Digital Transformation is presenting HR with an opportunity to prove that they are key strategic differentiators for the organisation. Here are 4 key roles that HR leaders can play in Digital Transformation, based on their organisational needs and aspirations. So which role are you going to take up now?

The Innovator

We are all moving towards a boundaryless future, where organizations must learn how to manage a workforce operating in non-traditional manner. The new age workforce will be multigenerational, dispersed and collaborative. Contractual partnerships and value-based collaborations will be the norm and hence it is time for organizations to adopt a new formula for success. Innovative HR teams are best placed to recommend how to leverage the workforce and their capabilities for the Digital Age. There are 3 things that HR Professionals/Teams can do to foster innovation:

  • Hire for innovation (people with digital capabilities)
  • Create a culture of innovation
  • Train and reward for innovation

The Business Driver

HR function needs to transform from support function to strategic/instrumental function in the organization. In order to succeed the transformation HR Professionals/Teams should focus on 4 things:

  • Develop business acumen, mindset and skill set to operate and contribute to the business results
  • Make business understand HR’s true capability and value
  • Communicate effectively with senior internal stakeholders
  • Develop influencing- and consulting skills, partnering with business stakeholders on business opportunities and issues

The Change Agent

Today’s corporate world the best HR leaders don’t just react to change – they act as a change agent and lead the company’s employees in a positive direction. The best HR leaders believe that the important factors needed to bring about effective change are

  • articulating a compelling vision
  • communicating the strategic rationale
  • building credibility and trust
  • Project management
  • monitoring and measuring change outcomes
  • structured follow-up to ensure sustainability of the change initiatives being implemented

This could also include reimaging the organizational structure, reporting, utilization of data to create a compelling story.

The Collaborator

Technology and Digital have changed the way in which organizations and their workforce function. A change as big as digital transformation cannot be executed by a single function. With the involvement of multiple teams, there are possibilities of conflicts. HR needs to be the force that binds the organization through a common thread of purpose.

Another result of the digital transformation is the rapid transformation of the organization culture. Because the change is very rapid, the enterprise is struggling to adapt to the current changes in behavior and technology. Here HR plays a crucial role in bridging the gaps by building

  • diverse talent pools
  • creating a compelling career architecture for the workforce
  • simplifying the talent processes

Please read the original article of Madan Panathula.