The amount of HR technology solutions on the market has exploded in the last decade. It can seem like there’s an HR tech platform to accomplish almost any task your team could think of—so how can you decide which ones to invest in and how to implement them?
This is where HR leaders need to build an HR technology strategy. It can feel intimidating, but this guide will take you through the whole process step-by-step so you can confidently use the latest tech and AI solutions to improve how your HR team works.
What is an HR Technology Strategy?
An HR technology strategy is a comprehensive plan for buying, implementing, and using technology (including AI) in your HR organization. Too many organizations do the opposite—they buy tech solutions in a haphazard and piecemeal way, and the end result is a pile of expensive tech platforms that don’t integrate well together or that are underused.
With a solid HR tech strategy, however, you can take a holistic view of what tasks and roles can benefit from technology and AI and create a plan for purchasing and using them so everything works together to maximize your investment and your ROI.
Best Practices for Creating an HR Tech Strategy
Many HR leaders avoid diving into creating a tech strategy because they’re people experts, not tech gurus. But that doesn’t need to stop you from developing a successful HR technology strategy with confidence. Here are the best practices to follow:
- Evaluate the Current State of Your Tech Before making any new purchase decisions, first take a hard look at the technology you’re already using. Does it have a high use rate, or are your HR teams avoiding it because they’re not properly trained or because it has a poor user experience? Are you using multiple platforms that do the same tasks? Are there existing gaps you know need to be filled? What’s your tech budget right now?
Asking these questions can mean digging into data and consulting with HR team members at all levels so you get the full picture. And your IT peers may be a great resource here as well.
- Know Your Options
Once you know where you currently stand, it’s time to research what choices are on the market today. You may also want to explore what new features the platforms you already use have come out, because you might not be fully using them yet.
Digging into what choices you have can enable you to cut your tech stack into fewer technology platforms that offer more comprehensive HR solutions, or add on needed integrations to enhance the tech you already rely on. Talking again to your peers in IT, and also your HR peers in other organizations, can offer up some choices you may not have thought of.
- Define Your HR Tech Strategy Roadmap
Your HR technology strategy shouldn’t be fixed at a single point in time—creating and implementing it takes time, and also tech offerings change rapidly. Laying out a roadmap for what you’d like to accomplish today, in six months, and in two years (for example) can help you determine what to prioritize. Aligning your tech roadmap with your HR team’s larger priorities can help you ensure everything is working in sync.
Tips for Implementing Your HR Tech Strategy
Once you’ve created your tech strategy, you need to ensure it’s implemented effectively. Here’s how to make that happen so your strategy is successful.
Include IT partners. Your IT team will likely be responsible for at least a portion of implementation, so be sure you’re working with them from the beginning so they’re ready and willing to get it done on time.
Communicate the changes to employees. Change is hard for everyone, and switching to new technology platforms may significantly affect how employees do their jobs, at least briefly. Communicate proactively so they know why these changes are happening, when they’ll take place, and what benefits they can expect to see.
Offer ongoing training. To ensure employees actually adopt the technology you’re invested in, offer plenty of training at convenient times to them. You’ll see much greater ROI when you have a high user adoption rate, but you won’t get that without ongoing training and support.
