It is not the strongest and the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage the change. – Charles Darwin
HR transformation is mostly about strategically positioning human resources in the organization so that all people-related initiatives align with business goals. This allows the creation of ecosystems based on mutually dependent relationships and shared values. Accomplishing this level of transformation requires meticulous planning on the part of HR leaders and senior management.
In their annual survey of over 800 HR leaders, Gartner identified the primary focus areas for HR in 2023. At the forefront of the list is enhancing leader and manager effectiveness. Additionally, numerous HR leaders will prioritize change management, optimizing employee experience, recruiting practices, and shaping the future of work.
Transforming HR to deliver forward-thinking capabilities helps companies respond faster and more effectively to changes in the business environment, expand their global footprint, and enhance revenue and margins. The results? Improved competitiveness, profitability, and growth.
When creating an HR transformation strategy, we must keep some essential elements in mind, as they are crucial to the success of the transformation.
Top Transformational HR Practices
Think deeply about talent
A transformational HR process requires HR leaders to understand the personalities that comprise their workforce. As individuals, we are different, and your employees will have different personality traits and values that inspire their actions and behavior. Taking time to recognize who each employee is on a singular basis can help HR leaders and employers build a strong bond with their co-workers.
HR transformational processes ask organizations to link their talent with value. Therefore, the best talent should be shifted into more critical and value-driven roles. It is also important to embrace employees’ personality types and leadership styles. Are they analysts, diplomats, sentinels, or explorers? Are they more emotionally driven or rational personalities? HR leaders can use this information to discover what motivates their workforce and apply it to improve communication.
Encouraging open communication at the workplace
Company leaders who don’t hear their employees’ voices tend to make severe strategic mistakes. Make sure your employees understand the big picture—vision, mission, and success plan—of the organization as well as the part they play in your company’s collective success. This helps your employees to understand how their decisions impact themselves specifically, as well as the company as a whole.
Transformational HR practices acknowledge that employees must feel involved in the business to feel a commitment to your company. Always recognize your employees’ input and make them feel their views are essential. Listen to your employees reflectively. Don’t discount or invalidate them. Instead, affirm and validate them.
Part of the HR digital transformation process means encouraging sincere, honest, and open communication and takes more than just talking about it in mission statements and press releases. It is all about exchanging ideas and practicing open communication with employees at every level of your organization.
You can choose better-equipped and practical collaborative internal communication tools and techniques for your HR digital transformation strategy. You may reconsider improvising your internal communication methods or workforce management tools. But always remember, maintaining a human element in partnership with technology is vital.
Meet Generation Z-Digital HR and a Gen Z-proof workplace
Gen Z has entered the workforce with new technology & employer expectations. They don’t know a world without digital devices, the internet, or social media. They grew up with these things. Gen Z has spent most of its formative years with on-demand and constant connectivity. Therefore, even in the workplace, Gen Z demands personalization and instant gratification.
Recruiting Gen Z: HR leaders must consider reshaping the employee experience & building the workforce of the future. Thus, to find the right Generation Z talent, HR leaders must put their recruitment efforts where the candidates are—on social media, using videos. For Gen Z, CVs and cover letters seem to have become a thing of the past. Being an agile recruiter is the key. A short voice or video message to inform candidates about their recruiting process status and potential next steps seems to make more sense to millennials. Gen Z employees seek a tailored experience focused more on their goals, work style, and preferences.
Learning & Development: Gen Z employees are very much aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, a customized learning and development program is essential for HR transformation practices. It gives Gen Z employees visibility about their career development within the organization and a sense of security. Digital natives expect nothing less than a customized and fully digital Learning and Development experience.
The analytical capabilities of leading Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions allow HR teams to personify employee experiences by delivering personalized content, recommending customized learning opportunities, and predicting what new roles individuals may excel in.
Effective transformation leadership
Some specific actions of leaders result in effective transformational leadership. Transformational leadership acknowledges that your workforce isn’t just there to carry the workload and follow orders. Instead, to unlock their potential, leaders must recognize individuals and inspire employees to feel connected with their work and well-stimulated by their workplace.
Though HR leaders might not directly impact transformation in your company, they play a vital role in the entire digital transformation process. HR leaders are often defined under the umbrella term, which describes the development and management of employees in any organization. HR reviews impact changes in the workforce and, as a result, lend insight into what’s working and what still needs work. Transformational HR practices allow human resources leaders to focus on agility and scalability. Therefore, leaders must be open to being guided, coordinated, and consulted by HR to effect transformational leadership and develop a culture of agility.
The Road Ahead
The year 2023 has transformed our work dynamics, altering our work settings and collaborations and establishing a lasting presence for the technologies we employ. By re-humanizing skilled HR professionals, AI can help create an environment where employees of all generations feel acknowledged, valued, and satisfied.
Watch our webinar on creating and retaining your top talent using an agile approach and understand the practical guidelines and tools to overcome any challenges from our Corporate Training and Learning and Development experts.
