Six surprising truths about how digital transformation will change HR
| Date | 10 April 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-02-2017-0010 |
| Published date | 10 April 2017 |
| Pages | 102-104 |
| Author | Gal Rimon |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Employee behaviour |
Six surprising truths about how digital
transformation will change HR
Gal Rimon
Gal Rimon is CEO at GamEffective,
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Digital transformation is
lauded as the disruptor of
many industries, from hotels
to transportation. You have probably
seen articles that discuss the impact
of digital transformation on HR –
self-service HR platforms, friendlier
HR applications and more. Is this
what the digital transformation of HR
promises or are there greater
promises to be delivered?
In this article, I will suggest that
digital transformation carries a
unique opportunity for HR to
influence culture and employee
well-being and engagement. Done
right, this will be truly transformative
and will allow HR to leave significant
fingerprints on any organization,
driving its evolution and ability to be
truly exceptional.
First, let us begin by understating
digital transformation at work. Taken
simply (or simplistically), it means
more digital services. It means
enabling HR services on
cloud-based platforms. While this
does simplify and streamline HR
work, it certainly does not sound
transformational to the organization
as a whole. Yet, HR is on the brink
of digital transformation: the reason
is that new HR software is not just
about being able to “digitally” help
accomplish HR roles – it can
actually foster a new dialogue about
employee performance, learning
and well-being. Fostering this
dialogue can be transformational for
the business and for the role of HR
and have a deep impact on
corporate culture.
The true transformation is not just
about streamlining recruitment or
training, benefits or performance
reviews. The true transformation
comes into play when HR plays a
role at the core of the employee
experience: the employee’s “inner
work-life”, as described by Prof
Amabile in her groundbreaking
book, The Progress Principle: Using
Small Wins to Ignite Joy,
Engagement, and Creativity at
Work(Amabile and Kramer, 2011).
What this means is that employees
are driven by how they experience
work at a personal level, their
relationships with bosses and peers.
Here are six elements where I
believe that HR’s digital
transformation will be most
impactful.
The consumerization of HR
systems
At its core, digital transformation is
driven by our smartphones. We can
access great consumer apps using
our smartphones. Mobile
applications are slick and
well-designed – the user experience
they deliver is tuned to perfection,
because user adoption (and
application success) hinges on it.
This inherent quality – and the
hugely satisfying experience it
How to...
PAGE 102 STRATEGIC HR REVIEW VOL. 16 NO. 2 2017, pp. 102-104, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1475-4398 DOI 10.1108/SHR-02-2017-0010
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