Embarking on the journey of implementing HR tech is a pivotal decision for any organisation. As technology continues to reshape the landscape of Human Resources, choosing the right strategies becomes paramount. In our latest white paper, “Five Things to Consider When Implementing HR Tech,” we delve into essential insights derived from our extensive experience at Jigsaw Cloud.

Navigating the complexities of HR tech implementation requires a nuanced understanding of your organisation’s unique needs, a commitment to user-friendly interfaces, and an unwavering focus on scalability. Drawing from real-world examples and industry best practices, we bring you actionable insights that go beyond conventional approaches.

Explore the white paper to discover how Jigsaw Cloud’s commitment to personalised solutions, user-centric design, and scalable support services can redefine your HR tech implementation journey. Click below to read more and embark on a path toward a seamlessly integrated and optimally performing HR ecosystem.

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The world has changed with employees wanting choice, slick process, and flexibility. From an HR perspective, this means ensuring people are aligned, engaged, and properly skilled. It means having an agile, often remote, workforce that can quickly adapt to change and is more diverse and inclusive. And it means providing experiences that attract and retain top talent and empower everyone to do and be their best in an ever-changing work scenario.

If you are an SME, time-consuming HR tasks can deter from a focus on improving employee performance and an overall increase in productivity. Consider how much time it would free up if you had a streamlined HR system that allows you this focus?

Your people are the heartbeat of your organisation. When they’re engaged – feeling supported, trained, rewarded, and motivated – they’ll do what it takes to win, remain loyal and stay with you.

An automated, streamlined system can also help you to strengthen the connection between HR and operations by bringing together core HR and payroll, talent management, recruitment, learning, people analytics, and employee experience management with other applications and processes within your organisation. As a result, you can ensure employees are aligned with the goals of the business and, in these uncertain times, feel a sense of belonging and recognition. So important, especially if your business has moved permanently to a remote or hybrid working model.

One centralised system means you can continuously listen and act on feedback and drive operational improvements. And you can help shape careers and minimise staff attrition by providing personalised learning and development opportunities.

Put people at the centre of your business

Whether you choose automation for candidates, new hires, employees, managers, or leaders – a centralised HR system will help keep everyone engaged and productive while smoothly connecting HR across your organization to allow your people to feel connected, empowered, and supported.

A robust HR system such as SAP SuccessFactors offers embedded feedback and analytics tools across the employee journey, allowing you to continuously listen and take the right actions to impact engagement; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I); productivity; and innovation. It offers the opportunity for comprehensive insights, analysis, and guided action planning.

Drive efficiency & productivity

Any system you choose should be simple to use and make it easier for your employees to access everything they need from a single-entry point. One intuitive workspace that brings together applications and processes, information, workflows, and communication that everyone needs so they can quickly prioritise work and access what’s most important to them.

If your people could also access career exploration tools, anytime coaching and feedback, personalised learning recommendations, and intelligent mentoring, all could empower them to take charge of their careers. And, for HR, you gain access to a wealth of data and insights into each individual’s capabilities, aspirations, motivations, and preferences, which would allow you to anticipate their needs and take steps to meet and exceed their expectations.

Create a Future-Ready Workforce

It continues to be a candidate driven market so having strategic talent management solutions for your workforce, you can build the skills and agility needed today and for the future of your organisation. A system like SAP SuccessFactors will allow you to upskill and reskill your workforce to fill gaps and mobilise teams quickly, provide individualised recommendations for learning and development opportunities, and enhance the culture of your organisation to allow always-on learning to inspire and engage employees to achieve their goals and also keep staff attrition to a minimum in the current market.

You can also help employees find the best possible work for the skills they have today – and the skills they want to gain. They could have visibility into new opportunities, such as short-term assignments, dynamic teams, mentors, learning recommendations, and role recommendations.

Make informed decisions

With the right system in place, it can help you remove bias from hiring, pay, and promotion decisions. Using company-wide data, you can plan, measure, and improve DE&I and well-being. And you can help individuals expose their current skills and capabilities to allow equal opportunity for growth.

With visibility into your internal and external workers, you can also plan, staff, onboard, and pay your total workforce using a consistent and optimized experience. SAP solutions provide real-time visibility into your workforce so you can ensure alignment of your talent with your workforce plan.

You can also standardize and deliver on-time, accurate, and compliant payroll. With a proven payroll engine, you gain highly reliable payroll data for financial planning and funding purposes, which continuously adapts to the latest compliance standards, delivering an average of 1,700 legal updates annually.

In addition, one centralised HR system means you can have real- time workforce reporting – and can, for example, see which locations and teams are over and underperforming and why. You can also understand how workforce decisions and investments impact organizational outcomes.

Tackle companywide compliance with confidence

A system like SAP SuccessFactors takes the pressure off managing regulatory needs right across your organisation. New regulations impacting HR, privacy, and security are continually tracked globally by SAP who automatically push changes direct to you, allowing you to better meet and stay ahead of compliance requirements, wherever your people are based.

Increase the Strategic Value of HR

When you invest in your people, you increase the strategic value of HR. Why? Because better employee experiences will shape your customers’ experiences – and the success of your organisation.

Automating and centralising HR process and admin, you can maximize the ROI of HR and people investments within your organisation. You can connect HR across your business by integrating, extending, and building applications to fully optimize HR and operations.

You can also align people related decisions with business priorities – the key to improving profitability. Access to real-time, accurate people data to power comprehensive processes and experiences. And by leveraging insights from your chosen system, you can align talent decisions with organizational performance.

An HR system such as SAP SuccessFactors enables you to engage people in new and inspiring ways, create a culture of productivity and purpose, and improve organizational agility to build a sustainable workforce. At the same time, you can run your business more effectively by:

Realize the benefits of a centralised & automated HR system for your SME

A single, centralised HR system such SAP® SuccessFactors® Human Experience Management Suite helps provide individualized experiences designed to keep everyone across the organization happy, productive, engaged, and continuously improving. You can simplify HR compliance globally, build a future-ready workforce, and align people decisions with organizational priorities.

