A Quick Guide for Propelling Your HR Department into the New Frontier:

Define the vision

Start with a Goal Statement. 

For example: 

“Create a paperless, automated HR department that consolidates and integrates data from multiple products into useable information.  Increase the accountability while reducing workloads for all participants in every HR process.” 

This preliminary stage is where its imperative to gain full support from your Leadership by establishing Top-level support for the Goal and the Vision.

Next, communicate the Vision and goals to your staff. 

Now, bring them into the process. Encourage their innovations and fresh ideas. 

This is the MOST IMPORTANT STAGE.  Your team must become part of the process.  Without gaining their support, transforming your department will be more challenging.  Transparency, openness and the ability to take criticism, (then use it to construct a better plan) is vital.  How you manage this phase dictates much of the success of the project.

Help your staff expand and get beyond the habitual “We’ve always done it this way” thinking.  Guiding others into uncharted technology requires an innovative spirit and being prepared for criticisms and frustration. Change is tough for some. 

Relying on your team for innovation and ideas will empower them, getting them personally vested in the project success.  It also expands your projects scope in ways you may not have thought about.

Chapter    4 

Review and Understand Existing Technology

Almost every district has implemented some level of new software over the last few years.  Now is the time to learn what you can do with what you have.  Technology is fun, embrace it. 

Issues to consider:

• Do you have the current versions of your products?

• Are you using the software to its full potential?

• Have you been recently trained? 

In the 21^st century, we don’t “throw away”, we’re more savvy then that.  We investigate to make certain we are maximizing everything.  We know that turnover can lead to a state of user-stagnation in software and that busy employees learn only the bare minimum to get by and don’t have time to investigate software programs on their own.

Your IT Department may be willing to help, but is often stretched thin with other projects. This is where you become the paragon of leadership as you delve into this project.  Be sure to discuss your goals with each vendor, they may have ideas, and solutions that will help you formalize the project.  

Look for a win-win relationship with your vendors.  They vested interest in your success, it makes them look good.

Start by creating an “Inventory of existing products”

• Paperless/on-line Employee Records

• Automated Substitute Management

• On-line Applications for all employee Job Categories

• On-line Job Posting

• Evaluation and Analysis of Applicants

• Criminal Background / Credit Check Automation