Sarina Pearson
Forming a solid partnership takes time, there’s no doubt about it. But sometimes even after you’ve done all your research, evaluated different softwares, and have all your ducks in a row, you still may encounter roadblocks. This is why it’s essential to try to be one step ahead.
Knowing how and when to involve your internal stakeholders is a key piece of the technology partnership puzzle. Many times, launching an engagement platform means making sure that HR, IT, and other areas of the business are speaking the same language, at the right time.
Part of my role is to work alongside HR to align internal stakeholders such as IT, Communications, and Brand and Executive Management. I’m here to equip you with information and tools to build and present a compelling business case that will engage your stakeholders and ensure you’re on your way to not only finding the right partner but finding long-lasting alignment. Here are a few tips to build that relationship:
6 ways HR can improve their partnerships with IT
Improving a partnership with your technology-focussed team members, which may include IT, Security, Business Insights, and others, can seem overwhelming at first, especially if this is your first time launching a new company-wide tool. Between information gathering, product demos, and internal meetings, there’s a lot that goes into this decision. But we want to simplify the process for you with these six steps. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to transforming company culture and reaching your business goals in no time.
1. Bring IT in early
Ensuring that you have the right stakeholders involved at the right time is crucial to launching a new HR technology. The sooner you gain buy-in, participation, and feedback from IT, legal, procurement, and others, the better. This will help us navigate challenges early and prevent unforeseen roadblocks, especially if these touchpoints reassure stakeholders that their involvement is minimal.
2. Start with a mutual goal
It’s likely that many stakeholders in different areas of your business have similar goals as HR. Figure out how to find a common ground. Is it reducing admin time? Creating a smoother employee experience? Make sure you openly talk about your business goals (and challenges) together and how the software will help you reach them.
3. Use precise language
Ditch the jargon and get down to the facts. Have you been noticing a decline in engagement scores? Are you losing top talent? Outline the investment and relative return on investment for your organisation.
4. Understand ‘the why’ with objections
Know that sometimes you’ll face objections, and that’s OK. Take the extra time to understand where different stakeholders are coming from, and try to address their objections with opportunities. Can you find extra room in the budget next quarter? Can you find a champion to help you? Think about the ways you can continue pushing forward.
5. Stay connected
Don’t let the project or investment stall for too long. Stay connected with not only your stakeholders, but also your why and your goals. Remember what this program is going to do for you and your employees. Keep a launch date in mind and work backwards – what steps can you take in the meantime to reach this date?
6. Recognise
Be sure to recognise those who listened to your presentation or went the extra mile to make this project happen. Recognition goes a long way, especially for stakeholders that don’t receive appreciation as much. And this will only reinforce the need for a company-wide tool to boost engagement.
The complete checklist for building a technology partnership
Alongside these six tips, the Reward Gateway | Edenred team has also learned a thing or two about answering questions about our technology after working with over 6,000 organisations. We’ve put together a complete checklist of questions to share with your stakeholders (whether they’re IT, Procurement, Legal, or Marketing) so you know what to consider ahead of time when launching a new engagement platform.
Security (IT):
▢ What is the potential partner’s approach to security?
▢ What certifications does the partner have, such as ISO 27001?
▢ How will my employees access the system?
▢ Is single-sign-on an option? Is there an additional fee?
▢ Does the company meet global data protection regulations, such as GDPR?
Integration (IT, HR):
▢ Can your new platform talk to/share information with other HRIS or communication channels?
▢ What is the process for updating employee data?
▢ Does my team have clear direction on how to set up integrations?
▢ What systems do we want to make sure we integrate with?
Stakeholder Involvement (All):
▢ Who is the main decision maker?
▢ Is the CEO and other leadership aware of this initiative and how can we get them involved?
▢ Who will be your project lead / sponsor and liaise directly with the provider’s Implementation Team?
▢ Who (internally) needs to be involved in this project and when will you bring them in? Who will be responsible for what?
▢ Who will be the administrator(s) for the platform?
Implementation (IT, HR, Marketing):
▢ What happens after we sign the contract?
▢ What is required internally to get the platform up and running?
▢ Does the partner have experience?
▢ What will we call this program?
▢ What obstacles could we encounter during implementation?
Benchmarking (Leadership):
▢ What metrics are you looking to track or move the needle on as a result of this project?
▢ What challenges are you hoping to solve with this platform?
▢ Is there any current survey data or analytics to compare to?
▢ Does the provider have a dedicated success team to help us reach our long-term goals?
Launching a new tool doesn’t have to be stressful. Achieving internal alignment and gaining buy-in is achievable, if you take it one step at a time and work towards your own 'why'.
Our team would love to help you along this journey, get in touch today.
Learn how Reward Gateway | Edenred’s suite of employee engagement tools can help you transform your organisation for the better. Find out more.