Objectives

Solution

Benefits

Traditional human capital management (HCM) systems were not built with employees’ needs and wants in mind. By transforming HCM into HXM (Human Experience Management) you can help your customers transform the way they engage with their people and deliver the experiences their employees have always wanted.

This industry-leading cloud-based human experience management (HXM) suite uses the latest SAP technology to help you win the war for top talent, connect people to purpose, and drive results across your business.

SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

Do you need a core HR system that meets the global needs of your people and your business? 

Learn the key benefits of SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central during this 60 second product journey video. 

SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Service Center: Serve Your Employees

Watch this short demo video on the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Center Service Center to learn how to reinvent the employee experience by delivering the HR services your employees need when and where they need them.

A comprehensive training program can increase revenue per employee by 218%. Don’t leave that money on the table.

A learning management system (LMS) can transform your employee learning and development program.

An LMS is a software application or web-based technology. It helps you create, manage, organise, and deliver online learning materials. It helps you optimise employees’ learning and development.

SAP Litmos, TalentLMS, and LinkedIn Learning are three market leaders for eLearning software. Which one is the best fit for your organisation?

Learn more here about the benefits of an LMS and the pros and cons of each system.

Benefits of an LMS

The right learning management system will save you time and money. Learners don’t need to take time away from their jobs to travel and sit through training. You don’t need to hire instructors or pay for training materials and travel expenses.

Automation saves your team from tedious and repetitive tasks like enrolling course users. Your personnel can focus on higher-value activities.

You can safely store and organise your learning data in one place. Updating and maintaining learning materials is easier. You know that training is consistent across your organisation.

An LMS lets you monitor user progress and performance. You can see how learners are responding to courses.

Most LMS providers offer a cloud-based solution. You can access the platform from any device with an internet connection. Your content is available for learners whenever and wherever they want to use it.

Pros and Cons of SAP Litmos

Litmos has been a leader in the eLearning software market since 2007. More than 30 million people in 150 countries use SAP Litmos. The platform supports more than 35 languages.

Pros of SAP Litmos

SAP Litmos is a well-rounded solution for many types of organisations. It has plans designed for small to midsize businesses as well as mid-market and enterprise organisations.

SAP Litmos has dedicated development processes for the needs of specific industries. For example, the healthcare and financial industries have strict security and compliance regulations. Businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors are competing in a highly competitive environment.

SAP Litmos offers customised content for these industries and more.

Create Quality Courses 
The SAP Litmos platform helps you create quality courses. It supports a wide range of file types, including SCORM and Tin Can. You can upload large files without difficulty.

You can import existing content modules and assessments. Previewing courses from the learner’s perspective is easy.

You can use gamification to make your content more engaging. Studies have shown that gamification improves motivation and knowledge retention.

Gain Insights from Reporting and Analytics 
Reports give you insight into several aspects of your courses. You can see graphs and charts related to log-in and user activity.

Admins can get more detailed customised reports. For example, you can see results for specific teams. You can see data for individual course modules.

You can export the data as a CSV or PDF or have the system email it to you automatically daily, weekly, or monthly.

Use Robust Integrations 
SAP Litmos has generous third-party integrations.

For example, you can sell your courses with Shopify and accept payments through PayPal. You can use Zoom for virtual training administration. You can share files with learners or import files to create courses with the Dropbox integration.

The Salesforce integration lets you create, deploy, and track training from within Salesforce itself.

Cons of SAP Litmos

SAP Litmos is a strong all-around LMS option. It does have a few potential disadvantages to consider.

First-time users may have a slight learning curve because of the range of features available. You can see this as an advantage, though. Admins can benefit from spending time exploring what the system can do so that everyone can maximise its value.

Some admins may wish Litmos had more user roles available. The majority of the roles’ permissions are fixed. Managing users is convenient, but it’s somewhat inflexible.

Pricing of SAP Litmos

SAP Litmos offers a 14-day free trial.

Unlike some competitors, SAP Litmos provides customer service and training without a setup fee. You only pay for active users.

The platform has a tiered pricing system. You can choose the standalone LMS, bundle the LMS with the online course library, or pay for just the library.

You pay less per month per user the more users you have.

Pros and Cons of TalentLMS

TalentLMS is an affordable learning management system. It’s powered by Epignosis, a global pioneer in learning technologies.

Pros of TalentLMS

TalentLMS lets you customise the user and learner interfaces. You can use your own domain and logo for courses and communication.

TalentLMS lets you create asynchronous on-demand courses and live training sessions. Uploading course content is easy. Instructors can also create content directly on the platform.

Another noteworthy feature is gamification. You can set parameters like:

TalentLMS has customisable built-in certificates to recognise learner accomplishments.

You can monetise your courses with TalentLMS. You can manage e-commerce settings from the administrator dashboard. You can manage payment processing, invoices, and subscriptions.

Cons of TalentLMS

Despite the positive features of TalentLMS, the system has some drawbacks.

The user experience of TalentLMS could be better. Other systems are more fluid and intuitive to use. Some functionalities aren’t as robust as the ones from other software providers.

TalentLMS has limited reporting and analytics. The reports have few details. Customisable reporting is only an option for paid plans.

TalentLMS has support via email for all plans. However, only the higher-grade plans get live chat support. TalentLMS doesn’t have a forum for users.

TalentLMS Pricing

TalentLMS offers a free plan with up to five users and ten courses. Paid plans are based either on a fixed number of users or on the number of users who log on to your portal each month.

TalentLMS will work with you to develop a custom plan if you need a higher number of users.

LinkedIn Learning Pros and Cons

LinkedIn acquired the online learning site Lynda.com and transformed it into LinkedIn Learning. The updated platform has a wide range of content, focusing on business, technology, and creative topics. LinkedIn Learning has more than 17,900 courses available.

The content is available in seven languages.

