Dining out on HR technology

“Of course, if we look at HR technology engagement, one could argue that every time a ‘user’ (diner) consumes a piece of your HR Technology (tasty dish) it should be treated as a special occasion. Configurations may appear to be more manageable, but by their very nature they are restrictive and simply can’t cater for the user experience that today’s users would expect when using technology”

Have you ever been in the position of organising a group dinner?

I’ve found that group dinners are often in honour of a special occasion like a birthday or a festive holiday, but sometimes, the special occasion is simply friends or family getting together for what is hopefully a memorable event.

If I compare the organisation of a group dinner, to when I arrange dinner with my wife, one thing stands out: Set menus!

Yes, the set menu. Saviour of the group dinner. No need to worry about all those a la carte meal options. Splitting the cheque? We won’t need a spreadsheet this evening. Everyone’s paying the same set menu charge.

All about HR technology

I find this dining dilemma useful when thinking about some of the challenges facing HR Technology buyers today. In the à la carte phase of HR technology buying, companies felt able to select the best software options for each segment of HR, be that talent acquisition, learning and development, performance management or otherwise. Like a hungry diner perusing an exquisite menu, the freedom to choose your own gastronomic journey was delighted in.

At some point in time, there came a tipping point, where buyers seemingly overwhelmed by the number of products and services, began to vote with their feet. Whether it be due to data handling, stakeholder management or juggling customisations, buyers headed straight for vendors serving the trusty set menu, better known in HR technology speak as ‘the configuration’.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve enjoyed many a good set menu. There is a time, a place and most certainly a use case. The fact that entire restaurant chains have been built on steak and fries proves the point! It’s just that for a special occasion, in an ideal word, a set menu just doesn’t make the grade.

Of course, if we look at HR technology engagement, one could argue that every time a ‘user’ (diner) consumes a piece of your HR Technology (tasty dish) it should be treated as a special occasion. Configurations may appear to be more manageable, but by their very nature they are restrictive and simply can’t cater for the user experience that today’s users would expect when using technology.

Just a few user experience statistics gathered by Google and Glassdoor reinforces the point;

• Organizations that invest in a strong candidate experience improve the quality of their new hires by 70 percent.
• 79% of people who don’t like what they find on one site will go back and search for another site.

The problem here, is that unlike those 79% who can move on to a different experience, your current and future talent cannot escape if your HR technology offering doesn’t provide them with a good experience.

Software to help onboard new talent should feel personal. It should help create a memorable learning journey for the individual. Performance evaluations, hopefully, should become a celebration.

Doesn’t being so special, cost the earth?

When it comes to reviewing the bill, the temptation is to believe your ‘set-lunch’ is going to provide you extra value for money. It should, shouldn’t it? You’re accepting less choice, and the economies of scale in serving the same to all customers means that the discount trickles down to the customer. In reality, maybe not. Since everyone has gone wild on set lunches, the master chefs cooking up the most delightful and memorable à la carte dishes have struggled to compete. When the ‘set-lunch’ becomes the only menu in town, we shouldn’t be shocked when we get the cheque.

The way in which many organisations seem to be turning away from best in class HR technologies in favour of vendors which offer set configurations, may be absolutely right in the most practical sense. However, we should not settle in to believing that this is an ideal scenario.

This is where technology really does need to step up and translate the ideal scenarios into reality. Help buyers feel comfortable that they can select best in class technologies whilst providing a holistic user experience, at a price point where it makes sense to offer that special experience which all our talent deserves.

When I took my wife for Valentine’s Day dinner last week, the service, the ambience and of course the company was first class. However, when I picked up the Valentine’s set-menu and saw my dessert choices were apple tart or cheesecake, I couldn’t help but crave the chocolate brownie from the à la carte!