While HR tasks are handled in Excel, Google Docs and online survey tools, the routine of pulling data into a single report keeps growing — and at some point you can no longer keep up with new business requirements. Especially if you manage a holding structure, a large headcount or a fast-growing business. Manual management no longer lets you focus on strategic goals, and the question of automating HR processes comes up.
HR record-keeping is not the whole story
Most companies cope with HR records and administration. Next, the HR director usually weighs up: develop the current system for management processes — recruitment, onboarding, performance review, learning and development, workforce planning — or look for an external solution. On closer examination, the external option wins more often.
The problem of choice
HR tech offers dozens of automation tools. You want a solution that fits the budget, launches quickly and covers the entire employee lifecycle. But if you already have established HR practices, rebuilding them around an off-the-shelf product is not your path. That means either in-house development or adapting a market solution to your requirements. In both cases we would look at three things.
Domain expertise
A vendor's consultants and IT specialists who understand HR reduce project risks, help you look at processes in a new way, suggest improvements and at times think things through for you. They also help you avoid GIGO — “garbage in, garbage out”: with wrong input data, the result will be inaccurate.
Flexibility
IT is an important but supporting service that should make the business easier and faster. There are two dangerous scenarios here: you become a hostage to the platform's capabilities, or new value reaches production too slowly. A low-code approach helps with both. It is also worth asking which technology stack is used and what skills are needed to develop the solution further — high requirements for specialists will later show up in the system's total cost of ownership.
Local support
A vendor gives you exactly as much attention as your share of its portfolio. Support levels are set out in the SLA, but at a critical moment you risk being left alone with the problem and a bot that points you to the rules. A local office or an authorized local partner keeps communication with you short and direct.
Start with a pilot
To understand the depth of the vendor's expertise, future limitations and its willingness to go the extra mile for shared goals, run a pilot project with the finalist in a small area. During the pilot it will become clear whether this is the partner to start your HR transformation with.
