Workforce engagement is a top priority for ongoing success in a rapidly changing market
Author: Pat Saundry, Head of Cloud Solutions and Mark Wade, People Engagement Practice Manager
If there is one thing the global disruptions of 2020 has shown, it is good workers need to be looked after properly. In hard times, high performing staff can be the difference between success or failure. To ensure this happens, many organisations have begun to reassess their human resource (HR) strategies – an activity that is fuelling rapid growth in DXC Technology’s People Engagement practice.
While this year’s crisis has laid bare weaknesses in HR processes, the reality is the dynamics of how businesses engage people was already transforming rapidly. The combination of external forces such as globalisation, the rise of contingent workers and the gig-economy, combined with shifts in technology and the expectation of the millennial generation for end-to-end consumer like experiences, are exposing the risks of company-centric approaches to people management.
Legacy technology stifles HR agility
While many organisations have embarked on digital transformation programs – across finance and other core operating functions – in many cases, human experience management (HXM) remains the missing piece of the puzzle. Organisations with legacy human capital management (HCM) products or HR systems cobbled together with spreadsheets are not uncommon and they are starting to struggle to meet new workforce priorities. The lack of agility in their HR capability reduces their capacity to keep pace with changing business strategies and the underlying technology, which in turn causes a failure to promote the ‘learning and development workforce’ culture that is needed to engage and retain staff.
To be fully effective in a digitalised world, a business must view HR strategies through a technology-based mindset – legacy systems and outdated approaches to HXM can be significant impediments to staff retention, engagement and ultimately company survival. In reality, any human capital management process more than three years old is now outdated – this is particularly true for younger employees who have grown up in a rapidly changing world.
Growing our HXM capability to meet the market
DXC Oxygen is responding proactively to help organisations retool their HCM processes and develop fully-fledged HXM strategies. This year we have grown our People Engagement practice by 70% and now have a 40-strong team of consultants and subject matter experts.
Our product knowledge across SAP HXM and SAP SuccessFactors is extensive. In addition, DXC is now the only system integrator licenced to sell, implement and support Kronos workforce management solutions (the Time & Attendance solution for SAP SuccessFactors) in the ANZ region. This provides us with a breadth and depth of HXM capability that is difficult for a customer to source under one contract. No matter what existing HR application an organisation is running – Oracle, Workday or any other Tier 1 or Tier 2 application – our portfolio of native, cloud HXM applications can be integrated to modernise and optimise a customer’s existing employee management solution stack.
Workforce dynamics are changing
Technology is only one aspect of building an agile approach to HXM. The ability to demonstrate an understanding and empathy to the changes taking place in this field is also critical. DXC has actively sought to engage consultants who understand the trends driving the delivery of improved HR service availability and quality. Successful HXM is not just about how a solution is configured; it needs an understanding of the people, culture and value an organisation expects the system to deliver.
Acknowledging the value of the workforce and leveraging it to ensure operational stability, agility and performance across the organisation is becoming an executive-level priority. Many large companies are contracting HXM experts to help structure their workforce, realising it is critical in enabling digital transformation success.
Reducing risk, creating opportunities
The core priorities that underpin HR processes – governance, risk and compliance – have not gone away. Workplace legislation is changing across the ANZ region, and issues around the underpayment of staff have been high profile problems for some organisations. Compliance around payroll and entitlements will continue to be hot topics, particularly in the current environment where business strategies, workforce composition and ways of working are frequently changing.
Implementing an HR system is no longer a ‘set and forget’ exercise. Business needs to keep up with employee demand for self-service, networking and improved workplace training, and it is these fast-changing workplace dynamics that the modern, cloud-based HXM solutions are ideally suited. They empower organisations to implement changes rapidly, so HR strategies keep pace with changing business objectives, as well as ensuring employee engagement remains high, leading to better staff retention and attraction
People enablement is key
Company success relies on the people in the organisation. If they are fragmented and disconnected due to a flawed HR service delivery model or don’t feel they are in control of their careers and development, they will move on to a new employer. Today’s workforce expects an engaging and productive work experience. To deliver that, organisations need to focus on the whole employee experience, integrating and managing all the workplace and HR practices that affect workers executing their day-to-day tasks.
If you would like to learn more about DXC’s HXM solutions, visit our website or contact us via email at oxygen.info@dxc.com.