4 Human-Centric

Solutions to
HR Leaders’
Most Pressing
Challenges

eBook
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Executive
Summary
People are arguably any organisation’s most important assets, and it’s
the job of the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and other HR
leaders to ensure each employee is set up for success. From pay and
benefits to career growth and even mental health, the CHRO and their
teams support and advocate for each worker from initial contact to
exit interview.

That’s a lot of responsibility, and it’s only gotten more challenging over
the last few years. Even though the pandemic fundamentally changed
the business landscape, its most consequential repercussions may
be evident in how it has impacted each worker personally, and the
subsequent ripple effects it’s had on their professional lives.

The blurring of the personal and professional isn’t a new phenomenon.

Because these experiences can’t be compartmentalised, HR leaders
must create spaces and solutions for the whole person. Even a cursory
glance at the latest headlines will give you an idea of what CHROs are
up against: The Great Resignation. Quiet quitting. Economic instability.
Knowledge, skills and technology gaps. Remote vs. in-person. The list
goes on.

CHROs are facing modern challenges that require modern solutions.

Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom. The human spirit has yet again
proven to be doggedly determined, finding new and innovative ways to
survive and even thrive amid difficult circumstances.

This paper explores four of those challenges—and how CHROs should

approach them in a human-centric way, harnessing resilience and
innovation to build a better business by better empowering people.

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1 Mental health
In the relentless pursuit of profit, organisations and their leaders
have often prioritised a hard-driving culture to achieve short-term
success. But this mentality reduces people to producers and results
in burnout, disengagement and high turnover. Leaders who fail to see
the humanity of each worker will eventually experience the long-term
failure of hustle culture, which is ultimately bad for the bottom line.

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1 / Mental Health After the turmoil of the last couple of years, the mindset that puts profit over people has reached
a tipping point. Workers are pushing back, in many cases openly, leading to what’s been called the
Great Resignation. A recent study shows that one in five workers globally is planning to quit in 2022.
Unsurprisingly, these workers listed compensation as the top reason for their pending departure. However,
the second and third reasons are more revealing: trouble finding job fulfilment and lacking the ability to be
one’s true self at work. Those last two reasons are certainly intangible compared to pay, but they’re no less
important to creating a positive work environment for everyone.

In addition to resigning, workers are pushing back in another, less obvious way: “quiet quitting.” This
newly coined term can mean slightly different things, but generally, it’s about employees deciding they’re
only going to do the bare minimum their job requires. This response can be a symptom of burnout, or
simply pushback against the fallacy of the idea that putting in more time and effort will lead directly to
proportional salary increases and career advancement.

The human-centric solution for workplace

mental health: Empathy
If workers aren’t functioning well, for whatever reason, it hurts the business. But leaders can’t view
their struggles through a purely business lens. Naturally, mental health is a complex issue without a
one-size-fits-all solution. And as each person’s struggle is slightly different, the possible remedies
must also be varied and flexible. To be clear, while CHROs need to build empathy into the culture
of the company and the day-to-day workplace experience, they can only go so far in offering help.
Primarily, this takes the form of making professional mental health resources available to employees.

But that’s not the totality of the solution. Empathy has to be at the heart of helping employees
through burnout and disengagement. Any approach to these problems should start with open lines
of communication, which means asking questions and actively listening. While it may seem glib to
instruct managers to listen to their employees, it’s not as easy as it sounds. It’s up to leaders to foster
that mentality from the top down, putting processes in place that make space and time for beneficial
dialogue and feedback.

Here are a few ideas for building an empathetic workplace:

– Ask employees what will be fulfilling and find novel ways to weave that into their responsibilities.

– Conduct regular manager-employee check-ins and quarterly reviews that prioritise progress based
on these goals.

– Make mental health training mandatory for leaders, covering the importance of the well-being of
their employees and what to do if they see signs of distress—while offering regular workshops and
seminars for employees.

– Be mindful of workloads and don’t overburden employees with manual, repetitive tasks that can
be automated.

– Offer access to physical health, wellness and other stress-reducing activities, encourage frequent
breaks throughout the day and normalise taking time off to recharge.

– Normalise mental health discussions and encourage employees to use all the available tools

– Create opportunities for employees to build social connections and strong bonds with each other
during work hours.

– Prioritise and promote work-life balance.

Happy employees lead to happy customers, leaders, investors and so on. To keep this virtual circle
functioning, it’s critical to strategically align leaders, culture initiatives, management practices and
resources to support the mental health and well-being of employees. These are essential to setting a
cultural baseline and showing your workers that you care.

