COVID Accelerated Digital Transformation Four Years into the Future: How HR is Adapting

The pandemic changed everything. And no matter how people wax philosophical about getting back to “normal,” we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.

The rapid shift to work-from-home (WFH) moved the digital timeline forward by four years, from which a new economy emerged. Companies today are investing more heavily in technology, including the number of people in tech roles.

For HR, this presented even more monumental challenges. A successful WFH strategy requires a new mindset and more efficient workflows. Beyond the changes in existing positions, new job families and roles within them were added, and with them, new competencies and compliance concerns.

The burden on HR tripled overnight. If it was to succeed, it needed to invest in digitizing processes. Job description management was easily at the top of that list.

Digital Transformation in HR

Digital transformation is a requirement for businesses to advance today. Organizations adopt technology, tools, and strategies to enable growth, achieve greater efficiency, reduce costs, and compete in the ever-accelerating business landscape. The fastest to market reaps the greatest reward.

Though this has always been the case, the stakes are higher than ever before. Today, the true race is for talent. All the technology in the world cannot compete with a strong, engaged, and dedicated workforce—but it can help you attract and retain it.

Some of the digital technologies that have advanced HR before, during, and after the pandemic include:

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI bots are commonly used in the recruitment process for screening candidates. Though AI cannot replace the insight an HR professional brings to the table, it has effectively reduced the time it would typically take to shortlist candidates for consideration.

Communication

During COVID, technology allowed HR teams to maintain quality connections with employees, candidates, and leadership even while working from home. Digital platforms and video conferencing helped teams work together from anywhere, and it could be said that comms were actually better for it. Everybody was on a level playing field. Digital communication in all its forms—video, voice, email, and SMS—helped teams stay connected and gave employees an easy way to reach to get the answers they needed immediately.

Automation

Automated workflows can be adapted to just about any scenario, from onboarding, orientation, and training to continuing education, benefits, tracking bonuses, and so much more. In doing so, employees feel valued at every stage of their lifecycle while freeing up time for HR to focus on more complex matters.

Mobile apps

Mobile applications are used in many HR processes, such as collecting employee data, forms, performance reviews, surveys, and benefits self-management. They also provide employees and candidates with a way to sign and submit forms, applications, incident reports, expense reimbursement requests, or access various services without physically visiting the office.

Data visualization

Digitization transforms company data into a visual format, giving stakeholders unprecedented visibility into every company process. Every engagement, conversation, communication, and interaction could be tracked, helping to inform, shape process improvements, track performance, and highlight areas of concern. With real-time visibility, business leaders and managers can recognize trends, identify problems, and respond immediately before the opportunity is lost.

Job description management

Ask HR professionals about their biggest pain points; most will cite job description management before almost anything else.

If companies want to achieve growth, they must focus on talent acquisition, which requires investment in the right digital tools. Roughly 75% of companies still use Word documents, email, and shared drives to collaborate on and maintain job descriptions. The resulting workflows are lengthy, inefficient, and often put the company at risk on several fronts.

Holding onto outdated methodologies leads to significant issues with:

• Compliance—older versions of job descriptions may not be up to current legal standards and may put the company at risk if faced with litigation
• Consistency—inconsistent format and tone deliver inconsistent recruitment results
• Accessibility—job descriptions are not easily accessible by all who need them, creating overly complex workflows
• Productivity—poor access to accurate, up-to-date job descriptions causes delays in job description creation and significantly increases time-to-market
• Growth barriers—inhibit HR’s ability to respond to business needs in an agile manner
• Competition—accurate compensation data is essential for employers to stay competitive

The employment regulatory and legal landscape continues to evolve, requiring consistent attention to detail and diligent updating to ensure compliance. Beyond legalities and the threat of litigation, there are social and ethical standards to consider. Job description language is highly nuanced, and unintended bias could cost a company in many ways, causing potential employees to self-eliminate from the recruitment process or, in some cases, casting shade on the organization itself.

Job description management software solves these problems. By enabling team collaboration and providing a cloud-enabled central database that all stakeholders can access simultaneously if need be, it puts time back into HR’s day, so they can focus less on paperwork and more on the employee experience. Greater accuracy, consistency, and speed are significant competitive advantages, helping HR achieve their talent mandates while reducing risk from virtually every standpoint.

Job Description Management Software: The Ultimate HR Tech Investment

There’s no question that digital transformation has changed the face of business. With the right digital tools, companies can achieve more, grow faster, and scale operations without negatively impacting employee culture. Job description management software helps organizations achieve this objective.

For many growth-minded organizations, the best digital investment they can make is in job description management software.

With or without technology, HR’s goal is to improve the employee experience in every possible way. From attracting and recruiting talent to onboarding new employees, benefits management, performance reviews, and beyond, companies must implement the right processes, tools, and strategies to stay competitive and come out ahead.

Across the vast spectrum of global commerce, digital transformation has been implemented in an almost infinite variety of ways. And despite our reliance on technology, a company’s most valuable asset is its people.

Job descriptions inform management, employees, and candidates. They provide a structural framework to visualize and plan growth and protect both company and employee interests in case of a dispute. As the business needs escalate, the right technology helps companies respond quickly without adding excessive complexity or cost. Job description management software allows HR to adapt to today’s requirements, making light work of some of the biggest challenges companies face today.

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