We’ve talked before about why a digital review of your HR system should be the first step of every project. But sometimes you don’t even realise you’ve hit that point. After all, you’ve got a busy team and a lot to keep track of. You may be so focused on getting things done, you don’t recognise when things could be done more effectively. With that in mind, we started looking back at past clients to discover what set them down the path toward HR transformation. We discovered a few key themes.
These are the most common trigger points we see acting as signs your team needs an HR digital review:
1. You aren’t sure if your tech needs optimising or replacing altogether
You already know something is wrong and that your tech stack seems to be at the heart of it. On paper, you’re sure that this system made sense when it was brought in, so what’s gone wrong? Do you need to start fresh with a whole new platform? Or could a few targeted changes to the way you use it make all the difference?
A digital review is perfect for this scenario because it looks at everything that happens in your department holistically, rather than just the tech in isolation. You may find that going to selection is the right call, but you may also learn that by optimising your system, it’s going to be exactly what you need for the next several years.
2. You’re trying to convince your business to select a new system
Maybe you were like the person above once upon a time, but you definitely know now that a new system is your best way forward. However, getting other teams (and more importantly the board) to understand why this is a business critical project isn’t always easy. Bringing in a third party for a digital review can be a great way to show them exactly why you need to move to selection as soon as possible.
Learn more: The ultimate workbook for system selection
3. Your business is growing, and you need to know if your tech stack can keep up
Businesses that are growing rapidly often find themselves in a sort of ‘no man’s land’ in terms of tech. Particularly during the transition from SME to enterprise. As you grow, you need to make sure your people systems are going to keep up as you scale. A digital review can help you with this by highlighting the opportunities and limits of your existing system.
4. You just aren’t seeing the return on investment (ROI) that you were expecting
Often, when we implement a new HR or payroll system, we expect to see certain returns in terms of time and money. Now, that can take time and part of that depends on how long it takes to get everyone on board. If, however, once you’ve gone through the adoption process and people are using the software regularly, you still aren’t seeing the returns, you may want to get a digital review.
In this case, the digital review will help you understand any underlying blockers to your seeing value. It may be that the system itself isn’t right or that there are better ways to maximise it.
5. You feel like your processes could be more effective and need more insight
You’re looking around at your team of smart, skilled people and seeing how busy they are. But you’re still not seeing the output you were hoping for. There may be something in the way they’re working, in the processes themselves, that’s slowing down productivity.
Because a digital review is a holistic service, this is exactly the kind of thing that experts like the consultants here at Silver Cloud look for. Not every change needs to lead toward a new piece of technology. Sometimes it’s just about learning how to work smarter, not harder, with what you’ve already got.
6. You’re new in an organisation and need a clear picture of performance
This is actually the perfect time to have an HR digital review. When you’re just starting in an organisation, it can be difficult to gather a detailed picture of what is happening. Spending some time interrogating your technology, processes, people/skills, data, employee experience and strategy is the key to making impactful decisions.
However, getting all of that done to a good degree of detail while also making sure your day-to-day is running smoothly can be an awful lot on one plate. That’s where bringing in a third party to do the deep dive can help. External resources can get things done while you and your team keep things moving, giving you the best of both worlds. Plus, they bring a wealth of experience and best practice knowledge for you to rely on.
If any of those scenarios sound familiar, it could be time to seek out a consultant to help you review your situation. Of course, these aren’t the only times you may want one, just a high-level guide. A digital review is perfect for any HR leader who needs deeper insight into how their tech and team is performing right now with ideas for how they might perform better in the future.
