The coronavirus brings many organizations into an accelerated digital transformation. For example, organizations were forced to implement digital tools in a very short period of time in order to: support remote working, maintain communication and collaboration, and gain insight into performance. Challenges that normally fall within the field of HR. In addition, employees have learned how to perform tasks remotely using digital communication and collaboration tools. The coronavirus has allowed companies to experience at first hand that a digital HR policy is necessary to keep the organization running in these special times.

Now is the time for organizations to look ahead. The coronavirus puts HR in the spotlight and they can take this new position to help the organization move towards the 'new normal'. In addition to quickly implementing digital tools to support remote working, HR needs to review existing processes. At least, that's what Unfurl believes in! To take you with us in our vision, we set out a number of digital possibilities.

1. Shift in the labour market

Open any newspaper or turn on the news and you won't go unnoticed that the coronavirus is causing a shift in the labour market. This could lead to open vacancies attracting more candidates. Face-to-face contact with unknown people currently entails an unnecessary risk and is a time-consuming process. For both applicants and organizations, an on-demand video application offers a high degree of flexibility and efficiency. Moreover, you can add an objective selection tooling to your digital recruitment process, reducing the chance of 'hiring bias' and objectively screening large numbers of candidates. Achieve efficiency and welcome better candidates by using digital tools in your recruitment process.

Possibilities you can think of

2. Shaking hands with a new employee

If you have just recruited that new top candidate through your digital recruitment process, the current situation means that a face-to-face introduction with the rest of your employees is not possible. From the perspective of the employee: nobody likes to start without getting acquainted, besides that you want to be able to add value within your new position and team as soon as possible. From the perspective of the organisation: the onboarding process is a crucial process which should lead to an efficient and effective integration, so that new employees can quickly add value. If the onboarding is unsuccessful, the costs associated with the outflow of new employees can quickly increase. Onboarding is therefore extremely important for both the new employee and the organization, which is why it has to remain on top of mind even in these special times.

When digitizing onboarding, you can think of offering all required documents online and scheduling digital 'meet and greets', or go a step further and use a specific onboarding application that takes care of the entire pre-boarding and onboarding. A digital onboarding program ensures that employees still feel welcome, are more quickly familiar with and involved in your organization. While this offers a high degree of flexibility and efficiency.

Possibilities you can think of

3. Remote performance management

Previously, everyone on the work floor was available to discuss performance, give and receive feedback and set common goals. That this way of Performance Management could be more efficient and effective was already clear within HR for years. Many organizations were already in the process of supporting Performance Management digitally, but the current situation makes the need to digitise even more topical. Uncertain times, such as the coronavirus, call for an agile organization that responds quickly to change. This requires an agile Performance Management. A Performance Management where organizations briefly set cyclical goals, on the basis of which: employees can set individual goals, employees can continuously request and give feedback and individual performance is transparent. To realize this, a Performance Management tool is a requirement to manage performance remotely in the 'new normal'.

Possibilities you can think of

4. New times call for new skills

In addition to a shift in the labour market, the coronavirus also leads to a shift in the skills needed within many companies. Here lies a challenge for HR to take stock of which skills are crucial for the organization of the future and to take stock of which skills the workforce currently has. From this inventory, HR can conclude whether there is a gap between the current and required skills. It may seem counterintuitive in the midst of a global crisis, but this is the time for companies to increase their learning budgets and focus on training so that the skills and roles of employees fit the 'new normal'. The current situation calls for a digital solution to achieve this progress. With a digital development tool, employees can realise their necessary development flexibly and efficiently and it is clear which career opportunities they have within your organization.

Possibilities you can think of

5. To measure is to know

Given the current challenges posed by the coronavirus, an organization's ability to respond quickly and adapt to change is now more important than ever. While the path to the 'new normal' may be long, there are some tools to pave the way. People analytics is an indispensable tool for organizations that want to remain agile and trendsetting. Using the data generated by various (HR) technologies, HR can gain new insights through data analysis. This enables HR to use targeted interventions to achieve the organization's goals. Because of the coronavirus, many people had to work from home, which may have affected their performance and enthusiasm. By means of people analytics, HR can monitor these variables, and if necessary, HR can immediately set out actions to safeguard the balance between the employees and the organization. 'To measure is to know' is the motto in the 'new normal'.

Possibilities you can think of

"What are the digital actions we've hesitated to take in the past?''

This crisis is forcing organizations, employees and customers to use new digital possibilities and a different way of working. That's why this is the moment to ask yourself the following question: 'What are the digital actions we hesitated to take in the past? ’’. By responding to current trends and using HR technology, HR can increase its impact and set up the organization for the 'new normal'.

HR Tech Arena Source: HR Tech Review — HR Tech Arena
Source: *HR Tech Review*

In addition to the previously mentioned providers, you will find here an overview of almost all HR-tech providers on the Dutch market (click on the image to enlarge). An overview with over 300 suppliers. In this blog we have discussed 5 digital possibilities to set up your organization for the 'new normal'. For all providers within these possibilities you can take a look at:

Recruitment fixed & Assessments
Onboarding
Performance management
Training courses
HR Analytics & SPP

If this overview is overwhelming for you, or do you have specific questions? Feel free to contact us and we will be happy to do a digital cup of coffee!