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Selecting and buying the right HRMS can be a convoluted and complicated process. However, when it comes to transforming your organization’s approach to human resources management, how you implement the new system determines how enthusiastically (or not) your employees will embrace their new automated HR services. In the words of The Carpenters, we’ve only just begun…

The following are three of the key HR software implementation best practices:

HR software implementation best practice #1 – Having an implementation team

No one person can implement your HRMS (even if they could handle the workload, they need input from key stakeholders from the rest of the organization) and so, choosing your implementation team is a key success factor.

Pick the right people. Preferably those with the experience and know-how to navigate a detailed, multi-faceted implementation project, including scheduling communications, user engagement activities, training programs, system testing, data migration and the go-live day.

Also consider engaging external assistance, either direct from the system vendor or from an HRMS consultant. Such help may be driven by a lack of in-house knowledge or skill or simply a lack of time and resources. And before the team begins the task at hand, think about their onboarding… Yes, they may all know the organization, they may even all know each other, but you need a high-performing team, and fast. So, make sure you provide some clarity on project goals, success criteria, plans, and strategy. Agree on individual roles and objectives then give the team the information and resources they need for success.

HR software implementation best practice #2 – The implementation plan

Remember the Scout motto: be prepared. As with any project, you need a clear plan that lays out the route from the purchase of your HRMS right through to it being a widely-adopted element of your organization’s systems and structure.

Use our step-by-step HRMS implementation plan to make your HR software implementation a success

For an HRMS, this means talking to stakeholders and planning to satisfy their needs:

• The C-suite are expecting a clear return on their investment in the shape of strategic HR functionality.
• The HR team is looking for a system that streamlines their function, freeing up time for higher level, more ‘human-necessary’ tasks, and projects.
• Users tend to just want something that makes their working lives easier with the minimum of effort (e.g. the need to learn new systems) on their part.

Involve each of these three main stakeholder groups in your planning, and in the ongoing monitoring and governance of that plan.

HR software implementation best practice #3 – Change management

Systems and technology are usually predictable, people are not. That said, they do respond to change (any change) in a broadly similar fashion, usually a variation on the denial-resistance-exploration-acceptance process.

To handle this ‘people element’ of HRMS implementation, you need a change management plan that defines a route to take employees from an initial lack of knowledge about the system to being accomplished users, automatically using the HRMS for their HR-related inquiries and transactions.

It’s no real surprise that all three of the above elements relate to planning in some way. After all, most organizations are in agreement with the principle of good planning (a PwC report noted that a whopping 97% of respondents believes project management is critical to business performance and organizational success). However, around the same time, the Standish Group finding was that less than a third of all projects finish on time and on budget. The need for planning may be commonly accepted but it’s far from commonly acted on.

Despite decades of implementing ERP systems, projects continue to disappoint or to go off the rails entirely. For every resounding success, there appears to be a stunning failure. The reasons for these failures are many and varied but one that shows up regularly in results analysis is poor or non-existent change management. Traditionally the reason for this has been that the amount of change involved when a company moves to a new system has been under-estimated. It can often appear that, after go-live, buyers will be continuing to raise purchase orders, sales office staff will be continuing to enter sales orders and accounts staff will be continuing to process invoices; so nothing is really changing and all that is required is some training so that users can get used to new screens.

But companies should not confuse the scale of change with the impact of change: the two are frequently disproportionate to one another. A new system isn’t just about new screens: underneath the surface, much will be different. Inevitably, new things will have to be done, old things will have to be done in new ways, and jobs may even cross departmental boundaries (e.g. in the old system, sales invoices may have been raised by accounts but, in the new, it might have to be a sales office task or it might even be an automatic routine following the warehouse despatch transaction).Some companies, such as start-ups, positively thrive on change – it is in their DNA. Others, particularly in highly-regulated industries, instinctively resist it. In the pharmaceutical industry, for example, changing the formulation of a medicine is a very big deal indeed, and companies in aerospace can find that simply changing the machine that a component is processed on can mean that a complete recertification is required: a time-consuming and costly exercise. So many will need help with change and many of these, lacking sufficient in-house skills, will bring in external consultant change managers; but even these can have problems.

