When people think of HR, technology isn’t normally something that springs to mind. As a people function it’s easy for us to steer clear of fully embracing technology, in the knowledge that we’re not about IT, we are all about people. But as technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace and infiltrate every area of our lives, we need to change our mind-set, embrace technology and start reaping the considerable benefits it can provide.
But the latest technology comes at a price. There is software out there that can underpin every HR process, even revolutionising the way HR works – but however tantalisingly brilliant any new piece of software may be, you need to do some ground work first.
What should you think about before investing in technology?
- Consider your objectives. Do you want to fix a gap in what you do, enhance your employee proposition e.g. benefits, performance management? Are you wanting to save time and manual effort, and ultimately money? Are you trying to gain a more strategic view of your ‘people’ operation through analytics and insight? Or are you wanting to professionalise your HR function?
- Conduct a technology audit. Make a list of the systems that you currently use, even the Excel spreadsheets, include what and how are you using them? What are the demands being made on the HR function that you can’t address? Are your systems meeting the current and future needs of the business?
- Do your research. There will no doubt be a number of products on the market. Look at them all. Do they really do what you want? How easy are they to use? And how much do they cost? You will need to do a bit of digging to get the full picture – ask for a demonstration and to speak to some of the clients to get peer reviews.
- Create a business case. Establishing a business case is a time consuming process in itself but absolutely critical in order to gain executive team buy-in. Outline the business benefits and include return on investment figures i.e. how much will the technology cost (both initially to buy and the year on year license fees) and then look at the potential savings.
At Innecto our focus is obviously reward, and it’s here that technology really comes into its own. How many times have you done battle with a spreadsheet at annual pay review time; with a vlook-up that just won’t work no matter how many times you have played with the formatting? Whether it’s internal job evaluation, external market comparison, pay review allocation or performance management, technology can take away some of the pain and massively enhance the effectiveness of the process and the credibility of HR department overall.
For support or advice with digitising your reward please get in touch 0203 478 4810.
