HR technology has improved significantly in the last several years, providing organizations with solutions that are designed to streamline HR processes and make teams more efficient by focusing on engagement and collaboration, all while improving the user experience. Think clean, simple, easy to use solutions that employees grade as an A+.
With so many options to choose from, making the right decision for your organization can be a bit overwhelming. As an HR professional, your real mission is to improve the employee experience, but if the measures we implement fail to keep the user in mind, HR misses the mark. When making the decision to invest in HR technology, be sure it’s easy to access, simple to navigate and understand, and ultimately encourages employees to use it as a part of their daily routine.
Usability
The HR technology solution you choose to simplify life at your organization must focus on the end-user: Does it have a user interface that is easy to use and understand? Does the system anticipate movement within the application to help direct the user where they might click next? Reducing click time from one activity to the next and providing tips and directions will increase the likelihood that your employees will seek out the technology for problem solving and collaboration.
Today, consistent advances in HR technology have disrupted the way HR functions. From manual database entries of the past to predictive analytics tools of today, the opportunities to provide better employee experiences are available with the click of a mouse or the swipe on a smart phone. Rather than clunking around with software that leads nowhere, employees are asking for better systems that allow them to access employment tools at a moment’s notice, from anywhere at any time.
Implementing the right HR solution with the right amount of ease and flexibility will be key to ensuring that employees keep coming back for more. If it’s accessible, easy to use and makes sense, it will be a “no-brainer.”
Josh Bersin for Deloitte, shared this thought with Forbes: “The rules for HR software are changing. Companies no longer buy HR software solely based on features: they look for the total employee and user experience. Vendors have to build deep skills in design, mobile, analytics, cloud, integration, and modern programming technologies.”
Connectability
Technology is designed to connect your teams with each other and with the organization. In determining your next HR technology solution, keep in mind that we’re no longer trying to check boxes or just provide the basics. Technology isn’t meant to be a placeholder or a list keeper. It’s designed to be interactive, predictive, and intelligent. It provides an experience that draws in the user, keeps them interested, and allows them to engage in a way that never existed before. Connect and be connected.
Service Delivery
And while you’re providing a great HR technology solution, make sure that you’ve got the right level of service delivery as well. Your technology partner should provide you with consistent support—all the ins and outs, as needed. If you don’t know who’s going to answer your call for help, ask before you sign the contract.
Technology is designed to create a better experience, whether that’s faster, better or more engaging, choosing the right solution for your organization will always remain an important decision today or tomorrow.
However, keep in mind that as technology becomes easier to use, your goal should be to implement a system that is functional, makes sense, and provides the best experience possible. It’s a system that employees want to use, explore, and engage with on a regular basis.
Make technology work for you. It should “disappear” into the corporate infrastructure and become just “part of doing business and coming to work.” It shouldn’t be an extra thing that makes work and is annoying to access but a system that is fun, engaging, and part of everyday work life.
Your mission as an HR professional is to help improve the employee and candidate experiences that ultimately reflect on your organizational brand. Push technology to the front and encourage the connection that will drive engagement and take your company’s talent to the next level.
