QIVCE

Notwithstanding the shadow of Covid still hanging over the economies around the world, digitization has become an irreversible force of nature for businesses as well as individuals. While we may still be awaiting (or searching for) some answers to the “what’s after lockdown” question, there is no doubt in my mind that businesses now have it in their DNA to digitalize rather than digitize. On the positive side, this is the time for businesses to take a breath and redefine their digital strategies.

These include giving greater focus on Quality, Innovation, Value, and Customer Experience (QIVCE). Digital transformation is taking them towards an agile model aimed at providing customers immense convenience and better value by harnessing technologies such as cloud, mobility, predictive analytics, block chain and Artificial Intelligence. While Indian businesses have experimented with various digital models, the HR function or organizations in general have been a bit tardy in embracing the kind of transformation required to enhance employee experience and improve the business value. This is despite the astounding amount of technology investments that Indian enterprises have made in revamping business processes and re-inventing products and services. On the whole, the HR function has been extremely resistant to change, often taking the ostrich approach. While numerous HR leaders continue to recite the rhetoric of HR transformation, in most cases, vendors, consultants, and internal IT teams are doing what CIOs have been doing for years -- dictating what they want to do to the HR function. The good news is that with changed times, HR is demanding a more participative role. Newer business models are no more dependent on employee skills alone but require more from the employees in terms of agility and adaptability to learn new things.

1. Changing roles, soft skills training, and new HR technology implementation: The growing shift in roles of IT functions to shared services or cloud models, combined with a shortage of HR technologists, has led to the IT function playing a significant role in bringing together various HR technology applications to ensure a connected employee experience. The IT leaders in HR are also expected to help the organization prioritize, define, and implement different types of training as well as build appropriate learning platforms. The HR IT function has also emerged as a significant enabler for creating a digital culture in the enterprise. As newer technologies such as cloud, mobility, predictive analytics, block chain, and Artificial Intelligence take root in the enterprise, the HR IT function is expected to make recommendations on how these technologies can be best leveraged for enhancing employee experience, improving business value, ensuring compliance, and cutting costs. While large IT vendors have traditionally focused on large enterprises, they are now catering to the needs and pockets of businesses. Small and mid-market (SMB) organizations, which comprise 90% of the workforce in India, can now access several cloud-based HR solutions at affordable costs. International tech vendors are increasing their footprint in India, hiring local talent, and setting up service delivery centers. This has allowed them to deliver services to customers at a cost-effective rate. The cloud environment has also enabled these organizations to provide IT support remotely. The HR technology industry has witnessed several mergers and acquisitions in the last few years. While large HR technology vendors have expanded their product lines and established deeper customer relationships, new HR technology start-ups are emerging to tackle specific HR challenges, creating a dynamic marketplace rich with options.

2. Digital transformation requires new skills: As digital technologies such as cloud, mobility, predictive analytics, block chain, and Artificial Intelligence become mainstream in India, an increasing number of enterprises are hiring digital professionals skilled in these new technologies. With the growing prevalence of digital technologies, technology professionals with digital skills are in demand. As a result of the shortage of talent, both hirers and candidates have had to compromise on salaries as well as hiring timelines. As digital technologies become mainstream, the IT function will have to play a pivotal role in helping the organization create a robust digital culture and skills. IT leaders will have to understand and evangelize the impact of these technologies, and guide the enterprise in building appropriate digital skill capabilities. New technologies such as block chain, RPA, and predictive analytics are expected to transform HR functions, and for this reason, the HR function is expected to be a key partner for IT teams.

3. Emphasis on QIVCE: The growing digital pressure has forced enterprises to focus on quality, innovation, value, and customer experience. A growing number of enterprises are also focusing on building employee experience as a key pillar. To succeed, technology professionals will have to not only be technically sound, but also understand the customer, innovation, and employee experience, and have the ability to design as well as deliver technology solutions. As cloud, mobility, predictive analytics, block chain, and Artificial Intelligence take root in the enterprise, the IT function will have to play a pivotal role in helping the enterprise build a digital culture and skills. IT leaders will have to understand and evangelize the impact of these technologies, and guide the enterprise in building appropriate digital skill capabilities. With employee experience becoming a key differentiator, the HR function is expected to play a larger role in supporting organizations in defining and implementing HR strategies. The HR function will play a more active role in facilitating employee engagement and building HR strategy. The HR function can use technology to connect with employees in a more personal manner. For instance, the HR function can leverage data analytics to predict employees’ skills gap and accordingly drive personalized learning. Similarly, HR leaders can use analytics tools to track employee engagement, hear employee voices, and proactively tackle employee issues.

4. Digital transformation for compliance: The growing focus on compliance is expected to put the spotlight on digital technologies. For instance, the increased compliance regulations related to digital accessibility are expected to lead to a larger focus on digital technologies in HR. The growing focus on compliance is expected to put the spotlight on digital technologies. For instance, the increased compliance regulations related to digital accessibility are expected to lead to a larger focus on digital technologies in HR. Similarly, as employees increasingly conduct business using mobile devices, the IT function will play a larger role in ensuring that enterprise applications can be accessed remotely.