(Editor’s note: Today’s post is brought to you by our friends at Paycom, a leading provider of cloud-based human capital management software. They were ranked third on the inaugural 2021 Top Workplaces USA list of organizations with over 2,500 employees. Congratulations! Hope you enjoy the article.)
We’ve talked before about how digital transformation can improve manager effectiveness and the employee experience. But things are a little different right now. Many organizations are planning their workforce strategies around multiple approaches. It could be fully on-site, fully remote or a hybrid model, with both on-site and remote employees. Does digital transformation still apply in all three of these workforce models? Absolutely!
In fact, according to a study from McKinsey & Company, over the past year, we’ve seen an acceleration of digital or digitally enabled products by a factor of seven years. Let that sink in for a moment. If we’ve seen seven years of technology progress within the last 12 months, then there are probably several coinciding business challenges that need to be addressed. Organizations will want to make digital transformation a priority.
4 Key Components for Successful Digital Transformation
I realize in saying that organizations should make digital transformation a priority, that’s a big, broad statement. So let’s break it down into a few manageable areas, starting with a definition. Digital transformation is focused on using technology to solve business problems. We can further break it down into four key components.
Build a technology infrastructure. Anecdotally, I’ve heard from many senior leaders that they thought they were far ahead of the technology curve, and last year made them realize that they’re not. This directly ties into the McKinsey statistic above. For digital transformation to be successful, organizations need to invest in the right technology. At a minimum, it should be mobile friendly, update information in real time and keep data secure.
Give employees access to their information. Regardless of whether your organization operates with a fully on-site, fully remote or hybrid workforce, organizations have to think about the most effective and efficient ways to ensure the accuracy of employee data like contact information and benefits enrollments. One of the easiest ways organizations can do that is by letting employees manage and update their own data, which most employees already do in their personal lives. And it saves money. According to a report from EY, every time an HR professional manually enters employee information, that transaction costs an organization $4.51.
Allow HR-related information to be accessible and searchable. Instead of making employees ask for information related to benefits and company policies, let them easily access it on their devices. This allows employees to get the information they need at the time they want it, which is great for the employee experience. According to a survey conducted by OnePoll for Paycom, employees who are working remotely say that receiving approvals from their manager is their second highest frustration, right behind too many logins. Giving employees access to information allows managers and HR to focus their time on less administrative (and more “human”) activities like building positive work relationships and performance coaching.
Train employees on the concept of self-management. This includes managers! On the surface, this one might not sound like it’s very technology focused. But with digital transformation comes personal accountability for both employees and managers. Give employees the tools to work on their own, and give managers the ability to evaluate performance based on results. Digital transformation isn’t only about giving employees hardware; it’s about creating the right environment to thrive with the technology.
I will admit there’s more to digital transformation than these four things. But this is a good start. These four components can help organizations shift their focus from administration to action, which applies no matter what workforce approach the organization is planning.
Digital Transformation Is Focused on Taking Action
I could be very wrong, but my prediction for 2021 is that organizations are laser-focused on taking action. And they want employees to be focused on the same — specifically, delivering bottom-line results. That starts at the very beginning of the employee life cycle with onboarding.
If you think about the four components we’ve outlined here, setting employees up for success on day one is key. But given the events of the past year, we have to think of day one a little differently. We’re not only referring to employees who are new to the organization, but employees who have been working remotely for the past year (or longer!) and are thinking about transitioning back into the office or employees who are preparing to make their short-term remote work option a more long-term decision.
I hope you’ll join me and the Paycom team as we continue this conversation about digital transformation and managing the new workforce. On March 30, 2021 (3p Eastern), we will be discussing “Achieving a Better Employee Experience Through Digital Transformation”. As always, if you already have plans, sign up anyway so you can get the recording. This is one conversation you won’t want to miss!
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