We are often limited by a collection of hard-to-break habits or stereotypes, making it diffi cult for us to push our thinking up to and beyond its confi nes. It is just like when it comes to organizing a seminar, one would probably think it would be held in a ballroom in a hotel with rows of chairs for the audience sitting quietly (or boringly) to listen to the speakers on the stage. Well, who says it has to be that way?

As an innovative leading provider of advanced HR solutions in the market, EmployeeConnect and Microsoft thinks out of the box to organize a seminar in a bar in Central, a vibrant spacious venue with great ambiance where the host and the guests can chill out a bit with some good drinks and refreshment, while exploring the latest HR technology trends that can help HR professionals work more effi ciently and enjoy life.

Kenneth Holt, Director  Hong Kong & Greater China of EmployeeConnect raised the curtain on the event with an introduction to guide the audience to recall the common headaches HR people are having today. "Payroll equals to working overtime"  it seems to be an old-fashioned saying but it is indeed what is happening to HR peers who are frequently drained by spending late nights working on payroll and struggle to manage the heavy workloads. What happened to our HR friends? Don't they deserve a better quality of work life?" Holt said.

Holt quoted Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group, who said he would "&put my staff fi rst, customers second and shareholders third&" As such, Holt believed that a company should always value its staff (including HR) and seek to facilitate them to create value and reduce stress. However, is the traditional way the only way to handle payroll? Holt pointed out that despite the prevalence of HRIS in today's organizations, the main problem is that most payroll systems organizations are now using adopts technology in 1980s! What's more, payroll data such as roster, attendance, sales commission are often populated from multiple systems, which is why processes are so slow, and while calculating the computer is held up (sometimes for hours), which seriously affects work efficiency, not to mention the pain in the neck to calculate 713, leave or OT related payment.

"There's indeed a simpler way. A change is essential - one that would change our life as HR professionals. But people are so used to things they've been using over the years, so when you ask them to change, they'd be in doubt," he continued. Holt hoped that he can act as a mind opener in today's seminar to encourage HR professionals to open their mind to embrace the latest HR technology trends like AI and cloud computing, which is highly affordable and reachable.

For years, EmployeeConnect has been in close collaboration with Microsoft to provide organizations with state-of-the-art cloud-based HR solutions. In this seminar, the company invited Maria Hui, HR Director of Microsoft Hong Kong Limited as the guest speaker to share her insights into HR management, HR future development and how Microsoft can help transform HR processes to an advanced level.

Hui revealed that we have entered the digital era for HR: "We're now in the 4th industrial revolution that emphasizes big data, cloud computing and intelligence. The launch of new technologies such as AI shouldn't be overlooked as these new trends and market changes empower HR professionals in decision making, which has great impact on the development of HR management."

Today, with five generations in the workplace, HR management is getting more and more complicated. To prevent traditional HR processes and paperwork that hinders HR managers from driving real business values for their organisations, creating a digital workplace with the help of AI is important. "It not only enables HR managers to manage their tasks more effectively, for example to use AI to review CVs, identify top performers, communicate with other departments and review staff performance, etc., but also offers a beneficial environment for talent to do better and make an impact on the organization. It can be a platform for them to shine!"

"Actually, it's all about people. People naturally resist change. But if people don't take a step further, change wouldn't just happen. I think it's time for HR people to get out of the comfort zone and adjust their mindset to accept change. Just let technology does the work and you'll have more time for team building and getting to know your staff personally," Hui added.

All in all, there is always a choice out there. By embracing the digital era with the adoption of state-ofthe- art AI technology and cloud-based HR solutions, HR professionals would be able to simplify HR processes, enhance effi ciency and work in a smarter way!