How does technology change the way organisations recruit, train and manage their people?
The use of technology in managing people, including e-recruitment, online and e-learning, HR databases, video conferencing and remote or home working, with the advantages and disadvantages.
An SQA Higher Business Management answer on the use of technology in managing people, covering e-recruitment, online and e-learning, HR databases, video conferencing and remote working, and the advantages and disadvantages for the organisation and its staff.
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What this key area is asking
Technology has changed how firms recruit, train and manage their people. The SQA wants you to describe uses such as e-recruitment, e-learning, HR databases, video conferencing and remote working, and to discuss the advantages and disadvantages. Higher rewards balanced judgement, recognising that technology saves time and cost and widens reach, but can weaken communication, supervision and team spirit.
How technology is used in managing people
Recruitment and selection
E-recruitment advertises vacancies on the firm's website, job boards and social media, and receives applications online. It reaches a wider pool of candidates quickly and cheaply, and software can help shortlist. Video conferencing lets the firm interview candidates remotely, saving travel time and cost, useful for distant or international applicants.
Training
E-learning (online training) delivers training through online courses and modules that staff complete at their own pace and time. It is flexible and cheaper than off-the-job courses, and can be repeated, though it lacks the personal interaction of a trainer and needs self-discipline.
HR records and communication
HR databases store employee records, pay, holidays, training and performance electronically, giving quick access and allowing the firm to analyse its workforce. Communication tools (email, messaging, intranets) let managers and staff communicate quickly across sites.
Remote and home working
Technology lets staff work from home or other locations, connected to the firm's systems. This brings flexibility but changes how people are managed.
The advantages and disadvantages
Advantages: time and cost savings (less travel, fewer premises); a wider recruitment pool (location matters less); flexible training; quick access to HR data; and improved work-life balance and motivation from remote working.
Disadvantages: weaker face-to-face communication, teamwork and supervision; staff isolation and difficulty separating work and home; dependence on reliable, secure technology; data-protection duties for employee records; and the challenge of monitoring performance and maintaining the firm's culture.
Examples in context
Example 1. A firm using e-recruitment and video interviews. A company advertises a role online (e-recruitment), receives applications through its website, and runs first-round video interviews. This reaches a far wider pool of candidates cheaply and quickly than newspaper adverts and in-person interviews, and suits distant applicants. The trade-off is that a video interview can make it harder to read a candidate fully and depends on a reliable connection, the standard balance the SQA expects.
Example 2. Home working with collaboration tools. A firm lets office staff work from home using video conferencing, messaging and shared online systems. Staff gain a better work-life balance and the firm saves on office costs and can recruit regardless of location. But managers find supervision and team spirit harder, some staff feel isolated, and the firm must keep its systems and employee data secure. This shows both the flexibility and the management challenges of technology-enabled remote working.
Try this
Q1. Describe two ways technology could be used in the management of people. [2 marks]
- Cue. E-recruitment (advertising and receiving applications online); video conferencing for online interviews and meetings; e-learning for online training; HR databases for employee records; remote/home working; communication tools (any two).
Q2. Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of remote (home) working. [4 marks]
- Cue. Advantage: it can raise motivation and productivity through better work-life balance and fewer distractions, and cuts office and travel costs. Disadvantage: it makes communication, teamwork and supervision harder, can isolate staff, and relies on reliable, secure technology.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher style6 marksDescribe ways technology can be used in the management of people.Show worked answer →
Worth 6 marks. Describe several uses of technology in HR, one mark each.
E-recruitment (1 mark). Advertising jobs and receiving applications online, reaching a wider pool of candidates quickly and cheaply.
Online interviews/video conferencing (1 mark). Interviewing and meeting candidates and staff remotely by video, saving travel time and cost.
E-learning/online training (1 mark). Delivering training through online courses and modules that staff can complete at their own pace and time.
HR databases (1 mark). Storing employee records, pay, holidays and performance electronically for quick access and analysis.
Remote or home working (1 mark). Technology lets staff work from home or other locations, connected to the firm's systems.
Communication tools (1 mark). Email, messaging and intranets let managers and staff communicate quickly across locations.
SQA Higher style4 marksDiscuss the use of remote (home) working by employees.Show worked answer →
Worth 4 marks. "Discuss" means give advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages (about 2 marks). Remote working can raise productivity and motivation through better work-life balance and fewer distractions, cut the firm's office and travel costs, reduce commuting time for staff, and let the firm recruit from a wider area regardless of location.
Disadvantages (about 2 marks). It can make communication, teamwork and supervision harder; some staff feel isolated or struggle to separate work and home; it relies on reliable technology and a secure connection; and it can be difficult to monitor performance and maintain the firm's culture.
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Sources & how we know this
- Higher Business Management Course Specification — SQA (2026)
- Higher Business Management Course Code C810 76 — SQA (2026)