Workers’ roles and duties already were shifting prior to coronavirus pandemic shutdowns. Now, however, with continuing uncertainty over in-person work and the rise of tech-driven workforces, human resources (HR) professionals have had to reconfigure some positions during the hiring and rehiring phase. As companies adjust and business marches on, employers are setting up onboarding and “reboarding” processes for former, new or reimagined jobs.

Equipping a workplace with the right technology to accommodate this shift and match people with applicable skill sets to new jobs and new requirements will be key. From online training to a comprehensive dashboard that enables employers to stay up to date on worker information, technology can help deftly manage employees and the COVID-19 crisis. But software that can help streamline this growth is only part of the solution. Employers also must consider other key factors, such as:

• • Long-term strategies.
  • A personalized candidate experience
  • Computer and human assessments.
  • Internal mobility.
  • Timely hiring decisions.

A human capital management (HCM) platform can help an organization stay on top of immediate pandemic-related needs like rapid onboarding, along with establishing long-term strategies, personalizing the candidate experience, managing computer and human assessments, overseeing internal mobility and alignment of skill sets, and making timely hiring decisions. Simply put, an HCM solution can enable an organization to not only survive but thrive in these unprecedented times.

Enabling Meaningful Work

When it comes to new and reimagined jobs spurred by the pandemic, some positions may already be new or reimagined, but others might not undergo significant changes for a couple of years. Therefore, the notion of meaningful work could take on a new meaning. Through an HCM platform, an employer can:

• • Set expectations and enable employees to reach them with help from flexible work schedules.
  • Ensure a worker whose role is new or reimagined can connect with peers to share thoughts and ideas.
  • Provide frequent feedback and coaching to empower employees and drive productivity.

All of these capabilities can reinforce the notion that work is meaningful, whether it’s a new or reimagined job or a job that has remained the same.

As an organization strives to make sure work is meaningful for everyone, an HCM solution can keep a scattered workforce connected and foster a sense of shared purpose and collaborative vision. Perhaps more importantly, HCM technology can keep social interactions vibrant during the pandemic and beyond, giving employees a feeling of belonging and engagement.

HCM solutions enable employers to align workers on short-term and long-term goals, helping boost both their career aspirations and the business’ bottom line. This process, too, can contribute to meaningful work.

Onboarding and Reboarding for New Roles

As it relates to reimagined jobs in particular, H. James Wilson and Paul R. Daughterty of Accenture recently noted in a Harvard Business Review article that HR departments, in addition to information technology (IT) departments, must be mindful of the coming wave of innovation in artificial intelligence (AI). This innovation will automate some tasks, but the article’s authors emphasize that “the larger opportunity will be around augmenting and amplifying human productivity and ingenuity.”

This opportunity will require HR and other departments to review the tasks current roles perform; uncover tasks that would benefit from AI; and unleash technical and non-technical workers to innovate more quickly, in potentially reimagined roles. Once they’ve completed that review, it’ll be up to HR professionals to ensure that job candidates meet these new specifications and to train employees who are onboarded or reboarded on any reimagined tasks.

An HCM platform can handle a lot of the heavy lifting related to reimagined jobs. For instance, an HCM platform assists with talent onboarding, development and management, which can improve the odds that a newly hired or rehired person will thrive in their reimagined role. The same is true for the employee engagement and learning capabilities of an HCM platform. This functionality can help employees adapt to and grow in their reimagined jobs, improving the organization’s ability to retain those employees and bolstering their productivity.

Why shouldn’t you release the power of a reimagined workforce with a helping hand from technology? After all, it’s likely that technology will be a key component of many reimagined jobs. “Although the COVID-19 pandemic is a difficult time, it can also be a time of unprecedented creativity,” wrote Ravin Jesuthasan, Tracey Malcolm and Susan Cantrell of Willis Towers Watson in a Harvard Business Review article published in April. “Reimagining jobs around the constraints of today’s challenging business environment may accelerate the future of work and open up new and innovative ways in how, where, and by whom work gets done. Ultimately, this can help us build greater resilience and efficiency in our organizations, and help people live healthier, more sustainable lives.”

From onboarding to training, an HCM platform can be a crucial building block in achieving greater resilience and efficiency in your ever-evolving organization.