The mandate for HR functions is shifting from the urgency of maintaining business continuity during the pandemic to addressing the priorities of the post-pandemic digital world, PwC Middle East research has found. In Qatar, as elsewhere, this shift is gradual but certain.
David Suarez, Partner Consulting, PwC Middle East: “In Qatar, HR functions have been traditionally transactional; however, over the past couple of years we have noticed a desire to transform HR into a value-adding function that shapes talent and develops leaders. HR teams have been exploring digital technologies, from AI-enabled applications to chatbots and digital capability platforms. The pace of this transformation accelerated during the pandemic.”
While the pandemic played a major role, the quickening of transformation’s pace also coincided with an increased acceptance of digital HR technologies among decision makers, and an appreciation that these technologies are secure. For instance, cloud computing and related applications that had been caught in the crosshairs of multiple debates in Qatar’s public sector gradually found an increased acceptance.
Dr Abdulaziz Al-Horr, Director of the Diplomatic Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar: “We are integrating digital in what we do and how we do it; our embassies are going digital, digital diplomacy is taking prominence … At our Diplomatic Institute, the capability programmes on digital platforms have witnessed a massive interest and acceptance.”
HR leaders have shared the key changes they were being asked to make as part of digital transformation are, in order of priority: change in culture and mindset; digital talent and upskilling; digital people practices; and establishing new ways of working.
The success of remote work has reimagined how and where corporate work gets done. PwC’s research into attitudes about remote work has shown that executives and employees agree on a post-pandemic future with a lot more flexibility, yet few are prepared to completely abandon the office space. A key recipe for success is to implement tailored approaches for employees’ ‘footprint requirements at work’ differently depending on their specific roles. Such a tailored approach could work like so:
- Residents: e.g., traders, loan processors, payment processors; target in office: 90-100%
- Collaborators: e.g., product managers, strategy developers, special projects managers; target in office: 30-60%
- Connectors: e.g., HR generalists, marketers; target in office: 30-60%
- Rovers: e.g., relationship managers, credit analysts, general accountants; target in office: 0-20%
Another key aspect of changing work practices is how the employees’ attitude towards financial compensation has changed considerably over the past decade, and the speed of that change has accelerated during the pandemic. The importance of benefits – medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; wellness and supplemental health benefits; and childcare – has doubled. Work–life balance options and training and career development have tripled in relative importance.
For workers, the pandemic has increased stress and anxiety. Employees who reported lower productivity were more likely to cite difficulties in balancing work with home duties, in addition to challenges collaborating with colleagues or accessing information.
Mayank Saxena, Director of Consulting, PwC Qatar: “For HR leaders in Qatar, this poses important questions. Is your employee value proposition fit for the post-pandemic world in terms of compensation, benefits, wellness and well-being? Are you doing enough to train employees to future-proof skills? Are you doing enough for women and employee groups who need well-being support?”
A consensus emerges from the research that this is a pivotal moment for HR, one where HR leaders should start with strategy and be led by purpose. A crucial step in driving this purpose and building trust is to define your digital HR vision, technology strategy and road map. In Qatar, 83% of the organisations said they are currently progressing in their HR journey, while 17% did not seem to have initiated the process.
The PwC Middle East research combined the findings of a digital HR survey (600 responses across the Middle East and 50 respondents from Qatar) with qualitative insights from interviews and a panel discussion with five Qatari HR leaders in June and July 2021, along with research on CEO sentiments, employee attitudes, remote work and the digital divide.
