When we think of the employer brand, how often are we thinking about our HR technology suite as contributors to that brand? In general, I’m not talking about your HRMS type applications. Instead, the applications that touch employees and managers such as self service and portal are critical user interfaces that can offer a major contribution or detraction from your brand. I ask you just a few questions to give you an idea what to think about.
- How many clicks? It’s unbelievable how often the HR self service applications are not on the front page of an intranet. Often they are 3 or more clicks deep, or so poorly labeled that nobody knows it’s there.
- Can they find things (1)? Once they find the links to self service, then they need to navigate the complex maze of payroll, benefits, timekeeping, performance, and other applications. Did you list timekeeping in a high profile place? It is after all the link they need on a daily basis. How about the total compensation statement? Buried under the payroll link? What would you rather your employee’s look at to enforce your brand?
- Can they find things (2)? So they got to the benefits portal. The problem is that the portal is so out of shape that they’ve been searching the site for 3 minutes and finally found the phone number to the call center. They gave up.
- Is the information useful? Oh – wait. They did find the information they were looking for. The dental co-pay is $20 and the deductible is $1000. Now what services apply towards the deductible? Ahh right, it requires a phone call to the provider.
- How many log-ins? Better yet, your benefits provider does not support single sign-on, and neither does your legacy timekeeping solution. Your HRMS log-in for payroll statements does support single sign-on, but their security features require 8 digits and your LAN ID is only 6 digits. We all already have 500 log-ins in our personal lives. Most employee’s don’t remember all of HR’s log-ins – especially the ones used once a year like benefits enrollment.
- Do the applications have similar design? I love Kronos blue. And ADP red. And That dog that used to run in PeopleSoft. Nice to know that every self service site your employees go to will look completely different, isn’t it?
- If individual sub-brands are needed, do they support the overall brand? So your learning organization developed their own brand? How does it fit? Did you know about it and have an opportunity to coordinate both the messages and the presentation of the brand?
Often your technology applications are the most visible and most accessed for of communication you have with your employees. Don’t forget that.
