What Shouldn’t Stay in Vegas: Takeaways from HRevolution and HR Tech 2011

October 12, 2011

Things are finally beginning to settle down after a busy and exciting week in Las Vegas. I had the privilege of attending my first HRevolution ‘unconference” event on Sunday, then participated in all of the goings-on at the HR Technology Conference & Exposition, along with HRchitect colleagues Matt Lafata, Tiffany Appleby, John Hinojos and Brandie Hurtado. Here is a collection of the major takeaways gleaned from conference sessions, vendor briefings, booth conversations, and random interactions during those four days:

  • Thanks to Bill Kutik, David Shadowitz, and LRP for continuing to run a great event – every year execution gets better.
  • It was a stroke of genius to team up with HRevolution to hold their unique format the day before – this was a great example of collaboration that really added value. Thanks also to Jeanne Achille and Devon Group staff for their management of the Press Room – quite a feat given the number of analysts, vendors and briefings that they had to coordinate!
  • Kudos to the event sponsors who did their part to make life easier for attendees – from food to parties to wifi, it was all noticed and appreciated (though I wasn’t able to squeeze in one of those coveted chair massages—bummer!).
  • HRevolution is a unique interactive format that everyone should experience at least once – trust me, you’ll want to go again. The emphasis is on dialogue, interaction and small group collaboration to advance the HR function – a very refreshing change from the usual passive “talking heads” conference experience. Congratulations to the HRevolution planning team (Steve Boese, Trish McFarlane, Ben Eubanks, Crystal Peterson) for making this happen!
  • Energy and activity levels set new highs – perhaps the change of venue to Vegas had something to do with it. One of the best things about HR Tech is the number of parties that take place after formal show hours that enable the interactions to continue. In Chicago this required significant cabbing to get from party to party. In Vegas, it was all at the Mandalay Bay – a significant plus. Regardless, the energy level and “buzz” in the Exhibit Hall was noticeably up from last year, doubtless fueled by the large number of vendors and new product announcements.
  • Mobile & Social were front page – Workday and PeopleFluent led the way with very impressive demonstrations of iPad apps, and it is clear that tablet PCs have the potential to enable significant adoption of manager-driven HCM processes. However, as Joel Cheesman pointed out during his opening keynote at HRevolution, the vast majority of “rank & file” employees and candidates do not use tablets or smart phones – therefore, organizations must develop a more pragmatic strategy for communicating and interacting using SMS (texting), especially for particular job categories, industry segments, or geographies.
  • Customer feedback on vendors is pretty grim – lost in all the buzz over cool new technologies and product announcements was a warning message to the vendor community – service and support are not meeting customer expectations. The clearest example of this was during the Talent Management panel, where over 72% of text poll respondents gave vendors a grade of C, D, or F on the quality of service & support – and only 5% gave an A grade. Unfortunately, these scores continue to be in line with other research (e.g., Bersin & Associates “2010 Talent Management Customer Satisfaction Survey,” CedarCrestone’s “2011 HR Systems Survey”), indicating little response from vendors on this issue. Panelists indicated three main failings from their TM vendors –  1) Vendors are not keeping commitments made during the sales process – therefore, customers need to beef up SLAs and take a contractual approach to ensuring their needs are met, 2) Vendors need to improve the process of gathering business requirements to ensure that their solutions are more configurable and meet the needs of a broader cross-section of companies, and 3) Vendors tend to overstate their global capabilities – in the words of one panelist, “Don’t say your app is global just because it has global customers.” HRchitect first pointed out the importance of vendor service and support in our 2008 report “The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management,” and we hope that vendors take this feedback from customers as a serious call to action. The fanciest technology in the world means very little if a client does not feel they are getting the support they need in order to make the vendor solution work.
  • HCM implementations are just plain hard work – this message came through loud and clear in multiple customer sessions. Regardless of the technology, a project team needs to execute the basics in order to be successful:
    • Knowing the business – not just the business, but the models that drive the business
    • Knowing the workforce – demographic and cultural variations
    • Knowing the key jobs and the characteristics of top performers in those jobs
    • Clean, accurate data – there must be processes to cleanse the data in the first place and keep it clean
    • Change management, change management, change management – critical to ensure user adoption – consistently under-budgeted in most TM implementations
    • Strong project management is critical – every HCM implementation needs a leader who has the vision, can communicate it to stakeholders, and can keep all the moving parts on track
  • The HR Tech show has become overwhelming – the sheer size, number of vendors and activities has reached a point where it is easy for attendees to be bewildered by all the similar marketing messages and vendor claims. In the weeks leading up to HR Tech, many HRchitect clients asked if it was advisable for them to go. We told them to attend, but cautioned them that it was very likely that they would be overwhelmed, and that they should talk to us after the show to recap what they had experienced and help them separate “fact from fiction.” To a person, these clients came by our booth and validated the overwhelming nature of the show.

