A People Operations Digital Transformation project can take on different looks and priorities, but the goal is always the same.

Every transformation project strives to make talent and technology seamlessly connected, creating processes that are more efficient with happier workers that drive greater business value.

A few examples of digital transformation objectives are:

• Going paperless with electronic employee onboarding, e-documents, benefit enrollment, and performance reviews.
• Delivering training and learning courses virtually.
• Connect employees to the company and managers by giving them a relevant voice and recognition for milestones and achievements using 360 feedback tools such as online chat, badging, pulse surveys, and company news feeds.

5 Transformation Planning Steps

For those new to the digital transformation process or new to People Operations, the following five steps are a great place to start your planning.

1. Assess the current state of your People Operations across your organization

Understand how your current business processes work and any pain points. Ask yourself: “Are we reasonably meeting the current demands of our business, customers, and employees?”

Involve your stakeholders and get buy in into the best way forward. Identify the potential areas of improvement and how PeopleGuru digital technology can contribute to your long-term business goals.

Document your current state and areas that can be improved by the PeopleGuru deployment.

2. Define your People Operations transformation objectives

Once you know the main pain points within your current People Operation, you need to understand what exactly you want to transform. Never transform just for the sake of transformation. Make sure each initiative has a specific purpose. Identify the business processes that could be streamlined, cost reductions, data points that matter most, or competitive advantages that you will gain.

Your goal is to document your People Operation transformation objectives and gain signoff from all stakeholders.

3. Outline your People Operations transformation roadmap

An incremental approach to your transformation is always the most practical. Prioritize the areas for improvement that are most impactful then move systematically toward your goals. Set milestones and celebrate success along the way. This will help you keep the process on track and minimize the risk of failure.

4. Establish Clear Project Leadership

A dedicated team with a strong internal leader is essential for ownership of the implementation of your People Operations transformation strategy. If you already have qualified staff in-house, assign responsibilities according to your strategy and your staff’s aptitudes. If not, your best option may be to temporarily augment your staff to fill in the areas of expertise needed.

5. Empower and Educate your staff

Don’t let your People Operations transformation efforts be in vain because your employees refuse to adapt to change. Be sure that your corporate culture keeps up with the transformation agenda. Communicating to your staff the why for change will help you gain full buy-in to your transformation agenda.

The key to every transformation project is great planning, leadership, and communication. And the latter can’t be understated. Taking extra time to inform staff about the benefits of their new tech tools and improved work processes must not be overlooked or underplayed. Having all stakeholders bought-in to your transformation agenda will help ensure that any hiccups in your digital transformation project won’t slow or stall your overall goals to deliver more efficiency, happier workers, and greater business value.