Hi all,
One of my managers in my department leads the HR business applications team. We currently have PeopleSoft (tons of custom functions), some .NET tools, Cornerstone LMS, iCIMS eRecruiting, and a few custom-built leave request systems.
For 2011, our HR Dept is deploying a new 'cultural change' to enable more bottom-up / 2.0 mentality, including enhanced goal alignment, enhanced 360 performance feedback, and a new compensation management model. However, rather than focusing on solid employee mindset changes and communication, HR is focusing on deploying 'fancy (& complicated) apps', and hoping to use 'fancy apps' to change employee mindsets and behaviors. Also, instead of adopting SaaS tools, they're insisting that IT builds custom / unique tools to support the cultural initiative (which is killing my team). Moreover, no employee surveys have been conducted for the past 3 years, which makes the new culture change a bit groundless.
If anyone could provide some opinions on the following, I'd really appreciate it:
1. It doesn't feel right that HR is focusing on technical tools instead of fundamental people mindset change -- what should be the guiding rules here?
2. Corp HR is insisting on rolling out new tools all within 3 to 4 months. Based on past case studies, how fast could a company of 5,000 adopt a new way of working? (frequent goal setting and alignment, rolling peer non-anonymous 360 perf rating, etc.)
3. HR is strongly driving the user interface designs and making the tools difficult to use. For example, the objective setting process would go from a few mouse clicks and fields to 4 to 5 times the clicks/fields in the new system. Are there best practices on keeping HR tools simple, straightforward, and placing the focus on HR-manager-employee interactions?
4. Do more fancy HR tools alone really help improve employee performance / increase productivity? (so far, I've only seen dramatic results in enterprise social media deployment cases, but our HR is ignoring that trend)
Since we're a software company, the mentality to have lots of "custom-built" could be natural, but I just want to find a good balance so everything is more digestible and sustainable for the long term.
Sorry for the long post - thanks in advance!
Steve
From Taiwan, Taipei
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One of my managers in my department leads the HR business applications team. We currently have PeopleSoft (tons of custom functions), some .NET tools, Cornerstone LMS, iCIMS eRecruiting, and a few custom-built leave request systems.
For 2011, our HR Dept is deploying a new 'cultural change' to enable more bottom-up / 2.0 mentality, including enhanced goal alignment, enhanced 360 performance feedback, and a new compensation management model. However, rather than focusing on solid employee mindset changes and communication, HR is focusing on deploying 'fancy (& complicated) apps', and hoping to use 'fancy apps' to change employee mindsets and behaviors. Also, instead of adopting SaaS tools, they're insisting that IT builds custom / unique tools to support the cultural initiative (which is killing my team). Moreover, no employee surveys have been conducted for the past 3 years, which makes the new culture change a bit groundless.
If anyone could provide some opinions on the following, I'd really appreciate it:
1. It doesn't feel right that HR is focusing on technical tools instead of fundamental people mindset change -- what should be the guiding rules here?
2. Corp HR is insisting on rolling out new tools all within 3 to 4 months. Based on past case studies, how fast could a company of 5,000 adopt a new way of working? (frequent goal setting and alignment, rolling peer non-anonymous 360 perf rating, etc.)
3. HR is strongly driving the user interface designs and making the tools difficult to use. For example, the objective setting process would go from a few mouse clicks and fields to 4 to 5 times the clicks/fields in the new system. Are there best practices on keeping HR tools simple, straightforward, and placing the focus on HR-manager-employee interactions?
4. Do more fancy HR tools alone really help improve employee performance / increase productivity? (so far, I've only seen dramatic results in enterprise social media deployment cases, but our HR is ignoring that trend)
Since we're a software company, the mentality to have lots of "custom-built" could be natural, but I just want to find a good balance so everything is more digestible and sustainable for the long term.
Sorry for the long post - thanks in advance!
Steve
From Taiwan, Taipei
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Hi Japonica, Thanks. We’re already outsourcing all our payroll systems & operations. I’ll keep application outsourcing option in mind for future internal discussions. Thanks. Steve
From Taiwan, Taipei
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From Taiwan, Taipei
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Hello Steve,
Thank you very much for your reply! Since my original post, there have been some developments within our HR department on the topics I mentioned. Basically, beta test feedback from employees for HR's first 'new tool' has been extremely negative, with many mentioning the need to simplify the tool. Additionally, regional/country HR teams are complaining that they lack the capacity to manage both day-to-day operations and the new deployments. It's like experiencing real-time feedback from your comments. Perhaps all these issues will naturally resolve themselves.
I will definitely refer to your responses when I speak to HR to assist them in planning realistic time frames and scope changes.
Thanks again!
Steve
From Taiwan, Taipei
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Thank you very much for your reply! Since my original post, there have been some developments within our HR department on the topics I mentioned. Basically, beta test feedback from employees for HR's first 'new tool' has been extremely negative, with many mentioning the need to simplify the tool. Additionally, regional/country HR teams are complaining that they lack the capacity to manage both day-to-day operations and the new deployments. It's like experiencing real-time feedback from your comments. Perhaps all these issues will naturally resolve themselves.
I will definitely refer to your responses when I speak to HR to assist them in planning realistic time frames and scope changes.
Thanks again!
Steve
From Taiwan, Taipei
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