Most applicant tracking systems were built with one assumption: every organization hires the same way. That assumption falls apart quickly when you’re managing recruitment for a law firm’s graduate intake program alongside their administrative staff, or coordinating store-level hiring across hundreds of retail locations while maintaining centralized corporate recruitment.

I recently met with Peter Van Neste, CRO at Pinpoint, to understand how they’re addressing these multi-faceted hiring challenges. Pinpoint represents an interesting evolution in talent acquisition technology — one that prioritizes organizational flexibility over feature standardization.

Why Complex Organizations Struggle with Standard ATS Solutions

The ATS market faces a fundamental challenge: on paper, most platforms look 85% identical when organizations evaluate their options. Yet the reality of hiring varies dramatically across industries, geographies, and organizational structures.

Consider the complexity facing many mid-market organizations today. A retail chain needs seasonal hiring surges managed by store managers, while simultaneously running structured graduate recruitment programs from headquarters. Professional services firms require entirely different processes for hiring senior partners versus administrative staff. Manufacturing companies often lack dedicated recruitment teams but need to fill high-volume positions efficiently.

Traditional ATS vendors typically address this through customization—often complex, expensive, and requiring ongoing IT support. Pinpoint takes a different approach: building flexibility into the platform’s core architecture rather than treating it as an add-on.

The Current ATS Landscape

Understanding where Pinpoint fits requires examining the established players in the market:

Greenhouse focuses on structured hiring processes with comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities. The platform emphasizes data-driven recruitment decisions and offers extensive integrations with third-party tools.

iCIMS serves primarily enterprise clients with high-volume recruitment needs. The platform provides end-to-end talent acquisition capabilities and integrates with numerous HR systems and job boards.

SmartRecruiters positions itself as an AI-powered hiring platform with extensive integration capabilities. The solution targets mid-market to enterprise organizations with complex recruitment workflows.

Workday Recruiting operates as part of the broader Workday HCM suite, providing integrated talent acquisition functionality alongside payroll, benefits, and other HR functions.

Lever combines ATS functionality with candidate relationship management (CRM) capabilities, emphasizing long-term talent pipeline development and candidate engagement.

How Pinpoint Addresses Multi-Stream Recruitment Complexity

Pinpoint’s approach centers on helping organizations move flexibly along what Van Neste describes as a grid with two axes: centralized versus decentralized processes, and centralized versus localized responsibility.

Configurable Process Architecture Instead of forcing all hiring through identical workflows, Pinpoint allows organizations to create distinct recruitment processes for different roles, locations, or business units. A retail client might have store managers handling frontline recruitment with simplified mobile-friendly workflows, while corporate HR manages executive search with comprehensive interview panels and detailed evaluation criteria.

Moving Between Centralized and Decentralized Hiring Organizations can transition from centralized recruitment to pushing decisions down to local managers while maintaining oversight where needed. One of Pinpoint’s clients, a fashion retailer with over 250 stores, moved from having all recruitment done by head office to pushing store recruitment down to store managers, with the central recruitment team checking in to ensure candidate experience and compliance standards are maintained.

Who Benefits from This Flexible Foundation

Professional Services (Law, Consulting, Accounting)

• Specific Need: Multiple hiring streams requiring different evaluation criteria and stakeholder involvement
• Pinpoint Advantage: Separate workflows for graduate intake, lateral hires, and support staff while maintaining firm-wide reporting and compliance

Retail and Hospitality Organizations

• Specific Need: High-volume, location-based hiring with varying local requirements
• Pinpoint Advantage: Store-level recruitment autonomy with centralized candidate experience and brand consistency

Global Manufacturing

• Specific Need: Different recruitment approaches across regions with varying job board ecosystems and compliance requirements
• Pinpoint Advantage: Localized processes that adapt to regional hiring practices while providing enterprise-wide visibility

Healthcare Systems

• Specific Need: Clinical roles requiring specialized credentialing alongside administrative and support positions
• Pinpoint Advantage: Role-specific workflows that accommodate regulatory requirements while streamlining standard hiring processes

Multi-Brand Organizations

• Specific Need: Distinct employer brands and hiring approaches for different business units or acquired companies
• Pinpoint Advantage: Separate recruitment identities and processes under unified data management and reporting

Strategic Market Position and Forward Outlook

Pinpoint occupies an interesting position in the ATS market. While competitors either focus on feature depth (Greenhouse’s analytics) or breadth (iCIMS’s enterprise scale), Pinpoint prioritizes organizational adaptability. This positioning becomes increasingly valuable as companies grow through acquisition, expand geographically, or diversify their workforce strategies.

