HR service transformation – the human touch

Let me tell you a story. Think of it as a movie.

In this story, the lead character is Enterprise XYZ – and it has relationship issues. Specifically, it’s facing challenges with its human resources (HR) function. Externally, systems have been developed to help people serve customers, and employees are trained in their use. But less effort has been made on these internal processes. Like everyone else, team members are consumers, and they bring their online service expectations to work. Enterprise XYZ needs to meet these expectations – and it’s a moving target.

What is our lead character going to do? In general terms, the organization will need to create a better environment to manage these relationships, and that means undergoing a digital transformation. As I outlined in another article, key elements include a consumer-oriented digital contact center, automated standard HR processes, and a robust digital operating model.

People…

These are all practical, technological steps. They are driven, however, by basic human need. HR systems are almost always handling something very personal to people: not just issues related to the income that sustains them and their families, but vacations, working hours, team relationships, skills development, health benefits, compassionate leave, and more besides.

In all these circumstances, Enterprise XYZ needs to demonstrate empathy. It needs to recognize that people are people and that, as well as running its own business efficiently, it must do all it can to help them.

Our lead character can find ways to meet these human needs on its own, and it can figure out a route to the necessary digital transformation by itself, too. But I did say this is a story with relationship issues, and another factor for Enterprise XYZ is that it could do with a friend.

… partners…

When you have problems to tackle, it’s good to have someone by your side. Ideally, that “someone” will have the same mindset and motivations as you, but will also be able to bring complementary knowledge and experience to the situation.

The good news in our story is that Enterprise XYZ has found exactly this kind of smart kindred spirit. Its partner doesn’t just understand its concerns, but will be able to help formulate a plan, and also put it into action. Capgemini’s Digital Global Enterprise Model (D-GEM) provides a complete overview of an organization’s people, processes, technology, and governance, with control points, and accelerating the transition to transformed, future-proof processes.

Back to our story. The trusted friend has experience in the provision of advisory and digital services, including a digital employee helpdesk. This is a friend that listens to people as much as it does to businesses, and that’s accustomed to seeing things from a workforce perspective, and acting accordingly.

… and processes

Enterprise XYZ is now in business – literally, and figuratively. Working with its close partner, it’s able to address its internal relationship challenges with a suite of carefully curated and integrated processes that can make everyone happy, and keep them that way. Everything works seamlessly and naturally. At Capgemini, we call this the Frictionless Enterprise.

This approach starts by giving employees access to the information and services they need on demand on the device of their choice. After all, shopping apps are always available. Why should support at work be any different? These services can and should be personalized and intuitive in design, so work activity feels like life at home and as a consumer.

No relationship is one-way, of course, and Enterprise XYZ benefits, too. With the right platform, the organization will be able to exchange processes that are currently time-consuming and disconnected for touchless workflows that span enterprise functions. HR services that are constructed on a strong data model foundation will promote the ability for the organization not only to improve resolution rates and turnaround times, but also to measure the workload and performance of the HR team more accurately.

Of course, breaking down these siloes and tailoring services so as to streamline operations isn’t just good for Enterprise XYZ. It’s good for everyone.

Choosing an ending

Movies often have a happy ending, and this story does, too. I make no apology for that.

But in this case, Enterprise XYZ can choose the ending it prefers. It can work with its trusted partner on a long-term, managed service basis. It can run its own HR processes, with the partner providing knowledge, support, and advice to agreed levels. Or it can ask its partner to provide practical assistance during a particular phase, such as digital transformation.

If your organization wants to bring digital transformation to its HR relationship challenges, you too can choose the kind of story you want.

To find out how Capgemini’s Digital Employee Operations Powered by ServiceNow enhances your employee experience through implementing next-generation, digital HR operations, contact: robert.dutcher@capgemini.com

Learn more about how we implement ways to detect, prevent, and overcome frictions in our clients’ business operations, helping our clients to move towards realizing – what we call – the Frictionless Enterprise.

Read other blogs in this series:

• HR service transformation – the challenges
• HR service transformation – solutions

Robert Dutcher is an expert in the field of HR outsourcing and transformation, specializing in delivering HR solutions that leverage global outsourcing platforms, cutting-edge technology, and process improvement. With over 11 years of as a manager of technology, operations, accounts, projects, and programs, Robert brings meaningful life experiences to and frictionless interactions to the workforce.

Robert Dutcher

Expert in Digital HR Transformation, HR

I feel passionately that employees of an organization are people first and not just employees, their interactions with human resource functions have personal life impacts and these meaningful life experiences deserve frictionless interactions
I stand equipped to deliver on that belief with over 11 years of combined experience in global corporate settings as a manager of technology, operations, accounts, projects & programs to bring automation, digitalization & process improvement to the workforce.
I look forward to working with customers and clients to bring that value statement to life by leveraging my expertise in ServiceNow HRSD, Zendesk, HR Portals, Robotic Process Automation, Usability Improvements, Process Improvement Design, Documentation & Governance.