Under the leadership of chairman John Mills, HR and payroll solutions powerhouse MHR International has released a new global product to a group of selected early adopters – and it’s set to explode on to the scene in 2018.
people first will deliver futuristic people solutions built on the Microsoft Azure platform.
“We have developed an ethos, open people platform and app that most will not be ready for just yet,” says Mr Mills. “However, as visionary leaders begin to recognise the potential of artificial intelligence-infused open technology and a more people-focused way of working, people first will come into its own to support the future of work.”
As visionary leaders begin to recognise the potential of artificial intelligence-infused open technology and a more people-focused way of working, people first will come into its own to support the future of work
people first has already captured the imagination of analysts, HR futurists and forward-thinking business leaders across the globe. So what makes it special? Why does it represent the next big shift in the way we enhance people’s enjoyment and performance within their working lives?
01 Genuinely new technology does not come around often in HR
When was the last time a solution was launched that incorporated the best of what was currently on offer in terms of HR technology, but created a fundamentally different and more positive way of shaping working lives?
people first has everything you would expect to see in a traditional human resource management (HRM) system, but the team barely even talk about this aspect. According to people first’s head of marketing Juliet Hailstone: “We don’t focus on the HRM elements of the solution too much because we think it should be a given that HR technologies provide the tools to easily handle all aspects of managing people within an organisation.
“We focus on what makes the people first ethos and technology truly unique – the people first contract between employer and employee, flow technology to enhance enjoyment and productivity, infused artificial intelligence (AI) and personal assistants, pragmatic people analytics and augmented check-ins. No other solution out there is bringing these things together to improve the way that we work.”
02 people first is designed to support the future of work – and it’s ready now
Rather than creating a solution to support the existing world of work, replicating established processes and procedures, locking customers into technology and perpetuating the patterns that stop people being as engaged and productive as they could be at work, people first has developed something new.
people first chief technology officer Mark Williams says: “It’s tough breaking the mould, developing an approach to work and backing it up with technology to support its delivery, because some people will always say it’s ahead of its time or they’re not ready for it. I say it is long overdue – our working conventions still reflect those of the Industrial Revolution. people first is the long-awaited step-change that will quickly become the norm for new cultures within companies and the technology they use to support that culture.”
03 people first aligns with futurist thinking around HR technology
Analysts, HR futurists and forward-thinking business leaders are challenging HR leaders to think about whether or not they are ready for a future of work that incorporates both an emphasis on technology, robotics and AI, alongside a requirement to embrace the people side of work and human needs. This thinking has resounded throughout the HR world and many HR tech solutions providers will currently be scrambling to augment their existing technology to cater to it.
According to MHR International chief executive Anton Roe, they are too late: “The HR tech world has been caught on the back foot by the future of work, and we see many competitors starting to plug their solutions with stop gaps so they can try and meet the demands of the forward thinkers. With people first, we predicted what the future of work would demand, and had the confidence to build the ethos and solution to fit. It’s ready now.”
04 The flow technology operating within people first is not just revolutionary, it’s useful
Taken from both game theory and sports psychology, flow theory at work can otherwise be described as being “in the zone”, fully focused and productive, with massive psychological benefits of enjoyment and feelings of value, ownership and belonging. Represented graphically within people first, leaders can see the flow of individuals, teams and the organisation using data collected from various points. Analysis that can be used extensively, for example to predict overall business performance, flight risk, employee enjoyment and wellbeing, and managerial hotspots for further attention. This is data that leaders have been starved of presented in an accessible way.
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05 people first is infused with AI and pragmatic people analytics
It feels like AI and analytics are discussed on every street corner when it comes to the future of work, with many considering them with an air of mystery. people first embraces both in a manner that is typical of such an open solution, applying both AI and pragmatic people analytics in a manner so natural and accessible they are really only noticeable by the results.
Take pragmatic people analytics. people first absorbs data from employees’ day-to-day work via their personal assistant, a bot that helps employees through their day and operates almost as a “Fitbit” for work, learning their patterns and checking in with them at suitable times. This data is usable by employers and employees and, more importantly, is useful in understanding employees’ enjoyment and performance.
06 The people first partner network presents users with a healthy ecosystem of open technology solutions
The people first app is certainly driving forward a new way of working for employees and employers, but another unique feature of the people first proposition is the technology upon which it is built – the world’s first open people platform. The OPP partner network provides an ecosystem of solutions to help organisations manage the health, happiness and productivity of their people with a direct impact on the bottom line.
people first connects to other systems using application programming interfaces or APIs and, for those with an eye on development, offers platform tools for building complementary apps and even chatbots. The upshot is that the people first marketplace provides platform partners with the tools to build, use and sell apps through the people first marketplace. This open model offers complete choice, scalability and a level of openness that is unheard of in the HR technology space.
06 The price is very competitive
At $5 per employee a month for a cutting-edge HR and talent platform, people first outstrips all other market contenders in terms of value.
According to MHR International’s chief commercial officer Tim Johnson, this pricing strategy drives value for partners and customers of the people first solution. “We didn’t want to present the new world of an open, flexible and scalable solution, and then attach a prohibitive price to it,” he says. “people first will support a change to the way we work for the better. We want the whole people first community to profit from it – partners, companies and employees.”
For more information please visit www.people-first.com/future-of-work