So, how was your experience at HR Tech? Whether you agree or not with what is written here, please comment on this post. If you were bewildered by all the messages and options and want some help sorting it all out, please let us know. We’d be happy to talk with you before you make any decisions about HR technology purchases, changes or upgrades. In the meantime, we are already looking forward to HR Tech 2012 in Chicago!

Leave a Comment » | HCM, HR technology, Human Capital Management, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Uncategorized, Workforce Management | Permalink
Posted by Ron Hanscome

No More “Best Practices” — A Plea For A Semantic Revolution

September 12, 2011

Note: Most of the content of this post was originally published in the December 2009 / January 2010 issue of the IHRIM.Link magazine (at that time the flagship publication of the International Human Resource Information Management Association – click here for more information on this really useful organization and its publications). Even though some time has passed, I continue to suppress a nervous tic whenever someone uses the term “best practices” in my presence. So, I guess it’s time to get on the soapbox again…;-)

I’m sure many of you are gearing up for another busy fall HR Technology conference season, and whether you are attending ERE Expo this week, getting ready for HREvolution / HR Tech “conference combo” in Vegas, or checking out the annual conference(s) of your Human Capital
Management (HCM) vendor(s) of choice, chances are you will hear the term “best practices” being thrown around like those big fish at Pike’s Place Market in downtown Seattle. It might have been an invitation for users to share best practices for using social tools to recruit talent, a vendor demo claim of embedded best practices in their software, an industry analyst discussing talent management best practices, or a consultant outlining their methodology for helping clients implement best practices…whatever the situation, it is clear that everyone is on the best practices bandwagon, right? Wrong!

Those who have worked with me at various points in my journey through the HCM  technology landscape are very aware that use of the term “best practices” is a longstanding pet peeve of mine. Simply put, I believe that the term is at best unhelpful and misleading, and at worst can actually hamper an organization’s journey towards more efficient and effective HR processes. With apologies to friends and colleagues who have heard this all before, here is my brief manifesto for why we should not use the term “best practices,” and why the phrase “leading practices” more accurately describes what we are all trying to accomplish in the realm of HCM.

So, what’s my beef with the use of the term “best practices?” My concerns break down into three major areas:

  •  First, the implication of “best practice” is that there is only one way to optimally perform a given task or process; as an end-user organization you must find that best practice and implement it, otherwise you are a “loser” and not functioning optimally. As a vendor, all I have to do is find the best practice for a given function and code it into my software, and Voila! – my application includes embedded best practices. Unfortunately, this view does not reflect the reality of the world of HCM. My experience as a consultant indicates that there are many different and equally successful ways to optimize HCM processes, and that a single “best practice” that cuts across geographic and industry segments simply does not exist.
  • Second, the term itself encourages the tendency of many organization leaders to look for a “magic bullet” that will quickly solve all of their problems with a given HCM function. I’ve been involved in many projects over the years where the desire to quickly fix a problem led to chasing after the latest technology “fad,” and ultimately the selection and implementation of a new solution that addressed the specific issue. However, the end result did not ultimately improve HR support of the business, because the gains in the specific process were mitigated by the lack of integration of that solution to other HCM technologies, or because the best practice operated in  isolation from the other critical processes. I regularly work with organizations where this ‘magic bullet’ mindset has resulted in a patchwork of ‘best of breed’ point solutions that don’t work well together…and of course, the latest ‘magic bullet’ is an ‘integrated talent management suite’ with embedded ‘best practices’ and functions that work together seamlessly. The reality for your organization is that HCM is a web of interrelated processes – things are always more complex than they seem, and a true ‘magic bullet’ (despite marketing hype to the contrary) doesn’t exist.
  • Finally, the notion of “best practice” implies that a single way of doing things can be adopted by an organization “as is.” Differences
    in culture, geography, organization structure, and leadership philosophy don’t matter – “According to [insert expert here], Company ABC has best practice performance management and this is how they do it, so let’s put that in place here by the end of the year.” The corporate landscape is littered with examples of failed attempts to implement a given best practice, because it was adopted with no consideration of the fact that every organization is unique. Attempts at benchmarking with similar organizations (whether the variable is size, industry segment, geographic reach, etc.) to find the right fit have generally had limited success, precisely because it is so difficult to match some of the less tangible factors. I strongly believe that any HCM practice that is delivering good results for one organization must be carefully analyzed to determine how it can be tailored and adapted for the new organization, rather than simply adopted out of whole cloth.

Because of these issues, I strongly advocate the use of the term “leading practice” instead of “best practice.” “Leading practice” is more inclusive, and recognizes that there are many ways to deliver optimized HCM processes, and that no single combination of HR science, process and technology works for all kinds of organizations. Using “Leading practice” also helps defuse our inherent tendency to look for the “magic bullet,” as it recognizes the complexity of HR processes and the need for thoughtful, holistic analysis that leads to more comprehensive solutions. Finally, the notion of “leading practice” is a broader approach that opens up an organization to consider multiple methods used by other firms, enabling the building of a process that may incorporate elements of several different processes to arrive at a ‘best fit’ solution.