4 Human-Centric Solutions to HR Leaders’ 4

Most Pressing Challenges
2 Workforce flexibility
Flexibility is really about choice and freedom. They’re two very
powerful levers for employers to offer and employees to pull. Hybrid
work arrangements—the flexibility to work where and when you
want—have been around for decades, but generally haven’t been
widespread. They’ve recently increased exponentially, supercharged
by the pandemic and ubiquitous technologies that make any time,
anywhere connectivity seamless.

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2 / Workforce flexibility

Organisations that can’t or won’t offer that flexibility are less likely to attract and retain top talent. A recent
Pulse survey found that 80 percent of workers want flexibility in where they work and 94 percent when
they work. The myriad reasons these percentages are so high include avoiding long commutes, cubicle
farms, micromanagement and productivity theatre.

Just as with mental health considerations, every individual has different reasons for wanting the flexibility
of hybrid work arrangements, and the degree to which they want to utilise them. It’s up to organisations to
figure out the best way forward, considering factors like real estate costs, attrition rates, health and safety,
overall morale and IT capabilities. And while some roles simply must be in-person, there are still ways to
offer flexibility, such as shift preferences or even four-day workweeks, which are currently showing positive
results in a large U.K. study.

The human-centric solution for workforce flexibility: Parity

It’s clear that employees want choice. But for organisations and HR leaders, there are potentially
considerable downsides to getting it wrong. We’ve all seen or experienced the growing pains of
companies forced to transition to virtual communications practically overnight. But lurking behind
those often hilarious and cringeworthy moments are real dangers that include security vulnerabilities,
inequitable treatment, disengagement and sapped productivity.

Ironically, these are the things virtual communication tools and other process digitisation and
automation software are meant to address. CHROs must work closely with IT and other leaders to
implement these solutions strategically and securely, ensuring a seamless and integrated digital
experience. Too many overlapping tools without integrations can lead to frustration at best and
increased risk at worst.

Additionally, hybrid workforce flexibility means connecting to the organisation’s network from
anywhere, at any time, with innumerable devices. While that’s great for employee work-life balance
and flexibility, it can be a nightmare for the IT department. CHROs and other leaders should look to
codify and standardise “experience parity,” which IDC defines as creating a “comparable experience
for a hybrid workforce by ensuring that all workers securely interact with corporate resources
(including people) with a consistent experience and context across locations.” According to IDC, most
companies haven’t achieved this, so there’s a lot of room for improvement.

CHROs shouldn’t view experience parity as strictly an IT challenge. They should take an active role
in helping to ensure that everyone has the same flexible options and connection capabilities. They
should also offer regular manager training about how to treat and evaluate all employees equally no
matter where, when or how they’re connecting and collaborating.

Another suggestion is to create leadership positions and teams dedicated to the success of hybrid
work arrangements. Innovative companies and HR leaders are embracing this trend, creating roles like
“Head of Team Anywhere” and “VP of Product Management and Flexible Work.”

Giving employees true choice and flexibility improves their work-life balance, decreases stress and
ultimately results in happier employees and a healthier bottom line.

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3 Diversity, inclusion,
belonging and equity
Diversity, inclusion, belonging and equity (DIBE) in the workplace
has come a long way. Once only a subset of HR, many organisations
now feature standalone DIBE departments that provide a core
function and are vital to the success of the business. But a historical
perspective may only serve to obfuscate the reality that there’s still a
lot of work to be done to make the workplace truly diverse, equitable
and inclusive.

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3 / Diversity, inclusion,
belonging and equity

The DIBE acronym (also referred to as D&I, DE&I, ID&E, ED&I, JEDI, IDEA and DIB) is now commonplace,
but it’s important to know what each term means in the workplace context:

Diversity
The differences between people that make
them unique and uniquely valuable. Diversity
not only includes how one identifies (gender,
race, sexual orientation, etc.) but also one’s
experience (education, industry, position, tenure,
skills), background (where and how they grew
up, cultural and socio-economic conditions, etc.),
working styles (how one processes information,
makes decisions, communicates and
collaborates with others) and so much more.
Belonging
A critical aspect of workplace culture. It’s a
continuous experience where all employees feel
empowered to bring their full, authentic selves
to work—and are seen, valued and respected.
Inclusion
A type of work environment where policies,
practices, systems and behaviours create
safe spaces for employees to be themselves,
encourage diverse contributions and enable
organisations to harness the collective power of
diverse teams.
Equity
The outcome of fair, consistent and well-
socialised systems and processes that enable
individual success.

