In such a short amount of time, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rate at which organisations and their employees adopt technology – because ultimately, it’s been necessary for survival.

The increased uptake in operational technology comes as no surprise when you consider that IRIS’ next normal survey found that 40% of employers have struggled to coordinate staff remotely and 30% faced issues with their current hardware.

One area in particular that has noticed an enormous need for digital transformation is Human Resources as the responsibilities of HR managers has drastically changed.

“The future requires you to reimagine what professional life is like.” – Kelly Abel, HR Director, IRIS Software Group

To ensure your HR function is providing employees with the much-needed support required to navigate the new ways of working, we’ve taken a look at a few key areas that you can optimise with technology.

Communicating with a dispersed workforce

Gone are the days of weekly site meetings and informal water cooler chats as the number of people permanently working from home has now increased to 24% following the UK’s second lockdown.

To meet these changing circumstances, you must utilise technology such as web messaging, emails, SMS or an engagement platform to reach out to those that are working from home.

Also, look to create a two-way dialogue with employees as it’s crucial to remember that each person will be impacted differently, so taking a blanket approach to comms won’t work.

“Engagement is ensuring two-way communication between you and your employees. Only by getting people to trust and feel that you’re really going to listen can you then start to truly explore issues around wellbeing.” – Sharon Davies, CEO, Young Enterprise

Digitising your payslips

For those HR professionals who are still printing and posting payslips, moving to an electronic solution won’t just save you time and money but will also enable you to be far more flexible.

Especially as Government rulings frequently change between advising either home or office working, moving to an electronic solution means no matter your location, employees will always receive their payslips.

Utilising surveys to uncover workplace challenges  

A fantastic area in which technology can support HR professionals is surveying employees, as many comprehensive software solutions offer the ability to utilise either pre-built or bespoke questionnaires.

By sending regular employee surveys, you’re able to easily engage with your organisation and utilise that information to understand where people need support.

“It’s important to understand your culture, and by instigating a quick 5min survey you can listen to what people have to say, understand what comes out of it and take some practical steps.” – Natalie Tedstone, Retirement and Talent Director, IRIS Software Group

Reimagining what HR can do with technology

Your HR software needs to be at the centre of your next normal strategy, as having the right tools can make adapting and innovating far more effective.

McKinsey & Company found in their recent study that respondents believe technological capabilities stand out as a key factor in their success during the current crisis.

By utilising a modern HR solution, not only are you able to easily work remotely thanks to cloud functionality, but you have far more options available to maintain employee engagement.