HR technology is advancing at a rate faster than ever before. New software solutions are being released by vendors and developers every day with the aim of streamlining processes and making things easier for HR professionals. If you’re an HR leader who is looking to make your department more efficient, you may be wondering which of these new technologies is right for your business. HR technology has come a long way in recent years, but it’s still not perfect. New technologies are often released with bugs that need to be fixed or potential security issues that need to be addressed before they become major problems. When considering whether or not a new technology is right for your company, you should always test the solution thoroughly before implementing it company-wide. Here’s why testing new HR software matters, and some helpful tips on how to test it before rolling it out enterprise-wide.
Why Testing New HR Technologies Matters
When you’re testing a new HR technology, you’re looking to discover two key things: whether or not the technology is right for your business, and whether or not there are any issues with it that need to be fixed before you implement it. Let’s take a look at why each of these things are important. First and foremost, testing new HR technologies is important because it gives you a chance to determine whether or not the technology is reliable. If you implement a new solution, but it’s buggy and doesn’t work, it can be incredibly disruptive for your employees. They may have to go back to doing things the old way until the issues are fixed, which could take a long time. By testing and fixing bugs before the solution is rolled out, you can avoid these issues.
Testing new HR technologies also gives you the chance to decide whether or not the technology is scalable. If your new technology is implemented company-wide, thousands of people may start using it at once. If it isn’t scalable, it could break down under the pressure and cause major problems. If you test new HR technologies, you can find out if they are scalable before they are implemented across the company. You can discover if they can handle the volume of users they’re expected to support and if they are robust enough to withstand the daily usage they will see. You can discover whether or not the technology is right for your company.
What Can Go Wrong?
If you don’t test new HR technologies before rolling them out, you risk implementing buggy or unstable software that may cause major disruptions to your employees. There are a number of issues that could arise from implementing software that hasn’t been thoroughly tested.
– Bugs – Bugs happen. Software is imperfect, and it’s almost inevitable that some issues will crop up with new software. If you roll out software before it has been thoroughly tested, you could end up with major bugs on your hands that disrupt your employees and make their jobs harder.
– Security Issues – Data breaches have become increasingly common in recent years. With more people using the internet and more software being connected to the web, there are more ways for hackers to break into systems and steal information. New software is likely to have security issues that need to be resolved before it can be implemented company-wide.
– Bad User Experience – Bad user experience can be just as disruptive as buggy software. If employees aren’t pleased with the new technology, they may be less inclined to use it. And if they don’t use the technology, it can’t do its job. If the new HR technology is rolled out before it has been tested and refined, it’s more likely to have a poor user experience.
Tip 1: Leverage Data to Identify Trends
Before you roll out a new HR technology, you should examine your existing data to determine what trends you should look for when testing it. You want to make sure the technology is optimized for your specific needs, but you don’t want to waste time and money on features that aren’t necessary for your business. Some examples of data that you should examine before testing new HR technologies include:
– Employee Demographics – The demographics of your employee pool can affect which HR technologies would work best for your company. For example, if a majority of your employees work remotely, you’ll need an HR solution that can be used online.
– Employee HR Processes – Your HR processes should be optimized for efficiency. If certain processes are taking too long or are too complex, you can look for technologies that promise to make them easier.
– Workflows – Workflows are a critical part of HR. If certain processes would benefit from automation, you can look for HR technology that offers that functionality.
Tip 2: Ask the Employees Who Will Be Using the Technology
Before you roll out a new HR technology, you should ask some of your employees to try it out and provide feedback. Employees who sit in the seats the technology will be used in are likely to notice things that you might not discover in your testing. They can let you know if the technology is easy to use, if it is difficult, or if they think it needs to be changed in any way before it is implemented company-wide. If you want to get the most out of this type of testing, you should ask employees who work in roles that the technology will affect. For example, if you’re looking to implement a new performance management solution, you should ask managers to try the functionality and provide feedback. If you’re rolling out a new benefits administration solution, you should ask HR and benefits administrators to try it out.
Tip 3: Conduct a Pilot Test with a Small Group of Employees
Instead of implementing a new HR technology company-wide, you can conduct a pilot test with a small group of employees. This is a great way to test a new technology and make sure it is optimized for your company without disrupting a large number of employees. A pilot test with a small group of employees can help you discover issues with the technology before it is implemented company-wide. It can allow you to refine the solution, if necessary, so that it is ready to be implemented enterprise-wide.
Tip 4: Perform an Integration Check
Before you implement a new HR technology, you should make sure that it can integrate with the other solutions your company uses. If you plan to use the new technology to store employee data and your company already uses a payroll or HRIS solution, you need to make sure they are compatible. If they aren’t, they could cause major disruptions to your employees. Before you implement a new HR technology, you should make sure that it can integrate with other solutions. You can use an integration checklist to discover potential issues. You can also ask the vendor of the new technology if they have tested their solution against other solutions your company uses.
Tip 5: Run a Final Quality Assurance Test
No matter what you do, you can never be 100% sure that a new HR technology won’t have issues. However, there are a few things you can do to minimize the risk. One of the most important things you can do is run a final quality assurance test before you implement the technology across the company. A quality assurance test is a comprehensive test that simulates the way employees will actually use the technology. It is designed to push the boundaries of the technology and see what breaks. It can help you discover potential problems before they become major issues. It can also help you discover ways to improve the technology so that it is more efficient and user-friendly. When you run a final quality assurance test before implementing a new HR technology across the company, you can minimize the risk that it will have issues. You can discover potential problems before they become serious problems, and you can make sure the technology is ready to be implemented company-wide.
Conclusion
HR technology is constantly evolving, and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest solutions and technologies. When you’re testing new HR technologies, you want to make sure you take the time to do it properly. You don’t want to jump from one solution to the next without giving each technology the attention it deserves. When you’re testing new HR technologies, it’s important to examine your existing data, ask your employees for feedback, conduct a pilot test, perform an integration check, and run a final quality assurance test. These are the best ways to make sure the technology you implement is the best solution for your company.