Change is often resisted not only at a corporate level, but at an individual employee level also. Some employees, although recognizing the weaknesses and inadequacies of the existing system, will genuinely believe “better the devil you know”. The more-experienced ones will know how to get around many of the problems in the old system and may well enjoy the kudos that gives them in the eyes of junior staff (and, indeed, of management). Some people also resist change because they lack confidence in their ability to be able to cope with something new, particularly if they are not used to that.In both instances, the problem is that, when someone is brought in from outside to manage change, change can be seen as being their responsibility, and not that of regular managers and employees, so when they leave, the support they have been giving leaves with them. The answer is that companies should bring in change managers not to work on specific projects but to teach them how to manage change themselves. Change management needs to move from being a tick-box on a project plan to being a mindset, a set of tools that are in continual use, and a methodology that everyone in the company can adopt with confidence.

Change is inevitable, even eventually for the companies that resist it, and it is best to confront it and not just to react to it. When that happens; ERP failure will start to be a thing of the past.

June, the start of the new academic year and time for reflection.  What worked last year? What didn’t? What can I do to improve learning in my classroom? What can my students do to become better learners?  What innovations in education might benefit my students? What’s working for other teachers and students?  These are some of the questions I’ve been asking myself over the last couple of weeks as I’ve been getting my teaching head back on (not that we ever really get it off, par for the course being a teacher!)

Back in Jan after reflecting upon the sem and doing some self/student evaluations, I decided that the protagonists of my classroom this year (apart from my students of course) will be flipped learning and cooperative learning. Flipping in earnest will be new for my students this year, however cooperative learning is something we introduced last semester. Students are finally getting used to this way of working and starting to understand (and reap) some of the benefits…

So, I’ve been thinking about how to incorporate some of these strategies to make the best use of the extra class time I’ll have when I start flipping learning with one of my classes (Part-Time MHRDM batch)in the last semester.  

One of my favourite cooperative learning activities is the Think- Pair- Share in which students work together to solve a problem or answer a question about an assigned reading. This strategy requires students to (1) think individually about a topic or answer to a question; and (2) share ideas with classmates. Discussing with a partner maximizes participation, focuses attention and engages students in comprehending the reading material.

T : (Think) Faculty begin by asking a specific question about the text. Students “think” about what they know or have learned about the topic.

P : (Pair) Each student should be paired with another student or a small group.

S : (Share) Students share their thinking with their partner. Faculty expand the “share” and conclude with the solution

This is an excellent quick ,fun simple activity that shows the value of team work, it will get everybody energized and moving around the room and excited about the training , It can be a great opener for your team building class.

This is an excellent activity that shows the value of team work, it will get everybody energized and moving around the space and excited about the training , It can be a great opener for your team building class.

Brainstorming is a method for generating ideas to solve a design problem. It usually involves a group, under the direction of a facilitator. The strength of brainstorming is the potential participants have in drawing associations between their ideas in a free-thinking environment, thereby broadening the solution space.

Eight House Rule of Brainstorming

1. Set a time limit – depending on the problem’s complexity, 15–60 minutes is normal.
2. Begin with a target problem/brief – members should approach this sharply defined question, plan or goal and stay on topic.
3. Refrain from judgment/criticism – no-one should be negative (including via body language) about any idea.
4. Encourage weird and wacky ideas – further to the ban on killer phrases like “too expensive”, keep the floodgates open so everyone feels free to blurt out ideas, as long as they’re on topic.
5. Aim for quantity – remember, “quantity breeds quality”; the sifting-and-sorting process comes later.
6. Build on others’ ideas – it’s a process of association where members expand on others’ notions and reach new insights, allowing these ideas to trigger their own. Say “and”—rather than discourage with “but”—to get ideas closer to the problem.
7. Stay visual – diagrams and Post-Its help bring ideas to life and help others see things in different ways.
8. Allow one conversation at a time – keeping on track this way and showing respect for everyone’s ideas is essential for arriving at concrete results.

