The digitalization of the human resources department has been a common practice for a number of years now at many multinational organizations around the world. But it is also fair to say that many other companies have a lot of catching up to do when transforming HR. The reality is that some organizations have prioritized this digitization while others have considered it a project for another day.
In the meantime, massive digital technology advances have occurred across a range of areas such as global platforms, shared services technology, digital cloud tools, artificial intelligence, cyber security protocols, digital automation and more.
Also, and regrettably, a global pandemic has swept the globe and perhaps changed working culture and dynamics forever. The HR department at every organization is directly impacted by this and those companies who have not yet prioritized the digitization of HR processes may now find themselves with a pressing need to fast track such a project. In this article, we will examine what the digitization of HR could look like and a few key areas that human resources managers need to focus on to be prepared for the future.
Keeping pace
The digitization of the HR function is about keeping pace with developments in the marketplace, with technology and also with the expectations of the workforce. Global employees have now gotten used to a great deal of digitization in their personal lives and their expectations around technology and how they interact with tech-based platforms have risen significantly in the last five to 10 years.
There is now an in-built expectation around speed, efficiency, personalization and access to data in the user experience. Human resources platforms at multinational companies need to reflect these changes in their HR tech stacks for better employee engagement. They need to keep pace with the employee experience and ensure that the technology in place is meeting employee expectations around digital innovation.
These expectations from employees can be witnessed across the entire working experience, from video interviews to the onboarding experience right up to their initial early weeks in the job. The war for talent has become global, thanks to new hybrid working models and remote working policies being introduced around the world in response to the global pandemic. Therefore, securing the right level of talent is going to become even more challenging for HR departments, and it is very possible that their technology stacks along with the level of innovation and personalization in the recruitment and onboarding process could become key differentiators in talent management and employee retention. There is no room for complacency here and key investments should be made in HR technology stacks if they are dated or no longer fit for purpose.
Going digital
Here are a few of the ways that human resources departments can digitize their services and introduce a level of digital transformation to the processes they currently operate:
Employee self-service
Make employee payroll and personal data available to them 24/7 in any location and on the device of their choosing. This is a way to meet employee expectations around having control over their own data-it will also greatly reduce the administrative burden on human resources professionals who spent too much time dealing with employee data requests.
Automation
HR professionals, like many others across an organization, need to enter and check a great deal of data in their day-to-day roles. Applying automation can introduce massive efficiency gains and boost productivity levels within HR. Things like expenses processing, invoicing and even medical claims can be automated today, so HR teams should be looking at automation technology available on digital cloud platforms to replace manual processes and create new levels of operational efficiency.
Digital recruitment
HR teams should be working with platforms and software that make the recruitment process more digital and convenient, both for them and potential candidates. Having a platform that makes it easy for candidates to apply for a job as well as monitor the progress of their application creates a positive experience and also helps HR professionals keep track of the recruitment process. linking this digital software to social media applications that are popular with potential candidates is another form of digitization that should be explored.
Gamification Training
Employee training and digital upskilling is an important initiative at any organization-the task of implementing this training usually falls to the HR team. Digital gamification techniques can be a value here-research is indicating that employees learn at different levels and paces, and gamification can be introduced to help the learning process. Some companies have chosen to implement gamification leader boards to create friendly competition between co-workers around digital upskilling and new learning initiatives.
Chatbots
Many HR professionals state that there is a repetitive nature to the queries they receive from a globally dispersed workforce. Implementing digital chat bots in your human resources platform can enable employees to get quick access to the information they need, anytime they want to. These can be especially useful for new joiners who are still familiarizing themselves with many of the administrative functions involved in the new role.
Digital engagement
This is about interacting with employees to promote engagement via digital technology such as smartphone apps and video updates. HR leaders could use video messaging to provide updates to staff at a global level, increasing awareness and engagement. Staff feedback could also benefit from digital upgrades in the form of surveys or smart phone app opportunities to share their views and opinions. Employee engagement is likely to increase when you make it easy for a global workforce to speak their minds.
When you enhance the employee experience through the digitalization of the HR department, you are then creating the opportunity to unlock workforce potential and boost productivity. The digitization of HR is therefore a performance management win-win scenario-HR professionals benefit, employees benefit, and overall operational efficiency tends to improve.
There is nobody at an organization who does not want innovative digital tools, modern interfaces and secure cloud platforms which help them access the information they need and be better at their jobs. Start with your core HR platform and examine the ways in which new technology could improve it. Then take a test, review and revise approach to find out what is working and what could be improved. Also, it is important to seek out stakeholder feedback especially from the global workforce, to ensure that the digitization of the HR department is meeting the needs of a globally dispersed workforce who may be returning to a very different work culture post a global pandemic.
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