What IT leaders need to consider when selecting an HCM platform

The IT sector is having a complexity crisis. Between the growing risk of cybersecurity breaches, hybrid work challenges, and an explosion of apps and application programming interfaces (APIs), IT teams have their hands full. At the same time, IT leaders are often burdened with aging systems and technical debt. 

Meanwhile, HR is going through a similar crisis, stuck in a balancing act between employee expectations and business needs. Investing in technology to help them make data-driven decisions, manage workforce compliance requirements, and increase efficiency is key, but the result is often a mix of systems that increases the burden on IT. These teams are saddled with the burden of connecting, optimising, and maintaining the disparate systems, tools, and apps HR has adopted.  

Of course, the demands being placed on IT leaders don’t stop there. They are also being asked to:  
 

• Meet HR’s increasing calls to take advantage of AI and other intelligent technologies to help them maximise their output.  

• Manage vast amounts of data and ever-more complex data management and integration projects, while facing constant pressure to improve efficiency and deliver ROI for the business. 

• Evolve their technology ecosystems to meet the growing needs of HR even though they often aren't equipped to manage the silos that emerge from mismatched, legacy systems. 

Collectively, these challenges have created a complexity crisis for IT leaders that can prevent them from reaching their full potential. To stay ahead of that complexity and help ensure the long-term success of their organisation, those leaders should prioritise transforming the HR tech stack to not only meet the needs of today's complex work environment, but also to make their own jobs easier.  

Rethinking HR’s tech stack 

Many HR teams are eager to streamline their workforce operations, while also tapping into advanced capabilities to increase their process efficiency and gain better reporting abilities. Meanwhile, IT teams want to reduce the technical burden and risk that comes with having to manage data and compliance requirements across disparate systems while also maintaining, upgrading, and supporting those systems without a disruption in service. 

To meet both objectives, IT leaders would benefit from advocating to adopt a single global people platform to serve as the organisation’s all-in-one solution for HR and payroll needs. The best platforms give HR the functionality to help create better people experiences, improve team productivity, and deliver on organisational performance goals. By doing so from a single platform, they can also reduce the complexity and technical burden IT faces, while allowing IT to better manage compliance risk, streamline integrations, and build a more efficient and secure organisation. 

“Single people platforms allow organisations to harmonise processes across HCM functions without the hassle of system-to-system audits to ensure the integrity of employee data.”  

Jennifer Southworth, Principal Workforce Solutions, RSM US 

Key considerations when selecting a single people platform  

While HR teams will have a long list of requirements, there are also some important IT considerations for any technology they’re considering adopting. For example, a global people platform only makes strategic sense if it provides: 
 

• Interoperability: No single solution can meet every need. And while using a variety of systems is inevitable, it’s important to find a platform that can work with them smoothly.  

• Extensibility: The best solutions need to be flexible enough to adapt and change as the world changes by allowing for the addition of new capabilities and functionality. The best choice is an extensible platform that allows organizations to address the unique needs of their people operations by building on top of the platform’s single system approach.  

• Compliance: Organisations are under mounting pressure to manage compliance requirements amid a rapidly evolving workforce landscape. They increasingly need to rely on technology to help reduce the administrative burden of managing ever-changing requirements that vary by location. The right platform can help by simplifying and unifying your people operations end to end while keeping compliance in mind as a top priority.  

Why a single people platform makes sense 

Operate with confidence  

IT leaders are grappling with increased pressure to manage the risk associated with handling sensitive people data, often with legacy systems that aren’t built for the current moment. The right platform can help safeguard people data responsibly. It can also help organisations more easily manage the complexity of data compliance requirements such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  

Unlock more value 

One of the hallmarks of any good tech deployment is driving as much value as possible for users as quickly as possible. IT leaders should seek out a platform that helps teams experience a fast and successful go live using a proven implementation process based on best practices and experience gleaned from thousands of previous deployments.  

Realise your people potential 

People want to be able to access the tools they need whenever and wherever they happen to be using their preferred device. For IT leaders to meet that expectation, they should select a platform that delivers the single user experience necessary for a consistent global UX for every employee.  

The next steps for conquering the complexity crisis 

At a time when complexity is on the rise, IT leaders must act now to transform their HR tech stack. Investing in the right technology will help them meet the needs of today’s increasingly boundless workforce. Additionally, it can help them manage compliance risk, streamline integrations, and build a more efficient and secure organisation.  

Learn more about how Dayforce can help your team conquer the complexity crisis by delivering simplicity at scale.