Firms need to ensure risk-free environment for staff to innovate in post-COVID world: Report

While organisations are increasingly promoting the use of technology to collaborate in a post-COVID world of work, they need to ensure a risk-free environment for the employees to innovate and be creative, says a report. According to the white paper "SmartHR 2021" released by Right Management India, a part of ManpowerGroup India, organisations are far from meeting employee expectations in the new normal.

Overall, organisations have been making progress on aspects like onboarding and digital collaboration, which was the need of the hour after COVID.

"However, we see potential for organisations to improve in the later stages of employee life cycle - enabling digital performance reviews for continuous check-ins, which has been an ongoing challenge," said the study that covered 120 organisations across 10 sectors.


The study covered sectors including IT, manufacturing, services, engineering, BFSI and pharmaceuticals. It said only 47 per cent of the respondents believe that their organisations are offering an environment which is psychologically safe to voice out views and dissent, thereby "limiting divergent perspectives and innovation".

"Digital transformation is occurring at an unprecedented pace - and we strongly believe the changes in the way organisations function will make the role of the 'human resource' function both crucial and complex," said Prashant Pandey, Country Manager, Right Management India.

Pandey further noted that "with parameters for success being redefined with every passing year, the only way forward is by identifying, improvising and implementing systems that help us flourish as we return to work."

As per the study, 76 per cent of respondents believe digital employee experience is vital for their organisation whereas only 49 per cent of the respondents believe that their organisations are making progress.

The study further noted that 78 per cent of the respondents believe that agile talent strategies and using digital in talent management are important, whereas only 41 per cent believe that their organisations are capable of managing the talent for tomorrow using these digital tools.