From Implementation to Sustainability: How HR Tech Transformations Can Drive Lasting Change

Digitising the HR function is a gold target for many organisations that wish to improve efficiency and outcomes while more effectively managing costs. Here is some guidance for making such a tech transformation successful.

By HONO Solutions Team

The HR landscape is constantly changing as mobile and social technologies, as well as customisation, have redefined the benchmark for employee experience. With business models being disrupted across all sectors, the rules of talent acquisition are being rewritten. Despite these demands, the CHRO is often faced with dwindling budgets and ongoing operational challenges. Nonetheless, they must navigate through these competing demands to find a way forward. Any transformation is driven by various factors, including the need for increased efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced employee experiences. Let’s dive deeper into the key factors that drive HR tech transformations, the human side of the transformation, and how data analytics can inform HR tech transformations.

Key Factors that Drive HR Tech Transformations

The primary drivers of HR tech transformations are the need for increased efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced employee experiences. According to a report by Deloitte, "organisations are leveraging HR technologies to enhance efficiency, improve compliance, and increase the value of their human capital" (Deloitte, 2019). Additionally, HR technologies can help organisations manage the growing complexity of workforce management by providing automation, analytics, and real-time insights. In our discussions with clients, we frequently encounter requests to digitise and automate HR's transactional processes, as well as empower HR professionals to concentrate on strategic and business-critical tasks. HONO's HRMS solutions has delivered a range of capabilities that have addressed these requests. Here’s an example: Our HRMS’s realtime data and reporting features, coupled with rich analytics, have enabled companies to reconcile a variegated workforce with ease, while custom workflows have provided unparalleled flexibility.

Understanding the Human Side of the Transformation

While HR technology can provide significant benefits to organisations, it is essential to understand the human side of the transformation. According to research by McKinsey, effective communication has always been a critical factor in traditional change initiatives, and it is just as vital in the digital era. To enable the new, faster ways of working and the necessary mindset and behaviour changes in a digital transformation, companies must explore more innovative channels of communication. HONO Social is an advanced experience platform that enables seamless enterprise and workplace communication and collaboration. Its purpose is to foster teamwork by allowing various functions, teams, and employees to interact seamlessly. Users can engage in discussions through different communication channels such as status updates, topic threads, comments, or direct messaging.

How Data Analytics Can Inform HR Tech Transformations

Data analytics can contribute to HR tech transformations through predictive analytics. By leveraging data to forecast future outcomes, such as employee turnover, predictive analytics can help organisations take proactive measures to mitigate potential risks. Additionally, data analytics can help organisations identify areas for improvement in their HR processes, such as recruiting, onboarding, and performance management. The Smart Hiring Framework from HONO is a cutting-edge AI skills platform that leverages a comprehensive library of skills to pinpoint ideal job candidates for your organisation's vacancies. By integrating all aspects of recruitment and HR into one platform, our solution streamlines the hiring process and enables companies to make timely, cost-effective hiring decisions.

The Role of Leadership in Sustaining Value

The implementation of HR tech brings significant changes to the organisation's structure and processes, requiring leadership support to ensure the transformation's success. Leadership support is critical for the success of HR tech transformations because leaders set the tone for the organisation's culture and values. They play a crucial role in motivating and inspiring employees to embrace change and adopt new technology. Leaders need to communicate a clear vision of what the HR tech transformation aims to achieve, and how it will benefit the organisation and its employees. However, it's not enough for leaders to support implementation of HR tech and leave it at that. They need to develop strategies to sustain the value of the implementation over time. One such strategy is clear communication of goals and expectations. Leaders need to continuously communicate the objectives of the HR tech transformation and the expected outcomes. This will help employees to understand the transformation's value and keep them motivated to participate in the change process.

Employee feedback and involvement is an important factor. Leaders should provide opportunities for employees to share their experiences and suggestions on how to improve the HR tech implementation. This will help to identify potential issues and roadblocks that may arise during the transformation, allowing leaders to address them proactively. With these strategies in place, organisations can reap the benefits of HR tech and drive innovation and growth.

Measuring Success and Adjusting Course

Introducing HR tech solutions require significant investment of time, resources, and money, and it is critical to track progress to ensure that the intended benefits are being realised. Regular measurement and evaluation can help identify areas for improvement, validate the success of the initiative, and ensure that it is aligned with the overall business strategy. To effectively measure the success of HR tech transformations, it is necessary to identify the right metrics. Some key metrics that can be used to evaluate the success of HR tech initiatives include time & cost savings, user adoption, employee experience, employee productivity and compliance. Regular measurement and evaluation can help identify areas for improvement and adjust course accordingly. For example, if user adoption of the new HR software interface is low, it may be necessary to provide additional training or improve the user interface. By identifying the right metrics and adjusting course based on feedback, organisations can ensure that they are realising the intended benefits of the initiative and driving value for the business.

Outlook for HR Tech Transformations

The outlook for HR tech transformations looks promising and exciting. With advancements in technology and an increasing focus on employee experience, HR tech is poised to transform the way organisations manage their workforce. One major trend in HR tech is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to automate and streamline HR processes. This includes everything from recruiting and onboarding to performance management and employee engagement. AI and ML can help HR teams make more datadriven decisions and improve the overall employee experience. Another important development in HR tech is the rise of employee self-service tools. These allow employees to take more control of their HR needs, such as updating personal information and requesting time off, without having to go through a HR representative.

HONO is a Human Capital Management (HCM) Solution that utilises AI and ML technologies. It is currently being utilised by over 300 enterprises and has more than one million employees across the APAC region. HONO aims to enhance productivity and improve the employee experience through its innovative and user-friendly HR Solutions. It can be easily configured, used, and integrated, offering conversational intelligent HRMS via chat-bots for the entire employee lifecycle.

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