Empowering AI, Executive conversations, Interviews

Creating a New and Improved Normal in the Post-COVID Era: A Conversation with Enrique Rubio

Lorenzo Meriggi / September 4, 2020

Covid-19 has not only created new problems but also accelerated and amplified issues that this country had been facing for a long time. Inequality in access to resources and healthcare, financial inequality, and climate change are just a few examples. However, with the post-covid era brings many new opportunities for companies to determine how they are going to change for the better. Enrique Rubio, CEO and Founder of Hacking HR, recently spoke with Francesco Rulli, Global CEO of Querlo, about the post-covid era and the role that Artificial Intelligence will play.

Enrique started his career as an electronic engineer switched to HR because he realized how much he enjoyed working with people. He soon realized that while there is great potential in the HR department, it needed to step up its game. Hacking HR, founded in 2017, is a global learning community that brings together HR leaders and practitioners from all around the world. Together they discuss topics such as technology, organizations, transformation, innovation, and the impact on HR. 

Because of the pandemic, millions of people have lost their jobs or are struggling to keep them. As Enrique pointed out, “just here in the United States there are about 40 percent of people [who] won’t be able to pay for rent over the next few months because they lost their jobs.” But as the country tries to repair the damage caused by covid, Enrique believes there is much room for improvement. What he hopes is that the people can become the center of the work done in organizations. By this he means putting a stronger focus on transforming the communities around businesses rather than just trying to make money for shareholders. In addition, the future needs to be a place where organizations take advantage of the talents and potential of their employees and the people around them to find solutions to ongoing challenges. Nobody was prepared for this pandemic, and this is definitely not the last crisis we as a country are going to face. It is time for organizations to be more flexible and agile so they can be prepared for the future. 

When asked about Artificial Intelligence, Enrique raised many questions that are important to think about when considering incorporating it in the workplace. AI is a tool that should be used to amplify human capacity, not replace it. However, what specifically should be amplified? And how can AI be used to effectively amplify human capacity while also making sure that people will still have other skills or opportunities in the workplace? What about those who aren’t able to be reskilled? AI has great potential and will allow work to be done more efficiently, but it’s also important to consider the effects on the employees whose jobs could potentially be replaced by this new technology.

To learn more about Hacking HR, you visit their website or reach Enrique directly on LinkedIN.