Digital technologies are positively impacting the manner in which employees and prospective job candidates connect and communicate with organisations.
This is according to Bavini Naidoo, MD of technology at Accenture SA, who notes digital is shattering boundaries and enabling a workforce that is virtual, mobile and flexible.
It is changing the way employees interact with employers - they are now using social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to express their concerns on workplace issues, says Naidoo.
"Social media is driving democratisation of work, creating crowd source solutions and disrupting organisational structures."
According to Jayne Archbold, CEO, Sage enterprise market Europe, today's employees carry smartphones in their pockets and expect processes at work to be as smooth, user-friendly and intuitive as banking online or using Facebook.
The millennials - who are the future employees of most organisations and are used to being connected all the time on mobile and social media - are disrupting how organisation communicate with employees, says Naidoo.
However, HR functions in most organisations continue to stay rooted in traditional modes of engagement. In SA, only a few organisations have established best-in processes to interact with digital HR, she adds.
HR departments must therefore start thinking about how to position themselves as employers of choice, says Sage.
It's also vital for HR departments to reorient themselves as service providers ? there to help facilitate employees' needs ? if they want to improve employee satisfaction and retention, it adds.
Naidoo points out HR departments need to move from their reliance on IT to automate their paperwork and embrace the use of digital technologies to create a better employee experience.
This will improve access to information that will help management make more informed strategic decisions, she says.
Archbold points out companies that delay the adoption of digital are also more likely to face challenges in recruiting and retaining talent. An engaged employee base is good for a company's turnover, profitability, customer satisfaction and productivity, she adds.
When approaching digital transformation, organisations need to remember it's not just about technology and its implementation, says Archbold. It is first about business strategy and then seeing how that transforms HR operations.
"You need to decide what goals you have for your business and then think about how the technology can get you there (and not the other way round) starting with the strategy for the business, rather than the functionality of the technology itself."
When transforming a business to digital HR, it needs to train for success, says Archbold. It is absolutely vital to get the training right to drive adoption and ensure all the features and functions are utilised.
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