HRE Column: Rethinking Culture and Strategy

Here is my semi-frequent reminder and pointer for blog readers that I also write a monthly column at Human Resource Executive Online called Inside HR Tech and that archives of which can be found here.

As usual, the Inside HR Tech column is about, well, HR Tech, (sort of like I used to write about all the time on this blog), and it was inspired by a recent HR Happy Hour Show that Trish McFarlane and I did with Anthony Abbatiello from Deloitte, and that focused (primarlily) on the connection between organizational culture and business strategy. This was a great conversation, and I encourage you check it out.

On the show, Anthony also talked about a new software product from Deloitte called CulturePath, designed to help organizations not only understand and assess their culture, but to also help HR and business leaders with the critical task of aligning culture with business strategy. Since I thought the show was so interesting, and the product incredibly interesting, it was the topic of my latest column for HR Executive.

Here is an excerpt from the HRE column, 'Rethinking Culture and Strategy': 

From HR Executive...

The "Culture is King" folks sometimes would make us think that a "fun" or "flexible" or "inclusive" culture (or whatever other adjective you prefer that connotes some kind of healthy or desirable culture) is all, or at least nearly all, any organization needs for success.

This point of view conveniently ignores the idea that, no matter how much free food, foosball tables and flexible-work arrangements an organization has, if they don't have a compelling product or service that meets a true market need, and have recruited and retained the "right" set of talented people to execute on the strategic plans, then all the great organizational culture in the world will still result in failure.

Plus, it ignores the fact that, for just about every successful organization, the business strategy was formulated first, and then the culture developed around that strategy and through the organization's people.

So what I am really saying is that culture can't  -- and doesn't -- exist in some kind of vacuum. It has to co-exist and be in alignment with the organization's strategy and resonate with the actual people who inform the culture and execute the strategy.

My belief that we can't consider culture alone when thinking about what makes an organization successful is probably why I am really impressed with a new technology solution I have recently become familiar with: CulturePath, from the consultancy and advisory firm Deloitte. This solution represents an interesting and important evolution in how we think about culture, strategy and people in the organization.

The CulturePath solution surveys employees in the organization and then analyzes the aggregated data to measure the organization's cultural attributes across a spectrum of core indices such as collective focus, external orientation, and change and innovation, as well as differentiating indices such as courage, commitment and shared beliefs. The goal is to assess how well the attitudes and behaviors of employees align with, and support, the desired business strategy...

Read the rest at HR Executive... 

Good stuff, right? Darn right it is. Ok, just humor me...  And be sure to check out the HR Happy Hour Show where Anthony Abbatiello from Deloitte talks culture, strategy, and technology.

If you liked the piece you can sign up over at HRE to get the Inside HR Tech Column emailed to you each month. There is no cost to subscribe, in fact, I may even come over and take your dog out for a walk or dig your car out of the snow if you do sign up for the monthly email.

Have a great day and rest of the week!

HRE Column: What's in store for HR tech in 2016

Here is my semi-frequent reminder and pointer for blog readers that I also write a monthly column at Human Resource Executive Online called Inside HR Tech and that archives of which can be found here.

As usual, the Inside HR Tech column is about, well, HR Tech, (sort of like I used to write about all the time on this blog), and it was inspired by the many calls and conversations I have been having at the start of the new year.  For me, the planning process for the October HR Technology Conference really gets going in January with plenty of speaking inquiries and submissions coming in, and lots of HR tech industry companies sharing with me what they think are the important HR, technology, and workplace issues and trends for the coming year.

Since the primary question I get this time of year is some version of 'What do you think will be the big themes for the Conference this year?', I thought I would share some thoughts about what I am hearing and thinking about for HR and HR technology as the year gets underway on the latest Inside HR Tech column.

I once again kind of liked this month's column, (I suppose I like all of them, after all I wrote them), but felt like sharing this one on the blog because it touches upon what has been in the past a pretty popular topic with HR leaders today - how to understand UX and how to evaluate UX to make the most of their HR technology investments.

Here is an excerpt from the HRE column, 'What's in Store in 2016': (Note, the title of the column is a statement, not a question. Kind of like the classic Marvin Gaye song, 'What's going on'. Think about it..

From HR Executive...

I have started the planning process for the 19th Annual HR Technology Conference and Exposition^® (Oct. 4 through 7, 2016, at McCormick Place in Chicago), and the most common question I get from people and organizations that have interest in the conference is: What will be the main themes of the event this year?