Pros of LinkedIn Learning

As you would expect, LinkedIn Learning is integrated with the LinkedIn platform. You can get certificates from completing LinkedIn Learning courses and add them to your profile.

You can choose from courses that give you different approaches to a subject. Some courses offer a short overview. Others are longer and more comprehensive. Audio-only versions are also available.

You can view a short course preview before deciding whether to pursue it.

The quality of the courses varies. The content is often quite good. LinkedIn Learning emphasises that course presenters are subject matter experts with real-world experience.

Cons of LinkedIn Learning

One big disadvantage of LinkedIn Learning is that you can’t create your own content. You can’t personalise the courses either.

Many of the videos are lacking in personality. They come across as not much more than a slideshow presentation. The content can be very good, but the packaging doesn’t inspire you to keep learning.

The categories and subcategories for finding courses on the platform are confusing. Finding the topic you want can be difficult. You may not find any courses on a subject while browsing categories, but a search with the search bar will return dozens.

LinkedIn Learning provides very little customer support. Some help topics are available on the support page, like how to add certificates of completion to your LinkedIn profile. You can submit a support ticket, but direct support is lacking.

LinkedIn Learning Pricing

LinkedIn Learning offers a 30-day free trial. You can then choose whether to upgrade to a paid subscription.

You need a LinkedIn account to subscribe to LinkedIn Learning. A basic LinkedIn account is free. You can pay for a subscription separately.

You can choose a monthly or yearly subscription. Some courses are also available for individual purchase.

LinkedIn Learning is included in a LinkedIn Premium subscription.

Get the Most From Your LMS

A learning management system has many benefits for your organisation. You’ve seen how the three systems compare, with SAP Litmos vs LinkedIn Learning vs TalentLMS.

No matter your industry or the size of your business, SAP Litmos has the features you need at a competitive price.

Jigsaw Cloud offers a range of SAP Litmos support and consultancy services. We’ll help ensure that your implementation of SAP Litmos goes smoothly. We’ve been helping small and mid-sized businesses achieve peak productivity and success since 2004.

Request a demo or free trial today and see how you can transform online learning for your organisation.

In the early days of human resources (HR), only large businesses could afford the necessary tools and software. But times have changed. HR software is now available for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at a fraction of the cost.

So, how do you choose the right HR software for your SME? In this blog post, we will discuss some important factors to consider when making your decision.

HR Software: An Overview

Human resources software is a tool that helps businesses manage employee data, track employee performance, and manage payroll and benefits.

It can also help with onboarding new employees and compliance with employment laws.

Most HR software is offered as a cloud-based subscription, which means you pay a monthly or yearly fee to access the software. Some HR software providers also offer on-premise versions of their software, which means you would need to install the software on your own servers.

On-premise HR software can be more expensive than cloud-based software, but it may offer more features and customisation options.

Factors to Consider When Choosing HR Management Software

There are a lot of different software options for you to choose from, and that might become overwhelming,

When choosing HR software for your SME, there are a few important factors to keep in mind. Let’s take a look!

The Size of Your Company

The number of employees you have will impact the features you need and the price you pay for your HR software.

For example, if you have a small team of fewer than 25 employees, you may not need all the bells and whistles that come with more comprehensive HR software packages.

On the other hand, if you have a large workforce, you will need an HR solution that can handle a high volume of data and employee records.

Your Budget

As with any business purchase, you need to consider your budget when choosing HR software.

Be sure to compare the costs of different software packages and get quotes from multiple vendors before making a decision.

The Features You Need

When considering which HR software to buy, make a list of the features you need.

Some common features to look for include:

Once you understand the features you need, you can start narrowing down your options.

Your Industry

The industry you are in may also dictate the type of HR software you need.

For example, if you are in a highly regulated industry such as healthcare or finance, you will need an HR solution that can help you meet compliance requirements.

On the other hand, if you are in a more creative industry, you may want an HR solution that offers more flexibility and customisation.

Common Issues in HR Management

Once you have a good understanding of the factors to consider when choosing HR software for your SME, it’s important to understand some of the common issues you may face in HR management.

Some common issues include:

Addressing these issues is essential to keeping your employees happy and your business running smoothly.

The right HR software can help you address these issues and keep your employees engaged and productive.

Common Issues in HR Management Software

Once you have a good understanding of the different types of HR software available and the factors to consider when making your decision, it’s time to take a look at some common issues in HR software.

These include:

Data security is a major concern for businesses of all sizes.

When choosing HR software, be sure to select a solution that offers robust security features such as data encryption and user authentication.

Compliance with employment laws is another common issue in HR software.

Be sure to choose an HR solution that can help you meet compliance requirements for your industry.

Lack of integration with other business systems is another issue you may face when using HR software. Choose an HR solution that offers seamless integration with your existing business systems and find an integration partner who can help.

User-friendliness is also an important factor to consider when choosing HR software. If your team cannot navigate the system properly, it will not be effective.

Make sure to choose an HR solution that is user-friendly and offers a good user experience.

Main Features of HR Technology for SMEs

Now that you have a good understanding of the different types of HR software available and the factors to consider when making your decision, it’s time to take a look at some of the main features of HR software.

These include:

Employee self-service is a feature that allows employees to access and update their own records.

This can be a useful tool for reducing the workload of HR staff.

Performance tracking is a feature that allows you to track the performance of individual employees. This can be useful for identifying areas where employees need improvement and for setting goals.

Onboarding is a feature that helps new employees get acclimated to your company. This can be useful for making sure new employees are productive and engaged from the start.

Payroll and benefits management is a feature that allows you to manage payroll and benefits for your employees. This can be useful for ensuring that your employees are paid on time and that they have the correct benefits.

Costs of HR Software

When choosing HR software for your business, it’s important to consider the cost.

HR software can range in price from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds per year, depending on the features and solutions you need.

However, now that HR software and technology have become more accessible, many SMEs can benefit from the same features and solutions at a fraction of the cost.

To get the most bang for your buck, compare the features and costs of different HR software solutions before making your decision.