Hopefully I’ve made a strong case for you to remove “best practice” from your lexicon and replace it with “leading practice.” If so, here are some suggestions for finding and implementing leading HCM practices for your organization:

  • Get to know your business – and I mean, really get to know it. Take the time to understand the current state of the organization, current and future business strategies, management and leadership philosophy, and demographic/generational variations by location and geography. All of these nuances will help shape the analysis of which tools and processes are ‘best fit’ for your firm.
  • Leverage your networks – talk to colleagues in your industry as well as others (you never know where good ideas might come from). Don’t neglect other sources, as consultants, vendors and industry analysts may have access to company case study information that will prove valuable.
  • Take the time to think it through – you need to balance the need for speed with the fact that your organization has limited capacity for change. Taking the time to really analyze what your firm needs (including thinking more broadly beyond the specific issue to be addressed) and developing a robust set of business requirements will make all subsequent project phases much easier.
  • Take nothing at face value – whether it is process redesign, vendor evaluation or customer references, dig deeper. The devil is in the details, and asking the deeper questions now will save a lot of heartache later. Remember that demos are designed to do one thing – sell  software. When in doubt, ask more questions until you are satisfied with the answers.
  • Don’t forget internal marketing and change management – no matter how wonderful the new leading practice is, you will  need a comprehensive plan to “sell” it internally and manage its successful adoption.

So, there you have it – will you join me in this modest semantic revolution?

No more “best practices!” Viva “leading practices!”

Leave a Comment » | HCM, HR technology, Human Capital Management, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Workforce Management | Permalink
Posted by Ron Hanscome

Don’t Miss Thursday’s HRchitect WebMingle with Dan Hilbert of OrcaEyes

September 1, 2011

The HRchitect WebMingle is designed to give you some insight into the puzzling world of HR technology, talk about upcoming events in our industry, and provide insightful interviews with people of our industry – who they are, what they do and why you should care. The WebMingle has become the most popular live weekly Internet show in the HR technology industry!

The WebMingle has truly redefined how people get information about vendors, trends and really anything related to HR technology and we are very proud of that.

This week’s guest is Dan Hilbert, Founder and CEO of OrcaEyes.

OrcaEyes is the innovative leader in workforce planning an analytics. It’s unique ability to tie employee activity to business outcomes sets it apart in a the analytics and metrics market. Over the past year to 18 months, OrcaEyes has experience a surge in activity as more and more organizations look for ways to become more strategic in the way they manage their human capital and communicate workforce issues and impacts to business leaders. Today, OrcaEyes markets 3 unit products…SonarVision On Demand, a reporting tool for companies looking to get their feet wet in workforce planning, SonarVision Insights, it’s talent supply locator and research tool and, of course, SonarVision Enterprise for organizations ready to implement a full workforce planning and analytics software system. All of these can be found on their website at orcaeyes.com

Dan Hilbert founded OrcaEyes in 2007 with the vision of helping organizations run more efficiently and productively through the use of workforce intelligence and planning. Having been hailed as Visionary of Workforce Planning by HR Magazine and the Bill Gates of Recruiting by Jobster, Dan Hilbert is indeed a trailblazer in the world of workforce intelligence. He gained his impressive knowledge of recruiting and workforce impacts while serving as Manager of Global Recruiting at Valero where he managed the organization’s hiring processes as the company grew from $2 billion to $95 billion in revenue. He did so by combining his extensive knowledge and experience in supply chain management with workforce planning and strategy. He then productized his ideas and analytics to form OrcaEyes’ flagship product SonarVision and has since been the recipient of multiple awards from industry analysts and media outlets.

Visit www.HRchitect.com/Knowledge/WebMingle to listen live this Thursday, September 1 at 2pm CST. If you missed any of our previous 80 or so WebMingles, you can also access them from that page.

We look forward to welcoming Dan Hilbert with OrcaEyes to the HRchitect WebMingle and hope to have you join us as well.

If you would like to be considered as a guest on an upcoming WebMingle, please contact Tiffany Appleby at tappleby@HRchitect.com

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

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Posted by mattlafata

“Mixing Things Up” for Better Results

August 9, 2011

Two years ago (with just a little encouragement from my doctor during ye old annual physical) I took a hard look at where my vital signs were heading, factored in family history (my dad had a heart attack at age 52) and didn’t like the trends one bit. That inevitable “pound or two” per year had added up. Although I was always at least somewhat physically active, a busy travel schedule and meals on-the-go had taken their toll. Sound familiar? Well, I set a date for a follow-up appointment six months out, and swung into action. By making some fairly major adjustments to diet (reducing carbs, eating less processed food) and ramping up exercise (no, I did not do P90X – a little too Xtreme for me – who has an hour + per day to exercise?) I was able to shed 28 pounds by the time I saw Dr. Dryer again. I had broken the 200 lb barrier, and felt a lot better. I committed myself to losing the last 10 pounds or so to get to my goal weight of 185, figuring it would take another 3 months.

