Change is inevitable. Change is constant. The unprecedented outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm and changed the way people and businesses work. It disrupted the global economy with Human Resources (HR) at its core. This change pushed the companies to tap on HR technology to establish smooth communication and engagement amongst the workforces and optimize efficiency. Now, as businesses begin to advance towards a state of recovery, the HR leaders must focus on the next workforce challenge – building a digital and future-ready workforce.
As economies around the world become increasingly digital, the pandemic has undoubtedly amplified the need for flexibility and resilience in today’s workforce. Companies now want to invest in more digital solutions to run businesses, establishing resilience to unprecedented lockdowns. This has accentuated the transition towards a digital economy and intensified the importance of HR in the new normal.
Digital transformation in HR affects all businesses ranging from SMEs to large enterprises. The transformation demands 360-degree changes that include switching traditional resources and processes into new digitally advanced ones. The pandemic already accelerated the adoption of digital HR resources to operate remotely, which helped businesses take a digital leap in 2021. HR leaders must not only focus on adopting resources but also visualize how technology can improve employee recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and enhance training and development.
Digital learning and development
Remote working has pushed organizations to rethink their traditional training and development processes. It has compelled them to reanalyze their training strategies and strengthen organizational capabilities and culture. The HR training, learning, and development segments have to be more creative and digitally advanced to cater to the ever-changing needs of businesses.
Virtual employee training, learning, and development will be the main focus of HR in the new normal. They must roll out engaging programs to upskill their current workforce and equip them with fresh and unique skills that contribute to their overall development and make them more resilient to change. Innovative training programs will make the employees more efficient and productive and eliminate the requirement to induce unnecessary furloughs and salary cuts.
According to PwC’s Hopes and Fears Survey in the GCC, only 23% of workers learn new skills through their employer to better understand or use technology. HR must ensure that the workforce is fully equipped with the digital skills to run a successful business. They can adopt virtual reality programs that push the boundary of traditional training practices and offer a fully immersive experience for employees. Virtual Reality offers employees the ability to enhance their skills and experience realistic scenarios in a risk-free environment.
Rewards and recognition
The pandemic has left many businesses with indelible financial constraints, feeble revenue, and debilitated balance sheets. The surging costs have compelled employers to check on employee rewards and incentives. However, in this current situation where HR tech trends are rising and growing in demand, businesses may update and reimagine employee benefit schemes. They must streamline employee rewards programs with the market realities through personalized compensation structures.
To accelerate the growth towards fast post-COVID-19 recovery and establish a healthy, competitive environment, organizations may restructure employee compensation by realigning the fixed and variable pay linked directly to their performance and productivity. They may also introduce a customizable compensation option, giving employees the freedom to create the packages according to their requirements.
The post-COVID-19 employee rewards and recognition need to be aimed at digital delivery. Creating a digital environment via virtual meetings or gathering to appreciate and recognize employees’ achievements is the key to an optimum employee experience. Motivating employees frequently would raise their morale and energy, which is directly related to employee efficiency. The work that gets recognized gets repeated.