Digital transformation and the digital workforce A HR Whitepaper

Transcription

1 Digital transformation and the digital workforce A HR Whitepaper

2 Digital transformation and the digital workforce pg. 2 Digital transformation is one of the most frequently discussed topics in enterprise-level businesses. It s the accelerator of business activities and processes, and it enables enterprises to fully leverage the opportunities presented by digital technologies in a strategic and prioritized way. For positioning an organisation and its employees to successfully execute and support a digital transformation programme requires means far more than the implementation of a digitized HR process. An integrated strategy that focuses on talent identification, recruitment, and retention, as well as employee engagement, is essential for transformation success. The new ideas that digital transformation makes possible can help organizations win the loyalty and dedication of their employees and create a culture of continuous innovation that others will find difficult to match.

3 pg. 3 How do we support the digital workplace of the future?

4 HR Whitepaper: How do we support the digital Workplace? pg. 4 The world of business is always moving. It s becoming faster and more global, more mobile and more digitized. In the workplace, technology used in employee s personal lives is blurring with their working lives. To manage these industry changes, many leading organisations have implemented a digital workplace strategy. By intelligently combining the technologies that many businesses already use, the digital workplace has broken down the communication barriers and is transforming employee experience to one promoting efficiency, growth and innovation. The key to success, however, depends on the implementation of the strategy. requiring one that can drive true change within the organization. So how do we ensure a thriving digital workplace? The accelerated change in the last 10 years is due to the emergence of 3 trends: A new age workforce: 40% of the global workforce are now millennials (Negroni, 2017) and most average companies also millennials. The baby boomer generation are retiring by the minute. Taking much of their knowledge and experience with them. Without this knowledge in place to guide the future workforce, the gap is clear. Big Data: 2.5 exabytes of data are created every day (Khoso, 2016) The equivalent of 530,000,000 songs, 5 million laptops and 90 years of HD quality video. Information keeps on growing and is set to rise to 44 zettabytes by For an employee, finding the information they need, when they need it is not an easy task. Fast-paced comms and teamwork: As the workplace becomes fully digital. Employees are expected to work faster to hit deadlines and collaborate with one another with fastpaced communications. Faster comms have emerged in the workplace in the form of intranets and team s. But are these good enough to support a workforce ondemand?

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6 The potential for HR digital transformation pg. 6 Businesses once faced a problem known as supply side disruption. It required organizations to change the way they created and developed products and services. They needed to alter the way their employees worked together, how their teams were built, and how incentives were structured to deliver the best possible outcomes. Now, however, businesses are facing a more complex challenge. Demand side disruption, involves the way customers buy products, and businesses must optimize the process users go through to meet a need. For example, Uber and Airbnb didn t change the nature of taxi or hotel services; they only changed the way those services were purchased. From an HR perspective, the biggest mistake an organization can make is failing to consider digital transformation as a holistic process. Too many businesses believe that converting a paper-based human resource management process to a digital one is where the process stops. In fact, this is the point at which true transformation begins. The following examples illustrate the disruptive HR notions that global businesses are putting in place today. Gamifying tasks and processes Gamification of business tasks and functions can ease understanding and engagement in processes and it s not a new idea. For years, sales teams have kept leader boards to promote competition among employees, encouraging productivity and inspiring users to work towards incentives. Two years ago, Walmart used gamification to deliver training to 5,000 employees across eight distribution centres, ensuring a widely dispersed workforce could adhere adhering to strict safety procedures. The training was delivered in three-minute gamified applications, which were embedded into each user s workflow. Optimising HR software with an individualized touch In the digital workplace, organizations can now develop their HR capabilities to prioritize personalization. They can offer individualized career paths, personalized incentives, and adjustable work schedules. Creating a personalized workflow, bespoke to the employee, can help businesses to tackle challenges like attracting and retaining top talent, a critical factor in business success. For example; Sidels goal was to empower employees and encourage greater involvement from them and their managers in Key HR processes. Operating across 30 countries and 5 continents Sidel insured their new HR software was available in multiple languages and currencies to standardise HR processes internationally. Predicting employee performance with analytics Across many businesses, employee costs consume more than half of their revenue. Yet - few companies have effective ways of predicting which employees will be most productive. Those that that do, can of course gain an immense competitive advantage. For example; Johnson & Johnson gathered data on 47,000 employees and compared performance, likelihood of promotion and attrition levels. The data revealed that whilst performance between the two groups was similar, university hires were less likely to leave and more likely to be promoted. Their previous decision to focus on experienced hires was reversed with Johnson & Johnson now ramping up its efforts on college hiring.

