In a cluttered field of platforms, apps, and solutions, it’s often hard to know what HR technology will ultimately take flight, and when. But as sources explained to HR Brew, some tech that has been on the cusp of making a splash, potentially transforming traditional HR functions, is finally ready for primetime.

The tech to look out for in 2023 largely boils down to two letters with big implications: AI.

There’s long been murmurings of its potential for automating recruiting processes, managing employee sentiment, and numerous other facets of the people profession, Chad Sowash, a former director of veteran recruiting at Randstad and cohost of the HR tech podcast Chad & Cheese, explained to HR Brew. Organizations should ready themselves for a breakthrough. “What we’re going to see is an evolution of the tech that we’ve been hearing promises about forever,” he said.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the HR tech tools poised to shake things up in 2023.

AI-powered tools. ChatGPT has made waves in recent months, and for good reason: It can automate tasks as mundane as writing emails. But there are other AI tools on the horizon that could, for example, replace the error-prone ATS of yore, Sowash contended. “You have other platforms that really started off as…chatbots…they’ve actually come to focus on being a full platform,” he said.

Automated recruitment will be a big theme this year as companies such as Talkpush and Paradox enter the fray, Sowash said. Paradox uses an AI called Olivia to screen applicants and handle much of the preliminary interview process, while Talkpush compiles data from job boards and social media profiles to find and conduct initial outreach to relevant candidates. Both tools are meant to eliminate the “black hole” job-seekers often find themselves in after applying for jobs, Sowash said.

Read more here.—SB

When I turned 30, I hosted a modest party with friends and loved ones in Washington, DC, and people in attendance took turns lauding me for successfully reaching my three-decade milestone. Turns out I’ve got something in common with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)—besides the fact that neither of us look a day over 25. *bats eyelashes*

Lawmakers celebrated 30 years of the FMLA last Monday at the Department of Labor (DOL), where Secretary Marty Walsh was joined by department officials, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, members of Congress, and advocates to recognize its impact on the American workplace—something to which HR professionals can attest.

“FMLA is a critical part of our efforts at DOL to build an economy that works for all people. The truth is everybody should be able to take leave when they need it, and there are many valid reasons for taking leave, but they all have one thing in common: It’s called living life,” Walsh said.

For 30 years, HR departments have been facilitating leave in compliance with the law, which allows workers at companies with more than 50 employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to bond with a new child, address a serious health condition, or care for an ailing relative, without the risk of job loss. But as a seasoned compliance expert, of course you already knew all that.

“Since 1993, Americans have relied on the FMLA on more than 460 million occasions...which is an extraordinary achievement,” said Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families.

According to the National Partnership, 92% of worksites report no difficulty complying with FMLA. Some 65% say complying with FMLA has “little overall effect” on their company, while nearly 32% report positive effects. Officials and advocates suggested that the passage of the FMLA was a first step and are eyeing the next: paid family leave.

Read more here.—AD

From Indianapolis to Istanbul, workers are stressed, burned out, and always on. Smartphones have created a culture that has all but erased the idea that the workday begins and ends at certain times (or at all).

Noting the trend, since 2016 some countries have taken action to help combat always-on culture through legislation that gives workers the legal right to turn off their devices. Now, lawmakers in Kenya are telling employers to wait until morning before hitting “send” on emails.

Where in the world? Kenya became the latest country to propose “right to disconnect” legislation in late 2022. While it already has a law that states employees cannot work more than 52 hours per week, some are still contacted outside of business hours.

If passed, the Employment (Amendment) Bill not only requires employers with more than 10 employees to refrain from contacting workers during off-hours, but must also pay them if the employee chooses to respond. Furthermore, employers will have to outline for employees why they may be contacted during these times, according to reporting from The Nation.

“In the era of the virtual office, it is important to create laws to mark the shift from the physical office to protect mental health, avoid burnout, and ensure family time,” Samson Kiprotich Cherargei, a Kenyan lawmaker, told the Washington Post.

Satellite view. Countries including Belgium and Portugal and regions such as Ontario, Canada, have enacted similar legislation in recent years, but the movement appears to be lagging in the US. New York City toyed with a soft version of a right to disconnect law in 2018, but it seemed to stall in 2019.

Some private companies in the EU have policies that go beyond what their countries’ laws dictate to help their employees balance their personal and work lives. For example, Volkswagen Germany does not allow off-hours emails, according to Eurofound.

Read more here.—KP

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: The vast majority (92%) of people in the US working past the retirement age say they’re doing so because they need more money for retirement. (Easterseals)

Quote: “When managers perceive the violation of their stereotypical ‘norm’ of Black employees, they feel uneasy and thus react negatively.”—Jiaqing Sun, assistant professor at the London School of Economics, on the negative feedback Black employees receive from their white managers when they advocate for themselves (HuffPost)

Read: Business leaders are responding to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria by offering money and supplies. (CNN)

Up close and personnel. The Georgetown Master’s in Human Resources Management prepares you to become an effective and strategic HR business partner. Attend a sample class, “Negotiation Skills and Strategies,” on March 7. Register now.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}

Ever wondered how organizations can stay on their toes when it comes to recruiting employees? HR Brew has the answers and insights you need in your HR toolbox. Tune in to our free virtual event sponsored by Fountain on March 2 at 12pm EST, when we’ll chat with Duolingo’s Jocelyn Lai about keeping up in the race of recruiting.

Register now.

*This editorial content is supported by Fountain.