How HR Executives Can Drive Employee Engagement in The Era of Digital Transformation

Many companies are pursuing digital transformation, but the arrival of new technology does not place HR leaders on the back-burner. Leadership is more important than ever and organization leaders must build relationships with employees, instill the cultural values of the business, and create a modern workplace where employees feel like they belong.

The opportunities for growth don’t just stop with improving operations. Recent data from Gallup also shows that employee engagement is higher than ever, suggesting that employees are ready to get on board with visionary ideas.

Here are five key actions HR executives can drive to lead in the era of digital transformation.

1. Create a culture of performance. Employees are the backbone of any company and their happiness correlates with happy customers. To have happy customers, alignment between employees and management must be present, which continues to be a pressing issue. One way to solve these challenges is by creating a performance-based culture, including providing ongoing feedback and career development resources.

2. Understand what workers want. Multiple generations of employees occupy the workplace and each have their own motivations for showing up to their job, the benefits they want, and why they will eventually leave. By tailoring your message to each generation, you stand to increase job applications, employee morale, and industry reputation.

3. Develop both technical and soft skills. Companies now emphasize technical skills and soft skills while workers rely on technology to stay productive. To drive retention and engagement, focus on the areas that will help workers stay competitive in their careers, which in turn helps the company too.

4. Embrace emerging technology. The HR landscape is now dotted with new emerging technologies, from digital assistants to artificial intelligence. These technologies allow HR teams to focus more on connecting with candidates and employees, rather than mundane back office work. Adopting new technology can be tough, so it’s important to approach technology adoption through a specific process and communicate change so that everyone stays on the same page.

5. Lead with data. More businesses are using data-driven approaches to measure organizational outcomes and HR is no stranger to that approach. Seek to use HR analytics and utilize dashboards to understand metrics including turnover data, employee satisfaction, and mobility. Then use that data to drive and refine your technology, talent management, and skill development strategies.

Digital transformation is a tough road to take, but today’s customer-centric market demands that companies adapt or face irrelevance. With employee engagement front and center for today’s ambitious executives, having the right approach to leadership will make all the difference.

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