The bottom line is that HR software can be a valuable tool for SMEs. By understanding the different types of HR software available and the factors to consider when deciding, you can choose the right HR solution for your business.

When it comes to HR software, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The key is to find an HR solution that meets the specific needs of your business. With so many options available, you’re sure to find an HR solution that perfectly fits your SME.

SAP SuccessFactors: The Benefits

If you’re looking for an HCM software solution that’s specifically designed for SMEs, SAP SuccessFactors is a great option.

SAP SuccessFactors offers a comprehensive HCM software solution that includes all of the features and solutions you need to manage your HR effectively.

In addition, SAP SuccessFactors is an affordable HCM software solution that won’t break the bank.

Let’s take a look at the benefits that SAP offers.

Simple User Experience

One of the best things about SAP SuccessFactors is its simple user experience. The software is easy to use and navigate, so your team will be able to use it effectively from the start.

Seamless Integration

Another great thing about SAP SuccessFactors is that it offers seamless integration with other business systems. This means that you won’t have to waste time and money on duplicate data entry or manual processes.

Flexible Deployment

SAP SuccessFactors is a flexible HCM software solution that can be deployed on-premise or in the cloud. This means that you can choose the best deployment option for your business.

Wide Range Capabilities

SAP SuccessFactors offers a wide range of HCM capabilities, including employee self-service, performance tracking, onboarding, payroll, and benefits management.

No matter what your HCM needs are, SAP SuccessFactors has you covered.

Automated Compliance

SAP SuccessFactors offers automated compliance with regulations and standards. This means that you can be confident that your HR processes are compliant with the latest laws and regulations.

Insight and Intelligence

SAP SuccessFactors offers a variety of HCM analytics and reporting tools. As a result, you can gain valuable insights into your HR data to help you make better decisions about your HR strategy.

Constant Innovation

SAP SuccessFactors is constantly innovating and adding new features to its HCM software. This implies that you can trust that you’re employing the most up-to-date HR software.

Customer Support

When you choose SAP SuccessFactors, you can be confident that you’re working with a company that offers excellent customer support.

If you ever have any questions or problems, you can contact the Jigsaw Cloud SAP SuccessFactors customer support team for help.

Skill Development

In addition to customer support, SAP SuccessFactors also offers a variety of HCM training and development resources.

SAP can help you identify opportunities for training and development so that you can build a well-rounded HCM team.

Inclusive Technology

SAP SuccessFactors is an HCM software solution that’s designed to be inclusive. The software includes features and tools that are accessible to all users, regardless of ability or skill level.

Flexibility

Finally, SAP SuccessFactors is a flexible HCM software solution. The software can be customised to meet the specific needs of your business.

In addition, SAP SuccessFactors offers a variety of HCM services that can be tailored to your specific needs.

How Jigsaw Cloud Can Help

If you’re looking for an HCM software solution for your SME, Jigsaw Cloud can help.

Jigsaw Cloud is a leading provider of HCM software solutions. We offer a variety of HCM software solutions that are specifically designed for SMEs. We are the award-winning Gold partner of SAP and can deliver solutions to bring your business to the next level.

As the leading partner of SAP, we offer the latest HCM software solutions designed to meet your business’s specific needs.

In addition, we offer a wide range of HCM services that can be tailored to your specific needs.

Jigsaw Cloud Case Studies

If you are unsure about the decisions that lay ahead of you, look at our case studies, Murata, and ByBox.

As a result, they have improved their HCM process and achieved better business outcomes.

Another one of our clients, Paysafe, has used Jigsaw Cloud to streamline their HCM process and improve employee engagement. As a result, they have seen increased productivity and decreased turnover.

HR Software for SMEs: Start Today

HR Software for SMEs doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or time-consuming. Jigsaw Cloud can help you find the right HCM software solution for your business and also offers a pre-packaged SAP SuccessFactors implementation designed just for SMEs, Smart Start.

If you’re ready to take your HCM to the next level, contact Jigsaw Cloud today.

We offer a free HCM software consultation so that you can learn more about our HCM software solutions and how they can benefit your business.Schedule your free HCM software assessment today!

Growing a successful business involves more than solving a market need with products and services; a successful business is a result of many factors, and its people are the one of the biggest. And is one reason why many businesses invest in various people related tools including a learning management system (LMS). 

An LMS promotes career growth which is a crucial ingredient for productive teams, and profitable businesses. And for modern employees, they will seek out organisations that embrace their growth and development. 

So, what is a learning management system, and why should you invest in it? Find out more about an LMS in this guide and discover how it can help your business. 

What is a Learning Management System? 

First of all, let’s discuss what we mean by a learning management system. A learning management system (LMS) refers to software that helps to create, manage, and share learning tools and processes. Think of an LMS as a system streamlining e-learning. It makes e-learning affordable, efficient, faster, trackable, and productive. 

With an LMS, tutors can create, manage and deliver content to virtual learners. Online learners can access and engage with content from any location. 

A simple definition of an LMS is a system or technology for enabling e-learning. Tutors upload content onto self-hosted or cloud servers. And approved or registered learners access it with a simple login.

Why Leverage an LMS? 

Learning systems have evolved to cope with the demands of a digitised environment. Modern learning systems use the internet to make education accessible to everyone. 

An LMS scales up learning by allowing an unlimited number of learners to access the same content, enabling administrators to maximise resources.

Today, every effective learning system integrates e-learning tools. Anyone offering a learning program considers offering e-learning capabilities with a learning management system.

Global workforce dynamics influence the workplaces and affect how learning programs are offered. The need for remote worker-friendly programs calls for a rethink of L&D programs. 

Government agencies and not-for-profit organisations aren’t lagging either. Modern learning changes are across the board and affect entire industries. Governments can revolutionize their workforce through e-learning tools. 

The demand for e-learning tools increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, where remote working practices became a necessity. Companies had to find new ways to engage their staff and so online training grew in popularity as it was an immediate solution to ensure business continuity. 

