Corporate HRIS: the keys to successful assimilation

The Human Resources Management Information Systems (HRIS) are now an integral part of business operations. However, it has to be said that their adoption remains laborious. Between off-putting interfaces and inadequate support for change, employees are reluctant to grasp these tools, whose potential often remains untapped.

Yet formalizing optimal HR processes in the tool is essential. It streamlines HR processes and paves the way for modernized team management. So how can you overcome the obstacles and turn these technologies into a real performance driver? This article outlines a few ways in which you can transform your HRIS from a constraint to an ally of choice. Follow the guide!

Why is it hard to get to grips with an HRIS?

The adoption of an HRIS by a company's employees is not self-evident. A number of pitfalls explain the reluctance and difficulties encountered by employees in familiarizing themselves with these digital tools.

Poor ergonomics

The first major obstacle to their adoption is the poor ergonomics of some HRIS systems. Complex, unintuitive interfaces, with multiple tabs and sub-menus, put users off. When navigation is complex and requires numerous clicks to access information, frustration quickly sets in. These everyday irritants end up discouraging employees, who then waste precious time searching for data instead of concentrating on their work. For example, if the vacation request process involves navigating through several menus, then entering the same information over and over again, employees will prefer to use another, faster method.

What's more, mobile ergonomics need to be carefully thought out to ensure intuitive use on the move. Few HRIS systems are optimized for smartphones and tablets.

Lack of training and familiarization

The lack of support for users when adopting an HRIS also represents a major obstacle to its adoption. Without clear explanations of the tool's functionalities, employees are unable to see in concrete terms how it facilitates their day-to-day work. What's more, it's detrimental not to allow for a familiarization period. Employees need to gradually familiarize themselves with the interface and the possibilities offered, in order to "forget" the old tools. Dedicated test and exploration periods are therefore essential before the actual switchover to the new tool. In addition, training must be adapted to different profiles. Managers do not have the same needs as HR teams, for example. Specific content and materials need to be created for each target group. Last but not least, it's important to provide support over the long term, so that any obstacles can be overcome as the system is used. Employees must be able to ask questions and receive guidance for as long as necessary. Otherwise, they will quickly turn away from the HRIS.

Insufficient or missing features

Some HRIS systems have functional shortcomings that prevent their optimal adoption by employees. For example, the absence of mobile applications means that HR data cannot be entered or consulted while on the move. Nomadic employees are thus penalized, as they cannot enjoy continuous use of the tool. 

Another recurring pitfall is the impossibility for managers to generate customized reports on the fly. If they can't easily extract and cross-reference the information they need, they'll turn away from the solution.

What's more, limited integration with other software used in-house complicates processes. This leads to detrimental load breaks. Interfacing with other solutions must be optimal. These functional gaps lead to frustration and wasted time. They convey the image of an incomplete tool to users. 

Poor governance (or poorly established) 

Unclear or non-existent HRIS governance complicates its assimilation. In the absence of clear rules of use, employees do not know which tasks must be performed via the tool, or how to share information internally. This approximate governance leads to redundant data entry, a multiplication of exchange channels and, ultimately, disparate adoption by different departments. Some departments abandon the HRIS in the absence of clear guidelines. And yet, formalizing optimal HR processes in the tool is essential. It makes user paths smoother and empowers employees. Defining who does what and how via the HRIS is essential. Governance involving the various departments also helps to identify any necessary adjustments. Feedback from the field continually enriches the rules of use.

No support for change

Adopting a new tool changes well-established work habits. However, without adequate support, employees are naturally reluctant to change. They fear losing efficiency while they master the new environment. This is why change management is a natural part of HRIS deployment. The same goes for any new solution, in fact. It helps to dispel apprehensions, by explaining the concrete medium-term benefits. Change must be presented as an opportunity. In addition, identified referents can help employees adopt the new reflexes on a daily basis. Peer-to-peer support encourages commitment.

The impact of poor HRIS adoption on companies

A lack of HRIS adoption by employees and managers can have damaging repercussions for the company:

Widespread disengagement

Users' lack of interest in HRIS is reflected in a growing disengagement. In the absence of any perception of real added value in their day-to-day work, employees gradually desert the tool. They only use it out of obligation, for a few basic administrative tasks and/or constraints. As a result, HRIS does not become a natural part of their working habits. Over time, they tend to develop their own, more agile, parallel tools. Spreadsheets, messaging and shared drives are insidiously replacing the official HRIS. As for managers, the situation is similar. Unaware of the operational usefulness of the HRIS for managing their teams, they turn their attention to other tools they are more familiar with. In the end, they even give up encouraging their staff to adopt the HRIS. This vicious circle self-perpetuates a chronic under-investment in the tool. Despite the functionalities deployed, usage remains limited to the bare essentials. Teams confine themselves to the minimum required. Under these conditions, it's hard to get a return on the initial investment made by management.

Inoperative data 

As a direct consequence of low HRIS usage, the quality of HR data entered is inexorably deteriorating. Without rigorous adoption by all employees, information quickly becomes incomplete and erroneous. This corrupted data then proves unusable for effectively steering the company's HR policy. Managers can no longer accurately monitor the development of skills in their teams, nor identify training needs. Similarly, staff turnover forecasts and recruitment plans become less reliable, hampering career management. Without solid HR analyses, it's impossible to anticipate recruitment needs in a visionary way. Over time, HRIS inexorably loses its primary vocation of supporting HR decision-making. The value of the information it centralizes is continually diminishing, putting a strain on all the HR processes [link to "HR process mapping" article] that depend on it. This decay calls for a massive clean-up to restore usable data. This tedious task is rarely sufficient to halt the deterioration in the long term. Only a vigorous reappropriation of the HRIS by all can turn things around.

