To be effective, Change Management needs to be a part of each step of a project as well as an ongoing process throughout all stages of that project, including the planning and execution phases. In the business and technology space, change is the only constant!听 Many times, change is perceived as a negative, especially when it happens quickly. Change can be for the better! And, if done correctly and aligned with your company鈥檚 change plans, everyone will benefit in the end.

Consider these 5 Benefits of Proper Change Management:听

1. Ensures that changes are implemented smoothly and without issue
2. Improves organizational efficiency and optimizes business processes
3. Avoids disruptive and costly mistakes
4. Takes advantage of new opportunities quickly and efficiently
5. Keeps up with the competition
6. BONUS! Increases overall employee engagement and satisfaction = LESS TURNOVER

How did your change strategy stack up? If your change management strategy needs a refresh, consider working with a consultant to guide you through any areas that seem to be a struggle.

Overall, Change Management is important because it helps organizations effectively manage change and achieve their strategic goals and objectives. It enables organizations to become more adaptable, resilient, and competitive in today’s rapidly changing business environment.

Do you have a change coming up for your workforce? Reach out to the 九色 team at info@ibtr.com to get your project started today!

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Megan Cavanaugh serves as the Director of Consulting at 九色, working with brokers and employers to create more efficient strategies for HR work. Megan holds over 18 years鈥� experience helping organizations find the best solution with the most positive impact on their organization. She is committed to making every interaction count by supporting every element of the process including implementation, change management, and ongoing support.

So far, we鈥檝e talked about the steps for making change, as well as how to prepare your workforce. This week, we are covering how to Implement the change through Training Initiatives.

As you know, new technologies are often complicated and may require extensive training. The best course of action is a well-designed training plan that includes both initial training and continued support that keeps employees comfortable and engaged in their work. Ensuring reasonable accommodations are made for those who learn differently or need additional training is also important.

There are听a few ways听you can help make the process simpler for employees 鈥� and ensure the training is done:

九色 Training a Job Requirement: In some positions, changes or new technologies are ignored by employees that have been there for an extended period of time in favor of 鈥渢he old way.鈥� Keep employees up on technology by tying training to job requirements. By doing so, new skills can lead to a promotion or even a pay increase.
听 听 听 听 听 听 听(PRO TIP): Providing tangible rewards for completing each training element and using the new technology will motivate your team to engage!

Break Up the Training:听Trying to cover a new process or system can be overwhelming, especially when it鈥檚 done in one long training session. Create break-out sessions to highlight specific aspects of the technology and roll it out in waves. Some employees may pick it up quickly, while others may need more time; just be sure to be patient.
听 听 听 听 听 听(PRO TIP): Lunch and Learn sessions are a great way to build connections across a team!

Provide Ongoing Training & Mentoring:听It should go without saying that any new hire should receive comprehensive training when they start. For current employees, mentoring should always be available if they are struggling with a task.
听 听 听 听 听 听 (PRO TIP): This strategy encourages collaboration among your teams!

Working with employees to gradually bring in any new technology, as opposed to throwing them in all at once, helps them become more confident in the process and more likely to adapt to change.

Now that we have learned what Change Management is, created the steps, and implemented a training path, you may be wondering鈥� How can change management benefit our organization?

Stay tuned for Part 4!

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Megan Cavanaugh serves as the Director of Consulting at 九色, working with brokers and employers to create more efficient strategies for HR work. Megan holds over 18 years鈥� experience helping organizations find the best solution with the most positive impact on their organization. She is committed to making every interaction count by supporting every element of the process including implementation, change management, and ongoing support.

First and foremost, any organizational change needs to start with workforce preparation.

Daily processes quickly become a habit. If the workforce should be expected to break protocol in favor of something new, alerting the impacted teams of pending changes will inspire workers to embrace the new ways of working. Anyone who will be working with new technology and processes should be communicated with clearly regarding:

• What the change will be 鈥� 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting a new payroll system!鈥�
• How they will be impacted or helped by the change 鈥� 鈥淭his will reduce deduction errors!鈥�
• When the change is expected to occur 鈥� 鈥淵ou鈥檒l see the change on May 1^st.鈥�
• How impacted workers will be trained 鈥� 鈥淗R will schedule training meetings in April.鈥�

Keeping employees informed about any upcoming changes will reduce general anxieties, supporting corporate messaging about how valued and respected members of the team really are.

