the benefit and facing the challenges of a hybrid
environment.
Both the role of trainers and the design of formal training has to be transformed and
adapted, to the trend of web-based e-learning.
The most relevant challenge has been the one to not to replicate or copy the materials
and strategies of traditional formal learning, since this approach seems to fail.
Contrarily, it’s important to take advantage of the unique capabilities and potential of
Web-based learning environments (Johnson & Aragon, 2002).
It has become crucial the planning and design phase, where Information Technologies
play the role of facilitators and or act as a complete substitute (e.g. in the figure of the
e-trainer).
It has to be highlighted the increasing attention on informal learning, in which
technology is a connector between learner and trainer, and a vehicle for interaction and
creation of relationships, that sometimes can go beyond the training moment. Internet
gives the chance to have informal learning at the fingerprints for professionals and it
represents an advantage in term of time.
In 2012 F. Karakas and A. Manisaligil investigated in the enabling role of digital
technology in self direct learning, and the advantage that it could represent also at
corporate level. Self-direct learning has been defined as “a process in which individuals
take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs,
formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning,
choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning
outcomes” (Knowles, 1975, p. 18).
Empirical studies have demonstrated positive effects of self-direct learning in the
workplace, some of them are an increasing of employees’ performance, a saving in
training program costs, as well as the ability to build a stronger network between
colleagues and improve critical thinking attitude.
39
The second side of the represented triangle framework in Figure 3 - IT Tools in digital
workplace regards performance enhancement.
Digital technology allows to facilitate interaction and represents an opportunity for
employees to have flexible access to knowledge and increase their skills, easily share
knowledge acquired, assuring a reduction in costs and a quicker enjoyment of contents.
IT technology supports performance enhancement in providing support systems which
can be both individual oriented and organizational oriented.
Different systems had been individuated in 1996 by Sherry & Wilson which considered
human performance technology, electronic performance support systems, computer-
supported collaboration, technical communications, and electronic publishing. Almost
20 years later they can be considered still valuable; IT does not give just a procedural
support for tasks, but enables effective communication and collaboration especially for
teamwork, which can share information and responsibilities anytime anywhere, and
accelerate the decision-making process.
In 2012 Franco-Santos, Lucianetti, and Bourne identified that people organizational
behavior, capabilities and performance outcomes are influenced and significantly
impacted by contemporary performance management system. For this reason, the
latter have an enabling role in organization’s success and in create competitive
advantage.
The challenging problem for performance measure management in the digital era is that
the external environment is not stable.
Globally companies’ perspective has shifted from a product-dominant to service-
dominant thinking. This fact requires fresh and innovative thinking on companies’
configuration, management and measurement practices.
With the advent of technological developments (e.g. high speed network connections,
web stream data, voice and video data) as well as social media (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn,
Twitter, etc.), organizations are dealing with varieties and volumes of data never
encountered before (Chen, Chiang, and Storey 2012; Davenport, Barth, and Bean 2012).
The challenge for performance measurement is to process the data into meaningful
information to enable decision-making (Bititci et al. 2012) which, when involving large
40
volumes of data, is often referred to in the recent literature with terms such as ‘big data’
or ‘data analytics’.
Chen, Chiang, and Storey (2012) state that big data and data analytics terms are used to
describe data-sets and analytical tools in the applications that are so large and complex
that they require advanced data storage, management, analysis and visualization
technologies.
It has to be noticed that nowadays both large companies and small medium firms are
hiving the possibility to exploit some of the advantage of the bid data phenomena.
In 2016 S. Nudurupati, S. Tebboune and J.Hardman (2016) highlighted the fact the
performance management shouldn’t be run exclusively internally but also evaluating
the companies’ results and achieves taking a wide collaborative perspective within and
outside the industry in which the firm is competing.
The basis of the pyramid framework in Figure 3 - IT Tools in digital workplace belongs to
organizational development and changes. In this perspective, the contribution of
technology has been previously mentioned.
In addition, can be underline that in 2002 it has been argued that in organization
development employment of enhanced technologies must occur in three main areas:
data-based assessment tools and techniques, team building, and management/
employee development (Church, Gilbert, Oliver, Paquet, & Surface, 2002).
In this area, the main challenges regard the availability of hardware and software, low
cost and fast connectivity, technical and user support, time, and privacy to explore and
experiment. Thanking a global perspective, it should be notice that these resources
aren’t still distributed equally among urban and rural populations, large and small
organizations, and for-profit and not-for-profit organizations (Angela D. Benson, S.D.
Johnson, K. P. Kuchinke, 2002).
A research study has been conducted in 2008 by Victor Y. Haines III and Geneviève
Lafleur on the role and effectiveness of IT usage on Human Resources, on 1556 senior
HR executives at leading Canadian corporations. It can be highlighted that the
relationship between IT and HR is supported by results as greater involvement in the
41
strategic HR roles of business partner and change agent. There is a positive association
between information technology use and technical and strategic effectiveness of human
resources revealing a potentiality in the transformation of human resource
management thanks to the application of information technologies.
2.2.4 Technologies influencing Human Resources
It’s important to understand which are the relevant technologies that are nowadays
impacting to the evolution of HRM. Consultancy companies such as Deloitte, Accenture,
and KPMG, as well as established firms which provide technological solutions in support
to HR processes in the business to business market (e.g. Oracle), have been able to
identify the technological trends that are impacting the most on the investigated field.
In particular, in 2012 KPMG International conducted a study - Rethinking Human
Resources in a Changing World - to investigate the forces influencing the Human
Resources function, how technology is shaping HR’s response. The study highlights
principally the rise on an “mobile, online and self-service HR function”. It suggests social
media as an opportunity to turn into an effective strategy to attract and retain talents,
and it’s underlined the necessity to exploit the data-driven nature of the function to
better achieve goals.
In 2016 Accenture, in The digitalization of Human Resource: Digital HR technologies
comes of age argues about predictive recruiting and predictive training development, as
anticipated concepts to align the function to the business strategy through analytics.
Oracle in 2015 reported about a “modern HR in the Cloud”, highlighted an increasing
use of cloud solution in HRM especially in the form of SaaS (software as a service), and
a shortening in the time period need to deliver a cloud HRM System. The company
showed also an increasing use of social and mobile solution especially linked at
recruiting process : “62% of job seekers in Western Europe use social media for their job
search” and “74% of HR leaders believe mobile recruiting tools result in better
candidates”.
In 2017 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends released a report in which it highlighted
some of the new rules for HR in the digital age. Among 10 trends resulted from studies
42
and surveys, technologies that seems to have a strong impact in the functions are social
technologies, big data analytics in terms of people analytics considering the centrality of
humans in the addressed function, and artificial intelligence, robotics and cognitive
computing whose impact seems until now lower, but that will increase thanks to their
contribution for transparency and the strong contribution they can have in the sourcing
phase of recruiting process.
“A recruiter in this new world can add value by building psychological and emotional
connections with candidates and constantly strengthening the employment brand”
(Deloitte 2017).
To sum up HR has acquiring an increasing relevant role in businesses, considering that
companies can’t stop investigating the relationship between practices and firm
performances.
The main challenges and opportunities regard the global orientation of the department,
cross-cultural issues and the need of international/global managers to be addressed.
There is also a greater need for creativity and innovation from employees as well as the
one of working collaboratively with more emphasis being placed on a variety of team-
based structures. Finally, organizations will need greater commitment and engagement
of staff in order to remain competitive in the market.
The enabling role of information technology, as a synergic integration towards the
strategic business role of HR function, let the field of investigation be full of potentialities
that firms are trying to understand and exploit in the best way possible to achieve their
results.
43
2.3 Immersion in the Startups’ World
“A startup is a human institution designed to create a new product or service under
conditions of extreme uncertainty.” (Ries, 2011)
The definition of startup given by Eric Ries in the famous book The Lean Startup,
published in 2011, suggests that the startup deals with entrepreneurship. In order to
have a comprehensive understanding of startup features is necessary to consider a
broader definition of the startup concept and a deeper investigation of its peculiar
characteristics.
2.3.1 Startups’ Features 2.3.1.1 Definition When dealing with startup, it’s intend a temporary organization which is looking for a
business model that is stable, scalable and profitable. In simple words the business
model is considered as the way the organization makes profit. In the concept of startup
is generally embedded the concept of novelty: it would be unprecise to link novelty to
the offer of the startup. Indeed, for sure startups are the organization offer new product
or service as well as those that offer old product in a different manner, with a different
business model. Novelty can reside in the way the product or service is delivered, the
way the product or service reaches the targeted customer.
According to the Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico (2017), an innovative startup is the
organization which were born less than years from the moment of consideration.
The concepts of lean and agile methodologies are related with startup world: the
uncertainty linked to the challenge of proposing something new on the market requires
startups to be very fast in getting insights and modify their proposal according to
suggestions that implicitly or explicitly arrives from the external conditions.
A very useful tool to define a startup is the Lean Business Model Canvas, introduced by
Maruya in 2012. This tool is able to grasp all relevant elements of the idea and
summarize them in a visual and intuitive way.
44
Figure 4- Lean Business Model Canvas
To be effective the boxes of the Lean Canvas (fig.3) have to be approached following a
specific order.
Starting from the left the first section is the one that concerns the product or service.
The Problem is the section where the issue that the idea addresses has be explicit. It’s
necessary that the idea is considered as positive improvement of an as-is situation,
something that breaks the status quo.
The problem is link to its resolution, which has to have a unique value proposition that
distinguishes the idea form the existing alternatives to the problem pointed out in the
first block. The unique value proposition represents the central point of the idea, and it’s
linked to concept of novelty mentioned before.
We cannot improve what we can’t measure. That’s why it’s fundamental to establish
correct metrics to measure the validity and success of the idea.
Moving to the right side of Figure 4, the model addresses the customer risks which are
firstly linked to the customer segment addressed targeted by the idea. It’s important to
explicit the early adopters’ segment, which is the customer segment firstly addressed
by the solution, which represent the first conquer in the market as well as the segment
that can spread out the value of the idea. Related to customers, the Lean Canvas
explains the channels through which the idea reaches its target as well as the unfair
advantage that the solution represents. The last concept refers to the aspect of the idea
45
which is difficult to copy of bought, which could also represent a cost of switching.
Market risks are for sure embedded in the unique solution proposed by the startup, as
well as in its cost structure and revenue stream. Generally, the cost structure is useful
to explicit all voices can be representative of a cost in the development and
implementation of the idea: customer acquisition costs, distribution costs, people costs,
… etc.
The revenue stream usually explicates the revenue model, the lifetime value of the idea
as well as its’ gross margin.
The collection of these information and their explication in the Lean Canvas tools are
useful to have a comprehensive definition of the startup.
2.3.1.2 Startups’ Characteristics
Startups’ objective is to growth fast and to enter the market and reach the highest
number of possible clients in a shot amount of time. The key element to do so, it called
engine of growth, which means to introduce in the product or service one key
characteristics which stimulates clients in repeated use product or fruition of service
(e.g. freemium offers). Typically, the engine of growth only can’t assure success of the
startup, neither the marketing effort and the word of mouth which is one of the
conventional ways to spread and get the solution known.
Uncertainty of the idea and of the context in which it’s inserted suggest the idea failure,
as an aspect the startup as to deal with. The faster the idea fails the faster it’s possible
to recover and adjust the aspects the market hasn’t been able to appreciate.
Fear of failure can stick the never-ending process of discovery which is typical of startup
world.
The concept of pivoting is one of the key characteristics of startup, intended as
procedure methodology. As entrepreneur, the Startupper as to be able build a
sustainable business. To do so the fundamental objective to learn and validate ideas
from the market. The cycle of build-measure-learn is shortened and made very tight to
effectively grasp the insights and accelerate the feedback loop. Pivoting is the concept
46
through with is a result is different from what expected, a reflection on the deviation
and a change in idea is needed. Also in these terms the Lean Canvas tool can drive
towards the desirable changes.
Agile development methodologies are very helpful to face the cyclical path of build-
measure-learn in the most flexible way. It’s fundamental to test the correct features of
the idea, after the understanding of the correct metrics. The Lean Startup Method
elaborated by Eric Ries in 2000s, suggest the edification of a Minimum Viable Product
(MVP), which means the identification of key features and key metrics of the
product/service the startups launching to understand the reaction of customers and to
pivot in case it’s needed to adjust.
As previously mentioned, startup deals with entrepreneurship; according to Kropp,
Lindsay and Shoham (2008), there is a positive correlation between startup decision and
proactiveness of taking risks as well as with the age of the entrepreneur, underlining the
uncertainty characteristic typical in the startup context.
To briefly summarize the four key features of startup as concept and as methodology
are: a problem-solving attitude in solve a addressed issue with a unique value
proposition; a human-centered design, since the startups aims to launch a product of
service which has to be sold the customers can play a fundamental role in the definition
of the key characteristics of the idea; Iterative approach, which deals with strengthen
the feedback loop delating the fear of failure but embracing this possibility as an
opportunity; and a prototyping attitude, since to test the validity of the idea a quick and
dirty version product or service is the best way to save time and money.
2.3.2 Startup lifecycle
In its whole life, a startup aims to create a sustainable business model and execute it as
stablished company.
Its lifecycle is typically composed by different phases: the last one is the achievement of
maturity, which suggest that the organization can be run a proper company adapting
methodologies, objectives and operational activities.
47
Figure 5- Startup's Lifecycle Path
Figure 5 explains all stages of a startup lifecycle, starting from the searching of a problem
and the establishment of a fitted solution, moving to the definition of the key features
and metrics of the idea embedded in the Minimum Viable Product; from the searching
of market fit for both for product and language to their achievements; from the
searching to the identification of the right channels, to the obtainment of resources for
the growth to the international expansion and growth through acquisition which
coincides with the maturity stage.
One of the fundamental resources to be successful resides in the ability to obtain funds,
meaning that the economical factor has to be consider and carefully evaluated.
Figure 6 represents the typical evolution of cash flows during time as well as the
typical founding requirements and the funding actors involved in each stage are cited
below.
48
Figure 6- Startup lifecycle and cash flows
The pre-seed stage is the one in which the concept and the product have been
developed: the general objective to define a business plan and a prototype on the idea
to test and understand the market. Revenues are zero or very small, and financially the
organization generally burn cash. Typically founding requests are between 10.000€ and
100.000€ and these amounts arrive form personal savings or from the so called three F:
family, friends and fouls, people that believe in the person which is realizing the idea
because the product/service is not ready.
It’s not possible to assess the quality of the opportunity and of the business concept just
with an idea (Gelderen, Thurik, Bosna 2005).
The second phase regards the introduction of the product in the market, the so-called
seed stage. Here the startup starts to have its first revenues, which are still very small.
Furthermore, the product is ready to be developed and matched to the market. Funding
need are generally between 500K€ and 1 million, and they arrive form crowdfunding
and business angels, privates that wants to invest in the product/service. The startup
continuous in burning cash.
The third phase in the one in which the organization starts to growth and make some
money, moving toward breakeven point. Business Angels and Venture Capitalists
support the economical requirements which are between 1 and 5 Million Euro in
49
general. The startup in the round A has to find the product-market fit, and test the
business model.
