The 2016 HR Technology Conference is October 4-7. Over the next month The SHRM Blog will feature a Q & A series with several HR technology experts who will offer their perspective on how technology is impacting the HR profession today -- and their predictions for the future.
The following is a Q & A with Craig Fisher, head of employer brand for CA Technologies.
Q. Which new type of HR technology is most revolutionizing the HR profession?
Employee engagement platforms are really starting to be utilized to activate an organization’s people to share their voice and amplify the brand.
Q. What is the single most important piece of technology an HR pro can have in 2016?
An open mind. Seriously. The main thing that holds employers back from being attractive and transparent is fear.
Q. What are the advantages of combining both HR professionals and technology process experts to design software that will address HR’s future challenges?
Most HR Technology is geared towards solving a specific problem and was built with a specific use case in mind. But organizations all do things differently. By pairing the HR Pros with the tech process, it is easier to ensure that the tech will be properly utilized because it addresses the right processes. Software is only as good as you make the vendor make it.
Q. Why is it important that HR include their technology department leaders at the beginning of the software selection process and not after the contract has been signed?
Most software that you purchase will need to access the API’s of a larger system. In some cases, regardless what the prospective vendor will say, that just isn’t feasible. Including your tech team up front will ensure there are no costly errors and time delays with integration. Likewise, if your tech team tells you something isn’t compatible with your legacy systems or processes you need to push back to discover it that’s really true.
Q. What advice do you have for HR professionals that will help to ensure a more successful technology implementation? Where are most mistakes made?
Read the fine print. Is your services agreement part of the whole package? Or are you paying for that separately as needed? The most critical aspect of a solid implementation is the services piece. Remember the software can and should flex to meet your needs. But if it costs you a major expense to your capital or other budget that you didn’t plan for you risk failure. Scope those costs up front and include it in your apples to apples comparison of vendors.
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