Looking ahead, Pinpoint’s focus on organizational adaptability positions them well in a market where companies increasingly need platforms that can evolve with their changing structures and hiring needs. This approach could prove particularly attractive to organizations seeking comprehensive capabilities without forcing standardization across diverse business units.

The fundamental question for talent acquisition leaders becomes: does your organization’s hiring complexity require a platform built for flexibility, or can you standardize processes to fit traditional ATS architectures? For many growing companies managing diverse hiring needs, Pinpoint’s approach offers a compelling alternative to forcing organizational adaptation around software limitations.

Brandon Hall Group analysts regularly evaluate emerging HR technology solutions. This analysis is based on briefings with solution providers, market research, and customer feedback to provide strategic insights for talent acquisition leaders.

The post Pinpoint ATS: When Your Organization Needs More Than Standard Hiring Workflows appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Keep a watchful eye on UKG. The “our purpose is people” company is flexing its muscles.

Led by CEO Jennifer Morgan, appointed in late July, UKG is transforming rapidly. This is not the same HCM technology company that was on display at the spring analyst day in May, or the 2023 Aspire conference. While the 2024 conference returned to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the similarities to last year’s event ended there.

The transformation was evident from the moment attendees walked into the Michelob Ultra Arena for Aspire’s opening general session on Nov. 12. Gone was the standard conference stage setup of 2023. In its place stood two stages — a Las Vegas show-style platform at the front and a striking circular stage in the middle of the floor. The event burst to life with performers singing about people and technology, while dancers streamed down the aisles and moved between stages, setting a tone of energy and innovation.

The singing and dancing gave way to a live performance as actors took on the roles and personas of UKG customers, replacing the traditional software-based demo to showcase how the company’s products are improving workplace dynamics and outcomes.

Welcome to the new UKG, a company ready to be bold.

The evolution extends far beyond trading staid presentations for theatrical flair. The new energy symbolizes the transformative vision that Morgan and Rachel Barger, president of Go-To-Market (GTM) who joined seven months ago, are infusing into the company.

Morgan’s twin mantras — “we must move faster” and “customers are our north star” — resonated throughout the analyst briefings and translated into concrete strategic initiatives. UKG leaders stressed that the company is “all in” on:

• Putting customers at the center of everything. Morgan and Barger indicated they spent much of their early tenures listening to customers and making whatever adjustments were needed internally to respond better to their needs and their support challenges.
• Driving double-digit growth, by building a global, world-class sales team, amplifying the brand, innovating and investing in people and products.
• Operating as one unified team, with all functions, all regions, all partners, all customers focused on the same goals.

To symbolize the point, Barger, who leads sales and go-to-market strategies, Customer Experience EVP Bob DelPonte and Hugo Sarrazin, President and Chief Product and Technology Officer, stood side by side on stage in the analyst briefing. They talked as one aligned team, stressing the need for the technology, product development, sales and customer support functions to operate seamlessly in lockstep with one another.

This approach is critical for the organization to get to the next level of innovation and growth since Ultimate Software and Kronos merged to form UKG (Ultimate-Kronos Group) in 2020. The company has had a string of successes, including:

• The acquisition of Great Place to Work® (GPTW) in 2021, which enables UKG to leverage data from the feedback from 100 million employees around the world over 30 years to provide unique workforce insights that fuel product development, Agentic AI models, and more.
• The acquisition of Immedis in 2023, a leading global payroll provider, which led to the launch of UKG One View, a multi-country payroll solution that firmly established UKG as a leading player in global payroll.
• Development of UKG Bryte, an AI-powered assistant that uses generative AI to provide important insights that support great workplace experiences.

But mergers, and the innovations that come with them, are complex. Staying connected as an organization and staying connected with customers has been a work in progress that needed a shot of adrenaline.  Enter Morgan, who is hyper-focused on customers and communication, emphasizing the need for stronger cohesion and communication to articulate and embed goals and priorities throughout the enterprise.

