(This is an opinion piece.)
Have we been looking at Human Resources (HR) through an impactful lens? Is it fit for purpose for the future of work?
We have all heard the stories about coming up against the might of HR and the incongruence between the stated aims of HR and the actual practice. Is it time to reconsider how HR is conceived in organisations and are there people who will take the leap and develop HR in a way that puts the human back into organisational culture leaving resources to inanimate organisational holdings? (Before you get all riled up about my attempt to change terminology, let me just remind you that we already have substantial evidence that the language we use loops back into how we approach the world and perceive it.) Do a cursory search on any search engine using the following phrase “why does the language we use matter” and you will see what I mean. Incidentally, I write pieces with the expectation that the reader should do some work too!
Anyway, back to HR – in organisations across the world, the role of HR is at a pivotal point. First, HR has yet to achieve systems, policies and processes that deliver on equity in the workplace or robust employer duty of care. Second, we are now at the brink of an era dominated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The integration of AI into HR practices is already happening which makes it imperative to critically evaluate and revolutionise these practices to ensure they are rooted in equity, inclusivity, and fairness. Because if they are not, organisations will continue to ostracise people, especially young people whose values are not the same as their predecessors and neither are their expectations.
Where am I going with this? As someone who is of the view that we need to flex and pivot into different fields of study to open up thinking and widen our options and scope – I am calling on HR thought makers to draw inspiration from philosophy. for this article I’m using John Rawls’ philosophical concept of the ‘veil of ignorance’, to explores how HR can transform its services to embed equity ensuring that the deployment of AI in HR is founded on principles that prioritise employer duty of care, human rights and equity. There, I said it – human resources and human rights in the same sentence. Don’t see that often, and why not?
The veil of ignorance in HR
The veil of ignorance is a central feature of John Rawls’ theory of justice. Rawls proposed using a thought experiment to establish a fair position from which individuals could choose the principles of justice that should govern society. Under the veil of ignorance, individuals are imagined to select these principles without any knowledge of their own personal characteristics, social status, or position in society. This means they do not know their wealth, abilities, race, gender, or any other distinct details.
For Rawls, this ignorance would enable individuals to choose principles that are just and equitable, as they would want to ensure protection and fairness for themselves regardless of their eventual position in society. Therefore, the veil of ignorance ensures that the principles chosen are not biased by personal interest but are instead genuinely fair and impartial. This thought experiment fosters decisions that are unbiased and equitable, aiming for a society—or, in this case, a workplace—where justice prevails. When HR practitioners apply this concept, they are encouraged to design and implement policies that they would deem fair, regardless of their position within the organisation’s hierarchy or their individual characteristics (e.g. race, gender, sexual orientation, disability). How does that sound? Sometimes I want to grab HR thought makers and executives by their shoulders and ask them how it feels to only think about equity and human rights for 10 minutes after mandatory diversity training after that it is back to business as usual. If you think I’m making a fuss then have a look at your organisational policies over the last 5 years – have they changed much? Have you looked at your organisational figures on employee experience? Good, now look back over those figures from five years ago. Any difference?
The critical juncture: AI in HR
As AI begins to take on more of the functions of managing employee services, from recruitment and onboarding to performance assessments and career development, the urgency for HR to get equity right cannot be overstated. The data and decision-making models we currently use are what future AI systems will be built on. Let me say that again, built on. That’s structure. That’s system. That’s integration. If these systems are fed biased or inequitable information, the result will be AI tools that perpetuate these injustices, making it even harder to create fair and equitable workplaces. We need to overhaul our conceptions and thinking about what HR delivers and does so that we can try to lay a debiased and equitable foundation for AI systems.
If not now, then when?
Incorporating the difference principle
The difference principle developed by John Rawls is his second principle of justice. The difference principle states that social and economic inequalities are only justified if they result in compensating benefits for everyone, particularly the least advantaged members of society. This principle is designed to work in conjunction with the principle of fair equality of opportunity. Rawls believed that a just society would structure its economic inequalities in such a way that they improve the situation of the people who are worst off. The difference principle is a radical departure from traditional utilitarianism, focusing on improving the welfare of the least advantaged rather than maximising overall happiness or economic efficiency. For those who have been alert you know that trickle down economics didn’t work – ever. Just look out the door if you need evidence.
The difference principle embodies Rawls’ deep concern for fairness and equity in the distribution of wealth and opportunities within society. Here then is another central part to revolutionising HR – if we apply the difference principle, then the inequalities in the workplace are only justifiable if they benefit the least advantaged employees. This means designing HR policies that not only aim for equity of opportunity but also ensure that the outcomes of these opportunities do not disproportionately favour the already advantaged. For instance, in performance evaluations or promotion practices, the difference principle would advocate for systems that support those who have traditionally been marginalised or disadvantaged, thereby promoting a more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities.
Deconstructing current HR practices
The trajectory towards revolutionising HR requires practitioners to deeply consider the implications of their thinking, outlook, and daily purpose within the context of global integration of AI across employment systems and the implications for future generations. It is about shifting from a compliance-based approach to one that truly embeds equity in the workplace. This involves critically examining every policy, procedure, and practice through the lens of fairness and asking whether it upholds the principles of justice as fairness. Therefore the principles of the veil of ignorance and the difference principle, in theory, would need to be applied across the employee life cycle in organisations, from recruitment, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, employee benefits to exit and assessment.
Conclusion
The integration of AI into HR functions makes it imperative to ensure that our current systems are equitable and free from bias. This is not just about compliance or demonstrating consideration of legal frameworks on equality and employment; it is actually about fundamentally rethinking the purpose and impact of HR. As we stand at this critical juncture, the opportunity to revolutionise HR practices is not just a moral imperative but a strategic necessity to ensure that as AI becomes a central part of managing employee services, it does so in a way that promotes justice and fairness for all. Well, it’s something to think about. What type of organisations do you want future generations to be subject to?
I’m sure there are other philosophical and socio-political frameworks we can think about in terms of deconstructing and reconstructing HR functions, we need to start somewhere and I picked Rawls.
Further information
John Rawls, born in 1921, is considered a significant and influential American political philosopher. He is recognised for his work in moral and political philosophy, particularly within the liberal tradition. Rawls’ book ‘Theory of Justice’ (1971) has since become a groundbreaking text in political philosophy. He aimed to resolve the apparent conflict between freedom and equality by conceptualising a society in which fair principles of justice are determined through a hypothetical contract. Rawls’ ideas have had a profound and positive impact on philosophy, political science, economics, and law, promoting discussions around justice, fairness, and the structure of society.
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