The majority, or 82%, of UK HR leaders, say their workforce needs to improve its skills in order to get the most out of digital transformation, according to research from Capita Resourcing.

Capita’s research suggests that UK organisations are hampering their digital transformation efforts by overlooking the people and skills aspects of transformation and focusing too heavily on technology. A third said they felt that culture and people have been a key focus in their transformation strategies up until now, and 35% stated that skills had been prioritised.

Meanwhile, most HR leaders (94%) report difficulties accessing the skills their organisation requires to support its transformation objectives. More than a third (36%) of businesses are suffering due to a lack of leadership skills and experience of running change programmes, while 35% are finding it difficult to predict future jobs and skills requirements. A further 29% are held back by a lack of digital skills amongst their workforce and 28% are hampered by a lack of access to high quality digital talent.

“Organisations must start to realise that transformation always needs to be workforce-driven, and it’s therefore essential that the HR department plays an important role, to identify and access the skills required at each stage of the journey, from planning and design, through the change programme itself, and beyond,” Geoff Smith, Executive Director at Capita Resourcing, said.