HR innovation within the right strategic frameworks

As an exceptional talent and technology-driven company, ASML continuously keeps an eye out for all new digital possibilities. The scale at which it operates, in combination with an extremely complex product in a demanding market dynamic, ensures that extensive initiatives are always in line with the strategic mission, vision and principles. In addition, new technology must provide maximum support to the people who work for ASML.

The implementation of modern solutions within the HR domain is no exception. With an eye to an optimal ‘human touch’ and maximum added value for the company, the entire cycle is completed – from strategic objectives, the right requirements, architecture choices, vendor selection to implementation and application. All this also applied to a recent implementation of the cloud-based Workday and ServiceNow HR within HR.

According to Sara Menis, Head of HR Technology and Innovation at ASML, this solution fits within the desired HR delivery model and improves the employee experience. Meanwhile, technology choices should ideally facilitate the adoption of current and future developments. In that sense, she welcomes the fact that Workday and ServiceNow HR are also making strides in the field of artificial intelligence.

Within ASML, AI is being used for the triage and classification of helpdesk interaction on pilot domain;  in HR a pilot is also been launched for talent marketplace, meaning a better matching of the internal talent pool vs. vacancies, where AI can suggest relevant jobs to employees based on a skill fit. “In the first case the classification can also be changed, in the second case it provides a suggestions to employees which they might not think or find themselves. So it is helping in both use cases, but not ‘irreversibly’ ” says Menis.

According to her, it is important that software suppliers continue to think about the right user experience when adding AI functionalities to their existing solutions. There is now for instance a risk of a proliferation of AI assistants / co-pilots, which can ultimately be at the expense of the user experience. Furthermore, the right frameworks with regard to compliance, transparency (AI should not be a black box) and ethics are fundamental.

“We like to try things out at ASML and we are sensitive to the benefits,” explains Aloys Kregting, Senior Vice President Global Enabling Services and two-time CIO of the Year. “But we often also know the risks. For this reason, experiments and possible implementations always take place in a controlled environment.” Menis and Kregting call on suppliers to come up with use cases beyond the most marketed ones, especially in HR.