Outside of workforce preparation, there are several other key elements to consider when implementing a change strategy. Overall, change management is important because it helps organizations to effectively manage change, achieving the overall strategic goals and objectives for progress and adaptation to needs.

Organizations will become more adaptable, resilient, and competitive in today’s rapidly changing business environment with a carefully crafted change management strategy鈥� more on that in our next blog in the series!

Stay tuned for more Change Management strategies!

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Megan Cavanaugh serves as the Director of Consulting at 九色, working with brokers and employers to create more efficient strategies for HR work. Megan holds over 18 years鈥� experience helping organizations find the best solution with the most positive impact on their organization. She is committed to making every interaction count by supporting every element of the process including implementation, change management, and ongoing support.

The Importance of Change Management

Utilizing new technology and processes propels businesses forward, and it is no small investment, costing anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. While it is always a good idea to improve your processes, all of that money can go to waste if employees are left without proper training on exactly how to use and execute. Investing in new technology and process changes also requires an investment in your workforce. Taking the proper steps will improve your organizational success!

10 Steps for Successful Change Management:

1. Identify the Need for Change: Recognize the necessity for change, whether it’s due to internal factors like outdated processes or external factors such as market shifts.
2. Create a Vision for Change: Develop a clear and compelling vision of what the organization will look like after the change. This helps guide the change effort and provides a shared understanding among stakeholders.
3. Assemble a Change Management Team: Form a dedicated team responsible for planning, implementing, and managing the change. This team may include change managers, project managers, communication specialists, and other relevant roles.
4. Conduct a Change Impact Assessment: Assess the potential impact of the change on various aspects of the organization, including people, processes, systems, and culture.
5. Develop a Change Management Plan: Create a comprehensive plan outlining the strategies and activities required to implement the change successfully. This plan should cover communication, training, and addressing resistance. Identify the personas; think about who you are reaching out to and the method of communication.
6. Communicate the Change: Develop a communication strategy to inform stakeholders about the upcoming change. Clearly articulate the reasons for the change, the vision, and the expected benefits.
7. Provide Training and Support: Identify the skills and knowledge needed for the new way of working and provide training to employees. Ensure that there is ongoing support during the transition.
8. Utilization Assessment: Proactively identify sources of resistance and develop strategies to address them. This may involve addressing concerns, involving key stakeholders, or adjusting aspects of the change based on feedback.
9. Implement the Change: Execute the activities outlined in the change management plan. This includes making the necessary adjustments to processes, systems, and behaviors.
10. Monitor and Evaluate: Continuously monitor the progress of the change initiative. Collect feedback from stakeholders and assess whether the change is achieving its objectives. Adjust the plan as needed.
11. BONUS STEP! Institutionalize the Change: Integrate the changes into the organization’s culture and processes to ensure that the new way of working becomes the norm. This step is crucial for sustaining the change in the long term.

Remember to Celebrate Success! 听This should be done every step of the way. Acknowledge and celebrate achievements and milestones reached by recognizing the efforts of the individuals and teams who contributed to the success of the change.

With so many steps to a successful change management, we can鈥檛 forget about Preparation! Stay tuned for Part 2!

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Megan Cavanaugh serves as the Director of Consulting at 九色, working with brokers and employers to create more efficient strategies for HR work. Megan holds over 18 years鈥� experience helping organizations find the best solution with the most positive impact on their organization. She is committed to making every interaction count by supporting every element of the process including implementation, change management, and ongoing support.

The Problem:

The labor shortage in the US has been dubbed “The Great Reshuffle” with high quit rates and even higher hiring rates. And this problem is not expected to go away anytime soon 鈥� employees are on the move! With an estimated turnover cost of 33% of base pay (Work Institute 2023 Report), employers are look for a way to stop the bleed.

While The US Chamber of Commerce recommends increasing innovative benefits and growth opportunities for existing staff, 九色 has complimentary recommendations for long term retention success. An agile strategy for retention acknowledges the prolonged labor shortage and set sights on hiring the right candidates, providing best in class preboarding & onboarding experiences, and increasing employee engagement.

