Balancing workforce strategy with digital initiatives is indeed a great challenge for CHROs in today’s dynamic business landscape. This is because the organizations are more and more using digital means to enhance efficiency and innovation but also need a human way of making sure that these transformations are something to be reckoned with. Thus, this piece explores how CHROs can, in fact, go through this complex relationship, focusing on a human-centric approach to digital transformation.
Understanding the Digital Transformation Landscape
Digital transformation refers to the integration of digital technology into all sectors of a business, changing how a firm operates and generates value for customers. According to research conducted by EY in collaboration with the University of Oxford, firms focusing on human elements while transforming have a successful rate of 2.6 times greater than firms that do not take human factors into consideration. These facts are actually valid arguments towards how workforce strategies should align with digital plans.
As people become more equipped with technology, there is normally some resistance from the employee side who feels that the change threatens them. Recently, a survey showed that around 70% of all digital transformations result in failure due to reasons such as employee resistance and lack of engagement. As such, it becomes the mandate for CHROs to develop ways that create an enablers’ environment where the employees are valued and involved in the transformation process.
A Human-Centric Approach to Transformation
A human-centered approach places the employee at the core of digital transformation. This strategy focuses on the employees: identifies their pain points; and builds a stimulating work environment. Organizations can encourage among their employees a sense of ownership and commitment by strongly engaging them in their preliminary stages of digital activity.
To back up this approach, CHROs should focus on normal feedback mechanisms. Systematic feedback makes it possible for organizations to devise strategies based on the issues and experiences of the workers. For instance, surveys or focus groups may give vital information about how employees are accepting new technologies or ways of working. This is an ongoing process of upgrading employees’ satisfaction while ensuring that the digital tools are friendlier and fit real work needs.
Digital Upskilling to Align Workforce Skills with Digital Needs
Upskilling workforces are critical when organizations start their digital transformation. A report by PwC states that a significant number of firms will strive to maximize their investment in digital upskilling by suitably endowing employees with the requisite skills that will enable them to work fruitfully with new tools. It is highly important for the CHROs to identify the skills gaps prevalent within their teams and to design directed programs for training the workforce to close up the gap.
Statistics demonstrate that companies investing in employee training increase their productivity by 24%. Investing in professional development initiatives undertaken by the CHROs multiplies effects on the employees who are now empowered to excel in the technological arena. This builds the individual’s capacity, but the outcome will be a rise in the overall success of the organization as well.
Creating a Culture of Trust and Cooperation
The basis for any digital transformation is to create a culture of trust and collaboration; this would allow employees to open up and speak out about concerns and ideas related to new technology. Open communication channels provide the environment to value different perspectives and, therefore, solutions that are innovative and tailor-made for a larger user base.
Setting the culture starts with commitment by the leadership. When leaders encourage employees who are energizing in this transformation process, it does add to the feeling of collaboration. As research indicates, there’s a positive correlation between leadership support toward the adoption of digital changes and engagement levels.
Measuring Success Beyond Technology
While technology adoption is very important, measures of success should go beyond just such implementation metrics. People-based metrics should include employee well-being, satisfaction, and engagement levels during this journey. For example, measuring employee sentiment through frequent pulse surveys could give an insight into how employees are adapting to newly implemented processes.
Furthermore, most employees must be made to feel part of the teams that they are likely to work with at any point in time as well because employee morale is paramount in change. Organizations that consider the welfare of the employees will ensure that talent is not lost, and productivity is kept at the same level when transitioning.
To embrace diversity and inclusion
Teams with diversity bring new perspectives in that solve problems during the digital transformation better than those without diversity. Diverse people are more likely to understand the various needs of different stakeholders and bring in solutions that may strike a chord with a larger audience. CHROs should, therefore, proactively advance diversity and inclusion initiatives as part of their workforce strategy.
Statistics indicate that companies with diverse teams have a 35% chance of surpassing the peers4. By embracing diverse thinking, organisations can come up with different thinking, novel approaches that would position the workforce strategy to digitally strategize.
Conclusion
The above are subtle yet challenging tasks which the CHRO must achieve in balancing on the workforce strategy and with digital related initiatives. These are: to treat issues from a human sense, to upskill first, collaborate, measure success through people-related metrics and embrace diversity. Of course, as businesses evolve with the coming of emerging technologies, people will play a pivotal role as one embodies, fosters, and drives growth and an innovation culture. In that regard, CHROs can ensure that workforce strategies go along well with digital initiatives by using strategic leadership and commitment to employee engagement in today’s dynamic business environment.