Fast forward to the summer of 2011. Despite a number of attempts and other programs, I still hovered around 195, and my body fat % was still significantly higher than I liked. I had hit that plateau point where it was very difficult to continue to make progress. Discouraging, to say the least. After checking out a number of different options, I settled on a six week program called Shapeshifter that focused on reducing body fat and building muscle by combining specific types of diet (low carb, slow carb, moderate carb, good carb, and even fasting) with different forms of exercise. The idea is that different types of exercise work better from a fat burning perspective, while others build muscle; by doing some form of exercise every day, but varying the type and duration, the body is much less likely to adapt and plateau. I’m currently on week 4 of the program and pleased with the results so far. I’m shooting to not only get rid of those pesky 10 pounds, but reduce my body fat by 10% as well by the end of the program.

So, what does this story have to do with HCM? Hopefully the analogy isn’t too much of a stretch…but I believe that many HR functions have gotten into a rut in terms of their programs, and doing the “same old, same old” is no longer getting results. Most organizations could stand to  mix things up – retire some programs, change others, introduce new ones — to deliver greater impact and drive better business results. Here are some specific areas you may want to take a look at:

  • Measurement — are you continuing to track the same old HR metrics? If so, you’ve fallen into the same trap that I did…focusing on a “standard” measure (weight) and ignoring others of equal or greater importance (body fat % and muscle mass). To shake things up, try this rule of thumb – around 70% of your metrics are common across all HR functions, 20% or so are relevant to your organization’s industry sector, and the remainder are unique to your firm. Look to measure some different things – perhaps develop a subset of metrics that will become a focus area for the next year. Experiment. Always try to link back to business results in some way. Become a “Data Freak” (see my previous post on the subject here).
  • Methodology — it usually doesn’t turn out very well to take semi-random actions according to what makes sense to you (remember that conventional wisdom is often wrong). I would not be reaching my body and fitness goals without a specific set of actions laid out by an expert resourceFind a process that is best fit for your HR function and organization, then adapt it to meet your unique needs.
  • Goal Setting — go for something big, with a specific timeframe and identified results (for example, how about increasing both user adoption and user satisfaction for your new career planning process to 90%+ by the end of 2011). Try to make a major difference, and use your measurement acumen to figure out how well you’ve done. Make sure your goal is visible (for accountability purposes) and tied to business results.
  • Effort — It will probably not be easy to mix things up. In fact, it’ll probably get really hard at some point. I was not a happy camper after the two solid weeks of low carb diet (needed to prime my system to burn fat instead of carbs). I was really not happy when they threw in intermittent fasting (including some 24 hour periods) combined with double exercise. But it’s amazing what can happen if you manage to keep your “eyes on the prize.”

If you’ve reached the point with your HCM processes and technology where results have hit a plateau, take heart! Take a shot at mixing things up…construct a thought experiment or two…and you may very well be on your way to improved business results!

If this strikes a chord with you, please let me know — I’d love to participate in any thought experiments you may have about how to make changes in your HCM function!

Leave a Comment » | HCM, HR technology, Human Capital Management, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Workforce Management | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ron Hanscome

Don’t Miss This Week’s HRchitect WebMingle with Jim Buttimer of Glassdoor.com

April 20, 2011

 

The weekly HRchitect WebMingle is designed to give you some insight into the puzzling world of HR technology, talk about upcoming events in our industry, and provide insightful interviews with people of our industry – who they are, what they do and why you should care. The WebMingle has become the most popular live weekly Internet show in the HR technology industry!

The WebMingle has truly redefined how people get information about vendors, trends and really anything related to HR technology and we are very proud of that.

This week’s guest is Jim Buttimer, VP Biz Development with Glassdoor.com.

Glassdoor.com is a career and jobs community where anyone can find job listings and anonymously share real-time reviews, ratings and salary details about specific jobs for specific employers — for free.   Think of it as the TripAdvisor of jobs and workplaces that uses employee-generated content to provide a free inside look at companies from those who know best – employees.

Jim Buttimer is vice president of business development at Glassdoor.com where he is responsible for developing and managing strategic partnerships with leading career sites and job boards.  Previously, Jim was the CEO of CareerTV and Vice President/General Manager at WetFeet. Jim holds a B.A. in Economics and Public Policy Studies from Duke University and an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson School.