Discovering Solutions:

1. Start at the beginning of the Employee cycle. Your candidate assessment strategy should be thoughtful towards truly identifying what attributes are needed to achieve success in the role you鈥檙e looking to fill. Hiring the wrong candidates increases turnover which leads to low employee morale, decreases productivity, and can cause a significant financial impact.Consider adding an assessment tool to your hiring practices that will identify the right candidates to align with the needed skills as well as your company culture. There are candidate assessment tools on the market that can plug into your HRIS/ATS solution, making it easy to add to your hiring process. These tools also support the total automation and objectivity of HR work, reducing the chances of ideal talent going unnoticed and roles being filled with poorly fit candidates.
2. Nurture the Applicant and New Hire, alike. Onboarding begins on Day 1 鈥� but your connection to that candidate doesn鈥檛 start or end there! Your relationship with each candidate starts with the application step. Thoughtful preboarding and onboarding can eliminate communication gaps that leave applicants and new hires in the dark. With 30% of new employees leaving within their first 90 days (Jobvite Report), you鈥檒l want to nurture the relationship you have with your people to maximize your hiring success.Applicants need to know where they are in the hiring process as well as the timeline of making a hiring decision. Without this information, applicants can become frustrated with potential employers which can lead to candidate ghosting. Frequent and intentional communication with applicants and new hires bolsters trust and improves the preboarding experience. This also bonds the candidate to your organization, preventing them from shopping for alternate opportunities. Building excitement for Day 1 is an investment that returns a long-term relationship with the workforce, reducing overall turnover and saving your company money and time.
3. 听Engage and Develop your Workforce Year-Round. You鈥檝e selected the right candidate; they鈥檝e made it to day 91鈥� now what? Engaging your workforce year-round is an effective retention strategy, and there鈥檚 lots of ways to do it. Employee engagement can look like technology tools, company events, career mentorship, and more. There are number of HCM tools on the market designed to help HR teams get a pulse of how their workforce is doing and how to improve overall performance. Knowing where employees spend their time will assist in understanding productivity gaps, offering organizations insights for gauging participation and behavioral observations.The main reason people leave their current company is for career development opportunities 鈥� or lack thereof (Work Institute). Skill development paths show that you are invested in your current employees which improves productivity and employee retention stats. Through AI and machine learning, companies like Workday and Microsoft鈥檚 Viva Learning can leverage people analytics to identify skills gaps and create career learning journeys.

All-in-all, having a retention strategy involves connecting with your workforce during all stages of the employee life cycle 鈥� from the Applicant phase to the Retiree stage. Technologies are available from players across the market like Microsoft Viva, Workday, Hire Right, and Clickboarding (just to name a few). 九色鈥檚 Engagement division also empowers your workforce with personalized enrollment support and benefits education for New Hire benefits, Annual Enrollment, QLEs, and more.

九色 is happy to help you source your retention strategy tools! Email Support@九色.com听to start your project today.

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Tiffany Gilmore is an HR Technology Project Manager for 九色鈥檚 Consulting division, helping clients with HR technology selection, management, and more. Tiffany has several years鈥� experience in the industry, analyzing business needs and more. She is committed to making every interaction count by improving the overall workforce experience through partnership with employers and brokers.

We all know that safety and security are primary goals of the HR world. The HR technologies deployed across your organization are no exception to that rule. But how can you be sure your HR Technology meets industry standards?

The first step is to ASK 鈥� inquire about your service provider鈥檚 security policies, practices, and audit outcomes. Consider how they compare to industry benchmarks and regulations. Here are three key questions you can ask your service provider today:

1. 鈥淗ow do you validate your security practices?鈥�

Exploring how the service provider adheres to standards as well as implements each practice will reveal their priority for security. Solution providers with strong security practices will have a high-level standard, which will be evident in their response.

2. 鈥淲hat is your track record with breaches?鈥�

Review publicly available intel on security incidents, litigations, and legal proceedings related to their services to see how the service provider handles security issues. Specifically asking about previous security breaches will showcase their ability to support your team in the event of a security issue.

