HR Technology Supplement Engagement
Engaging
the workforce
with HR tech
How can you ensure your brand new tech will be used by
employees – and benefit them and the organisation –
rather than ignored or even resented? By SUZY BASHFORD
‘No pain, no gain’ is a fitting
affirmation for HR directors to
chant under their breath as they prepare
to introduce new HR technology.
Because, while no-one can deny the huge
opportunity that the seismic advances in
tech presents, the challenges that
accompany efforts to engage the
workforce with new systems are
often complex, difficult, expensive and,
quite frankly, painful. Just ask any HRD
who has introduced the latest whizzy,
expensive platform with all the bells and
whistles on, only to see it ignored by
employees and left gathering dust in a
lonely corner of the cloud.
The problem with HR tech is, it seems,
largely nothing to do with the tech itself.
In fact HRDs are spoilt for choice with
new systems that have the potential to
make both the function’s and employees’
lives easier. The problem is that employees
are poorly engaged with HR tech. To put
it bluntly, you implement a new system
and often no-one in the organisation
wants to know.
But overcoming the so-called pain
points of engaging employees is,
unquestionably, worth it.
“As a function we are constantly trying
to justify our case to be more strategic,”
says Sharon Looney, chief HR officer at
CoreHR. “But we will never have any
value-add as long as we’re being the
transactors of data. HR tech can help us
be the business partner that coaches and
mentors about what the data means.”
So what are the main obstacles to
engaging the workforce with HR tech?
And how can HR overcome them in order
to improve uptake?
Resistance to change
Human beings are creatures of habit.
There will always be some resistance to
change, no matter how beneficial your
chosen HR tech may be. As chief people
officer at Metrobank Danny Harmer says,
be mindful that some employees are very
comfortable working in the old way, even
if it is much less efficient. In her
experience, resistance tends to come from
the “seasoned leaders” who typically say
things like “I know you’ve got this super
new system, but I’ll just sit with you and
go through these CVs”. They have had
reminders and gentle nudges about using
the new tech but claim they haven’t had
time to log on, explains Harmer. What
they are probably thinking, she says, is “if
I go into this system, I won’t be able to use
it and I’ll look like an idiot and get stuck”.
“Treat them gently,” she advises. “A
bit like teaching someone to swim, you
don’t push them in and walk off, do you?
You get in with them, you leave them
with a rubber ring and you do it together
until they’re competent on their own.
Believe me, ultimately this will be time
well spent.”
Looney suggests ensuring you have
“visible support” around the office, such
as “change champions” wearing easily
identifiable T-shirts. “Don’t pick the
happy-clappy employees. Pick the people
that will have an issue and have shown
resistance. Bring them into the fold and
invite them to be part of the project,” she
4 HR October 2019 hrmagazine.co.uk
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