Dive Brief:

• Companies at the forefront of innovation stand to outpace their competitors, a Randstad US study concludes. Workplace 2025: The Post-Digital Frontier found that only 10% of companies were rated as digitally "superior." These are enterprises that have fully incorporated a range of technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, and have invested in reskilling employees in preparation for a digitized workplace. Most employers (52%) are in the development stage of digital transformation, and 38% are in the "proficient," or ​mid-range stage.
• Superior companies are 165% more likely to meet their business objectives, earn higher revenues, save on costs and have higher ROI, according to the study. Responses from 800 C-suite executives and about 3,000 workers nationwide indicate that superior companies have an edge in the talent wars by having completed their digital transformation.
• The study also found that digitization and employee brand are impacting employees. About 40% of workers in the study said they left a company because they lacked access to state-of-the-art digital tools, and 58% said they need to work elsewhere to gain digital skills. The factors influencing them to join a company are its use of the most up to date tools (80%), innovative culture (72%) and reputation as a leader in digitization (62%).

Dive Insight:

Digitization has freed up HR managers in carrying out their functions and has brought innovation to recruiting, benefits administration, data maintenance and more. But, first, HR managers need access themselves to tech tools before assisting workers. A recent study by The Hackett Group discovered that although 90% of HR leaders recognize that digital transformation will significantly change their organization's operations, less than half feel they have the tools to make it happen.

Employers have to engage employees on the platforms they prefer, and let them do the work in ways they feel they have the most control. Naturally, staying up on the latest tools and approaches can go a long way in helping employees feel cared for and engaged in what they do. But only adopting digital tools without a shift in company culture can derail any efforts to make lasting change.

Building company trust is a huge part of the transformation into a digital culture, and to do so, company leadership must consider "authenticity" and what it means to their organization. What does it take to be successful at your company? What makes working at your company unique? These are key questions to ask when gauging the nature of the business, especially when making any technological change.