Hybrid model & Digital HR: Lesson learnt so far!

As 2020 comes to an end with a huge impact on our minds and bringing another revolutionary change in the industry. Let’s have a look back to apply lessons learnt for our way forward.

Change in strategy

There have been changes in the workplace structure and expectations of Human Capital with mind shift. Yes! We have moved to a classical Hybrid Model and as it’s a Real VUCA we continue to work in this model with our People and technology to meet the business requirement.

How to continue this as the future of Work?

Where the organizations have framed their intended Strategy in the beginning of the year, all the organizations adopted Deliberate Strategy which emerges over time and can be reshaped as per the opportunities and threats of the business environment.

A new workplace-Hybrid Work

Hybrid workplace is a demand for time. More freedom, flexibility are some of the key factors of Hybrid Workplace. In this work environment HR's major role is to create collaboration with diverse Digital Colleagues and Talents.

It just cannot be an IT job alone.

As most organizations have started thinking of the Hybrid Work Model as the future of work, this work model will change the physical appearance of People.

The adoption of Hybrid Work model will vary and can be adopted in following ways-

• The organizations can have the Hybrid Work model with either 3 days work from the office and rest from anywhere.
• While few roles or verticals can be permanent Work From Home, some critical and unavoidable functions will have to be in the office. This will vary from various industries and the functions of the organizations. As front line workers or factory workers in the manufacturing industry – the remote working will be not realistic.
• The organizations can make a ratio of their Human Capital 70:30 in Hybrid Work Model.

Even though the Cloud technology quickens our entire process of business, people still remain the driving synergy even during Pandemic. This is the way forward in all the organizations to increase their EBITDA.Yet!!

We need to flip the coin and have to look for a sweet spot between Technology, Business and People. The Hybrid workplace also calls to look out for different emotions and expectations of people (Human Capital) who are driving business in the organizations.

To effectively use and retain the talent and create Trust in the people, the role of HR changes 360 degree. The HR has to undergo complete overhauling of its skill sets and remodel it’s own role to manage diverse Human Capital of their organizations to remain in the picture in future.

The transactional jobs of HR –

Hiring Recruitment, Onboarding, Employee Engagement will go automated with Technology and HR will need to align them with skill sets of Data Modelling to read data about Humans and their skill sets and reducing their time from transactional tasks.

To bridge this gap and to ensure the talent remains in the organization, HR Leaders have to upscale themselves in Analytics and Technology along with imperative skill sets of Empathy, EQ and EI.

Transformational Digital HR

With business and productivity as the centre point and making the organizations run close to achieve their Break Even Point and achieve Competitive Advantage in the industry, there is a call for new skill sets of HR to match up with the pace.

Leveraging Digital –

To leverage technology of your own organization, HR will have to upscale themselves for implementation of Architecture of Cloud Technology.

It’s time to recall the evolution of Selling Concept to Marketing Concept and then to Digital Marketing after Industry Evolution, which reformed belief of business and understanding the sentiments of users and thus introducing Marketing as a Brand Strategy to position the brand.

Time has come for HR to get digitised and get moving from Transactional HR to Digital HR to attract, retain Talent and improve the business.

The solution providers are in abundance in the industry, what suits most to their organization and the complexity along with the value that the Technology will get the organizations which will keep them close to their goals.

As a HR Leader to make informed decisions, they have to understand Big Data.

There are 3 dimensions of Big Data

- Volume of Data- It varies from the number of the employees of the organization.

- Variety of Data- This will include Types of Data.

- Velocity of Data- The speed how fast the data can be processed.

With understanding of BIG Data and it’s variables to apply for the functions of HR, where it will improve HR and Transform the functioning of HR.

Culture Building -

The digital employees of the organization do have their emotions and challenges of work from home.

Even though the organization has core values, the legacy to have it implemented is followed by the Leaders of the LOB along with HR Leaders.

With the transformation to Digital HR the upscaling of HR at a higher level will be essential to maintain the employee experience.

The culture will be of Digitization, Digitalization and Digital Transformation.

Skillsets of Empathy/EQ/EI –

As a HR Leader while establishing technology, the humanist approach needs to be the centre point as always as it is the Talent of their organization which will make this change management transpire in the organization. Hence in a Hybrid workplace the HR will leave the traditional approach and will have to evolve with new skill sets and mind set.

Learning Culture -

off late the diminishing role of L&D also should be leveraged as the Hybrid workforce which is agile and digital colleagues who are innovative will need an alignment. The L&D is the foundation for success of any human capital. The content development of L&D also needs to get revamped to enable the workforce work efficiently.

Technology is there to improve and the efficiency and value added, People remain the same. To manage the Human Capital evolutionary HR will keep continuing in their job of understanding business, technology and People.

Challenges are sure to come to meet the Change Management. Along with the mind shift of Leaders, one major challenge is that employees will have power to give open feedback about the Leaders as well. The Leaders will have to work over the Trust and Transparency with their employees in the Hybrid Workplace. The Leaders will have to ensure that they are leading with example.

To overcome the challenges the readiness at the organizational level and HR needs to be there for sustainable growth of the organization.

Organizations which are technologically robust have even started to strategize as keeping benefit the business bottom line.

We have seen the evolution of Marketing from Selling Concept to Marketing and Brand Building, it’s time for HR to revamp their outlook from transactional executions to Thought Leadership and move to preserving Brand Reputation and Employee Experience inside and outside the organization when they exit.

Digital Transformation in Hybrid Workforce Models will be a step wise process.

The aim of transformation is to increase the efficiency, efficacy and the connectedness of HR in the organizations and not to create more chaos.

The Hybrid Workforce increases and improves the Resilience and also reduces the business cost in longer run

Not to be forgotten -

The HR carries the legacy and traditions of an organization as they are the first ones to give Employee Experience on behalf of the Organization, and the last ones when the employee separates while exiting the organization. Hence in the Hybrid Workplace, how are the retaining Relationship with their employees and creating a Pipeline of talent will be the responsibility of the HR.

The Hybrid Workplace is the most competitive model which many organizations have adopted positively. Now, with this Pandemic, the role of HR has also revolutionized to have sustainable growth in the industry. The HR major function with employee engagement and Management in Hybrid Workplace with technology supports will be a new face of the evolution of HR.

Hence the outcome of digitization will have to be in conjunction with People and business.