HR Strategies That Help Digital Transformation Succeed

While functional transformation is an essential component, HR must also take a lead role in transforming organizations by ensuring employees have the capability and opportunity to make the transformation possible

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With the adoption of technologies which typify the fourth industrial revolution, the need for workplace and workforce change creates significant challenges for Human Resources (HR). Many HR departments have focused on functional transformations, applying different technologies to solve problems of efficiency and data integrity. While functional transformation is an essential component, HR must also take a lead role in transforming organizations by ensuring employees have the capability and opportunity to make the transformation possible.

HR departments yet to embark on a broad program of transforming employees to thrive in a digital era will very soon be left behind. As HR knows, changing a policy or program takes a relatively short timeframe; changing people takes far longer, is costlier, and needs sustained commitment. If business needs employees who can operate effectively in a different way a year from now, then the time to start the change is now.

There are three HR focus areas that support the digital transformation of business and employees:

1. Fostering curiosity, knowledge development and the lifelong learning mindset of employees,

2. Ensuring employees can work effectively in cross-functional teams, and

3. Endorsing structures that support the forming and reforming of teams and effective flow of information.

Curiosity, knowledge and lifelong learning