It is a pretty sensible question, I think. Each year, the event covers such a wide range of technologies and topics and, over time, many of the primary challenges facing HR and business leaders have changed and evolved as well. So the main themes of an event focusing on HR and organizational success enabled and supported by modern technologies should naturally evolve along with these business challenges and opportunities.

But let's get back to the question, the one I have literally been asked at least 20 times in the last few weeks. I am going to take an early shot at answering it, and, since the HR Tech conference is meant to reflect and track overall HR and business challenges, these are also the themes and issues that I think will dominate the general human-capital-management agenda in the coming year.

Rethinking Performance Management

In 2015, we saw a number of announcements from leading organizations such as Deloitte, Adobe and PwC suggesting a move away from "traditional" annual performance reviews and management and to more flexible, frequent and coaching-based approaches to employee-performance management. It seems likely that this trend will continue in 2016, with more organizations looking to revamp performance management processes and seeking to adapt existing technology solutions or acquire new ones that support this new direction.

The Evolution of Employee Engagement

Since 1879 (I am joking, but only a little), many organizations have struggled trying to improve persistent and consistent low levels of employee engagement. I expect this struggle to continue in 2016, but I think more organizations will move past focusing on the "end result," i.e., the engagement score, and look to more directly impact the key drivers of the employee experience that ultimately drive engagement...

Read the rest over at HR Executive...

Good stuff, right? Humor me...

If you liked the piece you can sign up over at HRE to get the Inside HR Tech Column emailed to you each month. There is no cost to subscribe, in fact, I may even come over and take your dog out for a walk or dig your car out of the snow if you do sign up for the monthly email.

Have a great day and rest of the week!

HRE Column: Thinking about HR Tech User Experience

Here is my semi-frequent reminder and pointer for blog readers that I also write a monthly column at Human Resource Executive Online called Inside HR Tech and that archives of which can be found here.

As usual, the Inside HR Tech column is about, well, HR Tech, (sort of like I used to write about all the time on this blog), and it was inspired by the several vendor events I have recently attended, (Achievers, iCIMS, Kronos, Oracle). At each of these events, and I am pretty sure every other event I attended in 2015, HR technology companies talk A LOT about User Experience or UX.  Since the subject of UX comes up so often these days, on the latest Inside HR Tech column I offer some suggestions for HR leaders and pros on the right things to think about and questions to ask when assessing your HR technology provider's approach to and ability to deliver great User Experiences.

I once again kind of liked this month's column, (I suppose I like all of them, after all I wrote them), but felt like sharing this one on the blog because it touches upon what has been in the past a pretty popular topic with HR leaders today - how to understand UX and how to evaluate UX to make the most of their HR technology investments.

Here is an excerpt from the HRE column, 'Getting Your Arms Around the Experience':

In almost every demonstration, someone from the provider organization talks about being focused on something called the "user experience" (aka "UX"). This term almost always follows the descriptor "great," so what I hear all the time from providers -- and you've probably heard it, as well, during a recent HR- software demo -- is, "We are focused on creating a great user experience." Literally every vendor says this exact same thing.

The reason they all say this is that UX is actually really important. You probably realize this -- even if you are among those who have never heard the actual term before -- because you are making decisions and choices around technology at least partially based on UX. The apps you like to use on your phone, including those for email, weather, sports scores, shopping, listening to podcasts, etc. -- were likely chosen for two main reasons: One is based on the actual functionality of the app (aka, the "what"); and the second is based on the input methods, characteristics, work flow, design, look and interaction style of the app (aka, the "how").

That how is the most significant part of the concept of UX.

It is important to note, as well, that user experience is more than just colors, fonts and buttons. It encompasses a wide range of aspects and elements that define how users feel about the technology.

So now that we have an idea of what the user experience consists of -- and that it is key when evaluating technology -- what are some of the questions that you should ask your current or prospective HR-technology solution providers when evaluating the UX of their solutions?

Here are a few ideas. First, some questions about the organization itself:

What does UX mean to your organization?

This is mostly about getting solution providers to talk about UX generally and share their philosophies of the importance of UX to their organizations. It's also about trying to get a sense of their approaches in building their solutions. When they talk about their products and future road maps, how much time is spent on UX topics compared to basic functionality and capability? Essentially, you are trying to get an overall feel for, and comfort level with, the provider's commitment to UX.

What is the title of the most-senior person in the organization who is dedicated to UX? How many staffers are on the UX team? Has that part of the development organization grown in the last two years?

