How will digital transformation affect HR?
The digital transformation has long been here. It has grown considerably over the last decade, with many organizations now using it within the purview of the Human Resources function.
But the widespread of the COVID-19 pandemic has fast-tracked its evolution. It is moving at a rapid speed, and organizations are looking for up-to-date, effective, and productive ways to meet the evolving demands of doing business.
Why is digital transformation important for HR and how would it affect the skills and expectations of the workforce? How would digitalizing HR affect employee engagement?
Digitalizing HR will change everything about the way organizations work, including the nature of our work, career structures, knowledge flow, the workers themselves, workers’ expectations, and the skills needed to do one’s job.
While artificial intelligence augments human intelligence, there is still a need to regularly develop and innovate human resource practices and capabilities to remain competitive in the business.
Digital transformation is not just a daunting technological task, it is a people challenge, too. The HR professionals today must not only master traditional HR skills and knowledge but also have the capability to apply that knowledge through technology. One effective way to bridge gaps between human resources and digital transformation is digital integration or the process of embedding the latest available technology in HR practices to help achieve digital transformational objectives.
“Digital integration is about awareness of what’s going on in terms of technology both in and outside the organization and then embedding it in your HR practices, to create an impact in both HR and in the business.”
- Erik van Vulpen, co-founder of Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR)
There are three key elements in ensuring digital integration:
1. Technology awareness
With digital technologies, workflows are becoming streamlined and almost void of human errors. The right technologies also enhance interaction among colleagues.
If you are either holding back from fully embracing new digital technologies or missing out on the potentially "better" ones, you might also be losing sight of your next competitive edge.
Further, awareness of the latest technology trend helps you identify with your target clients or customers, gives you an advantage on how to appear on their algorithms, and can connect with them easily.
How to stay updated? Be online and present on almost all social media accounts and join technology forums.
2. Technology embedder
It is not enough that you know what technology to use to ease your HR operations. There should be ways to successfully integrate the said technology in actual HR practices.
For example, to use the human resource information systems (HRIS), the purchase and installment of hardware and software on internal machines supported by internal IT staff shall be conducted first.
3. The digital culture builder
HR leaders, foremost, are poised to be the digital culture builders inside the organization. Digital culture builders should be prepared to embrace and pioneer digital HR through data and digital literacy and be adept at using complex problem solving and project execution technologies and methodologies, such as design thinking, as these will be the catalyst for the new face of HR.
These digital culture builders are also called as digital leaders.
The future of the workforce will continue to diversify. Today, there are already five different generations collaborating in an organization, and there appear to be differences in terms of character, values, and beliefs, among others because of the generation gap.
But they all have one thing in common: to keep them from reaching their fullest potential, they all need to transform and be empowered employees with digital technologies in order to change the corporate culture and in order to cope with the changing working environment – and the employers will be crucial in achieving this.
What’s your next move?
After realizing that pursuing digital transformation and increasing digital capabilities of the HR teams could be a prerequisite for success in the new digital landscape, check out these 5 essential innovations for Philippine human resources which you can start with. Click this link: https://www.prevo.org/post/5-essential-innovations-for-philippine-hr.
You can also contact our team at Prevo through info@prevo.org if you need help and support with your digital transformation journey.
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