The digitisation of the Human Resources function is changing the way organisations operate as a whole – reassessing business strategies, recruitment and development processes, and operational regimes. It is a process that involves changing HR systems to become automated and data-driven in order to create a more harmonious and effective workforce, balancing weaknesses and strengths, and raising operational standards. It is the scientific measurement of people, procedures, talent and productivity – all with the intention of improving relationships and profits.
Successful transition however, depends on several considerations
- Sound analysis of business objectives. Simply put – making changes just to follow the fashion is not necessarily going to work for your company. Current staff practices must be investigated, problems analysed and obstacles assessed. The changes required and how they might be applied will vary from business to business because every business has a different set of needs. In addition, new technology can be expensive.
- There are a host of ways in which you can change your staff processing – digital can show you all the possibilities, from hiring to establishing better relationships, to deploying staff more effectively. For instance, have you thought of hiring via social media? Or using competitions or gamification to reach the kind of personnel you would probably fail to attract with conventional advertising? How quickly can you interview people? Do you have the right questions to hand and a communications strategy with your workforce that gives you the information necessary to solve issues and improve performance?
- Changing to digital takes time, and it will involve asking hard questions, such as: do you want to really change or keep business as usual? Digital should not be seen by your staff as something to fear, but rather a creative process that enhances energy between management and staff, as well as productivity and business strategy. Staff and HR, powered by more knowledge and better relationships, become an integral part of the business roadmap, enthused by collaboration, innovation and adaption. This is a mindset that leads everyone to understand that change is the new constant, and how to feel comfortable with it.
- Getting started means analysing current situations, establishing new goals, devising stages to slowly incorporate everyone positively in the process. HR digitalised will help you to assess culture, standards and performance in a concise and scientific way that allows early revelation of stresses and strains, and obstacles in the line of production. What a digitalised HR process can do, is tell you how to do things better with your staff in order to do business better.
- Begin simply, and begin small. The usual place to start is with recruitment and selection, including onboarding, and moving through to training, career development and remuneration. Keenly entwined with these processes are the factors of employee wellbeing, productivity improvements, and business upgrading. And along the way, you’ll find the real gold – what your employees believe are the priorities for empowerment and job satisfaction. Their ideas become valuable data that you can add to your system.
- The beauty of this new approach means you will be able to pick up on potential problems well in time – either issues that may have long soured your business goals, or imminent areas of disenchantment that will cause a hiccup in your business roadmap going forward. It provides opportunity to critically assess what works and what doesn’t. When staff understand that real effort is being made to improve experiences within their function, their mindset change can be extraordinarily positive.
- Integrating digital technology means understanding how new apps, tools, and programmes can transform your workforce, as well as how work is conducted and completed. Digital makes HR more accessible, faster, transparent and cost-efficient. Its purpose is to constructively affect management, project developments, time management, communication, and company culture. It is focused on building a workforce for the future.
Steps to get there
Define goals – this will highlight your needs and define how you can integrate the changes you need. If your goals are clear and specific, you can adapt and redirect as you go along, always keeping the ultimate outcome in perspective.
Get a good team together – your transformation team should be well-versed in HR functions as well as your business objectives. They should be prepared to take the business on a learning curve in how the technology should be applied and how it can enhance the business. This team will need people skills, problem-solving, as well as the technical dynamics.
Introduce the plan slowly – step-by-step implementation is key. It will take everybody time to adjust and learn – and enjoy! You are all on a journey together and there should be a sense of team building and co-operation. All niggles should be ironed out before the next step is taken.
Accept that it can be a process of experimentation – customise your integration by evaluating how well each system works, and eliminate processes that don’t resonate with your company and help you to achieve your goals.
Measure results – this is the natural outcome of setting goals. You need to know what you want to achieve before you can measure success. Digital transformation means finding out if your employees are happier. Are they? Is your productivity up? Are there less errors and faster delivery times? Are the right people in the right jobs? If you keep everyone informed of results, they will remain engaged in the process. Keep an open dialogue. Digital transformation must improve and not create more challenges.
And finally – digital transformation of your HR function is not optional. It’s going to be the way the world works. The pace of change is moving so fast that employers simply can’t remain with business as usual. Proven benefits have been: better time management, easier access to business intelligence, greater skills development, and improved employee engagement. All of which can only bode good for business.
The new value of Human Resources
At the HR Analytics Institute we believe there is a smarter way to get the best out of your staff and improve your business. Not only do we clearly see the potential to improve business through better relationships, but we are passionate about training HR practitioners to understand the value of their interface role between staff and management. Our practical courses will enable you to play a far greater role in strategic decision-making within the business as a whole.
Find out more about us at: www.hranalyticsinstitute.com
