{"id":168908,"date":"2023-08-30T05:25:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T10:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=168908"},"modified":"2023-09-05T10:56:47","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T15:56:47","slug":"ictp-267-the-impact-of-technology-in-the-workplace-with-lois-walters-of-the-human-resource-management-association-of-jamaica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2023\/08\/ictp-267-the-impact-of-technology-in-the-workplace-with-lois-walters-of-the-human-resource-management-association-of-jamaica\/","title":{"rendered":"ICTP 267: The impact of technology in the workplace, with Lois Walters of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Without a doubt, technology has transformed the workplace, but it has also raised several issues that have not yet been satisfactorily resolved. Lois Walters, President of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, discusses the impact of technology in the workplace, including:&nbsp; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; remote and hybrid work arrangements; re-skilling, upskilling and continuing professional development; along with how we can better navigate achieving a work-life balance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1604121822&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/user-673719274\" title=\"ICT Pulse Podcast\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">ICT Pulse Podcast<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/user-673719274\/ictp-267-the-impact-of\" title=\"ICTP 267:  The impact of technology in the workplace, with Lois Walters of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">ICTP 267:  The impact of technology in the workplace, with Lois Walters of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This episode is also available on <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/user-673719274\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SoundCloud<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/ict-pulse-podcast\/id1373550291\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9pY3QtcHVsc2UtcG9kY2FzdC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Podcasts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/3d0U4ZYX80e5lenYLdzyX4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spotify<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/3f727ec1-de7d-416f-8bdc-31d9a911a09e\/ict-pulse-podcast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amazon Music<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\\In most organisations, the biggest challenges are often not regarding whatever might be the core business, but rather, those associated with managing people. The team in any organisation can make or break that organisation. And with the fast-changing workplace that has been occurring and is being driven by technology, business leaders are finding it increasingly difficult to get the right balance of freedom and structure, or incentives and penalties, that will result in, among other things, good staff morale, productivity and loyalty to the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since 2020, the trajectory of technology in the workplace has changed considerably, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, although there might be a greater willingness to embrace technology, several points of friction have emerged, which reflect, to some degree, that management posture and organisational culture, for example, have not fully evolved to accommodate the changing paradigm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This scenario is the basis of our podcast conversation with an individual, who in her capacity as a human resource professional, would have a ringside seat to the impact of technology in the workplace. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Introducing our guest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"168913\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2023\/08\/ictp-267-the-impact-of-technology-in-the-workplace-with-lois-walters-of-the-human-resource-management-association-of-jamaica\/lois_walters_l_walters_cropped\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Lois_Walters_L_Walters_cropped.jpg?fit=373%2C375&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"373,375\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Lois_Walters_L_Walters_cropped\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Lois Walters&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Lois_Walters_L_Walters_cropped.jpg?fit=298%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Lois_Walters_L_Walters_cropped.jpg?fit=373%2C375&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fgd.dfv.mybluehost.me\/.website_c81a1e61\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Lois_Walters_L_Walters_cropped.jpg?resize=300%2C302&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-168913\" style=\"width:300px;height:302px\" width=\"300\" height=\"302\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Lois_Walters_L_Walters_cropped.jpg?w=373&amp;ssl=1 373w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Lois_Walters_L_Walters_cropped.jpg?resize=298%2C300&amp;ssl=1 298w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Lois_Walters_L_Walters_cropped.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lois Walters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Over twenty-eight years ago, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lois-c-a-walters-007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Lois Walters<\/a><\/strong> began her journey in the civil service in Human Resources, inclusive of the Ministries of Education and Health, Jamaica Customs and Office of the Services Commissions. Over the years, she managed portfolios such as Director Manpower Planning, Director Human Resource Management and Development, and Senior Deputy Chief Personnel Officer. Presently, she is the Principal Director Human Resource Policy and Information, in the Strategic Human Resource Management Division, at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lois is the first female President of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica and is a member of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) Council.&nbsp; She was a Board Member of Tax Administration Jamaica, Chair of its Human Resource Subcommittee, and a Human Resource Subcommittee Member of the Cannabis Licensing Authority and South East Regional Health Authority. She also served as a member of The University of the West Indies, Mona Career and Placement Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lois is an International Labour Organisation-certified Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, a certified Prosci Change Practitioner and a certified Trainer of Trainers. Her areas of expertise include Human Resource Policy Development, Human Resource Management and Development, Leadership Development, Team Building, Customer Service and Professionalism. She is also a CPHR (Chartered Professionals in Human Resources)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Insights into our conversation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyone in the human resource (HR) field will tell you that it is a role of balancing interests and imperatives. Often, the HR team stands between the leadership and the staff: helping leaders to ensure organisations have the right expertise at hand, whilst also managing staffing arrangements and relationships. It thus means that as organisations evolve, their HR teams also need to adjust and develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our conversation with Lois and to highlight the extent to which technology has evolved over time, she brought us back to the quill pen and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gestetner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Gestetner<\/a>, which are so far removed from the devices and capabilities we enjoy today. However, since that time, how we interact with organisations, and correspondingly how HR executes its role, have changed, which in turn set the foundation for our talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are some of the questions posed during our conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\">\n<li>Typically what is the role of HR personnel in the workplace?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Please give us a sense of how you perceive the impact of technology in the workplace.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>From an HR perspective, what was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We have seen a greater emphasis on remote and hybrid work arrangements. What ought to be some of the considerations and possible solutions to manage these arrangements to minimize the negative effects on staff morale and the organizational culture?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Continuing professional development: Whose responsibility is it? The organisation\u2019s or the employees\u2019 responsibility?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Up-skilling and Re-skilling: Whose responsibility is it? The organisation\u2019s or the employees\u2019?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How can organizations and employees better navigate work-life balance?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do you see the workplace evolving generally, and noting how the influx of technology has been affecting employee roles and how organizations approach their work?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ICTPulse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ict-pulse-consulting-limited\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>&nbsp;pages, or via Twitter,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ICTPulse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@ICTPulse<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode,&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/fgd.dfv.mybluehost.me\/.website_c81a1e61\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>do get in touch<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>Let\u2019s make it happen!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Select Links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lois-c-a-walters-007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Lois Walters<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrmaj.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">The Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mof.gov.jm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Ministry of Finance and Public Service<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Images credit: L Walters; Fauxels (<a href=\"http:\/\/pexels.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Pexels<\/a>); Lisa Fotios (<a href=\"http:\/\/pexels.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Pexels<\/a>); Pixabay (<a href=\"http:\/\/pexels.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Pexels<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Ch\u00e9rie), by Andy Narrell<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Podcast editing support:&nbsp; Mayra Bonilla Lopez<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Without a doubt, technology has transformed the workplace, but it has also raised several issues that have not yet been satisfactorily resolved. Lois Walters, President of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, discusses the impact of technology in the workplace, including:  the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; remote and hybrid work arrangements; re-skilling, upskilling and continuing professional development; along with how we can better navigate achieving a work-life balance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":168912,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[355],"tags":[71,40,357,212],"class_list":["post-168908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-businesses","tag-expertise-hr","tag-interviews","tag-policy-2","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Featured-Image-%E2%80%93-Lois-Walters-Impact-of-Technology-in-the-Workplace.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2iE1G-HWk","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168908"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":168963,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168908\/revisions\/168963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}