According to a report by Harvard Business Review, the high turnover rates and the great resignation are being led by middle managers in the 30 to 45 years age group.

The middle management, a pivotal link that helps translate the senior management’s strategy into actions by leading their teams, is probably the most overworked strata of the workforce in an organisation.

Will a digital HR transformation overburden them?

While senior leadership and management are crucial in planning and executing digital HR transformation, having an unstable or unprepared middle management can topple the entire plan. The HR of any organisation looking to initiate a digital transformation must focus on three key areas–

• Building organisational agility and a culture of simplicity
• Digital transformation in middle managers to help them develop resilience, optimism and confidence
• Putting people at the heart of the transformation, well before technology, processes and systems

With the recent boom in technology adoption and the rapidly growing digitisation across industries, middle management is in demand. Though middle managers look like they have comfortable and cushy jobs, they are often burnt out by stress while dealing with internal and external stakeholders. A survey of 9000 employees by a large tech company showed that the middle managers were the most burnt out during the pandemic.

With middle managers already struggling with many duties and responsibilities and very little authority, it becomes even more crucial to prepare them for the digital HR transformation in the organisation.

To help middle managers get on board this transformation journey, it is essential to understand the challenges they face!

Challenges of the Middle Management

The struggles and challenges faced by middle managers often trickle down to their team members while affecting the strategic outcomes envisioned by the senior leadership. The most common of these include to:

• Excessive responsibilities
• Little authority
• Communication responsibilities
• Strategic and leadership issues
• Trying to internalise the strategic agenda of the firm
• Overwhelmed trying to turn top-line strategy into daily work
• Spend too much time on administrative tasks, leaving them very little time to lead

While an organisation tries to inculcate a culture of innovation and creativity across all levels, it is critical to have middle managers who are able to translate these ideas into action. For a successful digital HR transformation, every organisation needs good middle managers with critical skills.

How to Get Your Middle Managers On-Board the Digital HR Transformation Train?

In a world where the role of middle managers has taken a 360-degree turn, from supervisors to leaders who instil a high-performance culture, getting them on board and ready for the digital HR transformation is paramount.

Convincing them to adapt to the ongoing change and take on a few additional responsibilities is challenging. However, here are some ways to lighten their burden, boost their motivation and enable them to see how the transformation will make their jobs easy and increase personal success:

• Create a safe space for transparent and honest feedback

Middle managers are often stuck between large workloads, understanding the strategy that trickles down from senior leadership and communicating the same with their team members. Creating a safe space where middle managers can have a safe space to provide genuine and honest feedback earns their trust and motivates them to hop on the transformation journey.

• Upskilling and continuous learning

Digital HR transformation is new, and every organisation requires a digitally literate workforce who understands technology, processes and systems. To help your middle managers to adapt comfortably to the transformation process, they will need upskilling and appropriate learning modules. Not only does this prepare them for the future of work, but it also instils confidence in their benefits.

• Communicate effectively

Middle managers are often inundated by several meetings throughout their day, leaving little time to think creatively or innovate. Communicating with middle managers about how the digital HR transformation can make their lives easier can help garner their support.

Organisations must also effectively communicate how this digital transformation benefits middle managers and positively impacts their professional work and work-life balance.

• Allow opportunities for growth

Middle managers are always on the lookout for growth in their roles. Digital HR transformations in an organisation often require re-aligning roles and positions and offer an excellent opportunity for high-performing individuals to rise to critical positions. By providing middle managers discover their potential and encouraging them to begin their own leadership journey, you can prepare them for the upcoming digital transformation in the organisation.

• Recognition and rewards

The middle managers are a hard-working cadre of the workforce without whom an organisation can cripple. Rewards and recognition boost employee morale and create a positive work environment for middle managers. It is an effective way to inspire and motivate them to accept this new change positively while being an integral part of its execution.

• Have a career growth plan in place

“What’s in it for me?” is one of the first questions that middle managers think when they are asked to take on a few additional tasks or be a part of an organisation’s transformation process.

Digital HR transformation is an organisation-wide exercise that brings about several changes in roles and responsibilities and offers opportunities for career growth. Having senior managers and the leadership team discuss growth trajectories and plans with middle managers helps them see how this transformation can open up possibilities for growth for them!

Key Takeaway!

Middle management is crucial to the success of an organisation. Preparing these middle managers for the digital HR transformation can maximise results and enable their continuous growth and development in the organisation. If you want to prepare your middle manager for digital transformation, we at Kognoz can help you! Reach out to us today!

References:

• SHRM
• People Matters