Kanika became really interested in digital about 6 years ago when she worked with a charity shop to improve the ways in which they could recruit volunteers and encourage them to stay longer. The shop-owners still used paper application forms but were looking to recruit nearby students who all apply to jobs online or through social media. She helped set up an online application portal and an incentive scheme. Applications went up 400% and the charity shop’s sales went up by 100% and it showed how such a simple bit of technology can make a huge impact to a business. In her career, Kanika has continued doing the same thing at a much larger scale – she has worked with one of India’s largest banks to transform the way they will be working in 2020 using digital.

It is common knowledge that successful businesses stand on the qualities and strengths of their workforce. When it comes to small businesses, the role and reliability of the employees take on greater significance, especially when it comes to keeping customers satisfied and fulfilling their expectations and demands. The challenges faced by small business owners are more because they have to juggle various roles. Even the smallest of mistakes, especially in the HR department, can shake the foundation of the business.

Owners of small businesses often have the required funds to invest and possess knowledge of the concerned field or product(s). But rarely are they able to manage their staff with the same dexterity and efficiency.

There are many things that call for attention in terms of human resources — the ideal number of employees, the technical vs soft skills level of the staff, use of headhunters to fill vacancies, detailed background checks, induction, training, orientation, and so on. The list of factors and challenges is endless. If each of these factors is not attended to at the right time, the workplace will be a chaotic mess and the business will end up suffering.

There are some important things that all small businesspersons should pay the necessary attention to:

Hire the right people

Small businesses have limited financial and human resources. So it is important that these should efficiently be utilised. This can only happen if there are the right people doing the right jobs. Small organisations can only run smoothly if the entire team works towards a common goal. In short, all employees should be well integrated into the work culture of the setup. Those who do not fit in at the very beginning, will definitely not last long, and if an attempt is made to make do with them, the existing team dynamics will also be adversely affected in the long run. The proverb, ‘one rotten egg spoils the whole lot’ is very apt for small businesses.

Invest in training

While it is important to hire the right people, it is equally important to train them well. They should be equipped with all the knowledge necessary to do their job well and also help train any newcomers who may join after them. To make the onboarding process of new entrants effective, the business should be well equipped with everything that is required for the same — equipment, manuals, workstations, desks, gear (wherever required), trainers, mentors, and so on. The new hires should be made to feel comfortable almost immediately by introducing them to the existing team. Regular follow up is also necessary to ensure that they are settling in at the expected pace.

The employee handbook should also be ready and available to be referred to. This will ensure that the organisation is following the standard rules of recruitment and induction. The handbook should be updated regularly to keep abread with changing laws and policies and reduce chances of noncompliance and violations.

Meet the workforce regularly

Only frequent interaction with the employees can allow entrepreneurs to feel the pulse of their employees. Therefore, communication lines should always be kept open. The staff should be made aware of important business decisions and their feedback should be invited and valued in all important matters. Trust levels should be so high that the employees should feel confident and free to share their opinions and also report issues without fear of being hauled up. They should be made comfortable enough to even report matters that they are otherwise hesitant to reveal in front of the entire team or staff.

Be good listeners

The primary factor of an open-door policy is the ability to listen to others. An open-door policy is founded on the freedom to express opinions. Employees should not be afraid to say what they feel, even if it something that goes against the thoughts of the management.

Stress on clarity

Matters should be conveyed in the clearest, unambiguous and specific manner possible. This is most significant at the time of hiring. All policies and rules should be made clear to the new recruit at the very beginning itself. All doubts should be cleared for the employee before he is formally inducted. What is required of the new entrant and what the recruit expects from you should be clear to both? No grey areas should exist.

Provide constant and meaningful feedback

Feedback is not something to be given to the employees during appraisal alone. The process should be constant and last throughout the year. But the nature of feedback is important. Simply pointing out mistakes should not be the aim. The objective should be to provide meaningful feedback and offer them time and opportunity to correct themselves, improve their performance and gain confidence.

