Change is hard. Sticking to what we know is easy. Taking risks and leaps of faith are a test of our physical and mental strength, and the older we get the tougher and more impactful these decisions become. Often, however, it becomes clear that change is necessary to better ourselves and, from a business standpoint, our organizations.
Many nonprofit executives are currently being challenged to abandon the comfort of their current HR processes for more sophisticated HR technology that could modernize and streamline their entire organization. For many innovative business leaders, this decision is a no brainer. However, with limited resources and strict budgets, nonprofit executives experience a lot more stress and hesitation before making such an investment.
This isn’t due to a lack of motivation or desire to grow; all nonprofit leaders want to see their organization succeed and serve more clients. What it comes down to is a clear lack of HR vendors that truly understand the needs of nonprofits and the complexities of their space. Solving the unique challenges of nonprofits with generic, mass consumed HR technology is like forcing a square into a round hole, and this dilemma has made many executives wary of allocating significant portions of their closely monitored budget towards automating their HR departments.
Fortunately, there is hope for nonprofit executives that are contemplating abandoning their outdated systems for HR technology that fuels growth, or for executives that realize that the vendors they’ve initially partnered with don’t quite live up to the promises they made during the vendor selection process. Below we have outlined some steps to take when sacrificing comfort for organizational growth.
Understand You’re Not Alone
Nowadays, if you’re not investing in HR technology, it’s easy to feel behind the curve with a lot of catching up to do. According to a 2017 report by PWC, upwards of 73% of businesses have at least one HR process in the cloud. This can lead many executives that have not yet moved into cloud-based HR technology to feel a sense of urgency or, in some cases, desperation, causing them to rush into the decision process.
Clearly, rushing any decision process is not an ideal scenario, especially when discussing HR technology. It’s important for nonprofit executives to take a step back and realize that they’re not alone. While HR technology is now the new norm around the country, there are still plenty of other organizations patiently waiting for the right solution that meets the needs, overcomes the challenges, and achieves the goals of their organization.
Research Industry Specific Vendors
One way nonprofits can be sure that an HR technology vendor understands their needs is to research industry-specific solutions that have a track record of partnering with organizations with similar missions and objectives. Vendors that focus on specific industries not only go out of their way to stay up to date on the latest industry trends and news, but understand best practices when it comes to implementation and compliance. This level of expertise usually eases the mind of executives since the vendor understands their pains.
Too often the needs of nonprofits are overlooked and ignored with each update or product launch of major vendors simply due to the sheer mass of clients around the world that they need to satisfy. Industry-specific vendors understand that such gaps exist and expose them by building sophisticated products to meet the demands of niche markets. While such vendors take some digging to uncover due to the overcrowding of the HR tech market, they’re usually worth the effort.
Find a Unified Solution
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when investing in HR technology with so many different moving parts to consider. HR, Payroll, Time & Attendance, Benefits Administration, Applicant Tracking, Talent Management, and Workforce Analytics are just a few of the features that executives around the country are implementing within their organizations. Trouble is, not many vendors include all of these features under one solution, causing executives to have to piece together multiple systems to make it work. Unfortunately, this often leads to executives trying to complete a puzzle with pieces that just don’t fit with one another.
A unified system guarantees that Time & Attendance flows seamlessly with Payroll, that Workforce Analytics can drive recruiting efforts, and so on. While there are a plethora of benefits that come with having a unified system, the major upside is the ultimate removal of information silos. When data can be easily shared between departments, organizations are able to dramatically increase their internal efficiencies and realize their full potential. Unified systems generally are also paid for in full through a one-time fee, which saves nonprofits money by eliminating the need to pay for multiple different systems are various price points.
Abandoning familiar processes is hard, especially when resources are low and prices are high. However, with recent developments in HR technology and the emergence of niche vendors, change can take nonprofit organizations to new heights. Executives must sacrifice comfort to secure organizational growth. Following the three steps outlined above can guide nonprofit execs towards modern day tech.
This DATIS Blog was written by James Clark, DATIS, on January 8th, 2017 and may not be re-posted without permission.