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8 The tools businesses need pg. 8 Integrated analytics In a fully digitized work environment, it s possible to access to an extraordinary wealth of data about employee activities. Everything from time and attendance, to usage, and web browsing history, is available for collection and analysis. However, unless the information is integrated across departments and systems, it s nearly impossible to gain insight or value from the data. Every organization needs to prioritize data integration and the use of a robust analytics platform if it is to begin building the workplace of tomorrow. Mobile-first Mobile devices now outnumber laptops and desktops by a ratio of more a 5 to 1. A mobile device is typically the first-place employees look for information about anything that matters to them. This makes it imperative that the business systems organizations want their people to use are built using mobile first design. Good UX Today s best-designed apps spread contagiously. Nobody needs a training class for Snapchat or Instagram. The same expectation of instinctive usability must be part of a business s technology platform. The design is not just about how something looks it s about how it functions and how well it helps users accomplish a goal. Putting a priority on brilliant design can confer long-lasting business benefits. Set out your plan Just as human factors will determine the success of your digital transformation, those same human factors should guide your actions in a smooth, efficient process for making the shift to the new digital environment. Whilst you don t want to rush into this transition, the costs of excessive delays can also add up especially if you get beaten by competitors before you ve even figured out how to respond. As digital disruption continues to overhaul businesses, transformation will be key to survival in the workplace of the future. But not every business leader knows what kind of transformation they need, how to accomplish it, or where to start. It s wise to enlist a technology partner with the experience and expertise you need for the development and effective execution of a digital HR strategy. It s good to begin by collaborating with your technology partner to develop a roadmap that will support and drive your business objectives. As part of that process, you should identify digital opportunities, understand their business value, and prioritize based on return and risk. Your technology partner can help you determine the underlying technologies required and support the transformation by implementing appropriate hardware, software, and cloud solutions. Identify your leaders of the change Transformation creates major cultural change in an organization. Although much of that change can be driven by management, it s helpful to enlist change agents from all levels of the organization. This helps employees to have a sense of ownership of the changes they re about to undertake. The kinds of people you ll want to enlist are likely to be those who demonstrate: Able to learn from mistakes Effective communication Compassion Enthusiasm for the business problem Able to take risks

9 pg. 9 Identify early adopters and champions It s not uncommon for employees to be fearful of change. However, there are always going to be some people who welcome technology changes. These are the early adopters, the enthusiasts, and the adventurous types, who will help inspire other employees to follow their lead. These individuals adopt modern technologies before their colleagues if possible trying to be first movers or fast followers. Often evolving into user champions. Eager to learn new things Always have ideas Prepared for constant improvement Able to adopt change The future of work Rapid digital technology continues to change our business at a rapid pace. It is permeating into every aspect of our working lives. It will also fundamentally transform the HR function by turning it from a distinct, disconnected staff function into something that s embedded in the fabric of everyday business operations. By launching the transformation process now, you can put your organization on a path to success and ensure it is able to adjust naturally to the changes still to come. Digital transformation is about the need for businesses to outpace digital disruption and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving business environment. Even though the word digital starts the phrase or stands alone, nobody doubts that human factors are essential elements in making a digital transformation useful, successful, and valuable. How do we support the digital workplace of the future?

10 About AppLearn pg. 10 AppLearn is the global leader in software adoption. It s pioneering platform, ADOPT, has been developed from years of research in a market which is expected to be worth $124bn in ADOPT draws on AppLearn s extensive knowledge of IT and software adoption to deliver the world s most powerful, most effective adoption tool. Every second of every day, enterprises are using AppLearn s insights to make their software implementation a success. It s used by over 40 global enterprises and has 5 million users, in 172 countries, across 34 languages.

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12 pg. 12 Web: Telephone: +44 (0)