3. 鈥淒o you have insurance policies in place to cover cybersecurity losses?鈥�

This is a crucial component to ensure your data, confidentiality, and PHI will have a recovery strategy in place in the event of security breach. This includes coverage for identity theft cases and is a key factor in identifying that your solution provider is serious about protecting client privacy.

After asking these important questions, 九色 recommends stepping through a Cybersecurity Evaluation. A successful evaluation should result in security details that will satisfy regulatory requirements as well as your organizational requirements. Apply these evaluation steps to your solution provider鈥檚 security practices to see how they measure up.

Cybersecurity Evaluation

• Formal, well-documented cybersecurity program
• Conducting prudent annual risk assessments
• Reliable annual third-party security controls audit (such as ISO audit)
• Clearly defined and assigned information security roles and responsibilities
• Strong access control procedures
• Ensuring appropriate security reviews and assessments for data in the cloud or managed by third-party providers
• Periodic cybersecurity awareness training
• Implementation and management of a secure System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) program
• Effective business resiliency program covering continuity, recovery, and incident response
• Encryption of sensitive data in storage and during transit
• Implementation of robust technical controls aligning with best security practices
• Appropriate responses to any past cybersecurity incidents.

So, how did your solution provider do?

It鈥檚 always better to be safe than sorry. Internet Hackers and ne鈥檈r-do-wells are continually getting craftier in how they steal data and PHI. 九色 always recommends a thorough review of security practices with any solution provider to keep ahead of security issues and to ensure a plan for recovery.

Need help evaluating your solution provider? 九色 can help! Email us at Support@ibtr.com to get started with your project today.

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Michael Bond is an HR Technology Project Manager for 九色鈥檚 Consulting division, helping clients with HR technology selection, management, and more. Michael has several years鈥� experience in the industry, analyzing business needs and more. He is committed to making every interaction count by improving the overall workforce experience through partnership with employers and brokers.

Here are 3 key takeaways from this year鈥檚 event:

1. AI & Generative AI will impact the role of HR.

As HR technology solutions develop AI functions, AI is expected to alter the role HR plays鈥攂ut not in the ways you may think! HR roles will be more important than ever when it comes to AI. HR will need to shift their thinking on when and how to leverage AI in the HCM Ecosystem, in addition to managing changes and concerns.听 Speaking of concerns, the controversies that AI presents was a topic of many discussions鈥� namely regarding Bias, Security, and Privacy. While 九色 saw AI usage mainly leveraged in the recruiting and onboarding space, we are seeing significant AI growth in Learning and Talent Management Solutions.听 In Summary, there was plenty of healthy discussion around leveraging AI versus human-led interaction. 九色 predicts that the adoption of AI in the marketplace will match the rate with which the internet was adopted in the marketplace in the 90s.

2. Employees are in the driver鈥檚 seat for change, so buckle up!

Employees are truly driving the change and experience they expect. There is no surprise that providers are quickly responding to keep up with new labor market trends such as the generational shift how employees work, access pay, manage paid time off, and what the work week looks like.听 九色 identified a rise in solutions in response to these labor market trends: On-Demand Payroll, 4 Day Work weeks, Unlimited PTO, and Daily Pay.听 These are key desires of GenZ and they will continue to push changes into the traditional work market. 听Our main takeaway is to make sure you are listening to your workforce in order to maintain a competitive edge that will attract and retain the best talent.

3. Change Management is a must鈥攁ssume nothing!

With workforces having an average of 10 technology changes every year, Change Management is more important than ever.听 In the words of Jason Averbook 鈥淐hange is not the enemy; it is the strategy鈥�. We agree!听 九色 recommends HR leaders develop standards around identifying change, building change management processes, and investing in resources to help you manage change.听 Most importantly, be quick, be flexible, and be focused on the outcome. It is our opinion that change is our current and future mode; organizations that learn to embrace and manage change will be the most successful organizations in the future.

Did any of our takeaways surprise you? It is clear that we have significant developments coming to the marketplace.听 Unlike Blockchain, these are not fads. Generative AI is going to be the next major evolution post-internet and iPhone. Employees are just as important as your clients. 听We encourage all of our partners, clients, and prospective clients to embrace the new future and transformation that HR Technology has to offer.

