“Our growth opportunities will be fueled by technology improvements, innovation and advanced data analytics… online remains a key engine of growth for the company. We have trained over 2,500 people in digital this past year across the company,” says the online-division president of a global cosmetics company. This is digitalization in action — a top business priority that demands new talent strategies from human resources (HR) leaders.

But while HR is working hard to reskill employees for the digital age, and find and recruit talent, it’s critical to remember the ultimate goal is to better position the organization to pursue its digital ambitions successfully — and that also requires innovation.

When HR can improve the innovative effectiveness of the organization, annual revenue can increase by as much as $8,800 per employee

“When it comes to how HR reinvents itself in the digital age, HR’s job is not simply to recruit, retain and develop digital talent but also to support their CEO’s priorities,” says Brian Kropp, Group Vice President, Gartner. “CEOs want to know how to improve the innovative effectiveness of their organizations. And CEOs are right to want this outcome. When HR can improve the innovative effectiveness of the organization, annual revenue can increase by as much as $8,800 per employee.”