Experts predict an expanding e-learning industry. 2022 e-learning trends will likely redefine the sector and propel growth to the expected $375 billion mark. It’s high time you adopt an LMS for your L&D needs.

What can you use SAP Litmos (LMS) For?

Your training outcomes may depend on the exact type of LMS you’re using. At Jigsaw Cloud, we recommend SAP Litmos as one of the best learning management tools on the market.

SAP Litmos is rated at 8.5/10 on Trustradius, with one review stating:

“It is a great learning solution that has been helping in getting online training. By simply logging into this tool our colleagues can get training and we can evaluate them from the multiple tests they take. One can check their performance as well via this platform and above all, it is easy to use the tool, and its applications work amazingly well.”

We’ve also encountered clients realising many other benefits, including Merlin – you can find out more about their experiences of using SAP Litmos in our blog here.

Benefits of using an LMS

An LMS can be a valuable asset for your business. You can use it to train clients and employees or create online courses to increase your income streams.

Here are the many benefits of investing in an LMS.

Meet the learning needs of your workforce

Many companies are adapting to accommodate the continually evolving needs of employees. Factors like flexibility, work-life balance, and digitisation of the workplace are central to keeping employees engaged at work. These considerations are vital when developing learning and development systems. 

An LMS can transform the learning culture and help you align training with employee needs. It introduces flexibility into learning by allowing your staff to learn at their own pace. 

Employees can also access content from anywhere. This allows them to learn remotely or in their free time. In short, an LMS can bring inclusivity by enabling all staff to take part in your company’s training programs. 

Simplify and modernise learning

Binge-watching is a trend to watch out for in the content marketing industry. 30% of the participants in one study said they were addicted to binge-watching. 

Social media obsession is also at its peak. In the UK, the average person spends 4.8 hours on their phone every day. As much as these behaviours could be worrying, there is a good side to them.

TV and social media binging points to an evolved content consumer. People are using their phones more and more to access information – while commuting, eating out, or spending time outdoors.

HR professionals can act digital trends to encourage self-learning at work. It’s also an opportunity to front more content to clients. A mobile-friendly LMS like SAP Litmos can revolutionise learning experiences. Read our three-step guide to understand how you can modernise e-learning. 

Improve employee engagement

The promise of investing in e-learning tools is to improve the learning experience. Many people taking part in an online classroom expect it to be engaging, interactive, and entertaining.

But e-learning environments aren’t equal. Some online classes can be so unengaging that learners quit on the first session. That’s why investing in an advanced learning system is critical to building a successful and engaging learning and development program. Features like gamification and simulations can elevate the learning experience, for example.

Investing in an advanced learning system is key to building a successful learning and development program. Features like gamification and simulations can elevate the learning experience. 

SAP Litmos uses e-learning gamification to encourage learning, making it more enjoyable and memorable. Did you know that 80% of employees believe gamified training is more engaging and that 83% of employees who receive gamified training feel motivated to continue learning? The numbers speak for themselves.

Improve employee performance

Improved employee performance is another benefit of a good L&D program. Gamified learning can help employees retain knowledge and skills, leading to improved performance, while at the same time offering a learning platform that contributes to an engaged workforce. 

Effective training and development leads to a happier and more productive employee. Employees are more likely to stay with your company if you’re investing in their career development and helping them improve their skills. 

Gather growth ideas and track learning progress

An LMS encourages not only learning but also organisational growth. Learning forums and online communities can be a goldmine of growth ideas with group-oriented learning providing eye-opening insights to improve your growth strategies.

An LMS may also help you improve digital learning and provide more value to learners. You can track the learning progress in real-time and gather valuable insights about the quality of your programs.

Administrators of an LMS can see statistics on the uptake of courses, the progress of individual learners, and performance. This data can help you determine which classes need improvement and what learners need extra help with.

Modern learning systems must align course materials with learners’ needs. A low uptake could signal a course lacking in relevancy or isn’t as rich in content. Your L&D team can use users’ insights to better align learning with employee expectations. 

Save time and money

Typically, e-learning is cheaper and less time-consuming than traditional learning. E-learning tools can allow you to avoid the cost of learning materials.

“SAP Litmos offers greater flexibility than our previous system, and it’s much more cost-effective. We’ve been really impressed with the results so far – we’ve delivered 31 courses on the system, received a lot of positive feedback, and significantly reduced our carbon footprint.”
Neil Armstrong, Engineering Director at Merlin

The main cost of an e-learning system is the cost of your LMS. Surveys show that price is an important consideration when looking at investing in LMS. 

Functionality also matters because you want a positive return on your investment. A low-cost LMS software may not have the capabilities to fulfill learners’ needs.

Not happy with your LMS or e-learning tools? SAP Litmos is a learning and management system worth your investment. Get in touch with our consultants to learn how it can help you cut your learning costs. 

Make learning accessible and flexible

The workplace environment is quickly changing. Traditional learning models are no longer as inclusive. Making learning flexible is the key to a successful learning and development program.

Rigid training schedules are likely to be counter-productive; some employees may not make it to live learning sessions, while some may not be in the right mindset to learn. These differences alone make having adaptable options an essential part of the learning and training experience.

Employees need some freedom of choice to enjoy learning. There should be different learning options to accommodate all. Think about investing in SAP Litmos to allow for a hybrid learning environment.

Take the leap with an advanced learning management system

A learning management system is crucial for building a productive workforce in the digital era. It’s the key to meeting the needs of your people and enabling continual career growth. 

A good LMS can allow and motivate learning across the board and help boost employee engagement and retention. The advantages of an LMS are too significant to overlook.

Take the bold step to modernise learning in your company and transform your team. Book a demo today to discover what’s in for your company.

Many employees today expect hybrid working as a permanent option. Explore why it’s important to consider, the challenges that come with it, and how to solve them.

According to the ONS, less than 30% of employees in the UK worked from home before the COVID-19 pandemic.