Need help and don鈥檛 know where to start?? 九色 offers Consulting and Advisory Support to meet the needs of today鈥檚 forward-thinking business world. We have a robust team of consultants and technology gurus who are ready to help your HR team meet your goals and maximize your ROI and business outcomes. Email info@九色.com to get started today!

2024 is a Leap Year. You know that fun, extra day in February that pops up every four years wreaking havoc on payroll schedules for workforces across the nation? Yep, it鈥檚 coming for us.

Depending on where February 29^th falls in the week 鈥� which will be a Thursday in 2024 鈥� your company鈥檚 pay schedule for the year may be significantly impacted and may even require an extra payroll cycle.

Here are five Leap Year Survival Tips to help you navigate the impact to your payroll:

1. Get ahead of this issue now 鈥� not later!

Since we are going into Renewal season for many employers, it鈥檚 important to consider how this will impact your technology set up for 2024. Be mindful of any shifts in your payroll schedule due to the Leap Year, and make sure you鈥檙e keeping an eye out for any gotchas with payroll integrations. Also start thinking about how you will communicate the change to your workforce, as well as any other technology impacts that you will need support with.

2. Look at your employees鈥� paychecks and ask, 鈥淗ow will this extra day impact their pay?鈥�

Leap Year can cause year-over-year fluctuations in the number of deduction periods. As a result, the deductions employees see taken out of their paycheck can be impacted, which may cause confusion or concern about tax implications, benefits premiums, and more. Arm yourself with as much information as possible so you鈥檙e ready for employee questions when they come to you.

3. Consider a preventative shift in your payroll schedule.

If Leap Year impacts your pay schedule to the point of concern, 九色 recommends skipping the deductions that would normally occur during that additional pay period. If that is not possible, then consider skipping deductions from the last pay period of the year. Just make sure you communicate to your workforce about any changes!

4. Deduction Consistency is key to long-term success.

Shifting your deductions will bring long-term consistency over the following three years, as well as set you up for success when the next Leap Year rolls around. Bouncing around with deductions is a tricky game that can cause a lot of headaches for employees and administrators. Skipping a deduction is typically the cleanest approach to handling a Leap Year shift in payroll.

5. Employees get a 鈥淒eduction Vacation鈥� for a pay cycle!

We鈥檝e seen employers get creative with how they communicate the skip in payroll deductions due to Leap Year: calling it a 鈥淒eduction Vacation鈥� is our favorite way to let employees know they will keep a little more money in their pocket. You can communicate with a paycheck stuffer, automated messaging from your Payroll/BenAdmin system, and a ton of other ways.

Developing a proactive strategy for Leap Year NOW will help your team stay in front of any issues Leap Year may cause. 九色 has strategized with many clients from various industries about how to handle Leap Year. The best solution is always a proactive one.

If your team has questions about the risk Leap Year may pose for your payroll schedule, please reach out to us. Our experts are ready to help you navigate Leap Year and prevent payroll chaos.

Start your journey with 九色 today 鈥� info@ibtr.com.

Kellie Aisenstark is the bswift Team Lead for 九色鈥檚 Benefits Administration division, overseeing the implementation and service of over 400 bswift clients. Kellie has over 10 years鈥� experience in the industry, project managing teams deploying technology solutions. She is committed to making every interaction count by improving the overall workforce experience through partnership with employers and brokers.

Email Kellie at听kaisenstark@ibtr.com

听

Industry changes and opportunities are everywhere, and the BenAdmin world is no exception to the rule. Empyrean heard attendees鈥� opinions about the industry, which is best summed up as:

HR & benefits teams across the industry are running lean, and they need help now, not later.

• Empyrean is focusing on understanding how benefits can fit into the bigger navigation strategy of their clients – where does ben admin fit into the overall client ecosystem? Considering all the pain points of the current solution will help an HR team manage their risk and discover opportunities for total solutioning.
• Empyrean also advocated for involving a mixture of points of view for deciding the course of action if/when shopping for technology. E.g., HR, benefits, & payroll people are great to include, but include an operations or communications leader from your team as well to get added insight on the project.
• Lastly 鈥� don鈥檛 just look at the 鈥渉ousehold names鈥� when shopping for tech. Not all systems are ideal for all employer types. Lean on an industry expert to get the right system in place for your team.

