Orange: the New HR Innovator
France-based company addresses technology, operational challenges with HR Innovation Lab
Orange Business Services, the B2B division of France-based Orange Group, launched its new HR Innovation Lab, a collaborative effort in which it will work with clients and partners to unlock human resources to address emerging technology needs.
The Lowdown: Emerging technologies are challenging businesses both large and small to find the human and technical resources required to advance systems and productivity. Orange’s HR Innovation Lab is a think tank charged with tapping into the diversity of the extended human resources of companies around the world — from enterprises and small businesses to sole proprietors — to identify and address how emerging technologies will impact and change the nature of work.
The Details: Through open collaboration, Orange Labs experts and researchers will join with people from the business and academic communities to study the future of work, innovation culture, employer value to staff, skills development and management, and employee experience. Some of the technologies the HR Innovation Lab will assess the impact of: 5G, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.
The Impact: The Orange effort is global, and a series of Webinars and live discussions will be launched in North America and Europe. The HR Innovation Lab could provide new pathways for evolving business structures, career paths, and technology implementations.
Background: Advancing technology such as artificial intelligence and automation is creating angst in many countries around the world as businesses and people see careers and jobs under threat of disruption and disintermediation. Several countries, and notably France, experience regular protests by workers who fear technology is leaving them behind. Several companies and government-sponsored efforts are looking at ways to transform the nature of work to mitigate the impact of technology and automation on working people.
The Buzz: “The launch of this Lab is in line with our strategy to support both our employees with the evolution of their jobs and work environment and also our customers, whom we help succeed in their digital transformation,” explains Mechtild Walser-Ertel, executive vice president of Human Resources at Orange Business Services. “This Lab is also a great opportunity for HR to exchange and look ahead to the future, while ensuring that the human aspect is always at the heart of our decisions, especially when technology is constantly accelerating. Opening ourselves up, sharing with our peers, supporting digital transformation, designing tomorrow’s organizations, and planning ahead are all challenges for human resources.”
