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Organizations continue to invest in HR technology to improve efficiency, HR compliance and the employee experience. But implementation alone rarely meets these expectations. Nearly one in four leaders say their implementation efforts failed to achieve anticipated outcomes.
While organizations often focus on selecting the right software, research suggests that implementation support and ongoing guidance play an equally important role in achieving business outcomes.
Business leaders say lackluster customer service hinders their ability to achieve full adoption and utilization of software. Many vendors provide limited onboarding, and even less ongoing guidance, even though business owners see it as essential. In fact, nearly half (49%) report that they would pay more for better human-led expertise, according to a recent 3Sixty Insights Benchmark report.
“Having knowledgeable individuals who can support your organization during and after implementation drives the behavior needed to achieve the goals you have,” said Minh Le, the Director of HCM Client Support Operations at Insperity. “Without a team to help you understand how to apply the software to your job and the organization’s goals, all you have is a digital paperweight.”
Many platforms are rushing to add technical features, but many business leaders prioritize a different benefit: a service-enabled HR partner.
The problem with feature-led HCM
For years, HR innovation has focused on adding features. Today’s HCM platforms offer increasingly sophisticated capabilities, but additional functions don’t automatically translate into better results. Many organizations are asking for something technology alone cannot provide: direct access to expert guidance.
Too many features can overwhelm users. When technology feels unnecessarily complex, employees often revert to using only the bare minimum needed to accomplish a task, leaving much of the platform's value unused.
“The real value comes from working with a partner who understands where your business is now so they can pair the tools and resources to what will have the biggest immediate impact,” said Le. “A true partner can then grow with you at a pace and in a process you can absorb so you can fully realize the value of the tool.”
Le added that without human intervention, dashboards and alerts may not provide the full picture. For example, an alert might inadvertently trigger an inappropriate notification about an employee break.
“If you don’t have human effort, eyes and judgment behind that notification, you may not realize the HCM system wasn’t set up correctly,” she said.
What business leaders actually want
HR leaders recognize that successful implementation and utilization require more than purchasing software. They need a partner with a team of experts who can answer questions, resolve issues quickly and provide practical guidance to help HR teams maximize their investment.
“When you’re implementing change, you are going through systemic stages of shock and fear,” said Le. “The presence of a strong, confident team offers a sense of security that you will have the information needed to accomplish the basics and to help you move beyond them when you’re ready.”
It’s natural for questions to arise during implementation and at any point in the process of using an HCM platform. No business leader has time to wait for a generic response because slow response times have real business consequences. Yet, according to the 3Sixty Insights report, only 40% of leaders say their HR partner resolves issues within one day, and 16% must wait two or more days.
“When clients receive timely, thoughtful responses—not just repeat emails—they gain confidence that someone understands their situation and is helping them move forward,” she said.
In addition to deployment assistance and issue resolution, HR leaders want guidance on maximizing their investment. The 3Sixty Insights report indicated that 86% want help with data and analytics to improve decision-making, yet only three out of five say they receive that level of assistance. Among vice presidents, roughly 85% believe the right customer service model could fundamentally improve organizational performance.
“Features only matter if people know how to use them in the context of their business,” Le said. “The real differentiator is not how much the platform can technically do, but whether there is a team helping the organization turn those capabilities into better decisions, fewer errors and stronger outcomes.”
The value of human-led service
HR technology only creates value when HR teams and employees can use the platform effectively. While many HCM providers compete on features, HR leaders see the real value as a hybrid model that pairs technology with human-led expertise.
More than half of leaders (71%) believe better HCM help would have a high-to-transformational business impact by reducing errors, allowing them to spend more time on strategic work and gaining compliance confidence, according to the 3Sixty Insights Benchmark report. But data is only valuable when you know how to interpret it, identify meaningful patterns and translate those insights into better business decisions. Unlocking that level of information requires a service-led partner.
“The idea that technology alone solves problems can be a challenging and painful fallacy,” she said. “Technology is incredibly powerful in the impact it can make for a business, for efficiency, for consistency, but without human intervention, you could be in a worse place afterward than you were before you implemented the technology.”
The value of an HCM platform isn’t just what it can do. The value is how well it’s supported, implemented and used.
Download the 3Sixty report to explore the findings.