It’s in the round B that the startup, acquiring its maturity, makes operating profit. The
investment is around 5 and 10 Million Euro, and to the side of Venture Capitalist arrives
the support of Private Equity.
The latest stage is the expansion where cash flows are stable, and funding arrives from
Private Equity and Stock Exchange. The organization can be considered a corporate one.
These general considerations about startups can be considered valuable for the
organizations which offer Human Resource Management solutions and services, which
are the focus of the analysis.
Before entering in the results, it is necessary to explain the research methodology
adopted to perform the study.
50
Chapter 3 – Research Methodology The fundamental steps which have regarded the research methodologies have been:
the literature review research, in which papers and articles from researchers and
scholars have been collected, and put beside research reports coming from most reliable
consultancy companies; the research question formulation, derived from the
elaboration and analysis of literature; the data extraction and lessening, which started
with the collection of a large sample that has been screened following the characteristics
congeal with the objective of the research; and then the database constitution in which
all relevant variables has been defined as well as their measurement methodology.
Figure 7 - Research Methodology's Process
3.1 Literature Review Research Methodology
The articles and papers research and collection to perform the reported above has been
conducted following a selective method. Two types of researches have been conducted.
The principal tool for the scouting of papers and articles has been Scopus, a large
database for of peer-reviewed literature. The research has been performed considering
51
two main streams of literature: the impact of technology on human resources and
startups definition and characteristics. The research has been conducted using the query
function of Scopus online platform. Principal words used to perform the first research
have been “digital”, “era” “technology”, “technologies”, “IT”, “impact”, “influence”,
“study”, “research”, “human resources”, ”human resource management”, “HRM”,
“electronic human resource management, “e-HRM”, “e-HR”, “process”, “business”,
“recruitment”, “e-recruitment”. Numerous combinations of the cited word have been
built and adapted to the research following logical meaning of English language.
Publications belonging to the group related to Business, Management and Accounting
field have been the only ones considered.
In order to select the most relevant articles and papers cited, every query results have
been ordered by the most cited to the less cited.
A punctual reading of available documents’ abstracts have been conducted and the
validity of the publication has been checked by looking at the journal table published by
the Associazione Italiana Ingegneria Gestionale in 2012. When similar content has been
found, most accredited journals have been taken as criteria of selection. It has also been
considered the year of publication: considering the novelty of the topic and the rapid
changes in technologies publications divulged before 2000 have been very limited.
A secondary research have been conducted considering recent researches, studies and
reports conducted by the most accredited consultancy companies. Relevance of the
topics as well as a global perspective on the argument and a recent year of publication
– at the earliest 2012- have been privileged.
3.1.1 From Literature Review to Research Questions
Recent studies have been arise the evidence of a deep transformation of the workplace
thanks to the massive diffusion of digital solutions (Benson 2002, Accenture 2016,
Deloitte 2017).
According to PwC’s 2017 Global CEO survey, CEOs rank Human Capital as their second
business priority after Innovation, 59% of them are rethinking their HR function.
52
Organizations are searching for the best way to face the transformation and to facilitate
it, recognizing challenges and potentialities and are trying to overcome limitation of
technology application. The generation of Millennials will soon represent the majority
of operative workforce (Manpower Group, 2017) and it’s necessary to identify the
correct channels to target the young workforce. Furthermore firms are increasingly
interested in the new digital professions; sometimes they find difficult to find skilled
candidates which can play the roles.
A particular attention has been given to human resource department, whose center are
people, as individuals, as interactions and as a whole system which bring value for the
organization.
It can be highlighted a development in the HR function during the last 20 years. To the
side of its operational and tactical role, it has been given a more and more strategical
and transformational purpose the function, in order to better align people with business
goals and performance achievements.
In this context technology plays an increasing relevant role: firstly, IT is seeing as a
integrated part of HRM, an instrument through which create value within and across
organizations for target employees and management (Bondarouk and Ruell, 2009).
Furthermore, technology is considered as part of HR configuration and it has the role to
enable the translation of strategies into effective actions (Strohemeier, 2007). IT is
influenced by the context and has impact on the operational consequences of HR
configuration, as the effectiveness and efficiency of the activities of the department; on
the relational consequences, meaning as the actors communicate and harmonically
integrate their relations inside and outside the company; and on the transformational
consequences of HR, which is perceived and empowered as key change agent within the
organization.
It had to be mentioned IT considering the role of facilitator and sometimes optimizer of
HR processes. Recruiting design process has received a transformation with the
implementation of dedicated HR online systems (Cappelli 2001, Holm 2012 , Livens
2002). Benefits have been point out in a reduction of time and costs dedicated to the
process activities. Impact of IT can be surely evaluated in Learning process – with the
53
spreading of e-learning solution and the facilitation of self-direct learning possibility - ,
in Performance Management process – whose main challenge resides in the process of
data to enhance accuracy and shorten time od decision-making process- and in
Organizational Development process – whose inertia can be overcome with the support
of technology and its full potentiality can be exploited.
The anticipatory nature of startups which it’s embedded in the seeking of stability,
scalability and profitability objectives, suggests the investigation of the industry to
evaluate what is now and will be the future of HR tech.
Research question number one:
• How will technological enhancement change the HR tech industry ? (RQ1)
A particular attention has been dedicated to the recruiting process (Holm 2012, Allden
and Harris 2013, Bondarouk et. All 2017). Digital solutions dedicated to this process
appear fast-growing in the recent 7 years, appealing more and more candidate to search
from job positions using dedicated online platforms, and social media channels who are
developing recruiting tools (Deloitte 2017, Oracle 2015).
The automatization of part of the process is bringing important cost benefit to firms that
are adopting these solutions. It has also to be considered that dedicated time to some
activities is shorten, and recruiters can dedicate more in adding value tasks rather than
lose time in manually perform screening of hundreds of CVs.
In addition the candidate experience in the recruiting process is becoming an increasing
matter of attention for firms, which are considering to applied techniques and
approaches typical of marketing also to employer branding activities and to process in
general (Cappelli 2001, Holm 2012, Livens2002).
Research question number two:
• How Recruitment and Employer Branding is changing due to technological
enhancement ? (RQ2)
54
3.2 Sample Construction
In order to construct the sample of the analysis two extraction from external database
have been conducted. For startups which operate at the international level it has been
used Crunchbase, a startup database managed by TechCrunch, which declare to have
500.000 profiles between organizations, people, funds and events and to have every
month two million accesses to its dataset.
In order to extract the first sample of 1567 organizations a filter regarding the year of
foundation has been applied as well as a filter in the last funding date, and applying a
search by tags which is further explained. The last funding date has been set in 2015.
1567 in the number composed by two extraction: the principal one has given 1552
results, the second one resulted in 15 cases.
According to the Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico (2017), an innovative startup is the
organization which were born less than five years from the moment of consideration.
To respect the definition startup that are born in 2011 and earlier haven’t been
extracted. It has to be considered that the analysis which is reported below has
performed between 2017 and 2018, this is the dataset contains some organizations born
in 2012. It has been also checked the status of the organizations and just startups which
are active have been selected.
Crunchbase follows a tag logic to extract information, a tag it’s a word which categorize
a database line. The list of tag used to extract startups that operates at the international
level is as follow: “Human Resources”, “Office Administration”, “Virtual Assistant”,
“Education”, “Application performance management”, “career planning”, “continuing
education”, “corporate training”, “education”, “personal development”, “e-learning”,
“recruiting”, “employee benefits”. The extraction resulted in 1552 startups.
In order to extract also a Italian sample of organization it has been used Alba, in which
with the same logic of Crunchbase it has been used the tag “HR”. The year of foundation
and the last funding received have been checked manually, where possible. The resulted
sample which is added to the one previously extracted has been of 15 startups.
The total sample of 1567 has been so constructed.
55
3.3 Database Description
The database consist in 42 columns, thanks to which the sample can be comprehensively
described, classified and categorized. Part of the columns derived directly from the
Cruchbase extraction. In particular, each row that correspond univocally to one an only
one organization, is structured as follow: organization name, categories – which refers
to tag related to the specific startup, headquarters location, description - a description
given by the founders - , operating status - active - , founded date, company type - for
profit - , website, email contact, created at - which refers to the date of creation of the
organization - , number of founders, number of employees, number of funding rounds,
funding status – referring to the startup lifecycle - , late funding date.
To these columns a second part has been added in order to categorize the sample basing
on the characteristics of the solution proposed. First of all a characterization regarding
the affinity to the analysis. The only startups which offer solution related to HR at a
corporate level have been considered. It has to be highlighted that some of them
include offer that target other firms function as well as private clients. The inclusion of
the solution has been approved even for those who have these multiple offer, necessary
and sufficient condition has been that part of the solution addresses HR department of
firms.
Furthermore it has been added a column in which each congenial startup has been
manually described. It has been added a categorization by process, considering
Recruiting and Employer Branding, Learning and Development and Onboarding,
Administration and Personnel, Welfare and Benefits, Workspace and Smart working,
and Performance Management. It has been considered HR in a broad sense and typical
processes concerning the function as been considered.
The process have to be intended ad follow
• Recruiting and Employer Branding; Recruiting process includes the sourcing and
selection of candidates, which includes also their attraction and evaluation;
Employer Branding includes all activities that define the reputation and image of
the workplace. They both refers to initial contact phase between the company
56
and the candidate, for this reason they have been grouped.
• Learning and Development; Learning and Development refers to the training
activities, planning, supply and evaluation, which are likely to be performed at
the beginning of the new employer career path. For this reason the process is
grouped with the Onboarding, in which the new employer is welcome in the
workplace and align with organization’s bets practices.
• Administration and Personnel; It refers to all activities related to all activities
related to payrolls and administrative tasks.
• Welfare and Benefits; it includes all benefits that atypically addresses
employees. From insurance guarantee and car provision to children assistance.
• Workspace/Smart Working; it related to the work space environment, both
physical and virtual as well as the interrelation with colleagues.
• Performance management: it includes the competences mapping and the
evaluation of performance, the comparison with objective, the gap analysis and
the corrective actions.
Adoption of technologies has been categorized following the results reported in 2.2.4
section: Social, Mobile, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Analytics, Cloud trends.
• Social trend; which refers to the extent to which organization are leveraging on
social media networks as tolls for HRM, as well as the arising of platforms such
LinkedIn, which are disrupting the market. It refers also to the use of social as a
firm’s internal resource.
• Mobile trend; user friendliness and constant connectivity of mobile devices
suggest an increasing dominant role in the working life at every level.
• Artificial Intelligence trend; the category includes also machine learning systems
and it’s meant not only as a substitute of human but as an integrative part,
whose value and potentialities have to be investigated and exploit.
• Big Data and Analytics trend; is has been investigating the potentiality of the
enormous amount of data people are able to generate every day. Since work
interaction are human interaction, analytics is included in the relevant category.
57
• Cloud trend; SaaS solution are spread in every industry, it’s relevant to include a
technology which have been a massive revolution in the last 20 years.
It has also been considered the addressing users of the solution both at a micro level,
individual or group use, and at a macro level, considering if the targeted firms addressed
by the solution are big companies or small/medium enterprises.
It has been considered operational consequences, considering if the orientation of the
solution is more linked to efficiency or effectiveness, and the relational consequences ,
considering the actors involved in the solution – both business to employees, functional
manager, HR manager and employees, and external, the candidate (T. Bondarouk, E.
Parry and E. Furtmueller, 2016). For completeness, it has to specified that for functional
manger has been considered manager of enterprise functions, with the exclusion of HR,
whose manager is indeed categorized as HR manager.
The categories mentioned above have been evaluated and cells filled, after the
confirmation of affinity per each row considered. The resulted set of startups finally
included in the analysis passed from 1567 to 619.
Furthermore it has been added a column related to general future trends, and one
related to trend specifically to the process of Recruiting and Employer Branding. In
particular the entity of these two sets of categories has been constructed consequently
to the startup inspection and description. Similar and repetitive patterns have been
identified, without considering the process the solution addressed. Indeed, the
categories related to global future trends have built.
The research of the Recruiting and Employer Branding trends has been performed in a
similar way with the consideration of the specify of the process in analysis and the
peculiar features that characterized its activities and tasks as well as the actors involved.
A particular attention has been given in the final phase of analysis to Italian solutions,
considering the origin of the author as well as that of Politecnico di Milano.
For both general future trends and Recruiting and Employer Branding specific trends,
two specific examples has been reported. In order to select the startups which have
been reported as trend explicative, organizations have been compared grouped by
trend category and the identification of the selected example has been performed
58
considering innovativeness of the solution, keeping attention on not to repeat similar
example in order in order to give a comprehensive and differentiated idea of the trend
diffusion and of trend’s facets.
Since Recruiting and Employer Branding has been the deeper investigated process, two
interesting case study have been performed that carry along interesting solution which
have been able to clarify the direction the process is taking in the Italian market.
The case studies have been constructed through interviews performed by the author
with startups founders. Both interviews The similar structure of both interview has been
followed even if adaptations have been made due to time restriction and differences of
the analyzed solutions.
Each interview began which introductive questions regarding the startup’s history, the
mission, the actual stage of the organization stage and addressed target. A second phase
of the interview the solution has been deeper investigated, both to understand the
features of the product/service and to have a comprehensive idea of the technologies
involved. The third phase it has been fundamental to understand the functionalities and
the process design of the solution, as well as to perform the typical path a client would
follow to take advantage of the solution. Both solutions’ platforms have been shown
taking the perspective of the candidate and of the HR manager.
The conclusive part of the interview have regarded the explication of results achieved
firm now (if there are) and the future development of the idea taking into consideration
the path performed until now and the response of the market.
Table 1 reports the variables which have constructed the database, dividing them into
two macro categories: the exogenous variables coming from the extraction, and the
variables created ad-hoc in order to perform the analysis.
59
Table 1 - Variables for the Analysis
60
Chapter 4 – Empirical Results
4.1 Startups’ location, creation and funding The sample of 619 organization has been explored considering the headquarter
location, the year of creation and the last year of funding. The geographical location
analysis results in a concentration of 81% of startups between North America and
Europe, respectively 52% and 29% of the sample. It has to be noticed that for 14 cases
(2%), the headquarter location couldn’t be identified. Figure 7 reports the distribution
on a globe map.
Figure 8- Startups' distribution on the globe
As far as the year of foundation is concerned, consequently to the filter application
which had excluded startups born in 2011, the sample is distributed as follow: 5% of
analyzed startups have been founded in 2012, 19% in 2013, respectively 22% and 26%
of them in 2014 and 2015: between 2016 and 2017 the rest 18%, respectively 14% and
4%.It has to be considered that for 64 cases (10%), the founded date data was not
available.
The total funding amount date is present just for 446 of 619 cases: some funding have
been accounted in euros, some in dollars and some other in pounds. Taking as reference
61
the exchange rate of the 19th of Marc 2018, relying on Milano Finanza website all
fundings have been converted in US $. On average the total funding received are around
$ 6,702 Million.
Table 1 reports the distribution of startups according to the last year of received funding.
For 17 cases (3%), it has not been possible to consider the data, since it has been missed.
