High Tech High Touch Environment - How HR Play The(Ir) Role

Bambang Yapri, Human Capital Director at Bina Karya Prima Group

Pandemic had given us, as corporate and individual, opportunity to work in some new and various ways while still productive. Some of corporation and individual that already have virtual corporate setting and cross countries enablement are already getting used with the technology used and how to interact in the virtual setting. Some are forced to accelerate with the technology and “new way” of interactions. During the pandemic, some of the tools are introduced so that organization and employees are still able to perform at its optimum level. Most of the companies are accelerating its digitalization agenda and make it as corporate top priorities as part of business continuity plan.

What that we learned as organization and individual during pandemic? How that Human Capital play the(ir) role?

We learned that we could have different ways of working while maintain or even increase the productivity. We also have new ways of interacting at workplace and redefine what so called as workplace. Therefore, we also have some new jargons that relates to workplace, such as work from office, work from home, work from anywhere, and hybrid workplace arrangement. These things used to happen for some multinational corporate settings, but during pandemic era these becomes common for all corporates.

We also learned new ways in interacting with others, the way that we do meeting, the way that we communicate with each other are changed due to the medium/technology that we used. We, then, unlearned what that we used to do and relearn different ways to interact, communicate and act. Technology has helped us in accelerating the process and at the same time streamline the process.

As the result, we have different way in doing new employee orientation. Most of the employees did not come, physically, to the office on their first day. They met with their leader virtually and might be on their own in performing their job. The way that we work is different, as we should set “new” standard of working hours, how to ensure employee start working or finish working, or any others set of standard relates to workplace, monitoring, controlling and commitment. Human Capital plays pivotal role in creating positive environment to make it happened.

High technology helped people to be more productive and still possible to perform their work without coming to office. However, employees as human being is still needed to relearn on how they are as part of the organization. High touch should be part of the change that is prepared by the organization to ensure the synergy and optimum way of work. High touch means how to put trust as part of the soul of the organization. How that we start in doing it:

Establish same goals and vision

Some part of works will be done by those working at office, some will be done at home and some will be done anywhere else. The only thing that glued all are the same goals and vision, therefore this should be establish first.

Setting the pathways

Once the pathways are set would help all employees set some guidance as the way we work. We can use different ways of checking point to ensure that we are on the same pathways. Some are doing morning brief or town hall to ensure that all are on the same page. We can also agreed on how that we communicate, which technology that we would use and how often that we should do check point in certain period of time

Facilitate the teamwork’s process

This process is critical as not all leaders are ready to facilitate the teamwork’s process in different set of “workplace. Some “new” skills are needed as part to upskill the capability of the leaders. Facilitation is a new tool that would help leaders in leading the team.  Human Capital should establish and introduce new ways of working with different set of capabilities for leaders. It is not only introducing new technology, but also new way of engagement and collaboration. How to build trust and esprit de corps within the team is the agenda of all leaders in this new era. Feedback and Feed Forward can be done using technology, however technology could not replace the conversation that should be done between leader and its team member. Leaders should relearn new way in using technology as media to do review and then do the conversation either offline or online.

Celebrate it

Leaders should also define on how to celebrate the success as part of appreciation and recognition. Simple things could be the moment of truth for the whole team and those who had done their best. Technology will give ways in doing recognition and linked into the rewards provided by some providers using employee engagement’s application. However, it is should be done with high touch and empathy so that it is not only mechanical process or ritual.

HR should play strategic role in making a better workplace’s environment with high tech and high touch.

Business Continuity

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