The other day, I was conversing with one of my friends who works as a Human Resources (HR) manager (in an IT company) and I asked him how his job was progressing. To my surprise, he responded enthusiastically that the advent of new technologies has made his job easier. The introduction of new technologies allows the HR department to automate all the administrative work and reduce requests from employees, who can find solutions easily and independently through the portal. The implementation of the transformative effect of technology in the HR environment has allowed the HR Manager and his team of employees to focus on more significant business objectives. Digitization is changing the workforce at a rapid pace with a growing need for data conversion services, and no industry can be immune from automation and the advent of digital means of operations. The Human Resources (HR) division is no exception.
Digital transformation is prompting a paradigm shift in human resources management.Digitization via big data analytics, social media networks or mobile solutions has positively transformed the HR division in different areas related to recruitment, training, payment and retention of employees. For instance, HR managers now use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels to identify active and passive job seekers and hire the right talent.In fact, reports suggest that organizations that embrace HR digitalization will witness a clear improvement in employee performance, when compared to those that continue to follow a user-based approach.
According to Gartner research, 67 per cent of business leaders believe that their companies will no longer be competitive if they do not become significantly more digitalized by 2020. The growing awareness and integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine learning into various facets of our lives has created a new wave of digital HR, led by cloud-based systems. Digital transformation of HR when done in the right format – with a people-centric rather than process-centric approach – can bring a huge change in the workforce management and the way processes are carried out. The key to the success of digital HR is effective implementation of a digital workplace strategy with the assistance of a document scanning company as well as other support solutions.
What Is Digital HR Transformation?
Digital transformation, which is the buzzword now, is the process of integrating digital technology into a business. For the HR domain, this means incorporating digital technology to improve how the department (and the organization as a whole) functions. This digital technology includes cloud-based HRIS (Human Resources Information System), digital recruitment solutions, internal communication platforms, workforce engagement software, and much more. Automating HR processes allows the department to handle the huge amount of data with ease, fewer errors and faster implementation enabling time-saving. Some of the top benefits of digital HR transformation include –
- Simplifying and standardizing HR processes
- Agility to meet evolving business needs
- Ensure real-time employee experience
- Integrate analytics and reporting
- Building the workforce for the future
- Increase accuracy in dashboards and analytics data
Ensuring Successful Digital HR Transformation
Reports suggest that IoT and advanced technologies are expected to replace all the conventional tools and systems at workplaces with their digitized versions by 2022 in all the top 10 economies of the world. Taking the initiative to promote the digitalization and transformation of HR services at the right time can help recognize the pivotal role that technology plays in improving the workflow of the people within this sector and free up time that can be dedicated to other core activities.
Here are a few steps that help to ensure successful digital HR transformation –
- Define your goals – Establish clear-cut goals before introducing any technology as this will help ensure whether you are moving in the right direction. According to reports, about 64 percent of HR leaders consider improving operational excellence as one of their top objectives. Start by defining the project scope within each company’s functional area as this will give you a path to work towards as well as guidelines to measure your success.When transforming HR, always focus on employees. Always let employees test new processes out before you go ahead with your new digital strategy. In that way, you can gain valuable feedback to set and improve your company’s strategic objectives. In some cases, your goals may change as you go about transforming your HR. If you find that a certain goal or metric no longer aligns with your company’s objectives, change directions. However, make sure your goals are clear and specific.
- Get your transformation team on board – The second step is to form a team that will be directly responsible for the digital HR transformation process. The team should comprise experts who understand the HR processes and digital transformation technology. A change manager should also be part of the team to facilitate the change and ensure everything is properly in place.Selecting the right team can help in efficient transformation and prevent any unnecessary roadblocks from popping up along the way.
- Develop a strategy – Develop a clear strategy as this will help your transformation team to know what specific steps need to be taken next and/or what kinds of technology they need to implement further. Create a step-by-step plan that outlines which steps you are going to take first. Think both short-term and long-term to create a complete strategy that brings you through your transformation process.
- Build the right tech stack – The tech stack you build should provide you the right support you require to complete your strategy. Based on the goals you want to accomplish and the steps you need to follow, identify what kind of tools or apps you need to make that possible. Consider how different tech will work together. Choosing a tech stack that automatically integrates can make the job easier. Make sure to choose apps that have strong user experience and a layout that is easy for new users to pick up.
- Obtain innovative ideas from employees – Brainstorming is a great way to initiate the ‘change’ conversation with your team. Give a new platform to your employees to discuss the flaws of the current system. Promote the benefits of HR digital transformation in your workplace. Highlight the benefits of using a digital mindset to embrace new technologies in a constantly changing digital world. Prioritize these conversations and use the discussion to fuel your company’s approach to transformation. Start with high impact, low effort ideas as these ideas will gather momentum on route to transforming HR operations.
- Verify the organization’s level of preparation – This phase is to ensure whether the organization is prepared for the integration of new technology solutions. Once the transformation team receives feedback from users, they make appropriate changes and ensure that the specific solution is customized as needed. Data is moved from old technology or methods to new solutions. Business scenarios like user-access related issues, working of cloud–based platforms and functioning of customized extensions are checked by the transformation team on board.
- Track progress and measure results – Once you have implemented new digitization measures or tools, keep an eye on your results. Measuring your outcomes from each experiment lets you know how far you are from the path of a complete digital transformation. You can use different metrics to measure the success of your HR digital transformation, to critically assess what is working well and what is not. Expose the gaps between where your system is now and the direction where you want to push it. For instance, a digital HR transformation test you introduce may improve employee engagement. To truly measure your end results, it is important to analyze employee engagement before and after and then compare results to see how your experiment moved the needle towards achieving your overall goals.
When creating and implementing your digital HR transformation plan, keep your employees in mind. Digitally transforming the HR department will not only influence the way employees work but also create changes for the entire company.Throughout the process of digital HR transformation, maintain an open dialogue with your employees. Employees need to be well-informed about how rules are changing and what new technologies will be introduced. Also, get their feedback on the new systems and processes and take their opinions into account. Keeping them well informed about the changing HR rules can help them understand the crucial role they play in the overall growth of the organization.
Digital transformation is not something that will happen overnight. To get strong results that can bring your company into the new technological world, you need to establish clear goals, develop a solid plan, and efficiently track results. Partnering with an established provider of document scanning services who understands the relevance of workplace digitization can help increase staff engagement, employee productivity and create an efficient work space.