Last year of Funding (% on 619 startups)
2015 24%
2016 35%
2017 38%
Table 2- Startups distribution by year of funding
4.1 Processes and Technologies The sample has been classified according to the HR process each solution addresses.
Processes considered are the ones described in 3.3 Database Description: Recruiting and
Employer Branding, as the front end activities through which company and candidate
come in contact; Learning and Development, as the phase of developing the required
skills to perform the job and the welcome steps of the professional career;
Administration and Personnel as the accounting activities of payrolls and administration
of documents; Welfare and Benefits, which refers to employers and managers benefits;
Workspace and Smart Working, which refers to scheduling and organization of work in
and off office; Performance Management which includes evaluation and adjustment of
performances.
62
Graph 1 – Startups’ Distribution by process
Graph 1 reports as the most addressed process the one of Recruiting and Employer
Branding phase (53%) followed by a consistent interest for Learning and Development
solutions (35%). Workspace and Smart working and Performance Management are
respectively the third and fourth process addressed in the percentage of 16% and 10%.
Only 6% of solution addressed Administration and Personnel and only 5% Welfare and
Benefits.
It has to highlighted that one solution not necessary address one and only one process,
but when processes addressed by the startup in analysis have been more than one, all
interested processes have been accounted.
Similar process has been adopted to count the technological use of startups. The
technologies taken into account have been Social, Mobile, Artificial Intelligence , Big
Data Analytics and Could according to 3.3 Database Description and insights emerged
by literature analysis.
53%
35%
6% 5%
16%10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
HR ProcessRecruiting/Employer Branding Learning and Development/ OnboardingAdministration and Personnel Welfare and BenefitsWorkspace/Smartworking Performance management
63
Graph 2- Startups' Distribution by Technology
From Graph 2 it results that cloud solutions are the most common (68%), followed by
Big Data and Analytics (63%). Quite spread are solution that uses Social technologies
(51%) and Mobile trend (43%). Artificial Intelligence remained the technologies less
implemented due certainly to its high investment cost. It has to be considered that it is
the technologies applied the most recently to the field; other reasons will be further
developed. As far as technological distribution is concerned, it’s evident overlaps in the
use of technologies by the startups in the sample.
After a general analysis on process and technological distribution each process has been
separately considered and investigated, to deeply explore peculiar tracts that
characterizes startups HR in each process related to the function, and specify the use of
technologies, the addressed target of solution at micro and macro level, the operational
and relational characteristics as reported in 3.3 Database Description.
51%43%
20%
63%68%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
TechnologySocial Mobile Artificial Intelligence Big Data and Analytics Cloud
64
4.2 Recruiting and Employer Branding 53% of the solutions address completely or at least in part the process of recruiting and
employer branding, for a total 331 startups.
This subsample of solutions address principally individual solutions (99%): 11% of total
offers target a group of workers, meaning that some of the functionalities of the solution
can be exploited by teams. The difference in individual use and group use shouldn’t be
intended exclusive, which means that almost all organizations that provide a solution
that addresses a group, have also a section which involves individuals separately from
the group. Similar reasoning can be applied for the addressed customer of the solutions:
in 39% of cases they are small/medium enterprises, 94% of cases are big firms. It can be
notice a predominance of solutions that addresses an efficiency purpose (78%), while
the effectiveness remain in any case a relevant aspect (55%).
The actors involved in the solution proposed are the functional manager in 8% of cases,
employers in 12% of cases; this signal that recruiting is no more a concern for candidate
and HR but tasks and responsibilities are share along all the company. HR manager is
involved in the solution in 90% of case and candidate in the 81%.
Graph 3 reported the technological distribution in recruiting and Employer Branding
Process.
Big Data and analytics remains the most approached technology (67%), followed by
cloud (57%), social (47%) and mobile (38%), whose values remain under the average.
On the contrary Artificial Intelligence (27%) results in a value higher than the average.
65
Graph 3- Recruiting and Employer Branding -Technologies' Distribution
4.3 Learning and Development From 619 startups, 219 of them address the process of Learning and Development. It
refers to the phase in which the new employer, after having been evaluated and
selected is introduce to the company, and starts his/her career path. It generally
coincides with a period of training in order to acquire or at least refine the competences
required for his/her job. It has to be highlighted that training can be performed at every
level of career and it not necessary confines in the first period of the career. 98% of
analyzed solutions address individuals and 17% of them address group training
activities. The latter can represent an advantage in order to strengthen the team spirit
and align people who will collaborate together. 96% of the targeted firms are big
companies and 51% are small medium enterprises. Therefore in almost 50% of cases the
solution addresses companies of all sizes, considering learning activities transversal
respect to the size of the organization. There is a balance between solution which are
effectiveness oriented and the one that are efficiency oriented, respectively 63% and
64%. It has to be highlighted that the orientation of the solution can be driven by both
directions.
47%38%
27%
67%
57%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Technologies
Social Mobile Artificial Intelligence Big Data & Analytics Cloud
66
As far the involvement of the actors is concerned, employees and functional managers
assumes an increasing relevant role in the process: 79% of cases involve the former, 56%
the latter. It is the time when the new employee has to start building the relationship
with superiors and colleagues. HR manager is the leader that manage and control the
phase, it involvement it’s around the 95% of case.
Training programs and onboarding activities see a wide spread of cloud technology
(85%), since most of the process is performed online relying in a SaaS solutions. Big data
and analytics, generally use to elaborate the right programs and evaluate progresses
and identify possible gaps of competences are around the 58% and social trend which
refers to all the solutions that facilitate the communication between colleagues and
trainers and trainees are around the 54%. Mobile technology follows at 46% and
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning solution are around 11%, a data way more
under the average, signaling that there is a research that has being performed to exploit
the potentiality of this technology in this process.
Graph 4 reports technologies distribution of Learning and Development process.
Graph 4- Learning and Development -Technologies' Distribution
54%46%
11%
58%
85%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
Technologies
Social Mobile Artificial Intelligence Big Data & Analytics Cloud
67
4.4 Administration and Personnel Only 36 of the 619 startups considered in the analysis refers to Administration and
Personnel. 100% of the solutions address individuals and are efficiency oriented,
signaling that the direction of the future in this process is to streamline the most the
activities: this is line with a increasing strategic role of the HR department, which has to
focus its attention on value-added activities. 83% of the solutions targeted small and
medium enterprises, while 61% of them big firms. In all 36 cases HR manager has key
role in managing the solution system, HR managers are involved in 31% of cases and
employees in the 50%, revealing once again the willingness of share responsibilities and
tasks along all the enterprise.
Bid Data & Analytics and Cloud technologies are present in the majority of the solutions,
by 92% the latter and by 89% the former. The process turns to be streamline thanks to
the use of mobile, suggested by 61% of solutions. 47% is the presence of social trend,
while artificial intelligence is used in just one case, and it is part of solution that refers
primary to Recruiting process.
Graph 5 reports technologies distribution for Administration and Personnel process.
Graph 5- Administration and Personnel-Technologies' Distribution
47%
61%
3%
92% 89%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
TechnologiesSocial Mobile Artificial Intelligence Big Data &Analytics Cloud
68
4.5 Welfare and Benefits Welfare and Benefits process is addressed by 5% of the solutions (34 cases). 100% of
cases target individuals, in fact the perk are generally exploited by the single employee:
in 12% of cases solution can be benefited by group, meaning that the consideration of
teams is increasing also in this terms. 76% of solutions address big firms and the same
percentage addresses the small/medium companies, resulting in a total balance.
Efficiency of the process is the predominant objective of the considered solution (80%),
47% are the ones focused on effectiveness of the benefits, meaning to offer an
remarkable experience to the rewarded employee. Also in this case HR manager is
supposed to be the user of all solution proposed, that target employees in 74% of cases
and function managers in 44% of cases.
Mobile technology leads most of the startups’ offers with the 71%. It is followed by Big
Data, 68% especially used to evaluate the merit to the benefit and the match between
the desire of employee and the concrete benefit proposed. Cloud systems are 62% of
cases, social technology’s trend is around 50%. Only one solution with refers to the
identification of medical diseases, it’s driven by machine learning system (3%).
The Graph 6 reports the resulted use of the technologies I Welfare and Benefits process.
Graph 6- Welfare and Benefits -Technologies' Distribution
50,00%
71,00%
3,00%
68,00%62,00%
0,00%10,00%20,00%30,00%40,00%50,00%60,00%70,00%80,00%
Technologies
Social Mobile Artificial Intelligence Big Data & Analitics Cloud
69
4.6 Workspace/ Smart Working 16% of startups considered in the sample equal to 96 cases, address Workspace and
Smart working process, that parts of HR that define the physical and virtual space where
to perform working activities.
Individuals are involved in 95% of solutions and teams in 47% of cases. Principally,
solution address big firms (94%), small medium enterprises are offered by startups’
solutions 41% of case. There is perfect balance between the operational consequences
the subsample carries along: 58% of case are efficiency oriented, same proportion are
effectiveness oriented. HR manager remains always the main actor which has the role
of coordinator (97%) and functional managers and employees as a relevant role in the
process: 85% the latter and 76% the latter.
As far as technologies are concerned Cloud solution which are at 82% are followed by
Big Data and Analytics by 67%. 61% are the solutions implementing a social technology,
49% a mobile one. 22% are the idea in with an Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning
system is embedded. All results are reported in Graph 7.
Graph 7- Workspace and Smart Working -Technologies' Distribution
61%
49%
22%
67%
82%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
TechnologiesSocial Mobile Artificial Intelligence Big Data & Analytics Cloud
70
4.7 Performance Management
Performance Management solution are 63, equal to 10% of the total sample.
All technologies are implemented above the average valued: the leading technology is
Big Data and Analytics, by 86%: certainly able to elaborate competences and grasp the
potential gaps, analyze the performances and compare them to expectation in order to
define the correct reward. Cloud solution are 81%, able to collect and conserve the
enormous amount of data generated by the working human capital. Social solutions are
71%, referring to all systems and platform where to share with other achievements and
compensation. Mobile is at 65%, value which is widely higher than the generic one.
Artificial Intelligence solutions are present in 21% of cases, underlining the willingness
to study the best practices and condition of extraordinary performances and try to find
a path to replicate them.
Graph 8 reports the results mention above.
Graph 8- Performance Management - Technologies' Distribution
71%65%
21%
86%81%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Technolgies
Social Mobile Artificial Intelligence Bag Data & Anaytics Cloud
71
The 97% of cases are related to individual solutions, while 43% to groups ones.
Generally, big firms are the preferred target , by 95%, while small/medium firms remain
the interest in 48% of cases.
Effectiveness seems to be the objective most aimed (73%), and efficiency (56%) is never
the less relevant.
Functional mangers, HR and employees have their consistent role in process,
respectively 60%, 97%, 71%.
Table 3 sums up all results reported from now dividing the sample per process and
considering technologies, target at micro level and macro level, operational
consequences and the actors involved.
72
Tabl
e 3
- Com
preh
ensiv
e Re
sults
73
4.8 General Future Trends As previously mentioned, startups carry along an anticipatory nature, which is able to
identify the direction that a specific industry is taking and will run across. For this reason
it has been researched similarities and comparable patterns among the sample, without
looking at the specific process a solution addresses.
The research resulted in six different cross process trends that are able to explain the
probable early future direction of HR tech industry.
1. All in one solution; it refers to all-inclusive solutions that help to manage the
entire complexity of HR system. In these cases the solution that the organization
proses generally target more than one HR process, contrarily most of them:
recruiting, hiring, onboarding, management of payrolls, benefits, time in/off to
works, .. etc. Some of the solution identified under this category are efficiency
oriented, they generally aim to standardize the tasks that has to be performed,
automating them, suggesting paperless systems, with the objective to seamless
process. Others are more focused on the customization of their offer, keeping an
eye open on the client company identity, letting enterprises adapt the solution
to the values they embed.
2. Real time access; it deals with the habit of instantaneity typical for the society in
which we live: where communication is the fastest ever and work rhythm even
pressing. Considering the industry characteristics necessity of transparency and
full visibility for both candidates and employees and managers. The candidate or
the employee wants to know now what he/she can do more or best; furthermore
they want to know what other people think as soon as they thought. Immediate
processing of data lead to have direct meaningful insights to take effective
actions now, not tomorrow. The continuous improvement culture drives this
trend.
3. Engagement focus; engagement of both candidates and employees matters at
every level, as key support for attraction and retention of workers. Engagement
is pursued through gamification trend -in hiring process, performance
management, welfare and learning solutions- where the actors are involved in
74
fun and mild atmosphere where to increase their productivity, their motivation
and their amusement. In recruiting for example the idea is also to transform a
passive candidate into an active one, prosing video interviews, setting up a
creative presentations, asking the real time filling a form and avoiding the simple
upload of CV. It has to be noticed that some solutions are full engagement
oriented, aims to investigate the level of engagement of employees and by
analysis results to take effective actions, or to engage the new hires so that the
talent retention is assured; some others have an engagement touch, still
recognizable but softer compared to the ones previously mentioned.
4. Results’ prediction and anticipation; generally speaking the principal aim of
companies is to find the right way to take advantage on the massive amount of
data they produce every day. This research appears interesting in the
investigated field. Through Artificial Intelligence and Analytics some solutions try
to anticipate possible issues, which mainly derive from people interaction and
work activities. The impact of the issues can affect company’s performance:
though alert system try to suggest where to focus work effort and where
anticipate an action to avoid problems. Furthermore other solutions focus on the
prediction of candidate behavior and work performance results: this translates
in a pre-screening help for hiring process and the solutions allow to create high
performance teams putting together the “right people at the right time”. Thanks
to the analysis of the status of the company some solutions are able to
automatically identify development areas that needs to be strengthen.
5. Soft aspect forethought; professional world is highly competitive, considering
the average level of education increased especially in America, Europe and Asia.
In a moment in which both the work demand and work offers are competing
globally, a simple evaluation of hard competences is not enough. Increasing
attention on soft aspects is able to show HR manger the affinity between attitude
of the candidate and the company’s culture; more and more often the evaluation
of personality, of leadership attitude, teamwork predisposition, and character
characteristics are involved procedures in recruiting. The results’ evaluation are
75
in some cases interpreted by human or by artificial intelligence solutions. From
learning and developing new skills, to the conflict management or stress
management and soft skills evaluations, digital solution are able to support the
personal and professional enrichment of people (e.g. e-learning programs,
coaching and mentoring activities).
6. (Peer-to-peer) network reinforcement; peer-to-peer recognition and evaluation
is more and more considered as key element for employees happiness and
success. These impact both on performance systems and hiring systems,
translating ideas in solutions that relies on peer evaluation for the attribution of
rewards. The solutions belonging to this category have often the purpose to
increase competition within and among teams, to higher the performances, and
sometimes create an experience outside working boundaries in which
networking activities can be performed. There are also solutions for hiring that
build an entire network of possible future worker based on personal referrals: as
a consequence it can be noticed and increasing perceived trustworthy from
company to the employees and vice versa.
Table 4 reports the startups’ distribution on trends, considering that in 9% of cases it
hasn’t been possible to identify one of the direction mentioned above.
The most diffused trends are Engagement Focus (26%), which reveals a particular
attention firms have been giving to engagement theme, as a key aspect both in
recruiting phases and in the management of ongoing activities during work-life cycle.
