Workday or ServiceNow

Companies want digital solutions to help employees stay engaged and work efficiently. Tasks and information need to be well organized. Systems need to be personalized and easy to access and use. This can be a big ask. Effective communication when launching a new system and ongoing communication about the value of that system can make a significant difference to its success. PartnerComm can help you design the right content strategy and write and edit content for your HR systems.

What systems are we talking about?

Generally, companies like Workday and ServiceNow provide solutions to help manage databases, provide personalized search functions and information, streamline workflow and analyze data. The systems can be used for a variety of functions such as benefits administration, employee information, human resources, talent, payroll and customer interface management.

Why is employee communication about HR systems important?

Introducing employees to new systems can be challenging, but their buy-in is critical. Even the best system will fail if employees don’t understand why it is there or how to use it.

Steps necessary for successful implemention include:

• Engaging employees early.
• Helping employees understand what’s changing.
• Offering ongoing training on how to use the new system.
• Seeing employees through the transition.
• Providing quick answers to questions on an ongoing basis.

How to effectively communicate about HR systems

Over the years, we’ve worked on many HR system implementations, designing custom content migration strategies to help clients make the most of their HR digital landscape. We’ve also created intuitive information architectures for HR systems and drafted and edited thousands of pages of HR content.

And we’ve helped clients create effective launch and ongoing internal communication campaigns for their new systems. For those campaigns, we study the differences between current and future state to land on the change vision for your people.

We ask a lot of questions to gather employee information, like:

• What level of understanding do your employees have about the systems you want them to work with?
• How different will the actions they need to take be once a new system is launched?
• If you are replacing a system, will employees be glad to see the old one replaced?
• Do different audiences (like managers, HR or new hires) need to engage with the system in different ways?

Maintaining a high level of employee engagement is a goal at every company. Whether you’re making broad system changes to your benefits administration or human resources management system or tackling specific processes such as payroll and benefits, time and attendance, performance management or applicant tracking, ongoing communication is key.

Employees need to be informed, educated and trained more than once. Communication over a period of time reinforces messages and helps employees learn about, accept and put the system in practice. Communicating using several different media is most effective, reinforcing messages and reaching employees at various times and places. You’ll also want a heavy emphasis on training with easy-to-access materials (like videos, podcasts and training modules).

PartnerComm develops creative communication to get results

Employees can be resistant to system changes. PartnerComm creates custom, distinct communication that immediately engages employees. Procedures are simply presented. Messaging is clear, concise and visual.

Our communication recommendations for an HR system launch may include:

• A digital landscape audit and process maps to help us see your systems from the employee perspective.
• Custom user-focused homepage designs for your system to help employees easily find information and take action.
• Printed materials that are well designed for handy reference as employees learn new systems.
  • Postcards
  • Brochures
  • User manuals
• Videos
• Podcasts
• Webinars
• HR professional and manager toolkits
• Graphic emails
• Articles for your intranet, employee newsletter or other internal communication