ONS

According to the ONS, less than 30% of employees in the UK worked from home before the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of March 2020, when working from home guidance was enforced across the UK, that number increased to 46.6%. 

Two years later, now that most government restrictions have been lifted, many employees are still expecting the option to work remotely or come into the office on their terms. In fact, Gartner reports that 75% of hybrid or remote workers say their expectations for working flexibly have increased – and 4 out of 10 employees are even at risk of leaving if their employers insist they return to an in-person office environment.

This should come as no surprise to many HR leaders, as reports suggest that 95% expect some employees to work remotely. However, these new employee expectations do bring some major challenges.  In this blog, we’ll explore why it’s so important to get hybrid working right, the challenges your organisation might face implementing it permanently, and how you can overcome them.

The value of Hybrid working

While most organisations don’t offer employees a default option to work remotely, many now see hybrid working as a legitimate employment right, and it can be a key determining factor in organisations’ ability to gain and retain great talent.

If you don’t offer hybrid working, you might see your employees leaving to work remotely elsewhere, or potential employees choosing other companies over yours – even if that means taking a pay cut. After all, they’re likely to recoup their losses in the savings they make on travel expenses.

But it’s not as easy as just offering employees the option to choose where they work. For some employees, it could be detrimental to their productivity and engagement. With a lot of your workforce working separately, many employees are more likely to feel isolated – especially new joiners and younger members of the workforce. These factors mean it’s crucial you take a strategic approach to hybrid working to encourage happy and productive environments no matter where your employees work. And it starts by identifying the key challenges involved

How to manage hybrid workforces

Keeping your employees safe should be one of your first priorities, which can be more difficult when they’re working remotely. You’ll need to understand your responsibilities as an employer, and ensure remote work environments are compliant and meet the necessary safety regulations, all without being too intrusive in your employees’ personal spaces.

These safety precautions need to extend to your office environment too. During the remote working period of the pandemic, your teams may have expanded, and that means you need to provide a suitable office environment that can comfortably support the full capacity of your workforce.

In addition to safety, you’ll likely face reluctance from some employees to return to the workplace at all. It’ll be crucial you host honest and constructive negotiations with these employees, to understand their demands and challenges, and clearly communicate their contracted obligations.   

It can also be harder to keep track of tasks when employees are working from home; how you manage remote workers is likely to be different than if they were in the office. The same goes for keeping people engaged and responsive.

This is where having the right communication tools will become essential. Everybody needs to be using the same platforms, and be easily contactable at any time – no matter the working environment they’re in.

Keeping employees connected

Overcoming the logistics of hybrid working can be a big task, and it’s only one part of implementing a successful working structure. Giving your employees the choice of where they want to work can quickly lead to disconnected teams.

To maintain a strong connection between your teams, you’ll need to put in additional efforts throughout the working week – including both remote and in-person team building experiences.

Inviting regular remote workers into the office for out-of-the-ordinary workdays – such as in-person team building days, strategic company discussions, or important meetings – can help create and maintain the rapport your organisation needs to sustain a successful working structure. This’ll be especially important for new joiners and young people, who will benefit from building connections with senior employees and gaining valuable learning and mentoring opportunities.

With employees potentially working in different environments regularly, even something as simple as weekly hybrid coffee mornings, lunches, or workshops can help create regular points of connection between employees – keeping morale up, maintaining employee satisfaction across your workforce.

And according to Gartner, 75% of hybrid or remote workers say their expectations for working flexibly have increased – and 4 out of 10 employees are even at risk of leaving if their employers insist they return to an in-person office environment. 

Gartner

Bridge the gap with the right tools

Technology can also be a valuable way to overcome some of the challenges associated with hybrid working.

For example, performance management tools can be a helpful way to get a better idea of employee output and support employee engagement, even when teams are working from home. Also, tools like these give you the ability to manage individual employee goals, book performance reviews, and tailor your management processes – wherever you and your employees are.

Alongside embracing systems like these, it’ll also help if you move from task-based management to output-based, measuring the work employees produce rather than how much time they spend behind their screens. This can help employees feel trusted when working from home, and feel like they’re working towards shared goals. The final area that’ll need extra attention is onboarding – you’ll need to help new joiners feel supported, even when they’re starting their roles from home. With the right onboarding tools, you can automate a lot of the tasks involved in the process, and deliver consistent, end-to-end support to new employees. Tools like these can even help you support new hires before they’ve started – helping them access your employee portals, complete paperwork, and sign contracts remotely.

The right working model for you

Of course, hybrid working isn’t the future for every organisation – there are some exceptions where hybrid working won’t be the right solution. To find a strategy that works for your business, it’ll be important you consider the needs of your employees, and identify where hybrid working could bring value to your workforce.

Ready for the future of work?

If you’d like to discuss further how you can manage hybrid workforces, we have consultants with decades of HR experience across a wide range of sectors – just get in touch to see how we can help.

Today, organisations across every industry are facing the post-pandemic return to work challenge of transitioning from an emergency state into a more normal way of working. But during this transition period, little legislation has been passed to guide employers and HR leaders on their new working strategies.

The lack of legislation has put many employers in limbo, left to create their own policies around critical topics like vaccinations, isolation leave, lateral flow testing, and the return to the workplace. There’s no doubt we’ll see case laws emerge over the next few months, but in the meantime, it’s critical organisations revise their existing policies to cover new needs, so employees know exactly what to expect over the next year. 

If the transition is handled poorly, with weak direction and communication, employers will find themselves facing employee tribunals. We’ve already seen notable COVID-19-related tribunals, including employees fired for refusing to wear face masks arguing for unfair dismissal.

But with a well-structured return to normal that includes clearly defined policies and buy-in across your organisation, it’ll be easier to avoid workforce confusion and disputes. 

Here are some key steps every organisation should take to ensure your smooth post-pandemic transition.

#1 Define what you’re trying to achieve

As a first step, it’s important you identify what you want working to look like in the coming years. Do you want everyone to return to the office? Would it make more sense to commit to hybrid working? Are you looking to change core aspects of your business model?