The second trend by diffusion is Real Time Access, signaling the importance of real time
information sharing, in order to be able to rapidly identify advantages, best practices,
risks and potential problems. The direction HR is taking suggests a quite importance
relevance of Anticipation and Prediction of Results, where clearly Big data and Analytics
as well as Artificial intelligence play a key role.
76
General future trend (% of startups)
1. All in one solution 7%
2. Real time access 20%
3. Engagement Focus 26%
4. Result’s anticipation and prediction 16%
5. Soft aspects forethought 7%
6. (Peer-to-peer) network reinforcement 16%
Table 4- Startups' Distribution on General Future Trends
In order to further investigate the link between each trend and the technologies used
table 5 has been build. It underlines per each general future trends the specific
distribution of technologies.
Reasons behind the distribution and its meaning will be further investigated.
Trends/Technologies Social Mobile A.I. Big Data Cloud
All in one solution 51% 58% 2% 82% 80%
Real time access 42% 55% 20% 68% 65%
Engagement focus 63% 50% 12% 51% 74%
Results’ anticipation &
prediction
27% 33% 64% 81% 77%
Soft aspects forethought 26% 29% 26% 69% 76%
(Peer-to-peer)network
reinforcement
89% 33% 4% 46% 50%
Table 5- General Future Trends and Technologies
77
4.9 Recruiting and Employer Branding Trends
As reported in 2.2.3.1 Recruiting, considering the increasing attention on e-recruiting
and the importance of the process in considering human resource management as well
as the benefits and potentialities that the implementation of technologies can have in
this terms, recruiting process has been specifically investigated.
Recurrent patterns related to the solution that target the Recruiting and Employer
Branding process have been highlighted, interpreted and synthesized in six trends which
are explained below. 1 to 4 they refers mostly to Recruiting while 5 and 6 refers to
Employer Branding, taking the perspective of the company.
1. Empower the candidate; since candidates are increasingly better qualified, job
seekers are acquiring autonomy and power in planning and building their career
path. Some solutions give the impression that the roles, responsibilities and
somehow the bargaining power between candidate and company is reversed:
the candidate’s willing and desires are taking into consideration not just in the
face of communication with applicant, but also in setting phase antecedent to
the communication. They become a relevant part of the recruiting process. The
job seeker is increasingly asked to explicit its objectives and he/she is guided in
case they are still confused at the moment when the job application is asked to
be performed.
It’s is a concrete empowerment of the candidate figure, whose role is central in
recruiting. It’s offered the possibility for the candidate to be known in advance
from the company, guarantying transparency of information for the both parts.
2. Propose alternative to company-candidate meeting; a massive diffusion of
technology at a corporate and private level let optimization of process’ phase of
recruiting process. The trend is the one to postpone the physical meeting
between the candidate and the company at the latest. This is possible exploiting
technology to assess online tests and assessment that anticipate the interview,
exploiting video interviews and presentation recorded or live, or audio recorded
interviews. These solutions aims to the creation of a pleasant and immersive
78
experience for the candidate, with the advantage for companies to start the
recruiting process whenever and wherever the candidate is located.
3. Evaluate the candidates’ practical working skills; some of the analyzed solutions
aims to find the best solution to evaluate the practical working skills of
candidates, assessing them real or real-like projects and simulation that
replicates exactly the situation in which the new hire can potentially face during
his/her working day. Technologies is able to help to create the right environment
to perform the simulation and to monitor in real time the candidate
performance, helping the HR manager in the evaluation and selection phases.
4. Manage temporary workforce; the evolution of professional world is influencing
and modifying the type of collaboration that are created between candidate and
company. Workers are asking more flexibility in terms of working hours and the
possibility to manage autonomously their time. This can’t translate in less
warranties and guardianship. The trend is to create market places where
demand and offer can meet, in order to fulfill temporary collaboration, assuring
on side a certain standard of the quality the human capital and on the other side
assuring reliability and earnestness of the companies, proposing services which
support the candidate and future worker.
5. Keep the door opened; the trend regards the inclination of companies to be
opened to candidates and let the know the reality in which they will potentially
work before the recruiting starts. These analyzed solutions aim to facilitate the
creation of microsites where companies can show its culture and work
environment through video photo contents. In addition, in this case, it’s a matter
of transparency towards the candidate, more transparency can be attractive and
appealing at the eyes of candidates.
6. Treat candidate as a client; this represents one of the best practice of the
moment. In this case the startups concern solutions that rely on the Customer
Relationship Management system: looking internally web solution and platform
can facilitate and optimize the job posting phase to find the right channels for
the right target applying marketing theories to the posting. From client side, as
79
candidate, the trend is the one to create a meaningful experience and a
consistent relationship with the company which can be exploited with the
network the candidate finds at the moment and that can last during time.
Table 6 reports the diffusion of each trend explained above. It has to be highlighted that
17% of cases of the 331 solutions that refer to Recruiting and Employer Branding haven’t
been included in the table since they focus more on another HR process.
Recruiting and Employer Branding trend (% of startups)
1. Empower the candidate 16%
2. Propose alternative to company-candidate meeting 33%
3. Evaluate of candidates’ practical working skills 8%
4. Manage temporary workforce 8%
5. Keep the door opened 8%
6. Treat candidate as client 11%
Table 6- Startups’ distribution on Recruiting and Employer Branding trends
80
Considering exclusively the solutions that refers to Recruiting and Employer Branding
table 7 reports the diffusion on technologies among the identified trends.
Recruiting Trends\
Technologies
Social Mobile A.I. Big Data Cloud
Empower the candidate 56% 40% 21% 67% 48%
Propose alternative to
company-candidate meeting
30% 36% 46% 72% 65%
Evaluate candidates’
practical working skills
29% 18% 14% 64% 68%
Manage temporary
workforce
48% 60% 12% 36% 20%
Keep the door opened 81% 58% 23% 69% 38%
Treat candidate as client 67% 39% 19% 81% 58%
Table 7- Recruiting and Employer Branding trends and technologies
4.10 The Italian Startups
Among the 619 startups considered in the sample, only eleven are Italians. Four are
located in Milan, three in Rome and the rest between Campania, Lombardia and Umbria.
They have bene founded between 2013 and 2018. Nine of them target the Recruiting
and Employer Branding process, two of them the Learning and Development process
and one Workspace/ Smart Working.
Nine out of eleven Italian solution rely on social technology, just one offers a mobile
solution and five of them rely on Big Data and analytics as well as cloud solution. No
81
solution use Artificial Intelligence. All the eleven solutions propose an individual
solution, three of them consider also the group dimension. Generally speaking,
considering the form size, there is not a specific target that the Italian market seem to
prefer, in fact eight of the solution call on both big firms as well as small medium
enterprises.
Eight is the number of solution that focus on the effectiveness, while are four the ones
that aims to the efficiency of the addressed process. Candidates and HR manager are
involved is almost all Italian solutions, and functional manager is supposed to be
involved in 5 case out of eleven.
Without looking at the process, apparently the most frequent general trend is the real
time access (three cases), same as for the engagement focus. In two cases the
networking activity seems to prevail; in one case the solution suggests the consideration
of soft aspects and on another the prediction and anticipation of results.
The Recruiting and Employer Branding process is the most addressed by the Italian
subsample and in particular the most frequent trend ,five cases out of eleven, is the
proposition of an alternative to the meeting between the candidate and the company.
Two relevant cases studies belonging to Italian startups world have been analyzed. They
both concerns the Recruiting and Employer Branding process, which is the most
addressed both globally and in the Italian market.
They should be taken as example of how Recruiting process could evolve in the next
years.
82
4.10.1 The Case of Recround
4.10.1.1. Introduction
Recround is an online platform based
solution, it was born in the end of 2016
from an idea and intuition of two
Italian women, which have been
professionally involved in the human
resources management field since
many years.
The aim of Recround is to cover some
gaps which are now typical of the
hiring process, empowering both the
candidate and company using digital:
the traditional process is considered highly time consuming and the tools which are
supposed to support it often obsoleted. The solution wants to revolutionize the way
how firms present to the job market their job offers, leveraging on the importance of
employer branding; it focuses on the immediate evaluation of an interested possible
future employee for what concerned his/her competences and knowledge, the so called
hard skills, keeping two eyes open on who the person is and his/her interests.
Furthermore, Recround wants to create a meaningful experience for the candidate
which is considered and treated as a first client of the company.
As far as the process is concerned, the analyzed start-up cares about talent attraction
and acquisition; it positions among those solutions that helps managing the hiring
procedures in a better and more efficient way.
As clients, it addresses both small and medium firms and big enterprises; from the
candidates side it is probably more suitable for workers that are in the first years of their
professional careers.
Figure 9- Recround
83
It should be considered that the first release has been launched in the market in January
2018, and a first market response, especially in terms of candidates, should be evaluated
in the next months.
The working team now involves five people, in addition to one technological partner
which has been involved in the definition of the role of technology embedded in the
solution and its implementation, and a network of consultancy companies which have
played a fundamental role in the guiding the startup birth and which have been driven
it towards its first steps.
4.10.1.2 The solution description 4.10.1.2.1 The attraction phase
The first problem addressed by Recround regards attraction: by attraction it’s meant
both the appeal that a company should generates in the job seeker through the
description of the opened job position, and necessity for the candidate to make himself
known by the firm letting his/her profile be attractive for the firm.
From the company side, Recround supports the HR manager in job posting phase: it
gives the possibility to create an interactive job card directly on the platform. The job
card is double side virtual card, which contains information about the opened job
position a firm is offering to the market. The peculiarities that regards the job card are
the facts that is a visual and customizable: the first side is the one is immediately seeable
and it contains the name of the company, the job position name and the place of work:
as background, an image that characterizes the position inside the company or in
general the company itself. This is the first way through which the company presents
itself to the future candidate.
On the back side, easy rotatable via click, the card contains more detailed information
about the competences and years of experience required to cover the job position, the
type of contract and remuneration, and other useful information the possible candidate
might need. These type of content is delivered in a synthetized way, where the useful
aspect are summarized in points rather than descriptively told. The selection of the
84
typology and content of information is at the discretion the HR manager: the back side
of the card is fully customizable.
Companies are supported in the creation of their job cards by leveraging on a great
number of possible in-platform combination of different fonts, images and colors. Since
Recround offer has been designed for both small/medium enterprises and big firms, the
internal staff give the chance to guide the HR manager in the choices of design of the
job card, during this operation which is an employer branding possibility all respects.
The job card is immediately sharable on most popular social networks.
From the candidate side attraction problem is addressed by the build of a personal on
the platform. Contrarily to what can be expected, Recround does not require the upload
of the candidate Curriculum Vitae but it promotes the creation of a personal profile,
whose visibility towards firms is allowed by the profiler itself.
The future candidate is required to validate his/her personal certifications and is asked
to prepare and share on platform an audio and video presentation. He/she can validate
the visibility of his/her social network profiles. In addition to that the candidate is asked
to fill the wish list, which contains his/her preferences and desires. The importance of
the wish list will be further explained.
The candidate can examine all job cards offered by firms through the platform or search
for them via key words.
At the very moment the future candidate gets interested in one job offer the phase of
attraction is considered concluded and the process immediately enters in the phase of
the selection.
85
4.10.1.2.2 The selection starts
At the bottom right side of the job card is immediately recognizable a play symbol,
escorted by the worlds “start the selection”; here is where the candidate click on the
Jound button.
The Jound is the vehicle thought which the candidate starts the selection phase, directly
on the platform.
The phase is generally composed by three rounds, each round contains three questions.
Three has been identifies as a good number which can balance the necessity for the
candidate to get the interview done quickly and the need of the firms of understanding
who they are talking with.
The interview is conducted by pre-record audio questions: the aim is to establish a first
relationship between the company and the candidate in which the two stakeholders get
as close as possible; in this terms Recround aims to preserve a human touch by listening
to the voices of both candidate, human resource manager and functional manager.
Considered the importance of the phase and its complexity it’s necessary to take a step
back and investigate how it works step-by-step.
From the company side, for the first round Recround asks to record three closed-answer
questions which are proposed to the candidate at the moment of the interview. The
time dedicated to answer the question is fixed and determined by the hr manager to
avoid that unprepared candidate have the possibility to surf the net and look for the
most appropriate answer. The questions are chosen by the company HR manager in
collaboration with the functional manager depending on the technicality of the demand.
The questions and respectively answers can be weighted to allow the hr manager to
select the candidates which overcome a certain score. Considering the uncertainty
related to the job market response to an offer, the first round can be used to selectively
narrow the applicants; for job position characterized by a high demand the content of
the questions would be mostly specific to the job position since the round one represent
the first screening phase for the company. On the contrary, for those job positions
whose offer overcomes demands Recround’s round 1 can be used as story-telling vehicle
to effectively show potentiality and opportunity of the proposed job position; it can be
86
conjectured that in this second case technicality of the question should be attentively
evaluated since it should turn into a barrier for potential job seekers.
On the candidate side, round one gives the possibility to have a first meeting with the
interviewer staff by looking at their professional profiles. It also empowers the candidate
experience which can immediately start the selection, felling a consequent involvement
in the company hiring process, without a physical meeting.
4.10.1.2.3 A real-time Feedback
Generally speaking, receiving a feedback after an application can require the candidate
to patiently wait for entire weeks.
The feedback of round 1 in Recround is immediate, satisfying the need of the candidate
to immediately know what will be his/her destiny. Indeed, the platform asks to the
question creator to pre-record a positive and a negative feedback which are proposed
to the candidates that respectively have or have not overtaken the previously
determined score. Receiving a positive feedback allows the candidate to access the
second round, whose process will be further summarized.
In the case of a negative feedback, leveraging on the preferences indicated in the wish
list of the candidate, the company offer to the rejected candidate what can be
considered a bobby prize (e.g. discount on the product or service, invitation to an
event,..). This is how the HR hiring process turns into a marketing move, with the aim to
maintain a good relationship with the candidate and not losing him/her as client.
4.10.1.2.4 Round two and Round three
The candidate who succeeds round one continues to be evaluated though round two
and three. What differs this part of the selection to the previous one is the typology of
questions. While the structure remains the same, three question per round, in the
second round the question is open and the candidate is asked to answer the questions
recoding his/her voice and motivating his/her response. These rounds represent an
87
opportunity for the company to communicate and highlight important aspects for the
offered job position and evaluate skills which were not specified in the job description,
due to the synthetized structured of the card.
After listening to the question, the candidate has one and a half minute to hear the
question again, chose to answer or decide to quit the interview.
As in the previous round the feedback is almost immediate: a push notification is send
to the HR manager who is asked to listen and real-time send a pre-record feedback. The
manager has also the possibility to instantaneously record a feedback and send it; this
process can be carried out also via mobile and allows to have a spontaneous response
increasing the humanity of the relationship between the involved actors.
After the second round, it’s possible to directly schedule a meeting between the staff in
charge of the selection and the applicant. The process goes eventually to the third
round, which structure is equal to the second. Nevertheless, in case of positive feedback
the process in which Recround is the facilitator ends with the meeting of the actors.
