Dive Brief:

• Before the widespread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations were slow to adapt their workforce for change. A report released recently by software and services platform SilkRoad Technology, in partnership with Human Capital Media Research Group, indicated that 5% of organizations had implemented workforce transformation required to address disruption.
• "How Organizations Can Achieve Resilience Amidst Disruption" is based on a survey of 484 human resources professionals conducted from December 2019 to January 2020. Just 10% of organizations didn’t believe they would experience disruption, according to SilkRoad Technology. And, less than half (48%) of organizations believed that human resources was prepared to manage a workforce transformation.
• More than half (64%) of respondents believed disruption was coming from changes in technology, while 62% believed it would come from changes in competitive landscapes or marketplaces. Lack of a clear strategy and cultural resistance are the most common roadblocks to workforce transformation, according to the report.

Dive Insight:

At the onset of the novel coronavirus, many companies were required to continue operating amid disruption, and some had to shift immediately into supporting a remote workforce. As the pandemic continues, companies are seeking ways to operate more efficiently, according to SilkRoad Technology CEO Robert Dvorak.

"The common refrain we are hearing from enterprises is the urgent need for adopting digital operating models that help increase business speed and offset uncertainties or risks," Dvorak said in a statement. "The agility and resiliency provided by digital operating models can only be achieved with an intentional unification of people, process and technology."

The International Association of IT Asset Managers advised organizations in March to have a business continuity plan that included information technology asset management and to confirm workers had IT assets that are working properly and accounted for. Organizations without plans including a strong IT asset management component are going to be "sitting ducks for breaches," Barbara Rembiesa, president and CEO of IAITAM said in a March statement.

During the pandemic, the responsibility of getting employees up to speed in using newly introduced digital technology will primarily fall on managers, sources previously told Transport Dive sister publication HR Dive.

Opportunities for employees to upskill and reskill amid this time of crisis should be made available, Jeanne Schad, talent solutions and strategy practice leader at Randstad RiseSmart, said during a April 23 webinar. To tap into skills in an environment "where ideas can emerge," many companies have supported informal entrepreneurial types of learning where workers can contribute in areas that interest them, Schad said.

However, HR leaders and IT leaders will have to also work with each other to analyze how they can improve the employee experience, according to experts. In a remote environment, in particular, they need to "work hand in hand," Sally Stetson, principal and co-founder of executive search firm Salveson Stetson Group, previously told HR Dive.