India Employer Forum

World of Work

HR Transformation: With Challenges Come Opportunities

  • By: India Employer Forum
  • Date: 18 December 2020

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Looking back HR transformation in the past almost entirely focused on making existing HR services more efficient and effective. It was always assumed that the HR was up to the mark in all sectors of the organization thereby keeping the organization running on well-oiled wheels. The onslaught of COVID-19 has brushed away this myth in no time. The global business environment has been hit the hardest. People all across the world are facing job cuts which invariably have brought downfalls and organizations have seen a steep and unwarranted dive in the economy as well. The reducing headcounts have posed an even greater challenge for the chief human resource officer (CHRO).

HR performance has come into sharp focus. The HR department is long overdue for an overhaul, more so now with the non-ending pandemic. Quick and effective thinking by business heads has gone a long way in reducing costs due to the rapidly declining revenue. Organizations that value their customers and do not see them as cost-centers outperform their rivals winning the all-important customer loyalty, employee engagement, leading to a greater long-term value. The enormous job cuts due to strategic workforce planning have not only brought untold misery and stress to one and all but have also caused dwindling global resources, political upheavals, and fluctuating commodity prices.

Looking at the bright side, with challenges come opportunities. It is time to embrace the fact along with the new normal in all forms, HR transformation is what is required. 

You might also be interested to read: Get A Head-start On HR Trends 2020 – Maximize Performance By Reimagining Human Resources

Realigning HR function

As is a fact the HR previously was a completely individual platform that functioned solely without any alliance. HR leaders need to accelerate digitalization to deliver new people services to the workforce. Earlier the HR rules and regulations were a constitution in itself, being more rigid rather than being flexible and open. The massive wave of change that has come all across the world, shows that one needs to empower people to be a lot more flexible, adaptive, and project-oriented. The hurdle caused by the HR function rules and norms is causing hindrance where employees struggle to form new teams and collaborate even temporarily.

Selecting intelligent minds from various departments like finance, production, and other departments and running them as pilot projects can chart new avenues. In order to cope with the new change, HR has to carve out new and innovative paths that will help overcome the lapses caused due to the pandemic. It is time that the HR digital transformation brings about more technological automation and seamlessly carries out all employee services.

References:

  • The future of HR 2019: In the Know or in the No | KPMG
  • Global Business Driven HR Transformation: The Future Starts Now | Delloite
  • Will HR transformation be the thread that ties value to experiences? | Danny Ferron, Andy Lomas and Peter Fox | October 1, 2020

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