Why HR Professionals Need to Get Better with Technology... and Fast

I’ve been in HR long enough to remember when “technology” meant an Excel sheet and a shared drive that crashed every other Friday. I remember the days of reviewing time and attendance records and ensuring payroll was done in time for the Friday payday. But those days are gone. The HR profession has evolved faster in the last five years than in the twenty before it, and the uncomfortable truth is this: so many HR professionals are still catching up.

And that’s a problem.

Because HR isn’t just about people anymore — it’s about people through systems. I'm of the age where I had a tower beside my huge a$$ bulky monitor with floppy disks to use word perfect. I lost my homework because I shut off my computer. It was at this point where I got interested in Tech. I was only in grade 7 (or 8) where Microsoft came out with Windows 1995. My cousin had a first generation macintosh computer. My generation is of the tech world, so I ask myself, why are HR professionals not up to snuff with technology? Whether we like it or not, technology is now the nervous system of every business.

Technology Is the New Language of HR

Think about it. We don’t just use HR technology anymore — we speak it. Every performance review, every job posting, every leave request, every engagement survey is tied to a platform or process that lives online.

If you can’t navigate your HRIS, build a dashboard, or automate a workflow, you’re not just behind, you’re invisible. Data is the new currency of influence. The executives aren’t asking for feelings; they’re asking for metrics. And if we can’t tell that story in their language, through data, visuals, and systems, HR professionals lose credibility. I've always challenged my clients through data.

“But I’m Not a Tech Person.”

I hear this a lot. And honestly, I used to say it myself. But here’s the thing: nobody’s asking HR to code an app. We just need to understand the tools that make our jobs easier and our insights sharper. I often say to my colleagues or clients, I need to think of how the programmer wrote this program.

You don’t need to be a tech genius — you just need to be curious. Ask how the workflow triggers. Learn how your performance module connects to your compensation data. Experiment. Play in the sandbox. You’ll be amazed at how much power you gain when you stop waiting for IT to explain your own system back to you.

Technology Is Not Replacing Us, It’s Releasing Us!

I’m not one of those people who think AI will replace HR. If anything, it’s giving us back what we’ve been missing for years: time to actually be human again.

Automation doesn’t kill the people side of HR, it amplifies it. When systems handle the busywork, we get to focus on coaching, strategy, and relationships, the things that truly move organizations forward.

But to reach that stage, we have to stop being afraid of technology and start owning it. The future of HR belongs to those who see systems not as barriers, but as extensions of their own capability.

The Bottom Line

So, if you’re an HR professional still avoiding technology because it feels “too technical,” consider this your nudge. The future of our profession depends on our willingness to adapt. Tech fluency isn’t optional anymore, it’s our new baseline.

Because when HR understands technology, HR stops chasing strategy and starts driving it.

The most human thing we can do as HR professionals right now is to evolve, not away from technology, but alongside it.

Sincerely,

Carmelinda Galota, CHRP, CHRL