4.10.1.3 Integrative functionalities and clarifications
Recround could represents an important revolution in the hiring process of the Italian
job market. Nevertheless, it has to be considered a certain inertia in the adoption of the
solution. To overcome it, and to reduce the difficulties in understanding how the all
process work, the candidate and the firms will be helped with tutorial videos that
allowed to fully comprehend the potentialities of the platform.
In addition to the functions previously explained, it had to be mentioned the analytics
function embedded in the solution: this would facilitate the HR manager in the
understanding of the market response to a job card and a Jound, given the possibility to
map the candidates’ distribution according to their sex, geographical origin and their
performance per job offer.
The data analytics dashboard can be fully integrated with managerial software, or can
represent the only source of data regarding people; the size, the complexity and
monetary availability to invest of the company are the key factors in these terms.
88
As far as the candidate journey is concerned, there is the possibility for the HR
management to re-involve in the hiring process a candidate who was previously rejected
by contacting him via email; this represent a separate path compared to the one
proposed by Recround.
4.10.1.4 Innovativeness of the solution
Recround covers three main innovations which represents its strength points: the
interactive job card, the Jound button, and the real-time feedback.
The card represents for the company an occasion to express its identity, to distinguish
form the competition; it the tool with whom the firm reaches the candidate. It exploits
the power of visualization which is in line with the trend according to which people gives
more attention to images and less to words. The job card is the way companies can
perform their employer branding activities, letting them be desirable for candidates and
directly engage them in company world and culture.
The Jound button it’s the vehicle through which the candidate triggers the hiring process
and directly from his/her pc. This avoid long waiting and stress from the candidate side
and allows the company to create a first experience the job seeker can benefit from. The
creation of the first moment of interaction is a crucial moment for the actors involved:
the Jound leverages on the need of immediateness typical of the Millennials generation
which are more and more use to begin and end an activity in a really short period of
time.
Last but not least, to the same need respond the function of real-time feedback. With
the increasing spread and success of social networks, people are involved in a whirl of
feedbacks on the go. Recround and the possibility to pre-record a feedback face also the
difficulty to announce a negative judgement, which is an aspect that in some occasion
represent embarrassment from the HR manager side and disappointment for the
candidate.
Nevertheless, it exploits the power of voice, through which people feel emotionally
closer and by doing so it enlarge the candidate experience.
89
As previously mentioned it has to be highlight that the candidate is treated as a first
client, this is the reason why Recound gives particular attention on the emotive aspect
of the experience which is fundamental especially in the moment of attraction and has
impact also in the retention phase.
4.10.1.5 The actors and the interaction in the system 4.10.1.5.1 Candidate Journey
In order to fully understand the motivation, action, feelings and touchpoints that
characterizes the solution, highlighting the strengths and barriers the job seeker could
face, a candidate journey is proposed taking as model the customer journey map tool.
The candidate journey has been analyzed along each phase: starting from the moment
of awareness, which the candidate starts knowing about the existence of the solution
and increasingly shows interest in it, passing through the moment of the decision to use
this solution, the job scouting phase, the selection of the job offer better fits the
candidate needs and finishing with the in-platform interviews and the reception of the
feedback.
For simplicity, the journey has been considered ends with the second round interviews;
it can be consider an similar path if the candidate has the necessity to be evaluated for
the third time with questions and feedbacks of round 3. In any of these cases the process
ends with the schedule of the physical meeting between the manager and the candidate
which is excluded from the analysis since it no more involves Recround and its benefits.
90
Tabl
e 8
- Rec
roun
d Ca
ndid
ate
Jour
ney
91
4.10.1.5.2 HR manager and functional manager
The solution empowers both the HR manger and the functional one, especially giving
them the possibility to manage the first steps of the hiring process directly via pc or
mobile. In this solution, the selection of the candidate phase is concurrent to a first
evaluation which enables both manager to have an immediate idea of the person they
are dealing with.
Generally, the functional manager is not always fully involved in the hiring process, this
can cause a mislead between expected and real skills and competences of the future
workers. Considering how the rounds are structured, the functional manager assumed
an active role in recruiting process of Recround, since he/she is asked to coordinate with
the HR and collaborate in the preparation of the rounds questions and feedbacks.
It can be identified the willingness to the creation of an experience which involves also
the internal staff of the company.
Looking at the whole system, the revenue model of Recround can be easy assimilated
to the one typical of two-sided market. In fact, the usage of the platform is free for the
candidates, while the costs are sustained by the companies following a fee-per user-per
month payment structure.
The entire pool of candidates represents a fundamental source of data, whose potential
can be leverage not only by firm but also by Recound itself. Data are generated not only
Figure 10 - Recround Stakeholders map
92
within the platform but also through social networks; exploiting their virality, they are
largely use to target the right group of potential candidates and propose them to directly
accessing Recround and interacting with the job card.
4.10.2 Merit to Meritocracy 4.10.2.1 Introduction
Meritocracy was born in January 2015,
from an idea of Riccardo Galli and
Alberto Manassero, two young Italian
entrepreneurs, and it poses as
intermediate between job demand
and job offer. The concept of
Meritocracy wants to fill the gap
perceived during the recruiting phase
between the candidate and the
companies that are offering job
opportunities on the market: the
problem noticed by the founders concerns the communicability between the two
parties.
After a period of researches, having the opportunity to converse with companies and
understand how the industry has been evolving, it has been identified a big potentiality
in the attraction phase of the recruiting process, and here is where Meritocracy wants
to position and offer its services.
The aim of Meritocracy answers to need of professionals between two and eight years
of experience which are principally interested in digital professional roles, giving to
companies the possibility to automatize the sourcing phase.
By digital professional roles it’s intended tech professionals, i.e. software developers,
java developers, back-end and web developers, data scientists ... as well as sales and
marketing managers, business analysts and business developers, project managers.
Figure 11 - Meritocracy
93
These can be all considered as digital roles, since the skills required and the tools needed
to manage the day-by-day work are increasingly concerned about digital.
Until 2015, especially looking at the Italian working industry, a lot of the solutions
adopted by companies to support the sourcing phase has been offline solutions, but it
was clear at that time the companies’ willingness to internalize the sourcing as much as
possible, trying to rely on their internal resources to attract and hire the best candidate.
Meritocracy’s challenge is to offer a list of 10/15 prequalified candidates in 10 days form
the job opening request, every time a company needs to hire a new professional.
4.10.2.2 Meritocracy’s features
Since the startup poses as intermediary between the demand and the offer, Meritocracy
has a double side service to offer.
Taking companies perspective, the online platform offers a dedicated page to describe
the enterprise using the tool storytelling as well as to share mission, vision and brand
values that characterize the working environment. Visibility for companies is a crucial
aspect during the attraction phase and Meritocracy offers a dedicated space which is
partially customizable. That’s the space where companies their stories, both in terms of
firm’s birth and both in terms of employees’ experiences. Indeed, Meritocracy gives the
possibility to create proprietary video contents, that are able to fully explain the working
role experience and the interaction between a professional figure and the other: these
contents represents a great opportunity for companies to show themselves and be
transparent and appealing towards their potential future employees.
From the candidate perspectives, the information which regard the company are very
rare and for this reason valuable. The job seeker can follow an enterprise page, to be
informed in real-time about new job openings, and when he/she finds an interesting
offer, directly access to description and details and eventually apply as candidate.
Meritocracy leverages on its community of 130.000 professionals, and it’s able to
guarantee a job post visibility which is as high possible, leveraging on an optimization of
online channels. Consisting a pre-defined form to be filled and personalized, the job
94
posts reaches both candidates which are subscribe to the platform and external
candidates. It is shared along the ones that can be considered the typical online
channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Monster, Indeed, LinkedIn, … etc. The system
leverages also on channels which are to some extent unconventional that are the results
of partnership’s deals with blog communities.
In addition to the guarantee of a maximization of passible online visibility of the job post,
the team of Meritocracy is able to provide to the company a list of automatically pre-
qualified candidates, job seekers whose characteristics are in line with the ones required
by the role.
It’s necessary to clarify how the prequalification is performed: a test of candidate
competences id not included in the service of meritocracy. The candidate in his own
profile is asked to upload his CV, and to complete some tag requests, which are able to
identify his/her preferences and categorize the competences. Meritocracy’s software
automatically performed the match between the candidate’s tags and job requirements,
providing a list of 10/15 matched candidates.
The job seeker’s profile page contains also job ads previously saved, direct access to the
favorite companies, the candidature list providing the candidature status, attached
documents, ...etc. The company’ dashboard contains all job offers opened at the
moments and the list of candidatures previously matched, and it perfectly integrates
with the company’s Applicant Tracking System the company has in use. Indeed, the role
of Meritocracy stops with the provision of the candidates list: it will be in charge of the
company to eventually contact, evaluate and interview the most promising candidates.
95
The sophistication of the solution is in the trustworthy which is at the base of the
relationship between Meritocracy and its clients. The competitive advantage resides not
in the used technology but in the power and quality of the network and partnership
around the startup: the matching software is able to involve passive and active
candidate, offering them a meaningful experience in their searching action, assuring
quality and rapidity of the matches to the companies.
The revenue model of Meritocracy is typical of companies who are offering services that
target the research and selection process: the platform is free to use for the candidates.
Companies are required to pay a monthly flat fee per user.
4.10.2.3 Meritocracy’s future
Until now Meritocracy has processes almost 300.000 job requests, leveraging on a
network of more than 130.000 professionals and 400 companies.
The strength of the solution resides in its target customers, which are professionals with
a work experience of two-eight years. They will be the workforce of tomorrow, and they
represent the generation of Millennials and in a 5/7 years perspective the post-
millennials, the so called Generation Z, which are generation of the digital professions,
Figure 12 - Role of Meritocracy
96
people that are very confident with the use of technology since it is part of their daily
life.
Strategically, the future steps of Meritocracy will be to strengthen their companies
network establishing structured collaboration favoring of a medium-long time horizon
to fully exploit the potentiality and advantages of the solution offered, rather than
basing on short and temporary collaboration.
The idea is the one to leverages more and more to internal candidates which are
subscribed to the platform.
In addition to the automation of the sourcing phase the offer of Meritocracy wants to
enlarge. The service will include in few month a pre-screening phase in which the
candidate will be evaluated considering his/her competences. The preparation of tests
and assessments will be performed in collaboration with each company and will be
specific to the need of the job opened position.
The purpose shifted in being able automatize completely the sourcing process, offering
the service as an automatic head hunting figure, and strengthening the relationship and
trust with the client companies.
97
Chapter 5 – Results’ Implications
5.1 Comments on General Results Most of the solutions address Recruiting and Employer Branding process (53%), this
value can be considered in line with expectations. The talents of today are Millennials
and the talents of tomorrow will be soon Generation Z: for both of them the
expectations, values, motivations are different from the ones of previous generation
and in part are still evolving. It has also to be considered that roles and competences in
companies are changing, thanks to the so-called digital Era. This evolution represent a
big potentialities for recruitment process, as for companies to enhance their talent
attraction and acquisition.
Second process which is mainly addressed by one is Learning and
Development/Onboarding (35%). The way how people learn is changing, how people
use contents and how contents are designed.
Third most addressed process is the Workspace/ Smart Working (16%), which has been
addressed in the recent 10 years and in particular aims to revolutionized the entire
physical and virtual interaction as well as communication and collaboration methods
and leadership style of organizations. It has a strong impact on worker well-being. The
aim of the these solutions is to search and carry along the right modality to perform the
revolution in collaboration and work, in order to achieve effective results.
Performance management is addressed by 10% of analyzed solutions. While surely
companies are developing internally solution to enhance performance management
phases and procedures, it has to be taken into consideration that the database
extraction to arrive to the sample analyzed has been performed through a limited
number of tags, which have not been able to select the totality of startups on earth that
are running their business. This is the main reason why in the sample, the solutions that
dedicate to performance management are quite few.
As could be expected less addressed processed are Administration and Personnel and
Welfare and Benefits (8%): it’s reasonable to assume that both are not the processes
98
which bring the highest value to the HR department’s activities and the tasks that has
to be performed have already reached a certain level of automation.
Cloud technology is the most spread (68%), as it implies advantages in communication,
sharing and access to information and in collaboration with colleagues at every level.
The use of the technology at a corporate level is the oldest compared to the one
considered, since its birth can be identified in 1960 as a centralized hosting of business
applications, and it spread massively in every corporate and private solutions in 1900s.
Big Data and Analytics technology is embedded in 63% of cases in the sample, indicating
the willingness to find the best way to use and take advantage of the enormous quantity
data people are producing as individuals, and in their interaction with others. Most of
the time this technology is used to support HR in decision-making process.
Quite impressive is Artificial Intelligence (20%): even if it seems a little bit far from the
concept of HR function we generally have in mind, its diffusion appears as a clear signal
that technology can learn from human interaction and offers its support to HR function
as well as adapts to its needs. According to PWC 2017 Global CEO Survey, 52% of CEO
interviewed are exploring the benefits between human and machines working together
and 39% of them are considering the impact of AI on future skills need.
Social technology is well developed, and it will probably growth in the future,
considering that this trend , whose birth can be identified I the late 1990s, has massively
spread in human private life. It is embedded in 51% of solution, and it’s generally put
besides other technologies (e.g. social).
Mobile solutions (e.g. smartphone, tablet, smartwatch) are the future. Smartphones are
spreading recently, starting from early 2000s. Startups are still searching the best way
to promote Mobile technologies; the spreading of fats internet connection accessible in
bars, restaurants, public building is certainly an advantage to leverage on. The greatest
difficulty seems the one to set boundaries in this hyper connected world; when does
work day finish if we have access to business news and updates in late evening or during
the night? According to Syntonic 2016, 87% of companies expect their employers to use
their phone at work for business purpose, and in same year Apperian highlighted most
99
benefits regarding the use of business mobile apps are ate increase of productivity,
improvement of business process and a greater satisfaction for employees.
5.2 Evolution of Recruiting and Employer Branding
Results underline an extensive use of Big Data and Analytics in Recruiting and Employer
Branding process (67%), which together with Artificial Intelligence (27%) systems are
able to anticipate whether a candidate is suited for a certain role, taking into
consideration company’s values and culture. 2017 PWC Global CEO Survey reports that
93% of CEOs say it’s important their organization has a strong corporate purpose that’s
reflect in its values, culture and behavior.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) aims to acquire information and adapt the solution, learning
from people what is the best way to submit and evaluate assessment, and perform
sourcing considering the relevant characteristics of candidates, which are changing and
evolving. This process is the one in with machine learning is now applied the most: this
fact derives from the willingness to understand and learn what are new talents’
expectation and how they express them, as well as get useful insights to understand
which are the channels and activities to perform an effective talent attraction. Analytics
and AI, combined with Social technology (47%) are keys to manage people diversity and
perform inclusion. Cloud is widely diffuse, as it facilitate sharing of information from
inside to outside the company and the other way around. Cloud solutions (57%) are
able to lower acquisition costs for companies, which have not always the competences
and possibility to store data or build and develop internal platforms as well as maintain
the system.
Mobile (38%) is suggested in different solution but definitely is not the prevalent
technology in Recruiting and Employer Branding Process. It mainly address the
communication between company and candidate ad well as research activities for the
job seeker. Mobile has potentialities to growth as a technological trend, since now
100
enhancement and evolution in Recruiting process may be performed exploiting the
technologies mentioned above.
