When putting new HR technology into place, the internal HR team will have the primary responsibility of developing the implementation strategy and making sure the process goes smoothly. That being said, to implement new HR tech properly usually requires collaboration between both HR and IT team, and the rest of the company as well.

Any tech transformation generally includes new processes, workflows, and other behavioral changes – Follow these tips to make sure you have all your bases covered for a smooth HR tech roll out:

Choose wisely

This may seem obvious – but make sure your research has been thorough when deciding which HR tech is right for your organization. With the amount of options available today, you’ll likely be overwhelmed when deciding between features and functionality.

On top of what the tech offers, make sure you look into the provider’s implementation process. A reliable provider will be able to give you a structured timeline for rolling out the software to your team, details on training requirements, and a clear process for identifying and resolving any issues that may arise.

Communicate early and often

Your team won’t be able to embrace what they don’t understand or see coming. For new technology to be rolled out smoothly, your employees should be aware of the reasons for the new tech. Many organizations make the mistake of focusing only on the technical aspects of the switch, and ignore the people aspect. Communicating the value of the tech change is equally as important as communicating how it functions.

Think carefully about how the new technology will affect the day to day work of each department – and communicate this well before the change takes affect

Build a 'change team'

Make sure you have a team of tech ambassadors that have already bought into the change and are motivated to have the rest of your team develop the same buy in.

Who makes up this team will depend on what it is you are implementing. If it’s performance management – it should be your managers. HR tech that is more focused on vacation scheduling or employee engagement, look to your HR team.

Offer training before (and after!) implementation

Consider staggering training sessions so that the amount of people in each one is manageable – there will likely be lots of questions.

Try to keep training sessions under an hour, structured, and about the necessities of the tech you’re implementing. You don’t need to get too in-depth right away – Your team will learn the most when they are actually able to explore the new software.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that training is over when the implementation happens. Send out a follow up email to employees with helpful resources, and offer a short window every week, or every day if the software is complex, where people can ask question or present issues they are having.

Are your employees using their own tech at work? If they are, you should have a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy in place. For helpful tips to develop one for your organization, check out one of our free resources below!