Last week while writing an article for the itSMF USA that touched on the Consumerization of IT I glibly typed: "Who has heard of the Consumerization of HR?"
But as soon as the question appeared on my screen I thought I'd better Google it. Something at the back of my mind was telling me that consumerization had to be affecting corporate HR departments as well as corporate IT organizations. Even if I hadn't heard about it.
And this is what I found via Google:
- We can be limited by our own lack of knowledge and unfounded assumptions; and
- HR departments ARE under similar to pressures to the corporate IT organization, with Consumerization driving employee service experience expectations.
It's part of the the Consumerization of Service
It makes so much sense with hindsight — HR, like IT or any other corporate service provider, is challenged by increasing employee demands over services AND service. Demands that are driven by their personal life, or consumer, experiences.
Where employees are enjoying a consumer service experience that includes a focus on ease-of-use, self-service, service request catalogs, anytime and anyplace access, knowledge availability, social or collaborative capabilities, and customer-centric support. And, just like IT, HR needs to react to these increased service expectations through the delivery of a better service experience.
Technology can help …
As a SaaS vendor employee I probably shouldn't say this but the required evolution or even revolution of HR's service experience is more than a technology issue.
Yes, there needs to be a move away from slow and inconsistent manual processes, antiquated messaging technologies, and an inability to monitor and manage service delivery performance. But first HR needs to recognize that a lackluster approach to service will not cut it with employees' consumer-buoyed expectations over service experience.
And additionally that, as one of many corporate service providers, comparisons will no doubt be made within the enterprise — HR versus IT or HR versus facilities. And that HR will potentially be left behind in the corporate service provider pecking order if they do nothing as other functions improve their service delivery and service.
So what can HR do?
Firstly, and somewhat obviously, they need to recognize the impact of Consumerization on service delivery. And that this is not away on a distant future horizon, it's already here.
Secondly, HR and IT (or IT and HR) need to recognize the similarities between themselves as corporate service providers. And that the HR department needs to replace inefficient email-based service request and fulfill processes with proven IT service models. That the IT organization can help transform HR's service provisioning and management capabilities by leveraging IT's existing service relationship ecosystem, service management experience, and service automation capabilities.
For example, IT can immediately use their ITSM tool to help HR streamline and improve service relationships and service delivery by providing:
- An employee self-service portal — to deliver a consistent end user experience to employees that provides an HR storefront with 24x7 access to HR information and services, including a self-service request catalog backed by request-fulfill process automation.
- Automated case assignment — where requests are directed to a specific individual or group via rules.
- Reporting and dashboards — so HR specialists and management can assess performance, and determine areas for improvement or opportunities to drive operational efficiencies.
HR's case management and service experience future is already here
The problem is that HR might not be able to see it being used within the corporate IT organization. So it's up to the IT organization to show them the art of the possible. It's up to IT to help HR and other corporate service provider peers to evolve to meet the demands of the Consumerization of Service.
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