Having the right HCM adoption strategies can mean the difference between success and failure.
Below, we will look at 10 ways to improve your adoption efforts and your chances of success.
10 HCM Adoption Strategies to Boost Your Chances of Success
Here are a few steps and strategies you can take to increase your success rate when adopting a new HCM platform.
1. Begin with a change readiness assessment
One of the first areas to address is change readiness – that is, how ready are your employees to adopt new tools, shift workflows, and make a change?
Conducting change readiness assessments is the best way to get started with a project such as HCM adoption.
These assessments can include:
- Change readiness questionnaires
- Technology acceptance questionnaires
- Gap analyses
- Cost-benefit analyses
- Business impact analyses
The more insights you have into the impact of the HCM program, the more information you can use to inform the project and the greater your chances of success.
2. Choose the right technology
Not all HCM platforms are created equal.
Each comes with its own features, advantages, price points, and so forth.
Also, as mentioned, it is important to evaluate how employees will react to a particular platform. If the platform is too difficult to use, they may not be willing or able to use it successfully.
Other points to consider are how the platform will integrate with the existing digital ecosystem, as we will discuss below.
3. Develop a detailed change management plan
Change management is essential to the success of any technology adoption project, particularly large ones.
This change plan should cover areas such as:
- The overarching adoption strategy
- The change management roadmap, or action plan
- Roles and responsibilities
- Metrics and KPIs
The more detailed the change management plan is, the more likely it is to succeed.
4. Align the HCM with the business strategy
Every technology should be designed to support the business strategy and its objectives.
From the outset, it is important to align the technology with those objectives.
To this end, map out both the benefits of a platform and the business’s strategic objectives.
With those in hand, you can ensure that the HCM platform in question will help the organization better achieve those objectives.
5. Ensure alignment with existing processes and technologies
It is also critical to ensure that the technology will actually fit with existing digital tools and processes.
To achieve this, look at data found through activities such as business process mapping and process mining in order to understand the exact impact the HCM platform will have on existing workflows and processes.
6. Develop a robust onboarding program
User onboarding is one of the most important stages in technology adoption.
By onboarding users efficiently, quickly, and affectively, you can minimize software-related frustration while maximizing employee productivity.
For this purpose, consider using platforms specifically designed for onboarding, such as digital adoption platforms (DAPs).
7. Implement ongoing training
Embed training into the adoption process and continue it after deployment is complete.
Training, after all, will directly impact a number of metrics, including:
- Employees’ time-to-competency
- Productivity and output
- Software utilization
- Software ROI
Importantly, training will also affect employee morale and engagement. After all, the more skilled they are, the more quickly the software will become “second nature” and a standard part of their day-to-day workflows.
8. Run experiments before full-scale rollout
One way to roll out new software is through pilot testing.
Short term pilot tests can minimize the chances that small errors snowball and become major stumbling blocks.
A test group, such as one team within one department, can begin testing the software and providing feedback before the full-scale rollout. That information, in turn, can be used to inform and improve the HCM deployment over time.
9. Keep the momentum going
One way to maintain momentum and maximize productivity is to reward short-term wins.
Rewards, recognition, and other incentives can keep employees motivated and engaged. Maintaining this momentum is crucial because if managers do not keep employees engaged, workers can lose interest and the change program can fizzle out as a result.
10. Minimize resistance through clear communication
Resistance, alluded to earlier, can be a problem if it is not handled properly.
Employees will resist the adoption of new software, such as HCM platforms, for a variety of reasons.
Most often, these reasons revolve around fear, such as the fear of discipline, job displacement, or inadequacy.Clear communication about what change is occurring and why it is occurring can reduce that fear and, as a result, resistance to change. Training, also mentioned above, is another way to minimize resistance to change.
If you liked this article, you may also like:
WalkMe Team
WalkMe spearheaded the Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) for associations to use the maximum capacity of their advanced resources. Utilizing man-made consciousness, AI, and context-oriented direction, WalkMe adds a powerful UI layer to raise the computerized proficiency, everything being equal.