- IT systems for Human Resources are ineffective at supporting HR, organizational, and business goals and involve inefficient use of HR and IT resources. Business support for HR IT systems is limited, resulting in the lack of a strategic view of HR IT systems, which further exacerbates the problem.
- In most organizations, HR IT systems have evolved tactically on an as-needed basis resulting in un-integrated systems and significant effort on manual workarounds.
- The relationship between HR and IT is not optimal for technology decision-making. Systems related decisions are made by HR and IT is typically involved only post-purchase to fix issues as they arise and offer workarounds.
- IT systems for HR are not viewed as a strategic differentiator or business enabler, thereby leading to a limited budget and resources for HR IT systems and subsequently hindering the adoption of a strategic, holistic perspective.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Adopt a strategic approach to HR systems and get it right the first time. This will be more cost effective than addressing issues as they occur.
- Be clear about roles and responsibilities. Identify the right process owners and assign responsibilities to ensure success.
- Get your house in order by supporting core HR functionality first before focusing on more ambitious business enabling functionality. Moreover, tackling core HR functions first will free up resources that could be used to drive business enabling functionality and support more strategic objectives.
- Build a viable business case: spend time to communicate how HR IT systems can enable the business in order to gain buy-in and approval from the business.
Impact and Result
- Adopt a holistic perspective of IT
systems for HR. Evaluate the health of current HR IT systems, understand the
pain points, and identify the desired features to develop the target state and
HR IT system road maps. A well-structured strategic effort can have several
benefits:
- Robust HR IT systems that support HR, organizational, and business needs efficiently.
- More productive HR team that spends less time on manual processes and focuses on value adding activities.
- Reduced IT effort on training, support, and maintenance.
- HR activities aligned with organizational and business goals.
Workshop: Drive a Robust Systems Strategy for HR to Achieve HR Objectives and Enable the Business
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Document the Current State
The Purpose
- Set expectations for the project
- Agree on pain points and understand potential benefits
- Create an inventory of current HR systems.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Agreed upon expectations
- Understanding of pain points and benefits
- Understanding of the complexity of the current HR systems
Activities
Outputs
Outline goals and project expectations
- Inventory of current HR systems
Discuss Pain Points and Benefits
- HR systems map
Document Current State
Module 2: Perform an HR Systems Health Check
The Purpose
- Identification of business needs
- Assessment of gaps
- Assess of function and integration quality of HR systems
Key Benefits Achieved
- Agreement on business needs and gaps
- Understanding of the current quality of HR Systems
Activities
Outputs
Build a list of requirements
- Business requirements
Determine gaps in application coverage
- Gap assessment
Assess functional quality of each application
- HR Systems Health Assessment
Assess integration quality between applications
Module 3: Build the HR Systems Roadmap
The Purpose
- Understand options for application selection
- Understand system dependencies
- Determine roll out order for new applications
Key Benefits Achieved
- Understanding of what types of applications are needed
- List of planned next steps for the roll out of the new strategy
Activities
Outputs
Examine the HR technology market
- HR Systems Roadmap
Examine system dependencies
Build the HR systems roadmap