It’s quite evident the advantages that e-recruiting systems can have also for small
medium enterprises, whose HR resources are not able to fully dedicate to the typical HR
department activities.
As reported in Cappelli (2001) e-recruitment process consists of three major steps:
attracting, sorting, and contacting candidates. Now more than ever technologies gives
the possibility to streamline some part of the Recruiting process – e.g. attraction and
sourcing - , accelerate some activities – e.g. evaluation and selection- and let resources
concentrate on value added tasks -e.g. perform an effective contacting -.
It has also to be underlined the fact that functional mangers and other employees are
taking a relevant role in the process, especially in selection phase, as they carry
competences that will be necessary to perform the job. Most of the time technical
interviews can’t be performed by the HR manager only, who has vague competences on
business matters, indeed the invulvement of functional manager is needed . Technology
can facilitate the alignment of actors and vehicles communication among them, when
the tool is used effectively. An increasing involvement of functional managers in
recruiting has surely implications on the management of time dedicated to this
activities.
5.2.1 Recruiting Trends Per each trends that have been described few explanatory examples have been
reported, in order to give the reader a clearer idea of significant solutions analyzed in
the sample.
5.2.1.1 Propose an alternative to company-candidate meeting Looking at the trends, most frequent tendency of solutions is to propose an alternative
to the conventional meeting between candidate and company (33%): in fact physical
101
meeting is increasingly postpone to the last possible phase of recruiting where a certain
level of evaluation has been already performed. As reported in Holm 2012, e-recruiting
implies a rethinking pf recruiting process redesign and on order in which tasks are
carried along.
The global competition in work environment leads no longer necessary meeting to be
performed physically. From video, interviews, to audio recorded interviews, and online
assessments performed in platform, most of the time Cloud (65%) systems help these
activities to be carried apart.
It’s also the case where Artificial Intelligence (46%) and Data Analytics (72%) are mostly
involved, in fact solutions aim to predict or anticipate -and learn and adapt from past
facts- if a candidate is suited for a company and if its values can go with company culture.
Rarely these solutions substitute completely human decision, most of them are a
support to fasten the decision-making process and to support it providing relevant
insights.
Recround is a solution that allow
candidates to start the selection
process for a company with
immediateness. As soon as the
candidate show his/her interest for a
job offer on the platform he is can
select the option to start a pre-record
interview phase, where he/she is
evaluated. The HR takes over most
performing candidates and establish
them a time for a face to face
interview. Recround has been one of the Italian a cases object of deep investigation,
since its origin as well as the market in which it has been launched is Italian.
Figure 13 - Recround
102
Glickon is a hyper-growth, next
generation, gaming platform that helps
companies engage, measure and
understand their workforce across the
entire lifecycle - from recruitment to exit.
Trusted by the world’s best companies,
glickon smart technology provide
organizations with data and insights so
they can act in real time and build strong
and engaged teams.
Glickon invites his users to challenge
friends and other candidates and answer quiz that have the purpose to show the actor
abilities and competences and build a curriculum vitae. Based in the game, it’s possible
to come in contact with other professionals and strengthen the network. The challenges
and quiz have the aim to climb the ranking and give the possibility to the candidate to
set and interview.
Glickon has been selected from more than 2100 startups by Mass Challenge 2017 as one
of the world’s highest impact, highest-potential early-stage startups for 2017.
5.2.1.2 Empowerment of the candidate Solutions that regard the empowerment of the candidate (16%) are the one that are
giving autonomy to candidate to choose his/her objective and to propose them to the
company they want to work with. Transparency in communication and information
sharing can be beneficial for both company and candidate and reduce attritions and
turnover risks. It’s a starting point that can be useful to plan job seeker new career path
and for company to know him/her better in advance.
In this case Big Data (67%) and Social (56%) trend represent the most spread
technologies, allowing the job seeker to sharing his/her motivation and decision and to
companies to deal with the complexity of candidate’s choices and extract relevant
guidelines to manage internal business objectives and individual aims.
Figure 14- glikon
103
Much like finding true love, finding the
perfect candidate for a job and the
perfect job for the candidate is a
frustrating process, paved with time
wasted and disappointment.
Woo is a candidate-first web platform
that rely in Artificial Intelligence to
propose the candidate the best job
offer in line with the candidate wish
list. In the platform subscription phase,
the candidate is ask to indicate his/her
preferences in terms of salary, work location, cultural values,.. The job proposals which
results related to his/her wishes are sent to the candidate which can easily evaluate
them. Candidates value stay anonymous until countermand.
Companies using Woo get the same white glove treatment. It presents them only
qualified candidates, who have already shown interest in their opportunity.
Until now platform results are: more than 500 companies involved, more than 40000
professionals. The 50% of candidates move to interviews and the platform takes 24
hours from onboarding to start hiring.
Yodas is a solution platform which aims to connect the best professional developers with
interesting job opportunities. The platform considers and analyze candidate capabilities
and passions and propose him/her a fitted job offer that is present on the market.
It’s the companies with introduce to the candidate and not the other way around,
showing its point of strength and the internal perspective of a successful career path.
Figure 15- Woo
104
The candidate is supported in his/her
choices by in platform analytics, which
have the objective to facilitate the
decision time and increase awareness
of the candidate. For now the platform
involves, only in San Francisco Area,
more than 200 professional web
developers, more than 100 data
scientists and more than 50 mobile
developers.
5.2.1.3 Manage Temporary workforce and evaluate candidates’ practical working skills
This two trends represent the 8% of the subsample that dedicates to Recruiting and
Employer Branding. As far as the evaluation of practical working skills is concerned, the
immediateness of technology helps recruiters in the evaluation phase, immerging the
candidate in a real like experience where to express their practical attitudes and
competences as they are facing a typical working day. In this case Big Data (64%), which
allows the careful analysis of results, seems to be the most used technology as well as
Cloud solutions (68%) which give the possibility to involve candidate, without expose
company to high financial costs and high risks. This represent a way to evaluate some of
the professional competences of new digital professions (e.g. web development).
Figure 16 - Yodas
105
ProSky is a platform in which companies
can launch online projects that
candidates has to deliver respecting the
given requirements. This enabled firms
to evaluate how candidate collaborate
in team and how thy manage team
dynamics. The candidates are addressed
by real-like project, where challenges
boundaries and difficulties are the one
of typical professional world. Problems
are real as well as the tools and channels
to analyze team results and the project solution. Prosky helps in selection process
suggesting the candidate which deserve online interview.
The so-called Gig Economy can be considered a wide spread trend in western job world.
The way how people work is changing, as well as the time and energy workers are willing
to dedicate to it. This is the main reason why companies has to develop an efficient and
effective way to manage temporary workforce. Apparently, in this case Social and
Mobile technology (respectively 48% and 60%) are the most suited since they allowed
fast and effective communication between a team and alignment of tasks even when
employees involved are not physically closed one to each other.
Figure 17 - ProSky
106
Hired Knives is a platform dedicate to
food and beverage industry which
allow restaurants to find temporary
staff or last-minute staff. The platform
is specialize in meeting demand and
offer and it guarantees to the
restaurants a pre-evaluation of
personnel’s competences. The
payment process is in charge of the
Hired Knives team. It is a specialized
food and beverage platform designed
to connect, promote and build reputation for individuals and businesses.
Work Today is a mobile and web
application where to find temporary
collaboration every day, based on the
postal code filled by the job seeker.
The job offer is sent to the candidate
with specific indication about the
payment and the job description. The
candidate can accept it and, when
he/she has been confirmed by the
company they can work for the day and
get pay at the end of the working hours. The industry of the job proposal can be
different one to another passing by warehousing , painting, electrical jobs,..
Now placed jobs have been more than 170.000 and jobs available are more than
600.000.
Figure 18 - Hired Knives
Figure 19 - Work Today
107
5.2.1.4 Employer Branding As far as Employer Branding in concerned, the general direction startups are suggesting
is to work on the creation of an experience during the recruiting process. This can be
beneficial both in case of a positive or negative results of the selection process, since
reputation is one of the biggest concerns of companies, and world of mouth – physical
or virtual - have still extreme power on that. (Social and Mobile at 81% and 58%).
On one side companies leave candidate free to explore enterprise workplace, the
culture, come in contact with colleagues before starting the job.
Social is clearly the technology which supports this trend (Social at 81% and Mobile at
58%). On the other side the application of marketing technique to job posting is
spreading and becoming more effective thanks to exploitation of facts data, which are
elaborated by sophisticated Analytics’ algorithms (81%) and Machine Learning systems
(23%).
Welcome to the Jungle is platform that
aim to help companies in attract
candidates between 20 and 35 years
old. The solution offers the possibility
for companies to film their workspace
and interview employees in order to
share the company culture and promote
company’s brand.
Welcome to the jungle offer also
support the entire recruiting process,
providing the tools for save time,
enhance HR team collaboration and access an efficient applicant review system.
Figure 20 - Welcome to the Jungle
108
Meritocracy is a solution which
automates the sourcing of candidates,
and aims to provide companies from
tem to fifteen pre-screened candidates
in max 10 working days. In its offer it
includes the processing of video
contents and interviews able to build a
complete company profile, which is
available on the platform. Candidates
can have a comprehensive idea of the
company values culture and
employees well-being thanks the dedicated profile on meritocracy’s platform.
Meritocracy is the second case study which has been investigated, as one of the most
interesting Italian startups.
Started by brothers and friends
Abakar, Sultan and Mike as a garage
project while having their day jobs in
finance at Goldman Sachs and Morgan
Stanley. After starting their careers in
finance during the recession, they saw
how even with few jobs and plenty of
great candidates available, companies
were still struggling to hire. They were
waiting for the perfect people, to find
the perfect roles, at the perfect time,
with only their resume to differentiate them. This couldn’t be the future: beamery was
born to change the status quo in recruitment.
Beamery is a solution that offers a Candidate Relationship software, with the aim of
involve proactively talents before they decide to apply of a specific job offer.
Figure 21 - Meritocracy
Figure 22 - beamery
109
The principal scope of the software is to give companies an instrument to build
relationships and not revise CVs.
Beamery offers a dashboard which elaborates data coming from candidates, so that
companies con be in line with their preference and behavior and they can manage the
talent pool with effectiveness.
To briefly sum up Recruiting and Employer Branding is moving towards a collaborative
nature, where colleagues and functional managers are involved in the candidate
evaluation phase. At the same time Analytics and Artificial Intelligence support and
shorten the sourcing phase, automatizing some of the tasks – e.g. CV screening and
prioritization of the candidates.
Nevertheless the process is evolving on the job seeker side who is increasingly asked to
be a self-employer: autonomy of candidate in establishing and making clear his/her
goals as well as the possibility to express his working skills are key characteristics.
Companies make transparent communication, open their boundaries to the outside to
increase effectiveness of attraction phase.
The creation of a proper recruiting experience is a strong suggested direction that
derives form startups examples: their solutions aims to cut recruiting times and non-
value-added tasks, while concentrate on what really matters, people and their
experience.
5.3 Evolution of Learning and Development
Technologies are modifying Learning and Development in the planning and supply of
contents; effectiveness of training programs is enhancing as well as and procedures for
the new employer to be fully operational in reasonable time are facilitating.
As far as the learning side is concerned, the process is moving towards virtual training
and micro-contents. Thanks to Cloud technology (85%) and Artificial Intelligence (11%),
110
the learner is involved in a learning experience that leverages on simulators and virtual
reality. It has been developing the creation of risk free environment, in which at a lower
cost and facing advanced peculiar situations trainee can learn and develop their skills.
Contribution to a pleasant experience are micro-learning programs, which basically
shorten the learning time sessions ad develop programs that last few months. This is a
way for the resource to still be included in the working environment during his/her
training time and supply of training content whenever and wherever he/she wants. Role
of Analytics (58%) is crucial for monitoring progresses and for elaboration of training
suggestions; every now and then training program’s results derived by data analysis are
translated in a competitive challenges between colleagues with soften the surroundings.
There is also an increasing attention on coaching and mentoring programs where is
asked a collaboration between colleagues that goes beyond the working competences.
Some solutions are moving towards increasing attention preparing employees to be able
to manage teamwork dynamics, to manage conflicts and increase their leadership skills.
This is perfectly in line with a general trend that underline the forethought on soft
aspects.
Social (54%) and Mobile(46%) technology are driving onboarding in being fluid and
streamline, and at same time, on creating a meaningful experience for the new
employee especially in the crucial first days of work.
5.4 Evolution of Administration and Personnel and Welfare and Benefits
Generally the solutions proposed are not fully dedicated just to Administration, but they
integrate in a comprehensive system which is able to simplify all the tasks on charge of
the HR manager. Administration is perceived as a routine task, where most of the
activities are automatized. The trend is to streamline the process, and accelerating it as
much as possible. Administration of payrolls and documents is frequently.
A massive use of Big Data and Analytics (92%) and Cloud (89%) solutions, and a wide
spread of Mobile (61%) solutions, indicate that likely the process is taking the direction
111
mentioned above, it had to be noticed that Artificial Intelligence (3%) is finding no space
for now in this process considering repetitiveness of some tasks.
Welfare and Benefits solutions are facilitating facilitate the management of typical
benefits on one side (e.g. health insurance, car, children assistant), and on the other are
leaving space for the development or strengthen of the team dimensions. Indeed, some
solutions propose wellness and sport programs to motivate, engage employees, and
balance work-life time by immerging them in the game dimension. Mobile technology
here is the at highest, at 71%.
5.5 Evolution of Workspace/ Smart Working
In its intrinsic nature Smart Working process has, as core value, a strong orientation of
the organization towards its objectives. Technologies, especially Cloud (82%), Social
(61%) and Analytics (67%), are allowing a participative action of employees on the goals
and objectives settings. Employees is empowered by technologies in the evolution of
this process: he is more free to clarify his expectations and he has the support when
needed to create his/her career path. In particular he/she is facilitating in the translation
of strategies in plans: the participative collaboration of the actors -HR manager,
functional manager and employees- as to be translated in action plans which has to be
communicated in an effective way. Some solutions help in managing time at work: the
aim is pure efficiency, also in this case the collaboration of employees is fundamental.
Employees are asked to be more and more flexible and autonomous in managing their
time.
Both Artificial Intelligence (22%) and Analytics (67%) are helping in keeping people and
company culture aligned. The solutions are driven by the aim to analyze of the culture
and comparison of employees’ attitude, monitoring employees engagement level and
balance work-life rhythm, helping them in living happier and healthier life and
supporting them in conflict/risk identification and management. Employees are the first
112
brand ambassadors of the company, and for this reason especially in Smart Working it
has been giving them a certain attention.
5.6 Evolution of Performance Management
In the analyzed sample Performance Management is a process which often integrates
with Workspaces/ Smart Working and Learning and Development. Technology is
changing how competences are mapping and evaluating and how companies supports
they employees in developing their career path.
