It is time to reimagine human resource management (HRM) to facilitate and embrace the digital transformation of social security institutions. This is a key message in the new report Rebooting the social security workforce by the International Social Security Association (ISSA).
The new report describes how the COVID-19 pandemic represents a watershed moment in social security administration, pushing forward new ways of working and the digitalization of processes and services. As the report says, “In one fell swoop, teleworking, online platforms, and mobile apps replaced face-to-face, paper‑based transactions.”
Digital technologies are radically transforming the nature of work and the workplace, and the report outlines a number of trends that are reshaping the future of human resources (HR). The institution’s digital journey poses a two-pronged challenge to HRM and the institution’s HR unit, namely:
- To align, upskill, and keep up to speed staff skills, capacities, and competencies with the institution’s HR needs in the digital journey
- To reboot the HRM function by the application of new technologies
The ISSA has facilitated the sharing of knowledge and good practices on these trends and developments through a series of webinars and analytical articles, and is now working on the development of new ISSA Guidelines on Human Resource Management in Social Security, which will be presented at the World Social Security Forum in Marrakech, Morocco, in October 2022. The report on Rebooting the social security workforce forms a background for these guidelines.
The report touches on the issues addressed by the ISSA Webinar: Managing human resources in an ever-evolving context – A European perspective on 9 June 2022.