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Digital transformation 2.0 in HR: it’s all about the EX factor

Two results from our annual employer survey ‘The Future of People and Work’ immediately caught our eye. First, digital transformation is a much bigger HR priority for European companies than it was last year. Second, about a third of the 2,746 surveyed HR decision makers see employee experience (EX) as one of their top 5 challenges for the future. So, why not kill two birds with one stone?

    Mind the digital gap

    Digital maturity in HR hasn’t improved much over the past year. Fewer than 4 in 10 companies create significant value through digital solutions. The others still have a lot of work to do, but time is not on their side. Things have changed so fast recently that the ‘digitally immature’ risk falling hopelessly behind. In other words, their digital transformation needs to make instant impact.

      37.7% (up 1.1% from 2020)

      of European companies report a high level of digital maturity in HR.

        Tech for HR’s sake or for everyone’s sake?

        If impact is what you’re aiming for, empowering your employees is the way to get there. This may seem obvious, but it’s a rather new focus. HR tech is traditionally meant to make HR’s life easier, and not so much that of employees. To illustrate: employee-focused tools (self-service systems, employee experience platforms and AI-powered digital assistants) are only found in a minority of European companies today.

          Nailing the 3 EX sweet spots

          Change is on the way. Leading technology providers already add a significant EX layer to their HR software. They offer digital solutions that are no longer simply forms automation systems, but that create a digital ecosystem with a clear goal: making your employees’ work easier, more productive and more meaningful. To truly make an impact, however, be sure your digital partner meets these 3 requirements:

          1. Integrated in the flow of work: HR needs to be a feature of work, not a distraction. Employees nowadays want to access HR services through tech solutions where they are, not where HR wants them to be.
          2. Covers the entire employee lifecycle: an effective digital ecosystem reaches beyond payroll, planning and transactions, as it also covers onboarding, training and development, well-being and other employee-focused domains in a consistent way.
          3. Provides a consumer-grade experience: by focusing on how people work and by putting their needs and wishes first, employees no longer have to be techies to benefit from all the software in their organisation. Consumer-grade is fast, easy-to-use and intuitive.

            Employee-focused HR tech allows you to make efficiency gains while radically improving the employee experience.

              The proof of the pudding

              As a partner for digital HR solutions, we see the added value of EX-inspired software every day. A striking example: our own mysdworx app. The mysdworx app lets employees handle their own expenses and absences, while it allows you to send them their e-payslips, shares company updates and much more. Features such as the chatbot function, proactive reminders and integration with smartphone functionalities (calendar, e-mail, camera) deliver a whole new HR experience.

              In short, digital solutions that prioritise the end users could well be the missing link to make your digital transformation a long-term success. As always: there’s no time like the present.

                If our people have questions about parental leave or other HR-related topics, all they have to do is open the SD Worx Digital Assistant and fire away. In the simplest of terms, this brings us closer together.
                Kim Boschmans, Employee Engagement Business Partner, SKF Belgium

                Benchmark your digital transformation efforts with other European companies

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