Reality #2: HR takes on a digitally transformed role

For years, analysts have been predicting a shift towards broader acceptance of digitally driven health care and benefits administration, but it was COVID-19 that brought its rapid acceleration. While the pandemic has created immense public health challenges, it has also revealed significant opportunity for employers to embrace technology to elevate both their benefits offerings and how employees engage with their programs.

Most employers admit they could be taking greater advantage of technology to help improve how employees interact with their HR teams. According to a recent Mercer study, only 13% of organizations currently offer employees a fully digital experience in which technology enables employees to access work documents remotely, carry out HR tasks intuitively, and easily collaborate with colleagues. Another survey conducted by Gartner found that only 40% of chief human resource officers believe their organizations are prepared for how technology will revolutionize the future of work.

As technology transforms every aspect of our lives, employers are tasked with the challenge of innovating their everyday systems quickly. HR teams must wear many hats and have never been spread so thin with new COVID challenges, such as managing remote workforces, along with handling what was already on their desks.

To continue to engage employees and retain talent, it’s clear that HR leaders must embrace technology. But, as with any digital transformation, it takes a combination of technology along with new processes and approaches to build culture and engage employees in meaningful ways.

Here are four places to start when considering how to better leverage technology:

1. Explore how HR can take a leading role in providing a vision for how work is done and putting systems in place to ensure your company is ready to respond to future shifts.
2. Review and assess to understand your company’s current capabilities to deliver virtual services and care to your employees. Determine how gaps will be addressed.
3. Consider new processes, tools, and resources to streamline how employees can accomplish routine HR tasks, now and in the future. Develop a target vision and set milestones to get there.
4. Leverage voluntary benefits to help fund solutions available in the market to help maximize engagement while controlling spend.

For more information on how your team can successfully take on a digitally transformed role this year, reach out to a local MMA representative to start a conversation.