Tool disengagement 

The domino effect: low usage of the HRIS by the first users generates a negative image that discourages other employees from adopting it in turn. A vicious circle quickly sets in. The lack of enthusiasm on the part of early adopters leads their colleagues to believe that the tool is not as useful as advertised. Especially if the managers themselves don't use it. So what's the point in investing time in learning how to use it? HRIS thus suffers from a stubborn reputation among employees as "ghost software". They continue to use their usual tools, deliberately ignoring the HRIS, even though it was deployed at great expense. New arrivals conform to this widespread trend. And the vicious circle is self-perpetuating, with the disengagement of some feeding the disengagement of others in a negative spiral. Breaking this vicious circle requires strong action to restore employees' confidence and desire. We need to demonstrate in concrete terms the added value of HRIS in their day-to-day work, through relevant use cases. 

How can HRIS adoption be improved?

The rejection of an HRIS within an organization is not inevitable. There are a number of change management levers that can effectively guide employees inassimilation the HRIS. Here they are:

Taking stock of disengagement 

A precise diagnosis of the current level of HRIS adoption is a prerequisite. Interviews and questionnaires with users enable us to factually objectify their level of commitment. This enables us to identify the main sticking points or irritants, by department, hierarchical level, function, etc. This detailed analysis highlights the particular reluctance of each population. It avoids a one-size-fits-all approach when each target has its own specificities. For example, managers may deplore the lack of appropriate reporting, while sales staff may find it difficult to enter data from their cell phones. Armed with this properly segmented diagnosis, HR managers are then able to define calibrated actions for each of these populations, in order to respond precisely to their expectations. Support is thus optimized. What's more, this analysis of each department's digital maturity guides the right mix of efforts. Investments can be rationalized by prioritizing the most reluctant departments, in order to trigger a positive dynamic that benefits the whole group.

Regular communication 

Informing employees before, during and after HRIS deployment is essential to ensure adoption. No communication, no adoption. Beforehand, you need to explain the overall meaning of the project to your teams: its objectives, the changes it will bring to their daily lives, and the expected benefits for everyone involved. This educational approach clarifies the reasons for the change, and encourages buy-in. During the deployment phase, regular milestones provide reassurance by showing how the work is progressing. Employees are kept informed of the next steps. Once the system is up and running, don't hesitate to celebrate the quick wins with concrete examples of improvements made possible by the HRIS. And, internally, capitalize on these success-stories to encourage people to adopt the system. More generally, there must be constant transparency about objectives, difficulties encountered, adjustments made, future developments... This open communication strengthens user confidence in the validity of the project. Listening to feedback from the field is just as important. Employees need to feel that their feedback is being taken into account to help the system evolve. This constant exchange increasesassimilation.

Customized in-house training

To be effective, training must be adapted to different profiles. In this sense, managers do not have the same needs as HR teams. Synthetic, entertaining webinars help employees get to grips with the tool. For business experts, more technical workshops are required. As for managers, individualized coaching will have a greater impact. Each population needs to follow a tailor-made training path to increase their skills at their own pace. 

💡 The simulator K-STUDIO simulator lets you create SCORM-based training modules that simulate the application's pages for optimal immersive training.

Use IS training aids

To make it easier to get to grips with HRIS, it's a good idea to use digital training aids. DAPs (Digital Adoption Platforms), for example, enable users to train independently via interactive, fun learning paths. Simulators provide a realistic learning environment for risk-free training on the real tool. As for LMSs (Learning Management Systems), they centralize and track all training content. These immersive, collaborative technologies boost the acquisition of HRIS skills. They optimize the autonomy and expertise of teams. Their deployment accelerates and deepensassimilation the new tool.

💡 K-NOW helps you design and distribute useful business aids to your employees every day in just a few minutes, to support and train them on their business tools.

Play on employee involvement

Involving future key users or their representatives enables us to co-construct certain functionalities and gather their needs upstream. Everyone feels part of the project and is more involved. For example, involving managers in setting the HR indicators and reports they need guarantees the perceived usefulness of the HRIS for them.

KPI tracking

Any tool deployment requires monitoring. Tracking quantitative indicators (usage rates, connection times, etc.) enables us to accurately assess the gradualassimilation the HRIS. In this way, good progress can be celebrated, and we can react swiftly in the event of any deviation from set adoption targets. Another advantage is that fine-tuned monitoring also identifies areas for improvement. In addition, concrete indicators motivate teams by demonstrating the growing usefulness of the tool in their day-to-day work.

💡 Measure and optimize digital adoption with K-VALUEour analytics platform that enables you analyze your applications' usage in real time.

Conclusion

The successful adoption of an HRIS requires a global strategy and relentless change management. Without educational support for employees, the most sophisticated tool in the world will remain a dead letter. Each active lever works in concert to convey meaning, gradually build team skills and, ultimately, empower each individual. After all, an HRIS only creates value through its day-to-day use. Beyond the specific case of the HRIS, it is also the digital maturity of the entire organization that is at stake. Adopting new collaborative tools remains a constant challenge, at a time when digital transformation is accelerating. But the benefits of successful mobilization are substantial. Companies that are the most agile inassimilation technologies will benefit from this sustainable performance lever, thanks in particular to fully engaged employees.

Would you like to accelerate the adoption of your HRIS or any other digital tool? Knowmore supports you with its unique digital adoption platforms. Whatever your sector and your applications, Knowmore guaranteesassimilation by your employees, suppliers and customers. By merging learning and use within a single innovative digital environment, Knowmore transforms your adoption challenges into concrete successes. Contact the Knowmore experts today for a demonstration!

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