Featured article Adi Janowitz is VP of Customer Success at Hibob
COVID-19 has tested the readiness of all organizations. It catalyzed changes in how companies recruit, hire, train, develop, engage, and let go of their people. It appears that the Coronavirus is finally at a turning point. But with this long-hoped-for return to normalcy comes pressure to develop an HR strategic plan that can continue to support an organization in many flexible work models: hybrid work, global offices, remote, on-site, and more.
COVID-19: HR tech rises to the challenge
The pandemic suddenly expanded the scope of HR operations. Teams were forced to overcome organizational challenges fast. One way they were able to meet short-term and long-term objectives throughout the COVID-19 period was by implementing a Human Resource Information System (HRIS).
A standalone HRIS or SaaS-based software can be used for a large range of HR-related tasks, including onboarding, performance management,salary/compensation benchmarking, global connectivity, compliance, and HR analytics. Organizations that have focused on their HR strategic plan by implementing various HR-related platforms have seen impressive results. One study found that 97 percent of companies believe that HR tech enhances their future readiness.
However, organizations that invested time and energy creating a forward-thinking strategic HR plan to address the pandemic are now dealing with a new set of issues.
While hybrid work and remote work options have been widely embraced, decision-makers are reporting that their people are struggling with constantly having to be online, which has made it more difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Challenges connected to keeping people engaged and collaborating with colleagues they may well never see in person, and professional development are some of the other consequences of leveraging digital tools.
HR tech: insurance against the next black swan event
In an age of interconnectedness, unforeseen events anywhere can wreak havoc on organizations that do not have an HR strategic plan. Companies that are most effectively navigating this era of unprecedented change are doing so with the help of software that is streamlining HR processes in the following ways:
Onboarding from anywhere: When the pandemic hit, agile organizations adapted their approach to onboarding so it could be used wherever in the world a joiner may happen to be located. As COVID-19 recedes, innovative an HRIS will only become more important by including tools that enable HR managers to create tasks, set triggers, and automate every phase of the onboarding experience.
Keeping people engaged: One of the biggest challenges presented by any hybrid working model is that it can create a serious disconnect between employees. In response, HR tech that makes communication between staffers seamless is a must-have. Looking for an HRIS that integrates with your company’s chosen method of communication, like Slack or MS Teams, allows employees, managers, and HR to get things done in the flow of their regular work.
Empowering people to be heard: The pandemic blurred the lines between people’s professional and personal lives. This kind of stress inflicted a high toll. According to one study, 83 percent of people want their companies to provide mental health support. As such, many of today’s HR platforms include features like lifecycle feedback, satisfaction checks, and other employee survey formats that empower team leaders to spot the earliest signs of distress among team members and respond accordingly.
Empowering people to grow professionally: When 60 percent of staffers believe their organization is responsible for career development, it makes good sense for an HR strategic plan to include clear, defined processes to facilitate growth. Some HRIS make it possible for department heads to set goals that can be tracked as part of a performance review, keeping an organization’s best and brightest top of mind—and on the fast track to success.
Is the strategic plan working? Do the data. HR tech will only be able to help an organization become future-proof if success can be gauged. That is why it is so important to map out how you intend to analyze its effectiveness. For example, data should be used to find out whether recruitment and retention strategies are working. Other indicators such as employee engagement, promotion rate, and turnover rate must be clearly defined and measured.
Being ready for tomorrow means planning today
As office spaces begin to open up and employees start to work in-person, from home, globally, and remotely, an HRIS is a key piece of tech that people teams should invest in. An HR strategic plan that incorporates data-driven digital tools to onboard, engage, and upskill will help ensure that a thriving organization today does not become a casualty of tomorrow’s next black swan event.
Author Bio
Adi Janowitz is VP of Customer Success at Hibob. Adi has vast experience in building and leading Customer Success organizations in SaaS companies. In her recent role, she re-built the EMEA CS department at WalkMe. Prior to that, she built the Idomoo global CS org from the ground up. Adi’s focus is on boosting retention by building a scalable KPI-driven CS organization while creating KPI coherency for the entire company.
