Human capital is key, but also the biggest challenge on the road to a successful digital transformation

‘Digital for All’ online learning pathway helps fuel appetite for all things digital

By Sarah Quataert

Senior Researcher, Human Resource Management

26 April 2023

Digital transformation continues to pose a challenge for a great many organisations. Research suggests that, in terms of infrastructure and technology, things are generally going in the right direction. However, the challenge often lies in getting every employee across the organisation on board with this digital narrative. It is this human capital that can truly make the difference in getting a digital transformation to work in a sustainable manner. To address this, Vlerick Business School, with support from the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Flemish Government, has developed ‘Digital for All’, an online learning pathway allowing employees to work on their digital growth mindset, at their own pace, through eight dedicated modules.

weg-insights-allemaal-digitaal-growth-mindset

Beyond technology – towards becoming more digitally-minded

The HR Barometer – an annual survey conducted by Vlerick Business School and Hudson with HR managers from Belgium’s 200 biggest employers – reaffirms, year after year, that digital transformation remains high on the agenda. Yet despite this sense of priority, there appears to be an overall lack of the type of knowledge required to get the ball rolling, with HR professionals lacking the relevant tools to do so.

Sarah Quataert, Senior Researcher, Human Resources at Vlerick, explains the wider context: ‘Getting people on board is crucial to ensuring a successful digital transformation. However, this in itself is quite a challenge. This is reflected by the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), which assesses a country's digital maturity and performance according to a broad set of indicators. Overall, Belgium seems to be doing very well from a global perspective, currently ranking ninth in terms of digital potential and performance. However, if we zoom in on the more human dimensions, such as digital skills, we are scoring considerably lower. After all, digital transformation goes far beyond mere infrastructure and technology. While you can digitise your strategy or processes, if you fail to get everyone on board, ultimately you won't be able to achieve your pre-defined strategic business objectives.’

Developing a digital growth mindset

Everyone within your company has a role to play in the digital transformation story. To get everyone aboard this digital train, you need to focus on triggering their digital appetites, developing a wider digital growth mindset. However, the number of tools and initiatives to realise this is limited. This is where ‘Digital For All’ comes in.

Dirk Buyens, Professor, Human Resources at Vlerick Business School: ‘This tool starts from the bottom up, promoting enthusiasm and engagement for all things digital. We want to give people the push they need to become self-assured in taking an active role within the digital transformation story. But it goes much further than that. Studies by the WEF and the OECD show that huge changes in the workplace are afoot. Digitisation is not only radically changing the way we work, but also what exactly is expected of employees. New jobs are being created, while existing ones are changing. We are moving from more transactional to more dynamic jobs, where people are starting to proactively incorporate things that were not in their job description when they first started. All of this requires a fundamentally different skill set.’

Work towards digital growth at your own pace through eight dedicated online modules

‘Digital for All’ is an online learning pathway enabling knowledge-based workers to work on their digital growth mindset at their own pace. While the course is made up of eight interconnected modules, you can also combine them individually to create a course tailored to your specific needs. This pathway provides employees with tangible tools to help steer their careers in the right direction and make a greater impact when it comes to digitalisation projects. This ranges from becoming more comfortable with digital technologies to understanding how digital transformation affects your job and career. The ultimate goal is to raise employees' digital self-confidence, as well as their growth mindset.

Sarah Quataert: ‘The tool was developed on the back of qualitative research, in which we interviewed a large number of HR professionals, experts, trade unions and employees. We also worked intensively with Baloise, VDAB and Vivo, as well as UCB, who were involved in the development through design sprints and co-creation sessions. Initial results are promising, with nearly 8 out of 10 participants saying they would recommend ‘Digital for All’ to others. Upon completion, they report feeling confident in applying their new skills and learnings to take tangible action, with their digital growth mindset averaging 81%.’

Overcoming digital misconceptions

Lastly, ‘Digital for All’ also serves to counter some commonly held misconceptions around having a digital mindset.

1/ People don't want to jump on the digital bandwagon

The qualitative research that was done before the tool's creation revealed little by way of active resistance to digitisation. However, there are many who remain unenthused or do not feel actively involved. The key lies in giving this large group of doubters a push in the right direction. By whetting their digital appetite, they can start taking more active roles in the process.

2/ Digital transformation is only for C-level, IT and technical experts

Research shows that everyone can and should play a role, even if, naturally, these roles are all different in nature. While some roles are more substantial than others, everyone can contribute in their own way.

3/ You can't teach an old dog new tricks

There is a perception that more senior employees are less inclined towards (digital) change. However, things are not quite so black and white. Everyone can play a role – it's just that the scope of play, expectations and active contribution can vary from person to person.

4/ Everyone already has the digital skills they need

One misconception, particularly when it comes to school leavers, is to assume that a digital mindset is something that is innate or organic. Feedback from younger ‘Digital for All’ participants shows that they too are seeking the right tools to help get started on digital transformation in their respective organisations. As such, it remains important for HR to give everyone the time and space needed for training in this regard.

5/ Providing technical training is enough to develop digital skills

The project has shown that simply developing technical skills is not enough. What's more, these tend to be more transient in nature. So you also need to invest in more generic skills, such as mindset, culture, autonomy, collaboration and lifelong learning, to get people on board in a sustainable manner. Indeed, we are talking about a multifaceted approach here.