Visit www.HRchitect.com/Knowledge/WebMingle to listen live this Thursday, April 21, at 2pm CST to the 76th show in our WebMingle series. If you missed any of our previous WebMingles, you can also access them from that page.

We look forward to welcoming Jim Buttimer with Glassdoor.com to the HRchitect WebMingle this week and hope to have you join us as well.

If you would like to be considered as a guest on an upcoming WebMingle, please contact Tiffany Appleby at tappleby@HRchitect.com

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

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Posted by mattlafata

Don’t Miss This Week’s HRchitect WebMingle with Jake Burke of InterviewStream

January 17, 2011

 

The weekly HRchitect WebMingle is designed to give you some insight into the puzzling world of HR technology, discuss news from around the world that we find interesting, talk about upcoming events in our industry, and provide insightful interviews with people of our industry – who they are, what they do and why you should care. The WebMingle has become the most popular live weekly Internet show in the HR technology industry!

The WebMingle has truly redefined how people get information about vendors, trends and really anything related to HR technology and we are very proud of that.

This week’s guest is Jake Burke, Vice President of Sales with InterviewStream.

InterviewStream, LLC (www.InterviewStream.com) is the premier provider of video interviewing solutions. Since InterviewStream’s launch in 2003, the company continues to innovate and to set the market pace for cost-effective and climate-friendly recruiting best practices. Their strategic evolution and the increase adoption of enterprise video has allowed the company to launch unique market tools which provide employers with a web-based system to invite candidates to record responses to pre-defined video question sets or connect with hiring staff over live video-conference interviews. Additionally, their services include the leading video practice interview system and sales training platforms to improve verbal and non-verbal communication.    

Jake Burke has worked in technology sales for over 10 years in the recruiting and staffing space currently with InterviewStream and leading the sales efforts.  He is married with two young children and another on the way.

Visit www.HRchitect.com/Knowledge/WebMingle to listen live this Thursday, January 20, at 2pm CST to the 72nd show in our WebMingle series. If you missed any of our previous WebMingles, you can also access them from that page.

We look forward to welcoming Jack Burke with InterviewStream to the HRchitect WebMingle this week and hope to have you join us as well.

If you would like to be considered as a guest on an upcoming WebMingle, please contact Tiffany Appleby at tappleby@HRchitect.com

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Leave a Comment » | HCM, HR technology, Human Capital Management, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Workforce Management | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mattlafata

2011 HCM Industry Predictions from the Experts at HRchitect

December 30, 2010

 

HRchitect, the industry’s leader in HCM technology consulting firm, recently released its annual predictions during its “365 in 65” special edition of the HR technology WebMingle. While we certainly don’t have a crystal ball, we have been doing this long enough and feel we have the pulse on the HCM community to know what is really happening. With that, it brings an obligation to share our knowledge and thoughts with the community at large and we’d welcome the opportunity to speak with any of you, at any time, as to how we can help you with your HR technology related projects around HCM strategic planning, evaluation and selection, implementation, and post-implementation assistance.

Listen to the archive as members of HRchitect, including Rick Fletcher, President & Founder; Ron Hanscome, Senior HCM Consultant; John Hinojos, VP of Consulting Services; and Matt Lafata, VP of Sales, Marketing & Strategic Alliances as well as one of the industry’s leading Talent Management Systems Analysts, give their thoughts on a number of items facing us today. These include: 

  • Recap of merger, acquisition and funding activity that took place throughout 2011
  • Impact of social collaboration tools
  • ERP vs. Best of Breed
  • Changing Economy and Workforce
  • 2011 Predictions – which you can see below…

 

  • Market Consolidation Continues – The overall human capital management software market will continue to consolidate – driven by multiple vendor types (e.g., core HCM platform providers, ITM vendors, “aggregator” HCM firms, niche vendors) either seeking to expand their ITM coverage, or ceasing operations.    

 

  • Investment in Marketing and Product Development – Marketing and product development efforts around ITM suites will continue full force, as vendors seek to differentiate their functionality and approach to ITM.

 

  • Integrated Performance Management, Succession Planning and Learning – The linkage between Performance, Learning, and Succession is increasing in importance for ITM – the emergence of this process ‘cluster’ has some implications for the ITM market, as those vendors that began with learning capabilities and have expanded into performance and succession may have a longer-term advantage due to the depth of integrated functionality.

 

  • Integrated Performance Management and Compensation to Support Pay for Performance Programs – Executives at many leading organizations are implementing a variety of incentive programs to create a pay-for-performance culture that more effectively aligns the goals of managers and their employees with the goals of the company.  To effectively administer these new pay-for-performance programs, organizations are implementing a process ‘cluster’ that includes integrated performance and compensation applications.  ITM vendors that began with compensation capabilities and have expanded into performance currently provide a greater depth of functionality in this cluster. 

