PwC's HR director shares his thoughts on how to get leadership buy-in for HR tech programs
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HR technology can have huge benefits but it can sometimes be difficult to persuade senior executives to invest large sums of money in HR tech projects.
Most HR leaders would agree that it all begins with having a clear idea of your business proposition. Chan Chong Kong, director of human resources at consulting firm PwC, is no different, as he tells HRD that “the fundamentals need to be right before you present the case for the tech investment”.
“HR needs to be very clear…what problems HR tech will solve and what value it will bring in terms of efficiency and effectiveness,” says Chan, who will be speaking at the upcoming HR Tech Summit in Singapore.
From there you move on to determine the possible returns on investment – this will be your hook for getting the buy-in from business leaders.
“HR work is very intangible and that’s one of the biggest challenges to getting business leaders to see the value of a tech investment. It would be good if you can articulate the tangible results of an investment and use financial data to support it,” he adds.
Chan gave examples such as proving the cost-savings on headcount and improved efficiency as the tech cuts time spent on operational processes.
However, Chan understands that getting that first foot in the door may be challenging for some as HR “might feel like they’re second priority” to business investments at some organisations.
“A lot of companies may not take HR as the forefront of the organisation, which may affect how much they’re willing to invest,” he says.
Chan believes being creative and concise in your case will help you overcome those challenges.
Personally, he prefers the tactic of presenting multiple ideas instead of just one at his meetings with the company leaders. This, he uses for both tech and non-tech related propositions.
“I always go in with more than one idea – if I get more accepted, it’s a bonus; if I get most of them rejected, at least I get the original one accepted.”
Chan Chong Kong will be on the panel discussing how to build a compelling business case for HR technology investment at the HR Tech Summit being held at the Hilton Singapore on 28 March 2018. Click here for more details and to register.
