How HR role is vital in digital transformations

Digital transformations in companies can occur for many reasons.

They can be activated throughout the company’s activities, processes and competencies.

It can include eliminating redundant or manual tasks by automation, creating online services for staff, or providing solutions to traditional problems.

Benefits of such an implementation are plenty and can result in greater company efficiency and accelerate growth.

Unfortunately, such major transformations can also encounter in road blocks, setbacks, and a loss of investment if not properly designed and implemented.

According to HR Technologist, HR can be a useful stakeholder by managing skill gaps, limited talent pool or lack of support from key divisions or funds that can result in delays, ambiguous directions and even sunk costs for the company.

1. Get the company prepared

Workplace culture is vital to getting things moving and fast. By fostering a culture of innovation, HR can turn resistant attitudes into proactive ones.

Hosting events, webinars and town halls allow the management to communicate the company’s goals and objectives for such digital changes.

They allow for transparency by keeping the company in the know and build trust that this move is for the better.

Regular surveys and feedback can be done to gauge how prepared the employees are.

By getting a feel of the company’s emotional climate, the management can adjust the time line for the transformation or fulfil employees’ needs accordingly.

Rewards and recognition programmes can also be put in place to acknowledge employees’ readiness and efforts.

2. Training

HR must be ready to plan for training sessions to get the employees ready to use the new system or for the updated changes to come.

By providing training, adopting learning initiatives and materials, HR can help employees feel confident and competent.

3. Bridge the skills gap

If the technical talents in the company are not sufficient, HR can step in by hiring the right skills and allocate headcount to plug in the skill gaps for the project.

This will prevent overloading of employees’ tasks and provide adequate expertise for the transformation to be a success.

HR must be mindful of the progress and consider hiring contractors or outsourcing tasks as and when to keep the targets on track.

4. Feedback

Communication between employees and the company is not only for the start and end.

By implementing open feedback throughout the exercise, it allows complications and possible future disruptions to be highlighted at the earliest possible time.

Having an open communication channel and engagement tools can further enhance, welcome the new changes, and find ways to streamline or improve for efficiency post-transformation.

With these best practices, HR can play a vital role in reviving and increasing a company’s overall growth and digital objectives.

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