Evaluation of performance is usually perceived as a top down process: the functional
manager gives feedback and is in charge to manage the performances of employees of
lower level. Startups solutions propose a different perspective, keeping an eye open on
employees motivation and satisfaction. Some solutions aim to evaluate the
performance of the whole company and the feedback-giver is the employee through a
self-analysis of his/her level of motivation and satisfaction. Social (71%) and Mobile
(65%) and Cloud (81%) are used as channel to receive feedbacks and give insights, while
Artificial Intelligence (21%) and Big Data and Analytics (86%) are able to elaborate data
and give actionable insights. This process is one of the two most technological together
with Recruiting and Employer Branding. Analytics and AI help also in studying and
learning form the best performance practices and employees: the process is evolving
towards a complete prediction of the performance and full understanding of how and
why a result have been achieved, in order to be able to replicate it in the future.
Nowadays continuous feedback culture is well spread in most companies. Some of the
analyzed solution are strengthening the cycle between feedback and action: it can be
noticed an increasing attention on an effective translation of feedback in actionable
corrective plan: it generally comes from elaboration of AI and Data, and it is interpreted
by HR manager and/or functional manager which set the activities in which the
corrective plan articulates.
113
Game dimension seems the key aspect which is transforming how performance
management is perceived and running. The feedback moment is turning in of something
fun, like a game, in which everyone is fully involved. Celebration and showing of results,
platform for social recognition of best performers and sharing of achieved objectives are
very frequent in the subsample. The solutions proposed show the trend to give
meaningful rewards: sometimes social recognition is not enough, people are rewarded
with physical object or meaningful experiences.
5.7 General Implications on HR of the Future As mentioned for Recruitment (Holms 2012), technologies is having and will have a
relevant role in processes’ redesign. Generally speaking HR department is moving
towards a consolidation of processes. HR managers need tools that are comprehensive
that are all-in-one, which allow them to streamline their activities (Big Data 82% and
Cloud 80%) and facilitate communication and information sharing with other
department (Mobile 58%, Social 51%). Human Resources is increasingly acquiring a cross
functional nature.
Quickness and timing are nowadays fundamental requisites, in a function where
bureaucracy and documentation has stuck or slow procedures and activities, HR
deserves to be competitive as the rest of the business. In real time access to data or
information, as well as immediate elaboration or communication, Artificial Intelligence
(20%) is starting to play a quite relevant role, even if development cost and
implementation costs as well as maintenance are still barriers to the adoption of this
highly technological solutions. It’s not clear for now the real benefits that these system
will have in HR department: they probably will be evident in the last 10 years when their
spreading will be higher, and time will be sufficient for an historical analysis of results.
Engagement of employees can be highlighted at every level, thanks to platform that
relies on Social technology (63%), as well as all solution that fully involved the actor in a
pleasant activity from the first moment in which the candidate comes in contact with
114
the company, all along his/her career life cycle till retirement, Data Analytics (51%) and
Cloud (74%) support can represent a useful tool, in this sense.
HR is more than aver empower by the possibility to predict results, anticipate problems.
This seems the most suited role for both Artificial Intelligence (64%) and
Analytics (81%). The has to be highlighted the risk these systems become speculative,
that’s why prediction should be an aspect to treat with awareness: most of solution
should start from consistent fact base data, and then build sophisticated algorithm with
a solid foundations. PWC 2017 CEO Global Survey has considered working of soft skills
as one of the five essential pills for talent strategy.
Soft aspects forethought is becoming key not just in recruiting phase, but also in
learning, smart working and performance management. In a world where access to hard
competences is spread, at every level competition and effective collaboration moves
towards other aspects.
Connection and networking have been always relevant aspect of people interaction, are
changing nature assuming an official recognition (e.g. referral recruiting platforms) and
a more digital nature (Social 89%).
5.7.1. Evidences from the sample In following sessions, few example have been reported form the sample in order to
clarify the categorization of general future trends.
5.7.1.1 All-in one solutions Bob is an all-in-one, cloud-based HR
and benefits platform that gives fast-
growing businesses a better way to
engage and manage their employees.
The company was founded in 2015 by
serial entrepreneurs who, after years
of leadership roles in ambitious
businesses and high-growth startups, Figure 23 - bob
115
realized that many companies end up neglecting their single most important strategic
asset: their people. So bob was born to give smart modern businesses a better way of
‘doing HR’ to attract and keep real talent.
Bob radically streamlines personnel administration and improves employees’
experiences with a smart mobile app, a personalized benefits store and inviting
onboarding and survey tools. The rich real-time data in bob gives decision-makers
valuable insights and helps employees feel more connected to the people they work
with – wherever they are in the world.
The mission is to help good businesses become even better. Bob’s team is working to
make it easier for people to love what they do – and to connect with the people they do
it with.
In 2012, Matt Straz founded Namely to
create an HR platform as intuitive as
social media, but powerful enough to
support the complexity of today’s
workforce.
Since then, it has been hard at work
solving the biggest HR challenges that
mid-sized companies face from talent
management to time management,
benefits administration to payroll. The
vision is to empower everyone to make
data-driven decisions about people. From HR to the C-Suite to employees, accessible
data has the power to make them all more strategic and impactful.
Namely is an comprehensive platform that helps in taking payroll, benefits and talent
management, all in one solution place. It has an onboarding profile to be fill-in, it creates
a company social news platform, it enable to check the company organization chart, it
helps in enrolling employees benefits. It helps HR to keep track on benefits and account
Figure 24 - Namely
116
them into payrolls, and helps in the reporting process. Every employees can set goals in
the platform on-going check in and formal reviews seeing progress.
5.7.1.2 Real time Access
GamEffective is a solution which aims
to use digital motivation, gamification
and feedbacks to engage the
employees and let them perform at
their best. GamEffective engages
employees (and non-employees, such
as channel partners and more) to
improve performance, motivation and
learning. the platform uses the
principles of behavioral psychology,
motivation and gamification as well as
next-gen learning. On the performance side, it drives daily employee goals and
engagement, like a fitness tracker for work. On the learning side, it is a micro-learning
engagement platform, helping companies engage employees to improve performance,
motivation and learning.
To drive motivation and better performance, the team use personalized goals and
continuous feedback to drive employees above and beyond traditional incentive
systems. The best explanation of what it’s done on the performance side is a “fitness
tracker for work”, where, by setting goals, benchmarks and campaigns, we drive
employees to achieve their personal best.
For learning, GamEffective supports micro- learning engagement, for better onboarding,
self-service learning, instructor-led training, repetitive learning and more. GamEffective
specialize in retrieval practice games for knowledge retention, adaptive and
personalized learning and offer unique game narratives for learning. Additionally, the
platform supports on-the-job learning and performance support.
Figure 25 - GameEffective
117
Talent Sonar is a software that through
Artificial Intelligence and real time
access on data analytics help
companies to shorten the time to hire
and to reach the best fit candidates.
From the definition of the role and job
description to the elaboration of
relevant candidate data, the definition
of structured interviews and data
driven hiring
It helps in attracting more qualified
candidates with improved job descriptions. It screens those candidates with identity-
blind resume review for quantitative side-by-side comparison.. It selects the hire based
on structured interview guides which are shown to be twice as effective as unstructured
interviews.
Talent Sonar streamlines interview questions, records your feedback and integrates
with a fully featured cloud based hiring app to help you hire the best person.
The HR can create interview questions ahead of time, then carry them into the interview
on the phone. Every member of the interviewing team can be sure to have the right
interview questions close at hand.
Talent Sonar's mobile interviewing app integrates with recruitment software. The whole
hiring process from your laptop can be managed from the laptop, then interviews can
be conducted with phone. Interview results are synced back to the cloud, to share with
the team. It gives the change to impress candidates by giving them your full attention.
Figure 26 - Talent Sonar
118
5.7.1.3. Engagement Focus
The most successful organizations
today understand that corporate
culture drives performance. They also
know what makes their culture great.
Plasticity helps organizations put
employees first in their people and
culture strategies. It has identified that
personal well-being has a significantly
positive impact on organizational
health, employee engagement and
performance as well as reduce in sick
days and turnover.
Plasticity Insights helps organizations understand their people and culture.
Traditional employee engagement surveys only measure a single point in time which
doesn’t capture the often fluctuating employee experience. Lengthy reports can take
weeks to be delivered and even longer to take action, meaning your organization is still
at risk.
Plasticity Insights measures the current state of organizational health and delivers
employee feedback every 90 days. Easy-to-read reports provide data-driven information
to leadership teams and managers for continuous improvement.
Plasticity remains close to its clients through the process of decoding the data. The
organization provides guidance to leaders with recommendations regarding what areas
to tackle first. And finally, it helps to build strategies and tactical plans to scale
knowledge across the entire organization. The evidence-based approach helps
organizations look further upstream to ensure they get the engagement, innovation,
and performance required to be happy, healthy and high-performing.
In today’s organizations, a one-size-fits all approach to people and culture just won’t
work. Team optimization requires a more granular examination of individuals and teams
to truly maximize health, happiness, and performance.
Figure 27 - Plasticity
119
Plasticity provides that critical assessment and then goes one step further providing the
right habit training, to the right people and measuring the impact on the team
performance.
Plasticity’s machine-learning engines go to work right away targeting each employee
with the habit building activities to make them healthier, happier and higher-
performing.
Employees don’t need to wait for managers to review and react to reports. Instead, they
are immediately offered simple but meaningful actions they can take to improve
themselves and your company culture. This allows managers to focus on the big changes
that take time because Plasticity is taking care of the rest.
Acquinas is training solution which is
able to provide and reinforce training,
with mobile and also virtual
reality technology.
Training is key to developing new skills
& behaviors. Most of this training is still
delivered in person or a webinar, and
up to 90% of that is forgotten in a
week.
The Aquinas Platform solves this issue
through steady, intelligently scheduled
reinforcement.
A series of mobile notifications sent to employees for 30-90 days after a workshop.
Key ideas are reinforced, ensuring they are learned and your training gets the ROI you
demand. That’s why it is simple and effective.
It provides advice & templates to help you reach your training goals. These can include
simpler habit formation, information-rich negotiation or management courses, or
regimented "work-out" style programs.
Figure 28 - Aquinas
120
Learners are able to truly experience, in an authentic way, the behaviors that are being
taught. This is crucial because so much of what makes effective managers and leaders is
non-verbal, and the immersive VR system gives the ability to easily record & upload
examples of what these important behaviors should look like, so learners can truly
understand. This is done in a fully trackable environment, so Learning & Development
managers can understand what's being attended to, and thus absorbed.
The recorded model itself becomes the basis for tracking the learner while they're in
practice mode.
5.7.1.4 Result’s Prediction and Anticipation
Scoutible is a game-based hiring
platform, using immersive mobile
games and sophisticated machine
learning to pinpoint perfect-fit
candidates for jobs. Scoutible’s
technology measures a person's
unique cognitive and personality traits
through gameplay, then spots
opportunities where players’
attributes match those of a company's
proven top performers.
Scoutible’s machine learning algorithms collect millions of data points from your team’s
20 minutes of gameplay. It identifies the exact combinations of traits that make
someone a top performer at your company.
Scoutible reveals candidates’ predicted performance and culture fit, before a single
interview is conducted. It can be received an instant shortlist of the best matches for
your job, and seal the deal.
Figure 29 - Scoutible
121
Trufa is a solution that leverages on
machine learning to scores and ranks
every performance improvement
recommendation and convert it in
value and probability of achievement.
Trufa is the SaaS solution for
managing companies based on facts,
real correlations and precise
calculations.For the first time, to be
expected effects of decisions can be
precisely and instantaneously
predicted.Using Trufa, fact-based decisions replace gut feeling and unsubstantiated
bias.Trufa goes even beyond the verification of human decisions. The software
proposes autonomously how to best achieve the desired goals of the enterprise.
Trufa detects the sensitivity of cash and profitability performance, with respect to
operational efficiency and effectiveness, as well as complexity (product and process)
and it is an innovative performance management solution. Advanced robust statistics
are built-in rather than bolted on, enabling proactive performance management.
5.7.1.5 (Peer-to-peer) network reinforcement
Jolt is an online platform that offers
training video session and group talking
session in order to make learning a long-
life habit
Making learning a lifelong habit by
designing a learning experience so
engaging it's addictive.In an
unforgiving economy, we can't afford to
stop learning after we're done with
Figure 30 - Trufa
Figure 31 - Jolt
122
school; but current learning solutions aren't a good fit for the Millennials’ lifestyle,
because they lack the one missing element that makes learning possible: social
commitment.
Everything it’s build at Jolt is based on a fundamental idea that learning isn't just about
transferring information, it's about connecting with others; it assumed that human
being learn best from, and with, other people.
Jolt is about access; which means first and foremost physical proximity to 21st century
learning. That is why Jolts happen in meeting rooms, co-working spaces and
unique Micro-campuses called Jolt Rooms. The solution is able to provide different
levels of immersion, but the core experience remains the same: an intimate group
of people, together in a room, learning from a world-class professional.
A beautiful site that’s easy to manage
and create job posts in real time.
Designed to make your site more
engaging and unique for prospects. A
special team will help you capture the
website, videos, and photography
showcasing a holistic view of your
company spirit that fits the brand.
The aim is to make building a job post,
managing applicants and getting team
members to collaborate was as easy as
a social media post.
50skills has all you need to boost the recruiting efforts. Create a stunning career-page
for your business. Incentivize your employees to source candidates and make data-
driven decisions on the best hire.
With 21st century social-networks, recruiting is changing faster than ever before. When
an hire is needed, a job post is online, select a reward and watch as the system
Figure 32 - 50skills
123
transforms the employees and people within their network turn into front-line
recruiters.
Some of your best future job prospects are in the current co-worker networks. The
system is designed to make the hiring process a team collaborating with an incentive for
employees that find the right candidates for the job. Prospects sourced and referred by
current employees have a much higher chance of staying with the company long term
and having a cultural fit, reducing attraction and turnover.
5.7.1.6 Soft Aspects Forethought
Use AiHire's knowledge, character and
skills assessments to conduct pre-
employment screening, create more
effective teams and measure current
employee strengths. The assessments
are formulated from the latest
research in cognitive and behavioral
psychology and provide robust
quantifiable data to help the company
grow.
AiHire offers the only assessment
solution on the market to reach candidates, collect applicant information and assess
their cognitive skills, personality traits, and knowledge base, right from their mobile
device.
Today's job applicants are mobile-centric: with AiHire interviews are made through
video and recorded through the phone.
Skills-based hiring can boost the bottom line by widening the talent pool, reducing
screening time, and eliminating resume biases. And if candidates aren't right for the
positions they applied for, AiHire automatically references open positions in your
company suggesting better job matches based on an applicant's strengths.
Figure 33 - AiHire
124
It's no secret that the hiring process is broken. Because of poor communication and
undefined evaluation processes, most job applicants report the hiring process as being
a negative experience.
With AiHire applicants are judged objectively on their skills while taking challenges that
are fun to play: with in-app communication and continual feedback mean that
candidates are never left in the dark.
Bravely is building a resource to help
people tackle their issues proactively
and constructively, transforming the
workplace into a better, healthier
place for everyone.
Bravely is an app-based solution that
helps employees in managing conflict
issues and address problem of their
day-by-day working life. It relies on
establish a secure and private
conversation with an external expert.
When a stressful moment comes up, employees can use the Bravely app to describe
their situation, and get matched with the right Pro for their issue.
Conversations take place over the phone, last around 45 minutes, and are driven by
proven conflict management and crucial conversation frameworks.
