He told the HR Tech Europe conference in Amsterdam that HR had to adapt to the new type of employee, whom he described as a "completely different beast".
In his keynote speech, Markides said it was no longer possible to control employees so it was important for the workforce to have "strong, shared values".
"New technologies have changed our employees, the way they behave, how they work and what motivates them," he said.
"There's a new employee out there, a completely different beast – someone who is more informed and more individual."
Markides said it was becoming more difficult to manage and control a decentralised and demanding workforce but HR must start to trust its employees and give them more autonomy.
"You must have strong, shared values, not just a pointless company mission statement," said Markides.
"Any idiot can make a set of values and pin them to the wall in the boardroom, but the trick is putting it in your people's hearts. You do not need to frame your values and vision. Everyone has their own but you don't frame them and put them in your home, so why do it at work?
"You must have a purpose that galvanises people, your people inside and outside the organisation. Constant face-to-face interaction is crucial if you want to get your employees working together."
The two-day conference was chaired by number seven HR Most Influential UK Thinker, Jon Ingham. It looked at how software, technology systems and collaborative tools are changing the way people and organisations work.
