By dotLAB Radio
Developments in technology are having a dramatic impact on how we work, learn and interact with colleagues, the so-called Future of Work. New software platforms and AI-powered applications are being widely integrated into workplaces, bringing benefits but also new challenges to HR professionals and employees alike. In turn, Universities are having to rapidly adapt how they train people for a totally new working environment.
In this episode of dotLAB Radio we look at the Future of Work, the evolution of the workplace, the technologies driving it, and how business leaders and students can adapt and thrive in this new environment. Our guests are Edel Conway, Professor of HRM and Organisational Psychology at DCU Business School; and Lena Rogova, Business Development Director at Opening.io. We cover areas including:
- How big data and AI-powered technology has changed and challenged the HR role
- Using new technologies to boost employee engagement
- How Universities are evolving to close the gap between education and industry requirements
- Trust and ethical considerations when rolling out new software platforms in the workplace
- Why a candidate’s hobbies, interests, and volunteering are becoming increasingly valuable when job hunting
Edel Conway is Professor of HRM and Organisational Psychology and Director of Doctoral Studies at DCU Business School. She leads the Future of Work theme within the Irish Institute of Digital Business and is its Director of People Development. Edel is an organisational psychologist with expertise in the areas of employee engagement, well-being and organisational change in contemporary work settings. Edel is leading a number of projects on the future of work including employees’ disclosures about work on social media, the future of line management, and the alignment between academic and practitioner discourses regarding the future of work. She is also investigating the role of work in a national project on the development of digital town infrastructures to enhance rural economies. Edel has led numerous employee engagement initiatives that will shape the future of the Irish civil service and is an external academic advisor on key aspects of the current and forthcoming Civil Service Renewal Plans. She was appointed by the Public Service Pay Commission as academic advisor regarding Government decision making in relation to recruitment, retention and pay issues across the public sector. Edel has undertaken numerous other research and consultancy roles for organisations including the Economic and Social Research Institute, the Central Statistics Office, Solas, the National Maternity Hospital, the Dublin Midlands Hospitals Group, IBEC and SIPTU. Edel has vast experience in teaching strategic HRM and employee engagement on executive education programmes. Her work is published in numerous leading international journals and books. Prior to joining DCU, Edel worked as a HR consultant with Citi and as a researcher at the London Business School.
Lena Rogova is the Business Development Director at Opening. Prior to joining Opening, she worked in the recruitment industry for over a decade and helped establish and grow operations of one of the leading staffing firms, Hays plc in the new markets. She’s passionate about people, technology, entrepreneurship and the arts. Lena writes and creates digital content for anyone interested in talent and tech, and learns a new language every few years.