Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom The Consumerization of HR and the Employee Experience

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom The Consumerization of HR and the Employee Experience We started talking about the consumerization of IT several years ago, as employees began to demand technology solutions at work on their own terms, via their own devices. It was natural, then, that the discussion eventually moved to the consumerization of HR. People now expect an experience at work that is comparable to the experience they have at home via apps like Netflix and Amazon. To be more explicit, employees are looking for digital content available on demand, a friendly user-interface, and online delivery that is agile and automated. They also expect a social experience driven by personalized recommendations relevant to their role, location, and place in the employee lifecycle. When I talk to HR professionals about this, they get it. Many have taken major steps in the last year to bring their operations to life via mobile and social platforms. They are starting to solicit feedback about what makes a powerful experience at every phase of the employee lifecycle. They are trying new strategies, and using new forms of people analytics to measure their effectiveness. But something is still missing, and the folks at Bersin by Deloitte identified exactly what that something is. It’s design thinking. Deloitte research shows that people collectively check their phones more than 8 billion times each day, yet productivity is barely rising. Traditional HR solutions, say the folks at Bersin, are typically programs or processes to train people, assess performance, ensure compliance, or document a practice at work. Most were built around forms, process steps, formal training, or classroom events. But we’ve reached a new era. Employees are overwhelmed by the complexity of the workforce and the world in general, and need HR’s assistance in managing it. Design thinking moves HR’s focus beyond building programs and processes to a new goal: designing a productive and meaningful employee experience through solutions that are compelling, enjoyable, and simple. For the rest of the piece, check out the SilkRoad blog.