After speaking with their Pro, employees are ready for the next step: a productive
conversation with their boss, colleagues, direct reports, or HR teams.
The idea is that employees are more likely to go to HR after speaking with an outside
coach: and without these solutions, they’re less likely to speak up.
Professional world is evolving, no doubts: it is asked to speed the rhythm of
technological evolution, indeed more than ever it is necessary that HR poses itself as
ambassador of changes, and as consistent support for workers in adaptation to them.
Figure 34 - Bravely
125
There will be jobs in the future that now are not known, that’s why the relevant role of
HR to act as change agent (Ulrich 1997) is now key for organization of maintain their
talents and stay competitive on the market.
Evolution of people management as the greatest challenge of businesses unravels three
main point of interests that companies should take into consideration: the thinning of
work-life boundaries which implies companies to take greater social responsibility
towards their employees, the increasing precision of measurement technique of
performance management, and the rising of social capital and relationship as the drivers
of business success. In these terms role of HR is developing: the function is the heart of
organization and should be able to focus on business strategy influencing other aspect
of businesses; the function should be the driver for social responsibility agenda within
and among organizations.
It should be considered that the function can be seen as transactional and almost
entirely outsourced, in this case HR will reshape its roles outside organization, while in
house HR will be predominantly of people sourcing.
The high level of technological enhancement and the influence technology is having HR
highlights the risk that It competences are necessary also to be developed by HR
managers and HR employees. If HR won’t take the lead, the function could be entirely
outsourced or absorbed by other line functions (e.g. finance or marketing).
Automation will not only alter the types of jobs available but their number and perceived
value. By replacing workers doing routine, methodical tasks, machines can amplify the
comparative advantage of those workers with problem- solving, leadership, the so called
emotional intelligence, empathy and creativity skills. According to 2017 PwC Workforce
of the Future, 73% of employees think that technology will replace their work, where
the same data was about 38% in 2014.
HR function has now more than ever the chance of driving the strategy of the companies
and have tools and information to become of the most influential parts of business
operations. The real challenge of HR is to figure out how to make itself relevant for
tomorrow’s world.
126
Chapter 6 - Conclusions
6.1 Conclusions
To conclude, now more than ever organization are subjected to the so-called digital
revolution, which involves every level and every function of the firm.
The thesis has regarded an analysis of technological diffusion on 619 startups. The
research has been conducted worldwide, considering organizations that offer HR
solutions at corporate level.
At first two main stream of literature has been revised: one regarding the impact of
technological enhancement on human resources department, from whom the human
resource evolution has been treated in relation to technological development, the other
regarding startups’ nature, characterizes and evolution of the life-cycle.
From the analysis of the literature it has emerged the necessity to investigate the field
of HR taking the perspective of technological development.
An ad-hoc database has been created from the merge of two different source and ad-
hoc categories has been built to screen and classify the sample according to a valuable
number of variables.
Research has been conducted on going, looking for similar and repetitive patterns as
additional explorative categories named trends. Trends represent the future direction
in which the digital evolution is taking Human Resource.
From the reported results and the implication reflections, it can be summed up that
HR should be the ambassador of the digital change, being able to be an example for
the entire organization and embrace the digital revolution stay competitive on the
market. To do so HR should develop the key digital competences at every level of the
firms.
Nowadays the greatest business challenges are: the thinking of work-life balance, which
implies companies to take social and ethic responsibilities towards the employees at
every level; the increasing precision of measurement techniques of performance
127
management and the predictive nature they are assuming; the increasing relevance of
social capital and collaborative approach as key business drivers for success.
Most of the processes and tasks in HR are going towards a complete automation: this
could represent a threat for human since people’s role seems to be increasingly
replaced. The key characteristics HR should carry and transfer to all the company is
adaptability, since human replacement by technology can represent an opportunity of
the rise of new role and figure if people are flexible and adaptable to the contest.
HR should be now considered as the business partner, the driver of the strategy which
is able to influence the whole business.
Considering what mentioned above, should it be necessary to rethink the HR
department role tanking a more horizontal perspective, which goes beyond the
processes and activities and pose HR in an positioning which is transversal to the other
functions? How should the strategic, managerial, organizational and operative impacts
be taken into consideration in this revise and redesign of Human Resource function?
The conducted study can be a point of reference and an help for companies that are
struggling in understanding how to approach the digital change and how to evolve HR
function. It can be useful to perform investment choice which an higher awareness of
what is going on in the market, and on what will be the key traits of HR in the future.
6.2 Limitations It has to be noticed that the study has some limitations, considering the modality in
which it has been conducted and the intrinsic nature of the sample.
As far as the adopted procedures are concerned, it has to be highlighted that the sample
extraction, as reported in 3.2 Sample Construction , has been performed by key words,
named tags, this has centrally limited the results in which have been excluded all
startups which haven’t been registered through one (or more) of the word used.
Categories according to which the dataset has been characterized have been partly
given by the crunchbase system, and partly, as trends’ name, have been built by the
creativity of the author. They are certainly relevant but not the only possibilities that
128
can be considered to study the sample and they are subjected as interpretation, which
can be different to the ones reported in the report.
The startups envelopment and their characteristics have not been reported
investigating the location where they have been founded and social and cultural factors
which have been surely influencing the entire HR environment both in startups and
established firms.
6.3 Future Developments
Considering the limitations mentioned above few follow ups can be easily identified,
and can be a source for future development and researches.
The research has been conducted between 2017 and 2018, since now it hasn’t been
possible to identify technological factor which has driven the success of the analyzed
startups, it can be surely interesting take the same sample in five/seven years from 2018
and analyze how many of the 619 startups will be still running their business, which will
have modified their value proposition and which will be closed. This could be interesting
to analyze if a certain technology has been a key driver of a business success for a
particular process or in general for HR department.
In general, it can be noticed that, considering the anticipatory nature of startups,
evolution of HR startup industry should be keep under monitor and its week or
emerging signal can be a source of inspiration of companies for trigger change, adapting
to on-going evolution or building of scenario analysis to anticipate the future.
No consideration or investigation has been made regarding role and competences the
digital era is requiring companies to develop both within HR function and outside. This
an investigation field that is certainly link to HR development due to technological
envelopment.
129
References Ulrich, D. (1997b). Human resource champions. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Remenyi, D., Money, A., & Twite, A. (1991). A guide to measuring and managing IT benefits. Oxford: NCC Blackwell Limited. Zuboff, S. (1988). In the age of the smart machine. New York: Basic Books. S. D. Gardner, D.P. Lepak and K.M. Bartol (2003), Virtual HR: the impact of information technology on the human resource professionals, Journal of Vocational Behavior 63, 159-179 N. M. Abdikeev (2017) Cognitive technologies of business processes management in digital era. 10th International Conference Management of Large-Scale System Development, MLSD 201714 November 2017, Article number 8109583 T. Bondarouk, E. Parry and E. Furtmueller (2016) Electronic HRM: four decades of research on adoption and consequences, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28:1, 98-131
Bondarouk, T. V., Ruël, H., & van der Heijden, B. (2009). e-HRM effectiveness in a public sector organization: A multi-stakeholder perspective. e International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20, 578–590. Wright, P., Dunford, B., & Snell, S. (2001). Human resources and the resource based view of the rm. Journal of Management, 27, 701–721. DeSanctis, G. (1986). Human resource information systems: A current assessment. MIS Quarterly, 10, 15–27. R. J. Burke and Eddy Ng (2006), The changing nature of work and organizations: implications for human resource management, Human Resources Management Review 16, 86-94. Lepak, D. P., & Snell, S. A. (1998). Virtual HR: Strategic human resource management in the 21st century. Human Resource Management Review, 8 (3), 215−234. Ruël, H. J. M., Bondarouk, T., & Looise, J. C. (2004). E-HRM: Innovation or irritation. An explorative empirical study in five large companies on web-based HRM. Management Review, 15(3), 364−381. Huang, J. -H., Yang, C., Jin, B. -H., & Chiu, H. (2004). Measuring satisfaction with business-to-employee systems. Computers in Human Behavior, 20(1), 17−35 2017 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends, Rewriting the rules for the digital age S. Strohmeier (2007), Reseacrh in e-HRM: reviews and implications, Human Resource Management Review 17 (19-37). Snell, S. A., Stuebner, D., & Lepak, D. P. (2002). Virtual HR departments: Getting out of the middle, 81-101, in Human resource management in virtual organizations. In R. L. Henneman & D. B. Greenberger (Eds.), Greenwich: Information Age Publishing. Hannon, J., Jelf, G., & Brandes, D. (1996). Human resource information systems: Operational issues and strategic considerations in a global environment. International Journal of Human Resource
130
Management, 7(1), 245−269. Tixier, J. (2004). Does the evolution of the human resources practices imply the implementation of an information system? For a contextualism of practices. International Journal of Human Resource Development and Management, 4(4), 414−430. Barney, J. B., & Wright, P. M. (1998). On becoming a strategic partner: The role of human resources in gaining competitive advantage. Human Resource Management, 37(1), 31−46. Angela D. Benson, S.D. Johnson, K. P. Kuchinke, 2002 The use of technology in the digital workplace: a framework for human resource development. Advances in Developing Human Resources, Volume 4, Issue 4, Pages 392-404 F. Karakas and A. Manisaligil (2012), Reorientiring self-direct learning for the creative digital era, European Journal of training and development, Vol 36 Issue 7 pp.712-731 S. Nudurupati, S. Tebboune and J.Hardman (2016), contemporary performance measurement and management in digital economies, Production Planning & Control, 27:3, 226-235.
Malhotra, Y. (1998, February 19). Knowledge management, knowledge organizations & knowledge workers: A view from the front lines. Maeil Business Newspaper.Retrieved May 30, 2002, from http://www.brint.com/interview/maeil.htm Knowles, M.S. (1975), Self-directed Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers, Association Press, New York, NY. Johnson, S. D., & Aragon, S. A. (2002). An instructional strategy framework for online learning environments. In T. M. Egan & S. A. Lynham (Eds.), Proceedings of the Academy for Human Resource Development (pp. 1022-1029). Bowling Green, OH: Academy for Human Resource Development. Sherry, L., & Wilson, B. (1996). Supporting human performance across disciplines: A converging of roles and tools. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 9(4), 19-36. Franco-Santos, M., L. Lucianetti, and M. C. S. Bourne. 2012. “Contemporary Performance Measurement Systems: A Review of their Consequences and a Framework for Research.” Management Accounting Research 23 (2): 79–119.
Chen, H., R. H. L. Chiang, and V. C. Storey. 2012. Business Intelligence and Analytics: From Big Data to Big Impact. MIS Quarterly 36 (4): 1165–1188.
Davenport, T. H., P. Barth, and R. Bean. 2012. “How “Big Data” is Different.” MIT Sloan Management Review 54 (1): 22–24.
Victor Y. Haines III and G. Lafleur, 2008, Information technology usage and human resource roles and effectiveness, Human Resource Management, Fall 2008, Vol. 47, No. 3, Pp. 525–540
Eric Ries, 2011, The Lean Startup, how todays’ entrepreneur use continuous innovation to create radically successful business
Kropp F., Lindsay N.J., Shoham A. 2008, Entrepreneurial orientation and international entrepreneurial business venture startup, International journal of entrepreneurial behavior and research, Volume 14, Issue 2, Pages 102-117
131
Van Gelderen M., Thurik R., Bosma N, 2005, Success and risk factors in the pre-startup phase, Small business economics, Volume 24 Issue 4, pages 365-380
Cappelli, P., 2001, Making the Most of On-Line Recruiting. Harvard Business Review, 79, (3), 139–146.
Cober, R.T., Brown, D.J., Blumental, A.J., Doverspike, D. and Levy, P. (2000) The Quest for the Qualified Job Surfer: It’s time the public sector catches the wave. Public Personnel Management, 29, (4), 479–496.
Lievens, F. and Harris, M.M. (2003) Research on Internet Recruiting and Testing: Current status and future directions. In: Cooper, C.L. and Robertson, I.T. (eds), International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 16. Chichester: John Wiley, pp. 131–165.
Freeman, R.B. (2002) The Labour Market in the New Information Economy. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 18, (3), 288–305.
Lawrence, J. D., Sauser, L. D., & Sauser, W. I. J. (2007). Recruiting strong applicants: Process, prospects, challenges. In R. R. Sims (Ed.), Human resource management: Contemporary issues, challenges, and opportunities. Information Age Publishing.
Bartram, D. (2000). Internet recruitment and selection: Kissing frogs to find princes. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 8(4), 261-274.
Hella Sylva and Stefan T. Mol, 2009, E-Recruitment: a study into applicant perceptions of an online application system, International Journal of Selection and Assessment Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009
Natasha Allden, Lisa Harris, (2013) "Building a positive candidate experience: towards a networked model of e-recruitment", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 34 Issue: 5, pp.36-47
Lievens, F., Van Dam, K. and Anderson, N. (2002) Recent Trends and Challenges in Personnel Selection. Personnel Review, 31, (5), 580–601.
Liljander, V., Riel, A.C.R. and Pura, M. (2002) Customer Satisfaction with E-Services: The case of an online recruitment portal. In: Bruhn, M. and Stauss, B. (eds), Yearbook of Services Management 2002. Wiesbaden: Gabler, pp. 407– 432.
Anna B. Holm, 2012, E-Recruitment: towards a ubiquitous recruitment process and candidate relationship management, Zeitschrift für Personalforschung, 26(3), 241-259
Parry, E. and Tyson, S. (2008), ‘An analysis of the use and success of e- recruitment methods in the UK’, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 257-274.
2016 Accenture, the digitalization of human resources: digital HR technology comes of age
2012 KPMG International, Rethinking human resources in a changing world
2016 Manpower Group, Millennial Career: 2020 Vision
2017, Ministero dello Svilippo Economico, Direzioen Generale per la Politica Industriale, la Competitività e le PMI, Policy Nazionale a Sostegno delle startup Innovative.
2017 PwC, Global CEO Survey
132
2017 PwC Workforce of the Future - the competing forces shaping 2030
2007 PwC Managing tomorrow’s people – the future of work to 2020
http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/human-capital-management/modern-hr-new-era-europe-2550513.pdf
https://www.crunchbase.com/
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/TechCrunch
https://woo.io/
https://www.yodas.com/
https://recround.it/
https://www.glickon.com/candidate/welcome
https://www.prosky.co/
https://www.hiredknives.com/
https://worktoday.com/
https://recruiters.welcometothejungle.co/
https://meritocracy.is/it
https://beamery.com/
https://lattice.com/
https://www.namely.com/
https://www.gameffective.com/?rid=gaw&keyword=%2Bgameeffective&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=gameffective&utm_term=%2Bgameeffective&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzIzWBRDnARIsAAkc8hFKkkJ70G-gVkYNh3HKv-8OTYac2VL-JRhyfuvnHwFWXKODhizbGlkaAnebEALw_wcB
http://www.talentsonar.com/
https://plasticitylabs.com/
https://www.aquinas.io/
https://www.scoutible.com/
http://www.trufa.net/
https://tlv.jolt.us/
https://www.50skills.com/
133
https://www.aihire.com/
https://www.workbravely.com/
