Delivering HR tech without overloading the system

Let’s face it, a lot of us in HR Tech love the latest ‘bright shiny thing’ (the dictionary defines this as ‘something that is widely appealing or attention-grabbing for its superficial characteristics, but which is usually not useful, substantial or long-lasting’) so we keep starting more and more new initiatives.  Lack of delivery often comes down to the inability to prioritize. This means that whilst new stuff keeps being added, the old stuff keeps being done, overloading the system with more and more initiatives.

Does the ‘silver bullet’ even exist?

If you prioritize everything against value added and ease of implementation then stop doing everything that fits in the ‘no value added and almost impossible to actually do’ box.

HR is constantly looking at the next new thing – the ‘silver bullet’ that will solve everything, rather than really analyzing what the actual problem is.  I often ask HR people ‘what question is this the answer to’ and fail to get an answer.

HR people want to make their mark by doing lots of ‘HR stuff’ as opposed to actually making a difference to the business.  This is due to too much HR development focusing on HR not on the business.

Due to ‘delivery deficiency’ HR people don’t follow through but are always looking to start something new.  This is because they see their value in being busy, busy, busy they can never let go even when a project is no longer relevant.

As a result of the, they try to do too many things and never prioritise the things that they can actually deliver and will make the biggest difference.  I have a simple mantra if you prioritize everything against value added and ease of implementation then stop doing everything that fits in the ‘no value added and almost impossible to actually do’ box.  This usually includes the latest HR fads and fashions that have no basis in business need.

The impact on HR Tech and the wider business

Constantly searching for the next silver bullet means continual reinvention and change. This confuses everyone especially the line and stresses out the HR team as they run harder and harder to stand still. In one company, we worked with they had changed their leadership framework five times in six years. It cost money and time to make each change, but the biggest impact was on HR’s reputation.

Line managers who supported their work became increasingly disillusioned, while those who didn’t support them simply saw it as a vindication of their skepticism – “you told us this was the right framework six years ago, you constantly change it, so when do you expect to finally get it right?”  HR becomes marginalized, de-motivated and the best people start leaving.

The quest in reality

I remember years ago as a young, high-energy, passionate committed HR manager (I have a long memory!) working hard to complete a major project. A few weeks before completion the business carried out a major and unexpected acquisition. Overnight my project was irrelevant. I went to my boss to discuss how I could adjust it to make it relevant to the new world. He took me aside and very clearly told me it was irrelevant. I still pushed: I’d spent months on it and it had become my baby, part of who I was. My boss had to be even clearer: “Nick let it go. You did a good job, everyone knows that but if you keep pushing something that isn’t relevant to the business you are going to alienate a lot of people, including me. So, let it go.” It was great advice. I went back to my desk, killed it and focused on merger integration work.

In another company, I am doing some work with, extensive research revealed there were 278 HR projects underway globally, regionally and locally. In many cases there were duplications of global initiatives being undertaken at a regional and local level. What was most worrying was that many people in HR wouldn’t believe me until I showed them the evidence as no one had actually done the analysis. We worked on a clear prioritization process and eventually we narrowed it down to only seven projects that were fully supported by the business. These were then able to be properly resourced, effectively implemented and had a measurable business impact. Not only was HR put under less pressure, but the line really appreciated the focus on the ‘vital few’.

Solution

Ending the destructive search for the silver bullet, requires constant and rigorous prioritization. It requires real business cases that start with a business issue rather than post-event rationalization.  Indeed, I would argue that if you struggle to create a business case there probably isn’t one.

You must build an HR Tech operational plan that focuses on what HR needs to do to deliver the business strategy, rather than an HR strategy, disconnected from the business, that’s full of the latest fads but doesn’t deal with the issues, risks and implications of the business strategy. This plan must focus on incremental improvement as much as continual radical change.

Most importantly, create a culture where people value challenge based on the difference it will actually make and whether it is actually better than what is currently done – set against the diseconomies of changing it.