Need to implement some new HR systems into your business? But find the time this process takes is affecting your choices? You are not alone. According to SelectHub, 85% of people found that the time it took to implement HR systems was the thing that most impacted their software searches. However, with a strong implementation strategy, the process can be simplified, making it easier to focus on what is the right system for your business needs and not what is quickest to implement. To help you in your efforts, this article highlights some of the main steps that a business should take before implementing new HR software.

Plan and define your objectives

As with most things in life, planning is key. The first thing on your HR software implementation agenda is to construct a concrete plan and define what your objectives are. Why is the software needed? What are you hoping to achieve by its implementation? What issues will this new HR system help to fix? Are there things that it won’t be able to help with? Answering questions like this will be vital in helping you to identify what you need. As part of the planning process, you will also want to create a budget, a cost/benefits analysis, and a timeline for the entire process.

Assign a designated team

To be efficient in your task, you need to assign a designated implementation team to see it through. Look around your company and call upon people that will help make the process a success. Utilising various perspectives will be a good idea, such as age and experience. Then, define the roles in that team, so each person knows exactly what is expected of them. Make sure to pick a team leader who is responsible for overseeing the process. You can provide team incentives if you wish for a job well done, such as coming in within budget. Once your team is assembled, think about the HR consultants you will then need to bring in to round things out.

Evaluate HR system options

Now that you have your plan, know your needs, and have a team in place, its time to start evaluating your options. Identify the HR systems available that meet your requirements and match your budget. It’s important to be detailed here but first, collect a list of appropriate systems and then go through one by one and get rid of those that won’t fulfil the aims of this project. Research their features, level of customer support, how customisable they are, what their limitations are, and read reviews. Perhaps most importantly, look at how complex the implementation process will be and what support you will need to get the job done.

Create an implementation process road map

By now you will have chosen your desired HR system or software so now is the time to create an implementation process road map. This road map should be very detailed, laying out what you need to do and when for each stage of the process until the new system is implemented and operational. You can break your road map down into phases such as:

• Preparation: getting all your ducks in a row, getting full sign off by department heads, finalising budgets, assigning tasks to your team, and hiring the necessary support.
• Implementation: this part will be the actual integration of your system including all necessary data migration.
• Going live: your chosen system will now go live after all final tests. Include staff training and process transitioning in this stage.
• Evaluation: evaluate how the implementation went, is the system meeting your stated goals and objectives.

Tips for HR software implementation

• Plan and define your objectives
• Assign a designated team
• Evaluate HR system options
• Create an implementation process road map

Once all the steps above have been taken care of, you will now be ready to execute all your plans and begin your process of HR software implementation. We hope the above advice has been helpful.

If you need support with your HR System Selection and implementation, project management or other HR systems, please get in touch with us here at Phase 3. Alternatively, download our e-book on the 12 steps to successful technology selection and implementation projects.

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