 

  • Convergence of the ITM Suite and HRMS- Over the next five years, HRchitect expects to see the ITM suite and core HRMS begin to converge into a single integrated Human Capital Management system.  The major ERP vendors such as Oracle, SAP and Lawson will continue to add more talent management features to their suite of products.  Workday has built and is continually improving on its new generation suite that includes both ITM and HRMS capabilities. ITM vendors are beginning to add more HRMS features to their integrated suites as well so that can be the core system of record for all employee related data.

 

  • Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Continues to Gain Popularity – The SaaS delivery model for ITM applications is gaining popularity with organizations of all sizes. Mid market organizations with limited IT support for on-premise applications are moving to SaaS.  Large enterprises that have gained experience with SaaS through Recruiting applications are implementing the SaaS model for other ITM applications such as Performance Management as well.  HRchitect expects this trend to continue.   

 

  • Customers Will Not Upgrade Existing ERP Legacy Systems Without Investigating SaaS alternatives – Many organizations today use ERP systems that are outdated and changes needed to be made. In the past, the course was to simply upgrade. In 2011 and beyond, all alternatives will be explored first.

 

  • Niche and ITM suite Vendors Continue to Maintain a Feature/Function Lead –  ERPs (e.g., Oracle, SAP, Lawson) and core HRMS platforms (e.g., Ultimate Software, NuView, Spectrum-Epicor) will continue to invest in ITM, but have not closed the gap with the ITM niche providers or ITM suite vendors.

 

  • Commoditization of Core Features – As new market categories develop, software vendors differentiate their products by rapidly delivering a continuous stream of innovative new features.  A core set of features begins to emerge that industry analysts include in their research reports and after several release cycles, all of the vendors deliver this ‘commoditized’ feature set.  Mature ITM market categories such as Recruiting already have a commoditized feature set and if you haven’t noticed, the features in Performance Management products are beginning to look very similar in the major vendor’s products.  HRchitect expects the commoditization of core features in the products that make up the ITM suite to continue.  ITM software vendors will focus on the user experience, integrated content, interoperability, value-added services and customer support to differentiate their offerings. 

 

  • Integrated Content Differentiates Products – As the core features begin to commoditize, innovative ITM vendors are delivering pre-packaged content integrated into a personalized user experience to differentiate their offerings.  Examples include competency libraries, assessment tests, interview questions, goals, writing assistance, market compensation data, and learning content.   HRchitect expects this trend to continue as vendors create new content for vertical markets and forge strategic alliances with third party content providers. 

 

  • Competencies and Pre-Packaged Content – Competency-based talent management through the use of competency data as the ‘glue’ to link ITM processes will continue to grow.  Companies are using leadership competencies in the succession planning process to develop a leadership pipeline.  Some companies are also beginning to use functional competencies to support career and development planning for the broader employee population.  HRchitect is seeing an increased interest in off-the-shelf competency content. 

 

  • Mobile Will Play Bigger Role in HR technology in 2011- Many vendors started developing their products for Smartphones in 2010 and some released first-generation applications. We expect this trend to continue in earnest as predictions show Smartphones outselling laptop computers by 2013.

 

  • Web 2.0 Collaboration and Social Software Tools in the Workplace – Organizations are beginning to use Web 2.0 technologies including blogs, wikis, internal social networks and other online collaboration tools throughout the talent management lifecycle.  Social software tools are being used to recruit talent, facilitate knowledge transfer and to connect employees with experts and colleagues within the organization.  Social networking strategies used include company forums, communities of practice, enterprise social networking, and employee profile pages.  Users are generating their own content to include in their employee profiles to create searchable ‘expertise directories’.  Organizations are also using social networking to access latent talent pools, such as retirees and corporate alumni.  ITM vendors are designing Web 2.0 features into their applications and HRchitect expects this trend to accelerate during the next several years. 

 

  • Linkedin grow as a recruiting tool – More and more organizations and recruiters are using LinkedIn as the primary way to gather information on potential future employees

 

  • User Experience Differentiates Products and is Critical to Adoption – User adoption is critical to achieving the projected return on investment when implementing ITM applications.  The user experience will increasingly become a key differentiator as all of the ITM vendors deliver the core feature set in each market category over time.  The user interface for self-service applications must be intuitive and enable employees and managers to use the application without training.  One trend that HRchitect is seeing emerge is the presentation of information from the ITM system in the applications where employees live most.  Not all organizations are willing to allow employees to use consumer applications in the workplace, however, members of “Generation Y” entering the workforce will be asking for this flexibility. 

 

  • Increased Focus on Customer Service and Support as Key to Customer Satisfaction - Despite the marketing emphasis on feature/function, vendor service and support are key to long-term customer satisfaction – HRchitect believes that the vendor community would do well to up the ante in their customer-support functions and take the view that a satisfied customer base will ultimately increase profitability and viability over the long term.

