Lessons Learned from the Black Hole we call HR Software & Productivity Apps

#&#!, it’s like having the same reoccurring nightmare over and over again. Seeing the wrong decisions made, time after time, when it comes to HR solutions and tools.

I’m finally going to break my silence and share the key lessons I’ve learned from the wonderful world of HRM solutions and productivity apps. Of course, not in the typical soft, dance around the edges… kind of way!

Reflecting over the last 2 years, I’ve implemented over 20 HR software solutions, a dozen or so integrations, and have demo’d over 200 HR apps. Proudly, I’ve given back to HR teams over 500 hours of time that they can now use to work on the things that will actually make a difference in their business verse those administrative transactions..

So, here they are….

1. Bigger isn’t better, in fact, I know some really big HR software providers that have trouble handling multiple currencies. In many cases, this little detail is missed until the very expensive implementation has already started.

1. The less the wider business gets involved, the better! In the same way, marketing doesn’t consult with every team about their marketing or social media tools; why should HR about HR software? OK, I know my statement is a bit extreme, but I have seen millions of dollars spent to stop the production unnecessarily. The bottom line is that HR is the primary user and should understand the needs of the business and find a solution that delivers that.

2. Enterprise or best in bread? At this point, based on where technology is trending, best in bread is the only way. Why, simplistically and agility! You don’t want to be locked down by any software or process. If you wanted to change the way you do performance reviews, with enterprise, you essentially would have to change the entire system.

3. Don’t do anything unless you have first created your HR tech blueprint and identified your key objectives. If you haven’t, it should only take you a few hours to put together this roadmap.

4. Your record of retention (HR Core software) needs to deliver at least 1 of these 3 things (preferably all 3). If it doesn’t, or you can’t see how, get in touch as I will happily show you what to look at – no charge either!

   a) Reduced HR’s time doing manual tasks and transactions.
   b) Reduce your overall budget spend (even after the cost of the system).
   c) Instantly improve your business results, create higher levels of engagement and provide meaningful data.

5. The word “integration” doesn’t always mean what you think. A friend told me once that they stayed in a hotel that claimed each room had an ocean view to only find a picture of the ocean painted on a concrete wall outside their window. Of course, an ocean view is possible, as long as you get someone to remove the concrete building that’s in front. Is that something your IT team is resourced to do – lol!

6. Don’t get caught up in the sovereignty of data issue, with the exception if your data is being stored in a third world country. If you're worried about the USA getting hands on your data, well…. if they wanted to, they could anyway… even if your data is stored in AU, NZ or the UK.

7. It's easy to fall into the traps of wanting to turn on all the bells and whistles of any new tool. Especially when it’s something that used to take a lot of administrative time. However, take your time and allow for a slow drip of what the business or team needs first.

8. As in point 8 above, Go Live – doesn’t have to mean that everything is turned on and the system is rolled out. Get ready for almost a never-ending rollout strategy. When you feel that you're likely finished… that might just mean that it's possibly time to change solutions again.