Currently, there’s no legislation that gives employees the right to work at home; it’s down to employer discretion. However, there may still be good reasons to consider a flexible working model, not least employee retention – EY Global’s 2021 Work Reimagined Survey revealed that 54% of employees would consider leaving their job post-pandemic if they’re not afforded some form of flexible working. 

Also, just as before the pandemic working, employees do have the right to submit statutory flexible working requests that you’re legally required to consider as an employer. Employers are only able to reject requests based on specific statutory grounds, such as the burden of additional costs, detrimental impact on quality, detrimental effect on the ability to serve the customer, and more. 

#2 Set the action points you need to reach your goal

After establishing your overall ambition for your new working model, you can start to set the action points that’ll help you reach it. If you’re moving towards a full in-office or on-site workforce, you’ll need to ask those remotely hired during the pandemic to relocate, and you’ll need to create policies around new considerations, including self-isolation and lateral flow testing.

There’s no legislation in place to tell employers how to manage employees that need to self-isolate. The UK Government is currently offering a £500 payment to anyone on a low income that’s asked to self-isolate – but many employees won’t meet this quota, and there’s no telling how long the contribution will be available for. 

Importantly, as Ashtons Legal explains, it’s an offence for employers to ask employees to work anywhere other than where they’re self-isolating. Instead, you’ll need a policy that sets clear guidelines on your expectations from employees during their self-isolation period.

Similarly, there are no legal guidelines around lateral flow testing. While you don’t have a statutory obligation to make workplace testing mandatory, you might still want to encourage it throughout your workplace – especially for high-contact roles, such as warehouse assistants. 

If you take this approach, you’ll need to talk to your employees or a trade union representative around how testing will be carried out, how their data will be stored, and what support you’ll provide if an employee tests positive. 

#3 Communicate with your employees – and offer a chance for feedback

Like any new mandate in the workplace, prompt and clear communication will be key to the success of your new working model. It’s critical you’re transparent about what you expect of your employees over the coming months, while offering them a chance to voice their opinions. 

Senior employment solicitor Caroline Oliver reiterates the importance of consultation with staff, explaining clinically vulnerable employees will have “genuine concerns about returning to work or the commute on public transport”. She also suggests that “employers may expose themselves to discrimination claims under the Equality Act if they do not tread carefully”.

However, by giving your employees the chance to share their grievances before any policies are made permanent, you’ll reduce the likelihood that you’ll face any litigation cases in the future. Also, if you have the resources, it’s a good idea to dedicate members of management to gather and manage concerns on an ongoing basis – so you can action them before they escalate.

#4 Finalise your plan and share it with your colleagues

As a final step, you’ll need to put your new policies and guidance in writing and share them across the teams in your organisation. In some cases, such as changing employees’ permanent working locations, this step might even involve amending employee contracts.

We’d also recommend reminding employees of new practices and policies, whether it’s through signage across your workplace, team meetings, or company-wide emails. A gentle reminder will ensure all employees are well-informed, and nobody will be able to claim new policies weren’t properly communicated.

If you’re looking for further advice as you transition to your new way of working, we have consultants with decades of HR experience across a diverse range of sectors. Just get in touch to see how Jigsaw Cloud and SAP SuccessFactors can help.

The recent pandemic has changed the face of the way we interact with employees, not least because we are rarely in the same room together. Businesses are ramping up their adoption of technology and AI and we’ve all had a crash course in managing fragile mental states as our levels of underlying stress have been raised simply by trying to keep going on a daily basis.

Even before the pandemic and disruption of 2020, a One Poll/Webonboarding survey revealed that 66% of HR teams were still using a paper-based approach to onboarding. Add to this that 46% of new starters reported a negative onboarding experience, and the whole system looks broken. Negative experiences included ineffective handling of paperwork, outdated processes and overly lengthy onboarding periods.

Step 1: Start As You Mean To Go On

Your onboarding process is the all-important first impression of your business and critical to gaining the loyalty and trust of your new starter. But it doesn’t have to start on that nerve-wracking moment they open the door to the office.

At Jigsaw Cloud, our CEO gets in touch with new recruits via email around a fortnight before they join. When we asked how this made our new colleagues feel, the benefits were obvious: “I felt welcome before day one…. which removed some anxiety before joining a new company. I have been able to give everything to HR before day one and the company provided me with my equipment to work from home with, which was also set up a week before I started work.”

Paying attention to small details at this early stage will make new starters feel that an effort is being made to ensure a smooth beginning to their new role.

Step 2: It’s All About Them

Creating an accessible onboarding system will mean you can offer a personalised and relevant experience to new starters. Take learning and development: it’s far better to find out what makes them tick – what they love, what sort of learner they are – before presenting them with a development plan. Imagine a world where employees can further personal goals as well as work ones: the experience is immediately more positive and inclusive. They are being invited to grow with the business rather than asked to complete a series of one-dimensional learning modules which tick boxes in the organisation’s employee manual.

Our new starters have all their first week’s meetings booked up prior to day one. One recent new team member, Matthieu explains the benefit of this: “Calendar invites were sent to my personal email… which gave me visibility of upcoming meetings. I was also given the opportunity to join a couple of meetings before I started to help me to get familiar with the team and the market.”

Step 3: Build And Nurture The Relationship

Getting off to a positive start with your new employee sets the scene for how things should continue. Forward-thinking organisations will maintain an open channel of communication and feedback – especially during times of remote working. A culture of two-way communications allows issue to be identified at an early stage as well as support to be provided. This is about building human connections and making people feel valued.

“I was involved and participating in activities within a short time period” explains Matthieu. “It helped me to better understand how my colleagues behave and work. It also helped me to be more confident when performing my role.”

Nurturing a relationship takes time, of course, and should continue throughout the initial months of employment. At Jigsaw, we schedule regular coffee mornings and evening drinks online to help teams bond and build the necessary social links that virtual working doesn’t facilitate easily. Employees feel that these are a great way to get to know their colleagues while taking a step back from work.