These questions are meant to help you dig a little deeper to see if the solution provider is backing up its stated commitment to UX with the proper investments and resources.

Read the rest over at HRE Online...

Good stuff, right? Humor me...

If you liked the piece you can sign up over at HRE to get the Inside HR Tech Column emailed to you each month. There is no cost to subscribe, in fact, I may even come over and rake your leaves or dig your car out of the snow  for you if you do sign up for the monthly email.

Have a great day and a great long, Thanksgiving weekend in the USA!

HRE Column: A Golden Age for HR Tech

Here is my semi-frequent reminder and pointer for blog readers that I also write a monthly column at Human Resource Executive Online called Inside HR Tech that can be found here.

As usual, the Inside HR Tech column is about, well, HR Tech, (sort of like I used to write about all the time on this blog), and it was inspired by the recently concluded HR Technology Conference.

I once again kind of liked this month's column, (I suppose I like all of them, after all I wrote them), but felt like sharing this one on the blog because it touches upon what has been in the past a pretty popular topic with HR leaders today - how to make the most of their HR technology investments.

Here is an excerpt from the column, HR Tech's 'Golden Age':

If it seems like I have been a little obsessed with the just-completed HR Technology Conference and Exposition^®,it's because I have been. For most of the year, I work on the planning of the conference (formats, speakers, session themes, etc.) and from speaking with so many HR solution providers, experts, analysts and HR leaders -- both before and at the event -- I have come away from this year's event amazed by the quality, depth, breadth and sheer number of options HR leaders today have at their disposal when it comes to innovative HR-technology solutions.

I'd like to try and break down three such technologies that were on display at the HR Tech Conference, and hopefully share some thoughts on how HR leaders can take advantage of them, and of what is possibly HR tech's "Golden Age."

HR continues to move toward becoming a data-driven discipline. While this isn't a new theme, there is movement toward more advanced HR-technology solutions for data visualization, data consolidation and tools for more data-informed decision making. At the HR Tech Conference, this trend becomes even more prevalent, given the sheer number of exhibitors and demonstration sessions. Two companies worth noting participated in our "Awesome New Tech" and "Awesome New Startups" sessions.

Read the rest over at HRE Online..

Good stuff, right? Humor me...

If you liked the piece you can sign up over at HRE to get the Inside HR Tech Column emailed to you each month. There is no cost to subscribe, in fact, I may even come over and wash your car or cut the grass for you if you do sign up for the monthly email.

Have a great day!

HRE Column: On the HR and Marketing Connection

Here is my semi-frequent reminder and pointer for blog readers that I also write a monthly column at Human Resource Executive Online called Inside HR Tech that can be found here.

I kind of liked this month's column, (I suppose I like all of them, after all I wrote them), but felt like sharing this one on the blog because it touches upon what has been in the past a pretty popular topic with readers here - the connections and synergies between HR and Marketing.

Here is a piece from the HRE Column, HR and the Marketing Mind-set:

There are four important stages that marketers should traverse when building relationships with customers and potential customers. I think these stages can also be highly relevant and applicable to HR leaders, and they can also be supported by HR technologies and thought of as one way to help guide and organize your thinking if your goal is to “think more like a marketer.” Here are the four stages and some ideas of how they might fit into an HR leader’s program:

1. Collect and Analyze Data

While marketing has embraced data, data analysis and using data to make investment decisions for quite some time, it is only more recently that HR leaders and organizations have joined their marketing colleagues in this mind-set. But, since HR has embraced data at least conceptually, it is probably time to think about data more strategically—much like marketers do.

A big part of the Oracle marketing presentation was not just about how collecting data itself is the goal, but about what the data empowers you to do once it’s been collected. More specifically, the marketing technologies that enable increased understanding of customers and prospects for the purposes of targeted communication and messaging suggests HR leaders consider similar segmentation and targeting with their own outreach efforts.

Unique and more specific messaging that “fits” your audience more specifically is much more likely to get noticed, read and acted upon. Think about how your next “All Employees” email blast can be segmented and made more individually meaningful for the people in your organization, based on some defining criteria or past behavior that makes sense....

Read the rest over at HRE Online.

Good stuff, right? Humor me...

If you liked the piece you can sign up over at HRE to get the Inside HR Tech Column emailed to you each month. There is no cost to subscribe, in fact, I may even come over and wash your car or cut the grass for you if you do sign up for the monthly email.

Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there!