Draw up a ‘to-do’ list and prioritise tasks

Good entrepreneurs and leaders are also very well organised. Since they have so many issues to handle, they have to know how to prioritise HR-related tasks. Constant follow up is also essential when it comes to sorting resumes, calling candidates for interviews and so on. This ensures a feeling of being in control and ‘clued in’.

Rely on HR tools

With the digitisation wave sweeping over corporate India, it is high time HR personnel took advantage of the available technology in this field. There is innumerable software available that can make life easier for HR managers. All they need to do is study the features, map the services they offer to the needs of their small business and then opt for the best and most economical solutions so that their burden becomes lighter.

Adhere to the law

Small entrepreneurs need to be aware of the important HR laws. They should take some time off to study the laws that are important and relevant to their line of work. They should be aware of laws pertaining to minimum wages and basic working conditions so that they do not have to face any legal issues in the future. Small businesses should not try to escape taxes or cut costs in illegal ways by classifying employees as contract workers when they are actually not.

Maintain a bond but set limits

It is not uncommon for small businesses to function like small close-knit families. However, too much closeness may lead to complications and indiscipline. Some level of professionalism and distance is essential between the workers and the management. This will ensure that the team stays loyal and sincere, and at the same time treats the management and owners with respect. This kind of arrangement also ensures the much-required discipline in the workplace.

 

Source: HRKatha.com

New-age learning organisations need to invest consciously on solutions that will facilitate delivery of learning anytime anywhere.

Gone are the days when learning was all about classroom sessions that lasted through the day. Learning is now sought in instant packets, easily consumable and conveniently applicable in dynamic work cultures. Same as everything else that has been transformed by technology to become more instant, interconnected and dynamic, learning in the digital world has also undergone a heavy makeover.

Organisations of the present and the future seek continuous learning and see it as the key to business growth and success. That is why, new-age learning organisations now need to invest consciously on solutions that help deliver learning that is available anytime anywhere over a range of platforms. The various e-learning or digital learning platforms that progressive organisations are increasingly leveraging are as follows:

Virtual Learning
In times when people work remotely and seek flexibility in everything from work hours to job roles, to learning opportunities, virtual learning comes in handy for organisations. It plays an increasingly important role in providing a new space in which to connect, engage and develop people. Virtual learning helps organisations preserve the beauty of traditional face-to-face learning in a modern virtual setup offering the benefits of flexibility, combining a strong learning architecture with virtual learning tools.

Mobile Learning
Although still in its niche stages of flawless implementation, mobile learning is gaining huge traction amongst employees as they see great advantages in the same. Organisations on the other hand are also developing stronger technology and content and course strategies to fully leverage mobile learning. While designing mobile learning programmes, learning professionals need to be mindful of the fact that course designs should consider small screens, and content production should support multiple devices and responsive design.

Social Learning
Many learning professionals are keenly interested in the topic of social learning but relatively few organisations have begun to implement it. One reason is that it is difficult to separate the hype from reality and focus on the elements that are really important. Successful social learning requires three elements— a technology platform, a vibrant community and great content.

In fact, social learning could prove to be the most efficient mode of offering learning as it helps engage and bring people together on one platform to share their expertise and experiences. Once fed with great content, employees feel motivated to jump in and offer their first comments on the social learning platform, and soon these comments turn into active learning discussions.

Gamification
Gamification is fast emerging as an effective technique to engage learners. It’s not simply about gaming and having fun while engaging employees, but about meeting serious business outcomes with the help of the learning programmes. It uses game mechanics and game design techniques in a non-gaming context and is a powerful tool to engage employees, customers and the public to change behaviours, develop skills and drive innovation. From immersive learning for induction and on-boarding to professional skills enhancement, compliance, soft skills enhancement, and behavioural change programmes, organisations are leveraging it well.

Having shared all the above, the most effective and the most convenient mantra to successful digital learning is  to think big, but start small. Focus on building a foundation of experimental experience before trying to fully operationalise an e-learning method.

Source : HRKatha.com