 

  • Price Points Will Rise After the “dust settles” (vendor consolidation shortening list of stable and robust TAS and TMS suites…and ROI being further proven) – The economy is coming back and there are less choices available as we enter 2011. Price points on the license fees and implementation costs will start to rise.

 

  • ITM vendors with holistic solutions that drive business results will gain share versus technology-focused providers – The HCM market has suffered from decades of frustration with HCM technologies that did not deliver business value or return on investment. Prospective customers (particularly large, global, complex firms) are increasingly looking for providers that can deliver a combination of deep domain/process knowledge, measurement/analytic rigor, and enabling technologies to drive process change, actionable metrics, and business value to the enterprise. ITM vendors that can execute a solutions-driven approach  should see increased win rates and improved referenceability in the ITM marketplace.

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Integrated Talent Management, the Economy and You

December 23, 2010

 

Integrated Talent Management (ITM) is a major focus for many organizations today and the market for ITM software has continued to grow despite the economic downturn.  In the current economic environment, consumers and businesses are spending less, tax revenues are down in the public sector and organizations are under pressure to deliver innovative products and services faster with fewer people.  These economic challenges have increased the need for executives to effectively measure and monitor both organizational and individual performance.  Accessing the health of an organization’s talent pools and knowing which employees have the critical competencies required to achieve the organization’s goals is becoming increasingly important. 

The U.S. unemployment rate is still high and with countless millions of people unemployed, organizations currently have plenty of candidates, however, finding qualified talent is still a challenge in many industries.  As the global economy recovers over the next several years, the demand and competition for skilled labor will increase.  Although labor shortages may be offset in part by Baby Boomers who delay their retirement due to the stock market decline and the continued use of a growing supply of offshore labor, the future trends still project potential shortages in critical skilled positions.   

The workforce is also changing and now includes several generations, each of which brings its own unique perspectives, attitudes, and values about work.  The Baby Boomers climbed the corporate ladder by working hard, communicating in person and a ‘live to work’ ethic.  Generation X (born between 1965 – 1980) is moving into middle management, but does not have the experience of the Baby Boomers. This generation needs to be developed, ‘works to live’ and wants a work-life balance including flexible schedules. 

Clearly the personal computer, Internet, email, mobile phone, texting and social software technologies have changed how all of us are doing business today.  Generation Y (born between 1981 – 1994) and also known as the “Millennials” seems to be phenomenal at being able to use all of them at the same time.  This generation has joined the workforce demanding a fast-paced environment where creativity and independent thinking are encouraged. Generation Y grew up with access to the Internet in their homes, personal cell phones, instant messaging, social networking and information at their fingertips.  They are bringing their technology tools, ability to quickly find and share information on the Web and collaborative external networks into the workplace, raising new concerns related to the loss of productivity and company intellectual property.  This new generation is confident, collaborative and wants learning and growth opportunities. 

In addition, the workforce continues to become more global, diverse and distributed.  Companies are expanding by opening office locations around the world and establishing corporate partnerships and alliances that add a new dimension to the ‘virtual’ workplace. To bridge these distances in space and time, organizations are increasingly implementing internal social software to connect scattered employees opening up the opportunity for building relationships that yield knowledge sharing, productivity increases, and opportunities for professional development.

In response to the changing workforce and need to attract, develop and retain talent, organizations are evaluating and implementing ITM suites.

Many organizations are attempting to weave disparate HR processes and technologies into a comprehensive ITM approach to maximizing workforce performance. For most firms this is a challenging, multi-year project that involves strategy development, process redesign, change management, and implementation of supporting technologies. Organizations face a bewildering array of technology solution providers who claim to deliver comprehensive ITM suites, and it is often difficult to separate vendor hype from the realities that customers experience as they try to implement these systems.

We will tackle these issues in a series of blogs in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, talk to HRchitect first. HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!

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Posted by mattlafata

HRchitect’s Influence in the HR technology World…And the Leading Companies That Rely on Us

December 19, 2010

 

…excerpt from the December 2010 issue of The HR Authority Newsletter…

At this time of year, you can’t go anywhere without being subjected to holiday commercials on TV and holiday music every time you enter a store.

As I think of that, the fact that you can’t escape holiday music and sights no matter where you go or what you do, I think about the tremendous influence that HRchitect has in the HR technology world. Seriously, so many of today’s leading companies rely on HRchitect to help them build HR technology strategic plans, evaluate and select different HR technology solutions such as core HR, talent acquisition and talent management, to helping companies properly implement and get the most from these systems.

Think about it…

Chances are you are going to visit an electronics store this year. Ever hear of Best Buy? Yep, they are a client. Or maybe you will visit Target, OfficeMax, L.L. Bean, RadioShack, Nordstrom, JCPenney, Lowe’s, GAP, Wal-Mart, or numerous others. Yes, chances are very high you will shop at a store that is an HRchitect client.