Although embracing DIBE seems a no-brainer for any business, a focus on DIBE is not just about
profitability or goodwill alone. It’s equally about fostering a work environment where accountability is
owned and modelled by senior, executive leadership that enables all employees to contribute to their
potential, while feeling valued and appreciated for who they are as much as what they contribute to an
organisation. When this happens, there are significant employee experience and business benefits that
include increased employee satisfaction, productivity, innovation and retention.

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3 / Diversity, inclusion,
belonging and equity

A focus on diversity is a very important first step.

Diversity builds beneficial networks.
Balanced and diverse teams bring new networks into a company that can be used to attract talent, build
business relationships and sell products.

Diverse leadership brings the right skills at the right time.

Studies show differing styles in an organisation bring essential qualities that matter as a company grows—
aggressive, action-oriented approaches tempered by collaboration, listening and tolerance, for example.

Diversity provides insight into the customer.

Most companies sell to an increasingly diverse customer base; mapping experiences, perspectives and
networks internally to better mirror customers drives increased sales.

But a focus on diversity alone is not sufficient, as diversity in the broadest sense is an outcome of an
environment that fosters inclusion and yields belonging. Without inclusion, the crucial connections that
attract diverse talent, encourage their participation, foster innovation, and lead to business growth
won’t happen.

According to a recent Deloitte study, employees are

placing more importance on inclusion than ever before.

71% 39% 23%

of respondents would of respondents would leave of respondents have already
prefer an organisation their current organisation for left an organisation for a
that demonstrates a more inclusive one. more inclusive one, including
inclusive behaviours with 30 percent of millennial
inconsistent inclusion respondents.
programs, as opposed
to high-quality inclusion
programming with
inconsistent inclusive
behaviours.

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3 / Diversity, inclusion,
belonging and equity
The human-centric solution to ensure
DIBE success: Trust
Simply put, organisations that embrace and embody the core tenets of DIBE are more successful at
enabling a rich, inclusive experience for their employees, prospects and customers. Innovation thrives
in environments where diverse perspectives are valued and employees feel they’re able to contribute
to their potential. Additionally, organisations reap the productivity and retention benefits of an
employee population that’s motivated, engaged and feels their contributions matter.

The first responsibility for CHROs to enable employees to be their whole, authentic selves in
the workplace is to build trust. They must foster an inclusive workplace culture that recognises
everyone’s individuality, creates safe spaces for the expression of different perspectives and fosters
an environment where employee differences are respected. That requires a level of vulnerability and
transparency, which can feel intimidating. But this can be achieved by identifying and mitigating
bias (implicit and unconscious) embedded throughout the various touchpoints in the employee
experience (i.e., recruiting, hiring, onboarding, performance feedback, promotion process) and in the
organisation’s systems, processes and policies—thus driving equity experiences for all.

Putting this kind of mutual trust into practice can be daunting, but it all starts simply—with listening.
Leaders have to be good listeners. Too often, the temptation is to lead by talking at people, which
doesn’t leave any space for differing viewpoints. When people need to be heard, leaders should
create forums for discussions and use them as listening and learning opportunities. Sometimes what
leaders hear in these open discussions will be uncomfortable. This discomfort should lead to self-
reflection and organisational change to ensure all systems and operating procedures—in theory and
in practice—are inclusive and provide equitable access to opportunities for all employees.

There are many ways to build a sustainable and impactful DIBE strategy that
can get traction within an organisation. Here are some tactics CHROs and their
organisations should consider:
– Use data-driven analytics to understand where you are today and set achievable goals

– Invest money and resources into DIBE initiatives

– Write a DIBE mission statement and policy, making it a strategic priority

– Create roles and teams dedicated to DIBE

– Fund and champion employee resource groups (ERGs)

– Identify and mitigate bias (implicit and unconscious) in systems and processes

– Implement several avenues for employee, partner and customer feedback

– Include every single employee in well-designed DIBE training

– Gain executive leadership buy-in and support

– Define systems of accountability for employees at all levels to be more inclusive

– Track and share progress made toward DIBE initiatives

People want to work for diverse, equitable and inclusive organisations where they can truly belong. CHROs
can make sure their companies can fully support and reap the benefits of successful DIBE initiatives by
using data-driven insights to drive the DIBE strategy, clearly defining and communicating DIBE success
metrics that are connected to the broader business and people strategy, ensuring DIBE initiatives are
supported with funding and resources to be successful, and by championing an inclusive culture that’s
rooted in fairness and respect.

