A Human-Centric Approach to Technological Integration: From Interviews with HR Managers to Guidelines for Their Interventions

Aim/Purpose This paper addresses the need to understand how digital transformation, often framed as a technological process, is concretely translated into human resource management (HRM) practices. It examines how HR managers interpret and manage the organizational, cultural, and skill-related changes associated with digital transformation, situating these practices within the emerging Industry 5.0 landscape. Background While digital transformation is widely discussed in terms of technologies and future skills, less attention has been paid to how these changes are operationalized within everyday HR practices. This study addresses this gap by exploring how HR professionals experience and implement digital transformation in recruitment, talent management, and training. Methodology An exploratory qualitative design was adopted. Data were collected through 14 semi-structured interviews with HR managers, consultants, founders, and innovation managers from organizations of varying sizes across Northern and Central Italy. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis informed by Corbin and Strauss (2008), with coding and constant comparison conducted iteratively.