Of course you will need money to visit those stores so perhaps you will visit your local Wells Fargo or Washington Mutual branch. Or perhaps Bank of America, Bank of Oklahoma, or U.S. Bank. Maybe you will need to check with your credit union such as Texans Credit Union, Boeing Employee Credit Union, or Mountain America Credit Union. Or maybe before that you need to talk with your financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual, Fidelity, Charles Schwab, or Barclays Global Investors before you spend any money. Then of course it’s time to use a credit card that might come from Citigroup, First USA, or Visa.

Naturally all this running around will make you hungry or thirsty so why not visit one of HRchitect’s clients in this area. Grab a Dr Pepper Snapple product to quench your thirst, or maybe Pepsi is your thing. Or chow down on a Burrito at Chipotle. Maybe something from Panera Bread or Yum! Brands? How about having Domino’s Pizza or Papa John’s deliver to you? Chances are pretty good you will eat or drink something from one of HRchitect’s clients.

Are you traveling to visit relatives? What if you don’t want to stay with them? Not a problem. You can stay at Hyatt hotels, or a Starwood Property, Marriott, Wyndham, Choice Hotels, or Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa. Maybe you will send your gifts via FedEx and then fly Southwest Airlines.

What if you get sick with all the stress and germs that are in the air this time of year? No problem. HRchitect clients can help you such as Mayo Clinic, Kindred Healthcare, BJC Healthcare, Tenet, Texas Health Resources, Legacy Health System, Moses Cone Health System, California Pacific Medical Center, and the list goes on. Or visit WedMD online and figure it out yourself. No matter where you are, we are sure you can find a healthcare system that has relied on HRchitect.

Let us not forget how you will communicate with loved ones this year. I can almost guarantee you will do that through a product or service from Sprint, AT&T, Motorola, Verizon, Virgin Mobile, Qwest Communications, T-Mobile, L3 Communications, or use that shiny new iPhone. You got it, all clients of HRchitect.

If you are reading this and are one of our clients, we’d like to give thanks to you for making us the leading HR technology consulting firm. If you are not yet one of our clients, let’s talk. Join our growing list of over 700 clients who made the decision to get the best risk insurance policy and peace of mind that any organization can buy. We will help to ensure you get the right product for your unique needs and when you do get that right HR software product, we will make sure you get the most out of your investment.

This leadership position you have helped us achieve is not to be taken lightly, and simply makes us strive to do more.

2011 is going to be another very exciting year in this industry, and no doubt another very puzzling year in the world of HR technology. More mergers and acquisitions will take place. More innovation will take place. Most importantly, nobody knows more about what has taken place and how to best ensure you are not caught off guard than HRchitect.

We also look forward to helping your organization solve the puzzling world of HR technology!

Best regards,
Matt Lafata

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Don’t Miss This Week’s HRchitect WebMingle with Kurt Heikkinen of Expressume

September 14, 2010

 

The weekly HRchitect WebMingle is designed to give you some insight into the puzzling world of HR technology, discuss news from around the world that we find interesting, talk about upcoming events in our industry, and provide insightful interviews with people of our industry – who they are, what they do and why you should care. The WebMingle has become the most popular live weekly Internet show in the HR technology industry!

The WebMingle has truly redefined how people get information about vendors, trends and really anything related to HR technology and we are very proud of that.

This week’s guest is Kurt Heikkinen, President & CEO of Expressume.

Expressume delivers enterprise video talent acquisition solutions to the Global 5000.  Founded in 2007, the company is a pioneer in the utilization of video technology to optimize the hiring process through an enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.  Expressume’s approach provides hiring teams and recruiters an all-inclusive solution that integrates instantly retrievable candidate videos, profiles, credentials, and documentation with the capability to conduct live panel interviews on demand.  By enhancing efficiency, eliminating travel requirements, and minimizing costs, Expressume is able to engage candidates and hiring teams throughout the process, drive faster decisions and improve overall quality of hire. 

Kurt Heikkinen is responsible for all business operations and the overall success of Expressume.  He has more than 20 years of enterprise software experience within the talent management and SaaS domains.  A driven leader, Kurt has a proven track record of effectively executing new software product launches, aggressively growing technology companies and successfully completing operational turnarounds.  His experience includes executive positions at PeopleSoft, Inc. where he was responsible for product strategy, development and support for their $400M HRMS business unit. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 

Visit www.HRchitect.com/Knowledge/WebMingle to listen live this Thursday, September 16, at 2pm CST to the 70th show in our WebMingle series. If you missed any of our previous WebMingles, you can also access them from that page.

We look forward to welcoming Kurt Heikkinen with Expressume to the HRchitect WebMingle this week and hope to have you join us as well.

If you would like to be considered as a guest on an upcoming WebMingle, please contact Tiffany Appleby at tappleby@HRchitect.com

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

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Posted by mattlafata

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