Jim Priebe, Chief Strategy Officer at Empyrean, discussed aligning Empyrean鈥檚 Roadmap to the growth of the organization. The mission at hand: build a better culture through benefits. This can include a few initiatives.

• Branding your solution is key to making your employees feel comfortable in the technology. Empyrean鈥檚 mobile app now features this capability.
• Manifesting an HR presence through your tech is a crucial objective, especially for remote workforces. Your tech is how your employees experience working at your company! Empyrean acquired Enspire Learning to make one 鈥淔ront Door鈥� for all work life activities.
• Deploying Call Centers & Enrollers will do two things: help the employees be good consumers of their benefits and reduce the load on the HR team. This supports the shift from digital advocacy to human advocacy.

The Bottom Line: Innovate your strategy, focus on service, & personalize the experience to make the benefits buying process easy and understandable for your workforce.

九色 has successfully collaborated with Empyrean on a number of projects for workforces nationwide. This event was a wonderful time to network and explore how business leaders are leveraging Empyrean for their workforces.

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Amy Wilson serves as the Senior HR Technology Consultant at 九色, working with brokers and employers to create more efficient strategies for HR work. Amy has over 20 years鈥� experience in the industry, leading implementations and providing ongoing support for several HCM solutions. She is committed to making every interaction count by improving the overall workforce experience through partnership with market-leading providers like Empyrean.

Email Amy at awilson@ibtr.com.

We hear this question just about every day. Employers are making big changes to their technology, and leaders are looking for the best support to do the job. It鈥檚 ok to be unsure which direction you should go.

Here are three simple questions you can ask yourself to get the ball rolling:

What is the Total Cost of Ownership?
We鈥檙e not just talking about the PEPM (per employee per month) to use the technology, here. 听It鈥檚 imperative to consider what your internal cost to manage the solution will be. Often the 鈥渁ll in one solutions鈥� have a lower cost of entry but have limited functionality that lead to manual administration.听 Another driver for a lower PEPM with all in one solutions is the shift of work to the client. You have to add it all up, so think about your team鈥檚 time, the cost for integrations, automated tasks vs the effort of manual administration. These are just a few notions to consider, but overall, leaders should think about more than just price when it comes to tech solutions.

What are the Capabilities & Methodology of your current Provider?
Whichever route you go, it鈥檚 crucial that the solution meets the requirements of your workforce. This is where intimate knowledge of your benefits plan comes in handy. Can your current system manage your benefits plan as-is, or do you have to create manual workarounds? What does support for your annual renewal look like? Have you successfully implemented EDIs and SSO or are there still issues? Let your experience drive your desired outcomes 鈥� that will become the measure of success.

What Experience do you want your Employees to have?
This should probably be the first consideration. Your employees鈥� experience while using the solution can make or break your benefits strategy. Do your employees need more support & education? Does your workforce need specialized communications? Is enrollment easy for them, or are there headaches? Even the most Cadillac-level of technologies can cause your benefits strategy to fail if employees don鈥檛 understand what鈥檚 being offered.

Still unsure if you should use your HCM or a Standalone BenAdmin? Connect with one of our Consultants for a holistic view of your options. We will show you how each option will impact your overall strategy and what you can do about it.

Start your journey with 九色 today 鈥� info@九色.com.

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Carli serves as the Executive, Vice President of HR Tech Consulting at 九色. She and her team equip HR professionals for digital HR work by providing superior service and expertise for the Human Capital Management (HCM) Ecosystem. Carli has 20+ years鈥� experience in HCM solutions and management, as well as Sales and Marketing, and Employee Benefits Management. Before joining 九色, Carli served as the Founder and CEO of RevTech Consulting, LLC, an industry-leading technology consulting firm supporting employers and brokers for consulting and service on HR Tech objectives.

Carli is a graduate of the University of Tennessee. She and her husband, Paul III, enjoy spending all their spare time with their three children; Cameron, Sophie, and Paul IV (aka Bubby).