Why great HR Systems are never finished

So, you’re deciding to take the plunge and upgrade to a new HR system – great! However, as you know, sitting back and relaxing once you push the (metaphorical) big green button is never an option as a great HR system is never truly finished.

However, that’s not something to unduly worry about. In fact, there are some incredibly important and beneficial reasons why an HR system never being finished can be hugely advantageous for organisations, their employees and their hard-working HR teams…

HR systems need to grow with you

First and foremost, a good HR strategy is not a fire and forget exercise. It involves careful planning, ongoing reviews and input from multiple stakeholders in order for it to work effectively – and the same is absolutely true of HR software.

Your HR system may have been a perfect fit when first selected, but as your business changes, you’ll need to adjust your HR strategy and adopt new processes to fit. Perhaps you need to support a new focus on recruiting and onboarding staff or undergo a reorganisation that demands a rethink of reporting relationships. Or, maybe even a root and branch review of career progression to retain key staff and support long-term successful growth.

Regardless, all those course corrections will demand changes to your HR software.
Simply put, it’s unlikely an organisation will stand still for long – and neither should its’ HR software. It needs to be flexible and adaptable to the constant shifting needs of a company and its’ people.

Never stop asking questions

When deciding on what HR software solution is right for your business, you and your organisation’s key stakeholders will undoubtedly conduct in-depth evaluations of the solutions on offer. However, once you’ve made your choice and have everything live, those same sorts of evaluations shouldn’t stop…

Just because you have a new system in place, doesn’t mean you’ve resolved any lingering or hidden problems. HR teams should always take time to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of their system to ensure it’s fit for purpose.

For example, you may have put an HR system in place to streamline absence or performance management and improve reporting: Has that worked, or are their still parts of the process – or parts of the organisation struggling to get it right? If so, could it be down to the system, the training, or perhaps the processes themselves?

To ensure your organisation is getting the best from its HR platform, here are five questions to ask yourself:

1. Is it still solving our original pain points?

Like we mentioned, has the software truly met its remit of solving your original issues? If not, what still needs to be done?

2. Is the whole business using it?

Your HR system only becomes really valuable if it’s used by everyone. Self-service is a huge part of ensuring HR processes and procedures are followed and understood; so, if your employees aren’t using your system, you need to understand why.

3. What other problems or challenges could it help us solve?

You may have implemented new HR software to improve your absence management processes, but (for example) could the same software also help you with the upskilling of your current workforce?

4. Are we making the most of its features and updates?

Pretty self-explanatory, really! If you’re paying for a system but it’s only partially being used or are receiving updates that you’ve never implemented, then really – what’s the point?

5. Is it keeping pace with our organisation?

Lastly, going back to your HR strategy evolving, chances are your supplier is just as interested as you are in ensuring your system is fit for the future. Talk to them and discover how you can influence their product development to best support your company’s own aims and objectives.

HR Software and technology constantly evolves

We all know that technology rarely stands still, so it’s important to ask what your vendor is doing or planning to do to keep your platform up-to-date and how it intends to add value to the user experience. Also, does your HR platform have the technological capabilities to integrate with new systems and platforms in the future? This may include integrations with your preferred talent acquisition solution, or an employee benefits provider.

By choosing an HR solution that uses up-to-the-minute technology, has open API capabilities and is regularly updated with useful features, your HR software has less chance of becoming obsolete or dated – meaning you potentially don’t have to worry about investing in a new HR system ever again! For example, the Cezanne HR system is regularly (and seamlessly) updated with new features. These features are developed not just based on the latest technological advancements; but also, from the feedback we receive from our clients.

Your organisation’s brand may also change

Finally, your HR system should be intrinsically linked to your own brand identity. For example, your organisation may decide that a new brand identity is required in order to complement a new product launch or perhaps expansion into a new market – and the best brands work when there is consistency across all key internal and external touchpoints… and this includes your HR software.

Look at it this way: if your company undergoes a thorough re-brand with new logo and colour palettes, it’s something your business leaders will want to promote and maximise engagement with across all areas, right? So, it makes sense that your HR system can also be updated quickly and easily to reflect your own unique brand identity and maintain vital engagement with your employees.

After all, the last thing you’d want to do is tell your senior management team that they’ll be stuck with your old, obsolete branding – or a hefty bill to update your logo or colour scheme.