2020 ushered us into a new way of working. Organizations are now moving to investing and setting up infrastructures to provide a superior work experience to their people鈥� Hybrid 2.0. 51风流organized the 51风流HR Connect 2021 to throw some much-needed light on how we can design employee experiences for the hybrid 2.0 world that are holistic, progressive, agile, technology-driven, and most importantly, more human!听
Jason Averbook, CEO & Co-Founder, Leapgen, conducted a workshop听delving听into the ideal way听of carving a winning employee experience strategy. Where he provided a step-by-step guide to听planning a pandemic-proof EX strategy that听transforms听employees into growth partners听as we transition to newer work models听for our brave, evolving hybrid world of work.听
The last couple of years has changed the world of work, forever.听HR has had to greatly accelerate its pace of developing and implementing experience strategies and tools听for employee experiences听that have听become critical to driving impact for organizations.听听
Getting to Hybrid 2.0听
Transformation is a word that people bring up a lot, but not many truly understand what it means. The word “trans” means radical change and “formation” means how we do things, in this case, ‘how we work’. In听the world where we have lived in听there are 2 types of “trans” 鈥� there is technology transition and there is true transformation. True transformation comes only by following three听key听steps 鈥撎�Strategy, Deployment & ROI (Run, Optimize, Innovate).听
The听concept of Hybrid 2.0 needs to be attacked in a very systemic way. And that starts with developing the right Digital People Strategy. Deploying the strategy is the next step and requires a very large effort that includes programs, change, adaptation, unlearning, organizational听model听and it may also at some point involve the implementation of technology.听听
Implementation is a part of the deployment. A lot of organizations are great at implementation but not deployment and that’s where a lot of strategies fall apart.听听
Once the strategy has been deployed, the third step is to think about how to sustain the value we get from it. This is where ROI or RUN, OPTIMIZE, INNOVATE comes into play.听听
The World听of Work听in听2021听
In the world we live in today, building strategies is听really hard.听Previously, there was a point in time where we could make 5 –听3 year听strategies/plans. But in today’s day听and age of听uncertainty, there is a much higher need for agile strategies 鈥� one’s that can shift, flex, contract based on the things happening around us.听听
We are human inside of work as much as we are outside of it. In the world of HXM, this means that we need to be听listening at all times听to the signals and the people and react with our strategies intact.听听听
We need to respond by going to our core 鈥撎齩ne that makes us all听human, and听think about recovery听by focusing on听being human-centered.听Because people are our most important assets and how we make them feel is what is going to allow us to get through these changing times.听听
Some of the impacts we听are seeing on the NOW of work:听
- Human-centered recovery strategy听
- Need for systems and tools to drive efficacy听
- Hybrid work is not a fad and will be here forever听
- HR听to act听with agility and response-ability听
- Digital & distributed models of work听
- Concerted policy efforts听to drive systemic change听
- Optimism听and听uncertainty听at the same time听
- Attracting and retaining labor now looks vastly different听
Right now, HR has the largest opportunity that it has ever had – to shape the NOW of work.听听
Digital听Equation for Success听
Remarking on the pandemic鈥檚 effect on every aspect of work and life, Satya Nadella, CEO听of, Microsoft said, 鈥淲e saw two years of digital transformation in two months鈥�. The question that now remains is if this is also the case with the HR function?听
Digital transformation is meant to touch everything from marketing to sales to everything done in Human Resources. The shift from HCM to HXM is essentially about transformation and the need for every HR organization in the world to digitally transform.听Most people think that digital听is all about听technology, but that鈥檚 not true. Digital is not听just technology, rather听it听is a component of听it.听听
It is time we rethink how to better design and deliver services. This听starts听by bringing back听the focus on understanding the purpose of our organization and how we want to serve with it.听HR leaders have put this purpose into action by digitally transforming their functions. They can do this by focusing on 4 key areas:听
- 35% of digital success comes from ensuring听you have a clear, concise, understood听mindset听that is听aligned to the purpose听and has strong measures of success.听
- 30%听is听designing for the audience听of NOW.听This comes from truly听knowing听your people- not just skills and qualifications but听what allows them to bring their best selves to work.听
- 25%听comes from听designing听journeys.听Processes generate data, but journeys create feelings and connections听between people and their purpose.听
