HR and tech — it involves more than your HR system
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The technology at HR’s disposal to manage and engage people extends far beyond a business’ HR system. Savvy HR and people leaders should think about tech more holistically to get the most benefit from the variety of tools on the market for their people.
All-in-one HR
Most HR and people professionals would be aware of the wide range of all-in-one HR systems in the marketplace. These tools can look after a variety of HR-related tech needs, all with one piece of software.
From recruitment and onboarding to managing annual leave and performance, a good all-in-one HR system will carry a lot of the admin burden that used to be managed by HR. And having all of this in one place means that HR, managers and employees alike only need to learn how to use one system.
Specialised HR systems
When HR and business leaders want to focus on a specific area of people management and leadership, it might be helpful to consider HR software that focuses on that issue. Like a subject matter expert, a specialised system should have all the functionality you need for that particular area, and the software provider should be an expert in using tech to solve that specific HR problem.
Employee engagement is an example of an area that people professionals might wish to home in on. A system focused on engagement might include pulse surveys to keep up to date with employee sentiment. It may also include dedicated noticeboards to let employees know what’s happening in the business, and where to find information like the business’ values.
Intranets
Some organisations may have integrated their intranet with their HR system. Others, particularly those with extensive legacy intranets, may still operate them as standalone systems. Ownership of an intranet can extend across several departments, depending on the information stored in the system, and who is responsible for keeping it up to date.
No matter who looks after a business’ intranet, HR should view this as an important employee comms tool and make sure anything related to HR/people management etc. is kept current in the system. When HR communicates new initiatives and processes with staff, this information should be replicated in the intranet. It undermines HR if what they’re saying is contradicted by out-of-date information in a poorly maintained intranet.
News sites
Some organisations may choose to maintain a separate news site to their intranet to make it easy for employees to find the latest internal updates. Having a separate site can be useful if the intranet is old and hard to navigate, but it does then add another layer of complexity for HR and business leaders who need to keep two systems up to date where there is cross over.
To drive engagement and readership for a news site, HR will also need to consider how they alert employees to new news on the site. This can be as simple as a notification going out from the news site when a new story is posted, or HR could consider curating an internal newsletter (using an email management system) that’s sent to staff, with employees clicking through to stories held on the news site.
Communication platforms
How a business electronically communicates internally should be influenced by HR. IT teams and business leaders might opt for a particular communication tool based on its functionality, cost and recommendations from others, but HR is best placed to advise whether the tool fits in well with how employees work, and the behaviours the organisation wants to encourage to align with its values.
It’s not just the communication platform itself that HR can help choose, it’s also the volume of comms channels. Left to individual manager discretion, the business might end up with multiple channels serving the same purpose, for example Slack channels, combined with WhatsApp groups, on top of emails. This is a common but inefficient way to work, that can cause employees unnecessary stress. HR is the team who will spot the “people” issues related to this tech use.
Hardware
When HR takes an interest in the hardware a business is investing in, they can make sure it’s a good match for how and where people are currently working. What might have been a good tool a few years ago, may no longer be fit for purpose if a lot of employees are now engaging in hybrid working.
For example, laptops with small screens might be ideal for desk-based work in an office where they’re plugged into a docking station with a screen etc. But, an HR professional will quickly recognise that that size of laptop isn’t a good option when someone works from home or remotely because the screen is too small. HR professionals and leaders who keep how their people work front of mind can help their business choose the right tech for their employees.
Shandel McAuliffe
Shandel has recently returned to Australia after working in the UK for eight years. Shandel's experience in the UK included over three years at the CIPD in their marketing, marcomms and events teams, followed by two plus years with The Adecco Group UK&I in marketing, PR, internal comms and project management. Cementing Shandel's experience in the HR industry, she was the head of content for Cezanne HR, a full-lifecycle HR software solution, for the two years prior to her return to Australia.
Shandel has previous experience as a copy writer, proofreader and copy editor, and a keen interest in HR, leadership and psychology. She's excited to be at the helm of HR Leader as its editor, bringing new and innovative ideas to the publication's audience, drawing on her time overseas and learning from experts closer to home in Australia.