Change Management for the Government Workforce
To make the most of today’s powerful, cloud-based HR solutions, agencies will need to tend to the human element.
“Change management is critical for HR modernization,” Greenspan says.
A shift here needs to be handled thoughtfully because HR goes to the heart of the employee experience. That requires a change management program that is transparent, communicates goals early and often and demonstrates value to employees, Alboum says.
SAP’s WalkMe offers helpful support here, delivering in-app guidance for effective implementation, Ely says.
DISCOVER: What is DOD’s Cybersecurity Risk Management Construct?
An Implementation Roadmap for Federal Agencies
A number of strategies can help agencies plan for and deliver effective cloud-based HR solutions. They can look first to the government’s own resources.
“The U.S. Tech Force plays a key role in facilitating change by embedding technologists in agencies, modeling agile methods and closing the gap between technical experts and policy leaders,” Greenspan says.
USTF also promotes skills-based hiring and standardizing technology across agencies.
Agency IT leaders can also help to position themselves for success by choosing their initial use cases with care.
“Start with things that show real value,” Alboum says. “Maybe it’s things like onboarding or case management, things that are understood and manageable; then, you can scale from there.”
Agencies should also be looking to ensure their cloud-based system aligns with actual needs.
UP NEXT: This is how the VA can lay the groundwork for its EHR system.
“Really think about how the work and the data flow through the organization today. What are those current processes?” Alboum says. “If you don’t understand what they are, you will be hard-pressed to know whether or not this thing you’re getting is going to meet what you need.”
It’s especially important that leaders themselves are in alignment.
“We have to be thinking about: What does that look like? How do we migrate the data? How do we manage the data?” Alboum says.
That being the case, HR and IT teams must be tightly connected and measure the success of their newly implemented cloud HR solutions. Common HR ticket metrics include how often errors are prevented and how many times pay files are not received or time types are incorrectly paid.
“Agencies should plan to take those measures not just once, but repeatedly, to document the positive impacts over time,” Ely says. “A successful implementation is all about continuous improvement.”
