4 Questions to help you keep pace with the change of technology
By Melanie Crow
The past nine months have presented some of the most significant challenges many HR professionals have faced in their careers. Balancing employees’ needs and the needs of the business in a pandemic has pushed the limits of efficiency, endurance, and even emotional well-being. Whether leading in a work-from-home or work-on-the-front-lines environment, or both, HR leaders have navigated new territory day after day.
While the uncertainty and the new “never normal” will likely continue for some time to come, there is also a sense that it is time to turn to the task of figuring out what’s next. Leaders are strategizing what needs to happen to wrap up 2020 and plan for a new year that will undoubtedly present unexpected challenges but also opportunities.
One of the most significant opportunities for HR leaders in 2021 is harnessing the power of modern technology to meet the mid- and post-pandemic needs of their organizations. While technology has long been an important tool for successful HR teams, it’s become increasingly important as workers transition to remote work where traditional communications and workflows become challenging.
Before the New Year, take time to reevaluate your technology portfolio and make a plan to optimize, upgrade, or supplement your systems to ensure they support your 2021 HR strategy, address today’s HR challenges, and provide the best return on your investment.
- What do you need now that you didn’t need nine months ago?
With the better part of a year filled with unexpected challenges and changes, now is the time to understand the impact those changes have had on your own processes and technology requirements.
Schedule time for strategic thinking about what is working really well and where you may be experiencing frustrations with processes. For example, if you’ve gone from in-office work to remote work, you may experience problems communicating with workers or distributing forms or new policies and having them signed and added to the employee file. If your business was granted a Payroll Protection Program loan, have you found that the reports needed to file for loan forgiveness are not as easy to create as you’d hoped?
In addition to identified issues, are there new technology features available that could really help your team? From the beginning of the pandemic, technology vendors focused development resources to quickly program systems to accommodate new legislation, but also to create new features like integrated online wellness surveys to support a distributed (and potentially stressed) workforce. Dig into recent developments in HR technology and note those most important to your organization.
Now that you have a good idea of where your systems perform well and where you have a chance to make significant enhancements, take a thorough look at your current systems. - Are you optimizing the tech you already have?
Invest time to keep up to date on new features within the technology you already have. Technology vendors invest in research and development, introducing new features on a regular basis. If you’re not keeping up and making the most of your technology, you’re not maximizing the return on your investment.
Create a good working relationship with your assigned contact(s) at your technology vendor. Lean on them to understand best practices and stay up-to-date on new features. They know the system best and have experience with a wide variety of employers, and can share ideas and recommendations for how to get more out of the system.
If you feel your technology is not giving you what you need, it may be a simple miscommunication. So, ask your vendor before assuming the feature you want is not available. If you identify a capabilities gap, it’s time to research options to either replace your current technology or supplement it.
According to a study of 600 HR leaders by PWC, half of respondents use multiple systems, and 39% plan to add an additional system in the coming year. So, if you love your current HR system but find there are some missing features, you might consider supplementing with a best-in-class provider focusing on a specific HR function. Even leading all-in-one HR systems typically have a marketplace of vendor software that integrate with theirs. If, on the other hand, you’re not in love with your primary HR system, it might be time to make a switch altogether. - Is your technology evaluation process outdated?
How do HR professionals keep up with software developments and ensure they are using the best technology for their organizations? It’s tough to keep pace. The HR technology market is becoming more and more crowded just as the technology is becoming more and more sophisticated. It calls for a different method of evaluating technology and vendors—as does the changing employment landscape in the time of coronavirus.
HR pros should enhance their technical skills to effectively evaluate different systems and understand how they will exchange data. While you do not need to be a programmer or developer, you should take time to educate yourself on industry trends and developments in technology. Read industry whitepapers and research studies, attend webinars, and take advantage of your company IT professionals for advice. An impartial technology consultant can also help uncover your needs and navigate options. Regardless of where you turn for expertise, set aside the appropriate amount of time to complete essential research.
As you begin to engage potential vendors, ensure you lead the process and don’t get sidetracked by the sales pitch. Keep all discussions aligned with the needs you’ve already identified. Don’t feel like you need to have every new feature or upgrade. While new features related to managing in the time of coronavirus are critical, focusing on the core of your business and your mission as an HR department can keep you focused on the features with the largest potential to improve efficiencies, data flow, and outcomes. With expert research and laser focus on the needs of your organization, your process for evaluating a new layer in your tech stack stands a good chance of delivering the value you are seeking.
- Is your data held hostage by your tech stack?
Is your tech stack providing the insights and business outcomes you’d ideally like to report to the C-suite or the board? Is data-driven decision-making the norm rather than the exception? If you answered no to either question, you may have a data problem.
Insightful standard reporting and flexible report configuration become essential in a time when HR is increasingly seen as a critical part of business growth. This is true whether you are working in one system or across several.
If you do not have an easy way to see meaningful data in one place to spot trends, such as your most productive employees or those at risk for turnover, then you must modernize your technology.
Take the necessary time to map out the flow of your data across systems, even including manual processes. Is there data being captured that is not easily reported? Is your data siloed, requiring multiple data exports and consolidation and reporting in Excel?
Data is only meaningful if it can spark action for positive change within your organization. So, work with your software vendors to ensure the data flows between systems and is accessible in a robust reporting tool. You may find that a data synchronization between systems is already available that hasn’t been turned on, or there are existing reports you’re not using. If, however, you cannot get the reporting you need, you might consider a business intelligence tool that takes data from multiple systems and presents meaningful and actionable reporting and analysis.
Regardless of the technology you use, assert ownership over your own data and accept nothing less than insightful analytics that create a data-driven culture within your department.
Moving Forward
Even with the upheaval caused by nine months in a global pandemic and all we’ve learned, there are still unknowns ahead. But one thing we know for sure: the right technology and data can help HR pros respond to the unexpected while maintaining focus on a core mission.
Take time now to evaluate your tech stack and ensure you have what you need for 2021. HR isn’t what it was last year. Coronavirus created myriad challenges for HR pros, and adapting requires the right technology.
With the proper resources at hand, HR pros can partner with the right vendors, adapt their technology to today’s demands, own their data, and get the most for the investment.
Melanie Crow, PHR, SHRM-CP
SVP Sales and Marketing
Inova Payroll
mcrow@inovapayroll.com
inovapayroll.com