Digital technology is redefining the way we live, and businesses are increasingly adopting a digital-first mindset to keep up with customer expectations.

Driving digital change means more than simply purchasing new technology. Employee adoption is the key ingredient for success, as the digital transformation journey involves changing how people work and collaborate.

Put people first to drive transformative change

A successful digital transformation is dependent on the willingness of employees to reskill and embrace change. While some employees may embrace digital change more readily, we should allow other staff more time to adapt to new ways of working.

How can we address potential challenges and empower employees to harness the power of digital transformation?

Here are four areas to consider:

1. Help employees understand why a transition is needed

Start by evaluating the prevailing workplace culture to understand the underlying emotions that might explain why some employees require extra effort adjusting to change. We can help employees understand why the transition is necessary through induction sessions and demonstrate how the technology deployed will help them get better at their existing roles.

2. Communicate clearly about change

A recent industry survey found that clear and effective change communications increase the success rate of a transition by more than three times. When we take time to properly explain the organisation’s desired outcomes and detail the full extent of changes required from everyone, we convey a clear and consistent vision for employees to follow.

3. Tap into the influence of early adopters

HR has an integral role to play in identifying and leveraging the experience of early adopters who support the organisation’s change management initiatives. The momentum drawn from these early adopters of digital transformation can serve as a source of motivation and provide key learnings to inspire and persuade the rest of the organisation to be more receptive towards change.

4. Embrace a shift in mindset

A survey of Fortune 1000 companies found that supervisors in growth-mindset companies rated their employees as being more innovative, collaborative, and committed to learning. Business leaders often lead the way in catalysing a growth mindset, so encourage team members to adopt healthy beliefs around enhancing work skills through dedication and hard work.

Putting people at the heart of digital transformation is about being more mindful of how technology fits within the organisation, and how innovation can be best deployed to improve work productivity, creativity and collaboration. To fully realise the potential of technology, we can start by finding new ways to empower employees, so they stay relevant in a new era where the nature of work is always evolving.