To get the booklet go to www.presenceofit.com.au/news-events/things-you-should-know-about-cloud-hr-solutions We are about to release our research booklet entitled "Things you should know about cloud HR solutions". It's a fascinating insight into 8 key areas to be aware of during a cloud HR solution implementation.

1. The Cloud HR Social Experiment
Things you should know about cloud HR solutions
Rob Scott | Sydney | December 2012

2. Why we did the social experiment
10,000 hour
Little focus on
mantra : There is
the people and
not enough
behaviours
expertise out
associated with
there – we need
cloud HR
to fast-track our
implementations
“expertise”
To allow us to Wanted to
adapt our emulate what a
services off the client may
back of some practically
real experience experience
2

3. How did we do it?
• Planned objectives & approach
• Product selection
• Purchased Rypple®
• Configured
• Let it loose (cowboy style)
• Observed & recorded
• Analysed & reported
3

4. Areas we covered off
Observed and analysed 8 key areas
4
3 6
2
1
7
5 8
4

5. Preface
2012 has been a significant year for the HR Technology landscape. It will be recognised as the year in which cloud HR vendors seriously began
offering organisations alternatives to their on-premises software: easier, quicker and cheaper solutions around talent and core HR transaction
management.
Major ERP players, SAP® and Oracle®, moved decisively to buy out established players in response to the growing appreciation and
positioning of Workday®, an HR solution built by the previous owner of PeopleSoft®, Dave Duffield. Duffield was clearly and effectively
challenging the ERP players in their own backyard and winning over often frustrated clients. Cloud HR vendors continue to offer pricing models
that are enticing in a time that capital outlay is being curtailed.
The end result? A significant shift in thinking: cloud-based HR solutions are inevitable!
While there is an abundance of skill around the approach and implementation of ERP on-premises HR solutions, the same cannot be said for
cloud-based products. The approach, choices, decisions, technical requirements and timing are different and for many organisations this is an
area of concern and risk. Coupled with this risk, social media tools and principles of gamification are adding layers of complexity to the cloud-
based solutions. It‟s not as easy as deciding not to use these new layers, especially when the tool is fundamentally constructed around these
new elements.
Presence of IT - Human Capital Services division (HCS) recognised these risks and complexities and decided to run a social experiment with a
cloud-based HR solution so we can advise clients on implementing their own cloud HR products. We selected the Salesforce.com product called
Rypple® (now part of Work.com) primarily because it had all the components we needed, was easy to purchase and would not be construed as
a sales pitch for our other products. Rypple however, was not the focus. We wanted to understand and learn from the behaviours of people who
were included in the experiment. It was a real eye-opener and we have now transferred our learnings to our consulting staff.
This paper is a summary of our learning and observations. We hope you enjoy the read.
Dave Brookes Rob Scott
Managing Director Practice Lead: Human Capital Services
Presence of IT - Global Presence of IT - Global
5

6. 8 Chapters
6

7. 8 Chapters
1 Ready..steady..go!
Social is(n’t) the
2 driver
It’s a game, but not
3 as you know it
Who moved my
4 objective?
You’re a
5 (disa)STAR!
Anytime &
6 anywhere
Keeping it all
7 together
That’s who we
8 are…it’s our DNA
7

8. Document layout
Key learnings
General write-up
Critical
observation
Critical questions
8

9. Critical observations
Key learnings
Questions to ask
9

10. 1 Ready..steady..go!
2
The speed at which we configured the
Key system created a false expectation
3 Observation that users would be as excited as the
config team
4 There are things that you can‟t change
in cloud solutions - test users‟ reaction
Key Learning more aggressively and formulate
5 responses
6 Critical
Question
How do the various software
components affect one another ?
7
8
Read all the observations, learnings and questions in our free booklet
10

11. 1
Social is(n’t) the
2 driver
Users who are natural content
Key generators emerge quickly and initiate
3 Observation many discussions and activities -
these key users are critical
4 Don‟t create „communication channel
Key Learning confusion‟ - users need to be clear on
the role of each communication tool
5
Is the organisation leadership prepared
6 Critical
Question
to change their style to support social
media?
7
8
Read all the observations, learnings and questions in our free booklet
11

12. 1
2
Users are attracted to the names of
It’s a game, but not Key
3 as you know it Observation
badges more than the underlying
intention of the badge
4 Stratify your user groups by age,
hierarchical level and relationship to
Key Learning users - there will be distinct differences
5 you need to deal with
6 Critical
Question
Which processes are impacted by
recognition and badging?
7
8
Read all the observations, learnings and questions in our free booklet
12

13. 1
2
Individual users can become
Key despondent when team members
3 Observation don‟t accept requests to support their
objectives
Who moved my
4 objective? Social objectives and goals require
Key Learning changes to management philosophy
and role definitions at all levels
5
6 Critical
Question
Will you allow staff to choose what
objectives they want to be part of?
7
8
Read all the observations, learnings and questions in our free booklet
13

14. 1
2
Key Offering anonymous feedback to a
3 Observation
user creates a level of anxiety and
suspicion
4 Don‟t undermine system information
put forward by a user in defence of an
Key Learning issue(e.g. badges received) - this
You’re a
5 (disa)STAR!
undermines the tool
If performance management is
6 Critical
Question
currently not working, why will this be
different?
7
8
Read all the observations, learnings and questions in our free booklet
14

15. 1
2
Key Users want to perform the same
3 Observation
functions on a mobile device as they
can on a PC browser version
4 Don‟t assume all mobile applications
Key Learning are intuitive - you may need to offer
training on the „not-so-obvious‟ features
5
Anytime &
6 anywhere
Critical
Question
Are there risks and safety issues that
mobile usage create?
7
8
Read all the observations, learnings and questions in our free booklet
15

16. 1
2
The administrator role is fairly
Key straightforward in terms of typical
3 Observation tasks, and could be spread between a
number of individuals
4 Administrators are different from
Key Learning moderators who need to be generally
respected senior people
5
6 Critical
Question
What processes need to change to suit
the HR tool administration?
Keeping it all
7 together
8
Read all the observations, learnings and questions in our free booklet
16

17. 1
2
You can‟t force users to participate in
Key all components of the tool, but this
3 Observation does create issues around
standardisation and efficiency
4 Ensure your users and managers
understand that participating on the
Key Learning social media layer is not an extension
5 of their line authority
6 Critical
Question
Will I compromise the effectiveness of
the tool without change?
7
That’s who we
8 are…it’s our DNA
Read all the observations, learnings and questions in our free booklet
17

18. Go to:
www.presenceofit.com.au/news-events/things-you-should-know-about-cloud-hr-solutions
18