ALEXANDRIA, Va., October 14, 2020 —SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) has announced a new vision for its workplace innovation lab and venture capital arm, ParagonLabs powered by SHRM—a division designed to lead the development of new tech innovations that create better workplaces and solve the challenges inhibiting organizations and HR professionals from optimizing their performance.
Notably, ParagonLabs will forge ahead under the leadership of Guillermo Corea, a digital transformation leader with more than 20 years of experience. Corea transitioned in July from SHRM’s Director of Digital Media and Business Development to oversee ParagonLabs as the new managing director. With Corea at the helm, ParagonLabs will prioritize efforts to bridge the gap between HR and workplace tech innovators, connecting HR professionals directly with start-ups. Together, they will identify solutions to meet the needs of both employers and employees.
“Innovation takes three things: Technology, communication and collaboration. ParagonLabs is opening up that much-needed dialogue between the tech experts and those who know the workplace best—HR,” said Corea. “This merging of the minds can unlock the potential within individuals and organizations. We’ll be able to use the power of AI to develop unbiased performance reviews and software to collect the skills of a workforce and identify a skills gap—giving employers the intel to refine its talent strategies for the better and transform work in unforeseen ways.”
A generational shift in the workforce, coupled with a demand for greater efficiencies and the benefits of using a cloud-based system has moved employers to seek out new technologies to match the changing dynamics of the workplace.
To meet this emerging need, ParagonLabs in the coming year will launch three global initiatives enabling HR to have an integral role in helping tech innovators create revolutionary technologies, leaning on HR professionals’ expertise to identify the right innovations that can shape the future of work in key areas, including performance management, learning and development and the overall employee experience.
- Better Workplace Challenge Cup: A “pitch” competition for the most promising start-ups aimed at creating better workplaces.
- Workplace Tech Accelerator Program: A three-month immersive experience into the world of HR with a defined curriculum, emphasizing the goal of creating better workplaces that will prepare start-ups to enter the market.
- Workplace Tech Community: An online community for HR professionals to explore disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain and voice, and how these technologies can overcome workplace challenges.
Participating start-ups will be part of a pipeline of companies for the SemperVirens Fund, a venture capital fund that supports emerging companies focused on creating workplace innovations. SHRM has invested in this fund as a testament and show of commitment to the creation of better workplaces.
About SHRM
SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. As the voice of all things work, workers and the workplace, SHRM is the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today’s evolving workplaces. With 300,000+ HR and business executive members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally. Learn more at SHRM.org and on Twitter @SHRM.