When we say digitalization in HR, what is the first thing that actually comes to your mind?
EV: I immediately think of simplification and speeding up work, meaning less paperwork and the automation of routine tasks. This gives us more time for truly personal and targeted work with people. Simply put, for me, digitalization represents efficiency and the associated positive changes (and often the elimination of stress).
MK: The easy answer would be to have all important documents just one click away. But there is more to it in our HR department. Besides classic HR processes, we also manage internal communication, where we daily tackle challenges typical for a manufacturing company – primarily how to get information truly everywhere, even if some colleagues do not have a company device.
How would you briefly describe the state of digitalization in your company?
EV: As a leading Czech IT company that digitalizes and simplifies our customers' processes with its products, I must say that we also digitalize internally. In our HR department, this is even easier because we use our own HR system, OKbase, which covers most personnel agendas. What's more, we have top-tier IT colleagues around us who always help us when needed, which is invaluable. On the other hand, our department is the first tester of new system versions for them, so this is how we can pay them back.
MK: I think we have moved light years ahead recently. We are still not a bank or an IT company; we are a manufacturing company, and this brings specific complications where digitalization logically runs into obstacles. However, whether it was the implementation of MS 365 or the HR system OKbase, we are well on our way to being categorized as a digital manufacturing company.
Which HR process has undergone the biggest digital transformation at your company?
EV: Unquestionably, the onboarding and induction processes. For example, we introduce newcomers to the company culture digitally—using informative videos featuring our avatars, which are permanently available on the intranet. This is a huge relief! We don't have to repeat the basics, and we gain space to focus only on what is essential during in-person meetings: building relationships and addressing individual details. Onboarding is thus seamless, modern, and most importantly, human.
MK: For us, it is undoubtedly the management of routine personnel processes. Even before OKbase, we had a system, but it was cumbersome and essentially unusable for ordinary employees. Now we can fully manage things like attendance, remote bonus management, and the annual cycle of tax returns has also significantly improved. Education has also undergone changes—thanks to our LMS system, Aero Academy, we can assign online training to anyone, including colleagues in blue-collar positions who do not have a company device. Simply put, we can set digital goals that were not realistic just a few years ago.
MK: For me personally, it's attendance management—the ability to approve attendance or even close it anytime and from anywhere was a game changer. Digitalization also brings us great relief in education; we are in the phase of converting all in-person training that is not legally required to be face-to-face into an online format. The place where I absolutely don't want to fully let digitalization in is, for example, our company magazine, Ranvej. Yes, we do have it in a digital form, but when a fresh edition arrives from the printer and you hold that fragrant, colorful paper in your hand—no screen can ever replace that feeling.
In your opinion, how does the digitalization of HR differ between a manufacturing company and an IT company?
EV: For myself, I have to say that in an IT company, digitalization is perceived more as a matter of course. Employees are used to working with technology, and they often even actively demand modern tools for managing various agendas.
MK: I would be tempted to say that it differs in almost everything, but that actually wouldn't be entirely true. We differ in the availability of digital technologies, but the core of everything is always people, after all. That is why I would rather turn the question around and say where it is similar: If people aren't open, you could glue the information to their forehead, and they still wouldn't absorb it. You simply have to engage people and build a relationship with them that they will believe in.
What are the biggest advantages/disadvantages of HR digitalization that you perceive?
EV: I mainly perceive huge advantages: saving time and costs, less error rate, better overview, and data availability... Regarding the disadvantages, we must not forget that not all employees are equally technologically skilled. It is always necessary to ensure that new tools are intuitive and that quality support is available for them.
MK: The biggest advantage of digitalization, in my opinion, is the easy availability of information for a large number of people at the same time. Information spreads quickly and uniformly. However, the disadvantage is also clear. What is sent or published once is difficult to correct or take back afterward. All of us who send mass emails know this—any mistake immediately has a major impact.
Marcela Kalousová, Head of Employee Development & Engagement in Aero Vodochody
And conversely, do you see any risks of digitalization?
EV: Yes, we perceive this side as well. One of the main risks is depersonalization, where the employee must not disappear behind a completed form. There is also the risk of tool overload and the associated "digital fatigue." It often happens that inefficient processes are merely converted into a digital form instead of being simplified first. We primarily view digitalization as an aid, not a replacement for human contact. We automate administration, but we build relationships in person.
MK: We won't survive by being only digital. For us, as HR, and consequently the communication department, personal contact always comes first. Digitalization is a tool that helps us, but going out to people in the production hall, having a coffee with them, and discussing how life is going will always be one of the strongest communication tools.
HR is still mainly about people—how do you maintain personal contact when everything is online?
EV: We consider maintaining personal contact to be crucial, which is why we don't rely only on digital channels. Internal events work great for us—whether sports, educational, or leisure activities. We regularly organize company breakfasts and teambuildings, and we support employees in sports activities or participation in charity tournaments. All of this is supplemented by individual 1:1 meetings and development interviews, where we get feedback and can also address more personal topics.
MK: Simply put—don't have everything online (laughs). It's great to have things online that simplify our work, shorten the necessary time, or speed up processes. But it doesn't work for everything. Here at Aero, for example, we go to a campsite somewhere twice a year on weekends. It's not mandatory; nobody cuts your bonuses for not participating, and that makes it more valuable. People you don't normally have a chance to meet dedicate the most valuable thing they have to you—their free time. That is where bonds are built and trust is created.
What is your "digital guilty pleasure"—an application or tool you can no longer imagine working without?
EV: For me, it is the company intranet, which is the main information channel for our employees and where you can find a truly colorful mix of information. Personally, I swear by OneNote, where I write down absolutely everything, from meetings to ideas. This gives me a single place where I can easily look up any information from my phone or laptop.
MK: I probably won't please our IT department, but I can no longer imagine working without AI. It’s not about an inability to write something. It's about the fact that when I don't have to check grammar for an hour, I have an hour for creative work that might push our communication further or entertain colleagues. And in that, AI is unbeatable. And then, of course, the calendar, because what I don't write down doesn't exist.
Do you have any final advice for fellow HR professionals who are still hesitant about digitalization?
EV: My advice would be clear: start with small steps. Digitalization is not the goal—it is a tool that helps us do HR better. I would definitely use my favorite quote here, which fits perfectly: "It's not hard, it's just new." New things certainly bring the necessity of adaptation, but they will bring enormous relief.
MK: I doubt there is any HR professional left who is hesitant—you have to digitize, whether you want to or not. So, it is always better to find the path that will be most comfortable for you rather than having someone dictate it. Go for it! Just a small step is enough, and it will start snowballing. My colleague and I dreamed up our Aero Academy four years ago in the kitchenette. Now we have 1,700 employees online, and the percentage of training completed after the deadline is around 2%. It makes sense—but don't forget that behind the screen or display, there is still just a person. Sometimes, just get up and go have a coffee with them. It's worth it.
You can read the complete article In Czech on the Hospodářské noviny website.