Technology advances quickly—and HR professionals must keep pace. With the right business policies in place, HR pros will be well equipped to do just that.
Your business policies must account for how your company uses technology. That way, your policies will empower workers to utilize technology to remain productive and efficient. Plus, your policies can help your employees guard against cyberattacks and myriad technology issues that otherwise put your company in danger.
There are many things you can do to make sure your business policies advance with technology. These include:
Account for Your Employees’ Current and Future Use of Technology
Conduct a technology audit. Then, you can analyze the technologies your employees currently use, and from here, you can figure out what technologies help your workers and identify opportunities to remove outdated technologies. You can seek out technology upgrades, as well.
As you perform your technology audit, think about how your workers can benefit from state-of-the-art software, systems, and tools. For instance, if you want to let employees work remotely, you’ll need to invest in appropriate technologies, which may require you to provide your workers with laptops, smartphones, and other remote work technologies. You need to consider how you can monitor and regulate employees’ use of these technologies, too.
Evaluate Technology Challenges (and How to Address Them)
Technology has had a significant impact on businesses. This necessitates that you plan ahead for technology challenges so you can protect against such issues before they cause long-lasting business damage.
Common technology challenges include:
- Cyberattacks: Hackers use ransomware, malware, and other malicious software and tools to attack businesses.
- Data storage: Companies manage massive amounts of data and require storage that is safe, secure, and easily accessible.
- Information sharing: Employees leverage Internet of Things (IoT) devices to connect. But workers can inadvertently expose sensitive corporate or client data if they do not properly store or secure their IoT devices.
Develop business policies to account for myriad technology challenges. For instance, you can craft a security policy that defines how employees can use work-provided devices at home. Or, you can implement a policy that explains how workers can use e-mail to communicate with one another. Each business policy should include clear terms and definitions, and every policy should provide insights into the consequences associated with failure to comply with it.
Prioritize Automation
Assess your business’s use of automation technologies. Next, you can make business policies to track your use of these technologies.
It is paramount to monitor automation across your business. This ensures you can get the most value out of your automation investments and helps you identify ways to automate business processes so you can take your company’s operations to new heights.
In addition, include tests to validate the effectiveness of your automation technologies in your business policies. These tests enable you to review your automation technologies and determine if upgrades are needed.
Drive Digital Transformation
Make a digital transformation strategy along with an associated business policy. This can help you craft a strategy that delivers immediate and long-lasting results. Plus, it can help you maintain a plan that accounts for technology advancements.
Start slow with a digital transformation strategy. With a detailed plan, you can minimize the risk of roadblocks along the way. Meanwhile, you can develop a strategy that lets you implement technology that serves your business well. And if you need to adjust your strategy, you can do so with little to no impact on your company.
Create your digital transformation strategy in combination with a business policy, and ensure your policy accounts for your company’s short- and long-term approach to digital transformation. The policy should define how your business will embrace new technologies across its workforce. It should also give you many opportunities to use digital technologies to provide quality services and support and stand out from industry rivals.
Perform Ongoing Business Policy Reviews
Examine your business policies regularly. If you find a policy fails to meet your company’s technological needs, revamp it right away.
Oftentimes, it helps to conduct periodic reviews of business policies. These reviews can involve business managers and employees, and they allow both parties to learn from one another and find out if business policies align with a company’s current and future technological requirements.
Be proactive with business policies surrounding technology use at your company. Waiting too long to develop a business policy or change an existing one can cause a variety of problems. Conversely, if you establish a policy that helps you get out ahead of a potential technology issue, you can avoid a problem before it harms your business.
Develop Business Policies to Keep Pace with Technological Advancements
Technology is constantly evolving, and your company must plan accordingly. Examine business technologies and their potential impact on your company. You can then develop appropriate policies to help your business implement and manage these technologies
Get started on your business policies to keep pace with technology. Once you craft your policies, review and maintain them so you can consistently find ways to maximize the value of your technology investments.
Luke Smith is a Guest Contributor at HR Daily Advisor.