Our onboarding process is carefully planned for day one, week one and month one to ensure a gradual drip-feed of information, connections and learning. This avoids overwhelm and ensures a positive experience.

Matthieu also reported that the best thing about the onboarding process was having a buddy. He said “It meant we had frequent meetings and I could rely on my buddy for any questions I had.”

For onboarding to contribute to your employee experience in a positive way, it needs to be so much more than completing forms and ticking boxes. Hopefully the ideas and real experiences we have shared here will help you to design a process that will create the very best first impression.

Find out about the crucial role HR technology plays in today’s new normal with our Free Guide to HR Technology and Employee Experience

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Despite the strides that have been made over recent years, gender inequality is still taking place within some businesses.

On average, full-time working men still earn 9.1%, (£1.32), per hour more than full time working women. This figure then increases to 18.4%, (£2.52), per hour for part-time workers. – Fullfact.org

There are more men in senior roles across the UK and many women have to take maternity leave or child caring time off that can halt their career progression.

Company leaders and HR departments play vital roles in overcoming gender inequality issues and creating a company cultures of fairness.

Below are four practical tips that employers can use in order to ensure a more level playing field for both men and women in their business:

Reducing the Gender Pay Gap

‘The gender pay gap can only continue if a culture of secrecy is encouraged within a company. A new culture of transparency needs to be introduced which challenges a company to investigate the pay gap between women and men and stops asking candidates what they were paid for their last job.’ – Nextgeneration.ie.

Studies show that when women negotiate for higher salaries, people may react more negatively compared to a man asking for a higher salary. Implementing a no negotiation policy in regards to salaries may contribute to decreasing the wage differences between men and women.

Rethinking Your Interview Process

‘Do you plan on having any children in the near future?’

This question, along with several others, unfortunately are not unknown to women during a job interview process. Some businesses are sceptical of hiring women who may be looking to start a family soon and therefore take maternity leave. Women have also been questioned about whether they would require shorter working hours than men.

It is important that job interview questions are reviewed and identical for both men and women candidates. Interviewers should equally be male and female to ensure no hiring bias takes place. Interview candidates should be mixed of both genders no matter what the job role may be or entails.

Looking Into Flexible Working

‘Companies need to play a vital role in supporting mothers by working together to agree on a fair and balanced workplace that will promote productivity, while also allowing flexibility and the option to work remotely where possible.’ – Nextgeneration.ie

The standard 9-5 office job rules are changing. Businesses are now seeing the wellbeing and health benefits of giving employees the option of remote working or a flexible working schedule. By doing this, companies are helping to encourage a healthy work to life balance.

Squashing Workplace Harassment

One in four women say that have been subjected to sexual harassment at work.

Employers and HR departments are responsible for preventing and dealing with these situations appropriately. Companies should have an open-door policy in place where people understand how to report cases of harassment. It is the organisations duty to then fully investigate any claims made and have a strict disciplinarily procedure for any wrong-doers.

All organisations should make it clear that they do not tolerate harassment towards anybody, both male and female, within the workplace.

To Discover how SAP SuccessFactors can help manage salaries and transparency within your business, click below:

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The Human Resources function is about People; how to attract, retain and develop them and if you work in HR I’m sure you feel passionate about this mission. I’ll always argue that the talents and capabilities of the individuals and teams in your organisation don’t only deliver all your competitive advantages but they are your competitive advantage.

Attract Retain Develop Purchased image

But attracting, retaining and developing talent is complex, resource intensive and requires line managers to be fully engaged. In my experience this is the biggest challenge for the HR function. Unless the full value proposition of HR is supported with the policies, processes, organisation underpined by a highly functioning HR software system, it is nigh on impossible to embed the HR value proposition into the culture and blood stream of an organisation.

At Jigsaw-Cloud we are seeing an exciting period of significant investment and re-investment in HR software systems (and for many organisations this is for the first time being led by HR) and in this blog I will share with you my thought for finding your perfect HR solution.

1. Have a People Strategy aligned to the business:

This might sound obvious but I have rarely seen a People Strategy that aligns People performance, capabilities, recruitment, retention and development with Business goals. The People Strategy should have enough detail that is it relevant but not the extent that it’s inflexible. It should also be realistic, measurable a have an end-date.

2. Research the Market:

Again, this is obvious but so often I see organisations that have over-purchased and under-purchased. Are you looking for a point solution? Is a system that can integrate all the HR processes, data and functions important to you? What type of user experience are you willing to tolerate? Are you ok with a local organisation or do you need a global player? What’s the strategy of the vendor and where are they (and you) going to be in 5 years? Make sure you know all the answers to these questions before you even start the search for the right partner.

3. Don’t under-invest:

Too many projects that I have seen go wrong have been because an unrealistic under-investment has been made. This usually happens because there’s no People Strategy and no solid business case to extrapolate from it. Make sure you understand cloud vs. hosted vs. on premise; configuration vs. customisation; configurable vs. out-of-the-box.

4. It’s a Transformation:

Implementing a system is not a technology activity; it’s a business transformation activity. Make sure you understand the implications of this, especially if you are looking to put Performance Management at the heart of Learning, Compensation and Talent Management. Think through the processes, organisational impact and culture-shift you are trying to achieve (to deliver your People Strategy) and make sure you’ve thought it all through carefully.

5. Measure the impact:

The Business has paid good money for an HR department fully equipped with a system. Make sure you remind them of how this has made everyone’s life better and look at hard data to prove your value improvements.

Every business, no matter how small, should see the value in HR and the value of having a powerful, effective HR system that can deliver the value of attracting, retaining and developing the talent needed to give your business a competitive advantage.

Click the button below to book a consultation with us to find out more about what Jigsaw Cloud has to offer:

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What are your top tips to attract retain and develop your talent? We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line in the comments or connect with us on Twitter or LinkedIn