HR strategic role: From a purely private/public cloud to a hybrid cloud setup

The hybrid cloud market was valued at $52.16 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $145 billion by 2026. — Mordor Intelligence

94% of enterprises today operate in de facto hybrid environments with a mix of public cloud, private cloud, traditional IT, and countless SaaS applications. — IBM 

80% of organizations with a multi-cloud strategy use hybrid cloud platforms. — Flexera

The rapid evolution of cloud technology has revolutionized how organizations store and manage their data. As cloud adoption continues to soar, businesses increasingly seek hybrid cloud solutions to optimize their IT infrastructure and achieve greater agility and efficiency. Hybrid cloud solutions offer greater flexibility, enhanced security, reduced costs, increased innovation, and improved business agility. However, the move to a hybrid cloud model requires careful planning and execution, and this is where HR plays a pivotal role.

In this blog post, we explore the strategic role that HR can play in helping organizations navigate the transition from purely private/public cloud to hybrid cloud setups. We look at the key challenges in this process and the best practices HR can follow to successfully transition to a hybrid cloud architecture.

While a hybrid cloud environment provide many benefits to organizations, there are situations where its implementation may not go as planned, leading to negative outcomes. This was the case for Capital One, a financial institution that experienced a major data breach in 2019 after moving some of its data to the cloud.

The incident was a disaster for Capital One, leading to a significant loss of customer trust, legal action, and damage to the company’s reputation. While the hybrid cloud architecture was not necessarily the problem, the way it was implemented and secured contributed to the data breach.

Several potential issues can arise when setting up a hybrid cloud in an organization, and HR can play a critical role in avoiding or mitigating these issues. Here are some common problems and steps HR can take to prevent or address them:

One of the most common issues when implementing a hybrid cloud is a lack of communication between different teams and stakeholders involved in the project. HR must ensure that all parties involved clearly understand their roles and responsibilities and facilitate regular communication to ensure everyone is on the same page.

The digital transformation process is often a challenging experience for employees, as they may feel pressured to meet new targets and expectations while adapting to new technologies. High stress levels can exacerbate these challenges, leading to increased employee turnover and ultimately causing digital transformation projects to fail.

McKinsey senior partner Harry Robinson found that as much as 70% of digital transformation projects fail due to employee resistance. Therefore, it is important to note that employees may resist the changes a hybrid cloud solution brings. HR can work with IT to develop a change management plan that includes employee training and communication to help employees understand the benefits of new technology and adapt to changes.

Moving data and applications to a hybrid cloud environment can introduce new security and compliance risks. Data from the Cost of a Data Breach 2022 report by IBM and the Ponemon Institute shows that the average cost of a data breach in a hybrid cloud environment was $3.61 million in 2021.

Technical errors can significantly impact an organization’s transition to a hybrid cloud setup, causing delays and downtime and potentially resulting in data loss or breaches. Technical errors can also lead to decreased employee productivity, increased frustration, and a loss of confidence in new technology, impeding the transition.

When an organization transitions to a hybrid cloud setup, employees must have the necessary technical skills to manage and operate in the new environment. However, there can be a technical skills gap within the organization, where existing employees may not have the required skills and knowledge for the new technology. This can lead to technical errors, inefficiencies, and increased costs.

By addressing these key challenges head-on, HR can help to ensure that the organization is well-positioned to leverage the benefits of a hybrid cloud environment through greater flexibility, enhanced security, reduced costs, increased innovation, and improved business agility. Ultimately, the success of the transition to a hybrid cloud depends on a collaborative effort between IT and HR teams as well as a willingness to embrace change and adapt to the rapidly evolving cloud computing landscape.

HR’s role in setting up a hybrid cloud in an organization may not be immediately apparent, as this type of initiative is typically led by the IT department. However, HR can play a critical role in ensuring the project’s success by focusing on the following areas:

HR can maximize successful talent acquisition while helping the organization’s transition to a hybrid cloud setup by identifying the skills and knowledge required for these new technical positions. HR can also analyze skills gaps to identify existing employees’ training or development needs and ensure employees have the necessary skills for the new hybrid cloud environment. These can include technical skills related to cloud technology and soft skills such as adaptability and collaboration.

HR can collaborate with the IT department and other stakeholders to develop job descriptions and qualifications for the new job roles and identify qualified candidates through a targeted recruitment strategy. HR can then support new employees by providing onboarding and training to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed. By prioritizing talent acquisition during the transition to a hybrid cloud setup, HR can help the organization build a strong, capable team to support new technology and drive business success.