- 10% of success comes from the technology听deployed (not just implemented) to support the people and processes.听Essentially acting听as听the听fuel needed to create journeys.听
Digital transformation is made up of each of these components. Leaving out even one of these reduces the effectiveness听of听the overall transformation.听
Ultimately when we think about HXM, what we need to do is LISTEN & ACT. Listen to the people and act on it immediately 鈥� not once a year on an engagement survey, but NOW! As organizations and HR leaders we need to do a better job at listening, to truly understand the human side of our workforce.听听
Experience Needs to听be:听Shift to B to Me听
The听real goal of HXM and true transformation is the shift from a B2B focus (where the tools听used听are in place to make听the听HR听function听more efficient) to a B2Me focus. This shift will enable employees and managers with tools that make them successful 鈥� not the HR but the organization.听听
B2Me means personalization, the kind that can only be achieved by truly knowing our people. We need to build workforce tools that not only connect people but build connections between the people. And we need to do this with a concept called –听Hands, Heads & Hearts.听
听
The formula that defines experience is simple:听
Transaction + Interaction = Experience听
Adding听interaction to transactions enriches it to create an experience. The interaction is where the trust is built. The Hands, Heads & Hearts concept is a simple way to think about how we need to shift work as part of the digital transformation.听听
Machines are exceptional at hands work, or what is called RAD (Repeatable, Auditable & Documented) work and that is where we should leverage technology. People, on the other hand, are good at the heart’s work 鈥� at building connections. It is time we start building functions in a way where the machines are doing the transactional work, while people focus on building stories around the data provided by the machines.听听
The True Value of Digital听
Digital is not about eliminating the human element, rather it enhances it.听听Work no longer looks the way it used to 2 years ago, and that’s why HR can’t act the same way it did previously.听HR听needs听to become听agile in these fragile times.听听
In a recent survey, Future Workforce found that if HR could double its budget, HR leaders from most organizations would like to allocate these additional funds to improve the employee experience (44%) and existing technology (37%).听听
Before the pandemic, we used to have 2 types of experiences 鈥� Physical & Digital/Technical. Today, we have only one听–听the 鈥淲orkforce or Human Experience鈥�.听听To achieve听this experience听to the fullest, we听have to听stop implementing technology and move to deploying human capabilities.听听
Adding technology doesn’t change the HR function or its interaction with the workforce 鈥� but it听definitely helps听with it. However, we听have to听remember that technology without change is nothing.听And for people to adopt transformation, organizations will have to adapt.听听
Human-Centered Design Leverages Personas听
You cannot talk about HXM, without talking about humans, and the voice of the employees/customers.听Deploying technology was听previously听done as a single spread. This听approach听doesn鈥檛 work anymore. We need to meet people where they are with an empathetic听lens to the work they do and how they do it.听听
We need to create personas by listening to people who seem like the persona and study them more carefully to understand- the best ways to communicate with them, their needs and expectations, roadblocks, etc. When we understand a persona at that level, we can deploy messages in a way that meets the persona where they are and with what they need.听听
Benefits of personas:听
- Companywide understanding of your workforce听
- Encourages empathy-driven design听听
- Digestible workforce segments听
- Uncover workforce needs/common frustrations听
- Test, refine, and improve experiences听
- Anticipate future opportunities听
When we have this kind of insight into our workforce, we can take the “Whole Person Approach”. This approach looks at every aspect of the employee 鈥� Physical, Emotional, Social, Spiritual, and Intellectual to听design solutions that听attack听every听problem from all angles.听听
COVID has given HR the passport to reset, rethink, reimagine, and realize that the next normal is probably going to be no normal that we are used听to听and that growth is coming at a very large scale. We need to plan and prepare for this by shifting focus from using technology for transition to using it for transformation.听 And embrace the fact that everything about the digital workforce & HXM is now HR’s responsibility.听
HR needs to now deliver experiences, not technology 鈥� solutions, not toolkits; enable not monitor; people capabilities, not technology features! And all of this听has to听be done while considering the measurable outcomes of the business.听听
One of the most magical things about the shift from HCM to HXM is realizing that technology is the fuel that will allow us to drive to what the NOW of work is.听听
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