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4 Digitally transforming
employee experiences
Digital technologies are now ubiquitous. Whether personally or
professionally, we’re constantly using digital devices and apps to
conduct the business of life. As covered previously, these technologies
have provided support to the remote and hybrid work boom, and
their rapid advancement has resulted in a technological skills gap. We
now expect the convenience of digital and buy into its promises of
increased productivity and speed.

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4 / Digitally transforming
employee experiences

But there’s an ugly truth hiding behind those promises: digital tools can actually hinder productivity and
increase frustration if they’re not deployed strategically and used intelligently. According to Gartner, most
workers toggle between apps 10 times an hour, amounting to 32 days per worker per year. These same
workers also spend 25 percent of their time searching for information they need to do their jobs. Too often,
rapid digitisation can have the opposite of its intended impact.

CHROs and their teams aren’t immune to this problem. A recent PwC survey found that 68 percent
of CHROs plan to invest in digital transformation initiatives this year, and nearly half will increase
automation. Despite the growing trend of digitising and automating the entire HR workflow, many
organisations still rely on highly manual processes that yield inefficient, clunky employee experiences.
And employees aren’t the only ones suffering. Without fully digital streamlined processes, HR teams
slog through hours of manual processes or a patchwork of paper and digital tools to manage critical
agreements, including new hire paperwork, candidate NDAs and offer letters. This can cost a company
qualified, in-demand candidates.

Digital tools and automated processes are no longer optional; they’re the baseline expectation of
employees and candidates. But haphazardly implementing these technologies will result in inefficiencies,
frustration and loss of productivity.

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4 / Digitally transforming
employee experiences
The human-centric solution to transforming
the HR digital landscape: Humans
Organisations and HR leaders should know that they must fully embrace digital transformation.
Recruiting, hiring, training and retaining top talent is becoming increasingly competitive as technology
has levelled the playing field, and more workers are empowered to dedicate their careers to companies
that care about their livelihood, fulfilment and upward mobility. The stakes are simply too high not to
offer consistent, convenient, streamlined interactions no matter where, when or how people connect
and collaborate.

The key to a successful HR digital transformation is its humanity. That may seem counterintuitive,
but because it’s people who use these tools, HR leaders need to put people at the centre of any
technology implementation. Yet again, open and honest communication is crucial to success. Leadership
should incorporate constant opportunities for feedback during the planning, implementation, usage
and renewal of all digital tools.

In a time of economic uncertainty and reduced budgets, CHROs and other HR leaders may be tempted
to add a digital, automated solution on top of an inefficient, underlying manual process. Or maybe
they just trudge along with existing, overlapping tools that require redundant steps. Any time a digital
solution inconveniences people—employees and candidates alike—with unnecessary or redundant
tasks, frustrated users will take their time and money elsewhere.

While it may seem like the only possible solution to this quagmire is a single streamlined HR platform
that does everything, that’s not the case. Although those platforms exist and should be considered,
they’re unrealistic in most cases for HR departments dealing with a historical patchwork of digital and
manual solutions.

CHROs should look first for opportunities to maximise and consolidate their existing investments, and
cut any ineffective and unnecessary tools or processes. But they have to accomplish these aims while
ensuring that each surviving tool serves a specific purpose and integrates well into the overall HR
workflow. Delighting people with efficient, integrated digital HR experiences will go a long way toward
long-term brand loyalty.

Whether CHROs are considering wholesale or gradual changes, another important way to harness the
digital revolution is to gather and analyse all the data these HR systems—and employee and customer
conversations—are generating. Data will help determine not only where the department’s efforts are
paying off but also where they aren’t. And if you’re making a case for increasing investment in HR digital
transformation, this data will prove invaluable.

Humanity is the solution

CHROs are facing a plethora of pressing challenges in today’s workplace. From workforce flexibility
and modernisation to DE&I and mental health, leaders must harness digital tools to meet these
modern issues head-on. But no single technology exists that can solve the underlying problem of being
constantly connected, yet feeling more disconnected than ever.

As our personal and professional lives continue blurring, CHROs must implement policies and design
systems that recognise, welcome and value the whole person. Humanity is the tie that binds all of
these challenges—and their solutions—together. People want to be seen and heard, and treated fairly
no matter our differences—that’s what unites us. When CHROs and their organisations strive to be
human-centric in every decision they make, people will respond accordingly, leading to a happier and
healthier workforce and bottom line.

Learn more about DocuSign solutions for HR teams.

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