Morgan, a former Co-CEO of SAP, and other leaders who briefed analysts, emphasized four sources of differentiation for UKG:

Create Great Places to Work Through Technology

UKG plans to more fully leverage its vast quantity and quality of insights from GPTW to create new solutions, particularly focused on vertical industries (e.g., retail, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality) with large numbers of frontline workers who make up the majority of the workforce but are often underserved. This includes the lofty goal of enabling employees to complete tasks, such as accessing compensation information or requesting leave, in one to two clicks.

Create Actionable Insights Through the World’s Most Differentiated Data

UKG’s data places it in a unique position to help customers better understand their workforce trends, what their employees need and how to meet those needs to drive engagement and retention.

For example, benchmark data on overtime for specific roles can help organizations avoid burnout and ensure they are allocating work fairly by comparing the average overtime logged by their people compared to industry standards. UKG can also deliver industry-specific benchmarks for absenteeism, schedule compliance, turnover, compensation, bonus pay and more.

Making the Complex Simple

The company is heavily focused on making it as easy as possible for employers to keep their workforce ready for the constant change happening around them.

For example, UKG is addressing the tight labor market with the UKG Pro® Talent Marketplace. By early 2025, the internal talent marketplace will help employees find new opportunities to grow their careers and skills. The offering uses propriety workforce management and people data and skills to support personalization and strategic workforce planning. By the fall of 2025, the external talent marketplace will help organizations draw from a qualified pool of external talent that can be leveraged to fill labor gaps when necessary.

UKG is certainly not the first to offer a talent marketplace, but again the data at their disposal provides them with a potential competitive advantage in an ever-expanding category.

On the payroll side of the business, One View Direct, which will be introduced in early 2025,  gives UKG multinational customers the ability to synchronize, manage, and perpetually validate payroll calculations from all in-country payroll providers.

For organizations using UKG Ready, the company is adding AI-powered job descriptions and interview questions that streamline the hiring process, as well as other GenAI applications to provide sophistication that is generally unavailable to smaller and mid-market, less complex businesses. UKG is heavily investing here.

On the administrator side, UKG is introducing a new AI-powered Intelligent Control Plane that enables administrators to manage UKG applications without requiring UKG assistance.

The Vertical Advantage

UKG’s depth and breadth in workforce management allow the company to address industry-specific complexities for the frontline workforce, as well as salaried and gig workers.  Examples:

• UKG Bryte can help retailers respond rapidly to staffing changes to fill shifts.
• In healthcare, GenAI-enabled self-scheduling can provide nurses with greater flexibility and autonomy.
• Bryte can help frontline managers be more efficient and stay compliant with meal and break policies for hourly workers.

Connected AI Agents

Creating the foundation of the company’s agenda is an AI-first approach to product innovation built on the UKG FleX Platform. Developers are heavily focused on leveraging connected AI agents that can act as digital twins to complete day-to-day tasks for employees, with accuracy and speed. This allows employees more time to better leverage their human skills. You’ll be seeing more and more use of AI agents in the years ahead, and UKG is well-positioned to benefit.

Think of these agents as a team of specialized robots that communicate with each other to handle various HR functions. For example, one AI agent might handle recruitment by screening resumes and scheduling interviews. One agent might manage recruitment activities, another coordinate employee onboarding, while a third oversees training and development. By communicating and coordinating with each other, these AI agents create an intelligent, interconnected system that streamlines workforce management end-to-end.

Looking Ahead

UKG is a provider that seeks to dominate in every market and sector it plays in. From a technology and product perspective, UKG has been thriving for the past couple of years. This new executive team is now adding an aggressive focus on customers and internal alignment and collaboration that could catapult the company forward. 2025 will be a pivotal year for UKG.

The post The New UKG:</br> Where Innovation Meets Customer Obsession appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Organizations are increasingly recognizing that their people are their most valuable asset. In this blog, based on an analyst briefing, Brandon Hall Group dives deep into Quantum Workplace, a provider of people analytics and employee engagement solutions.

Beyond Traditional HR Software

Quantum Workplace provides a platform that combines robust data collection with actionable insights. Their solutions enable organizations to:

• Gather Continuous Feedback: Quantum Workplace offers a variety of tools to collect employee feedback, including pulse surveys, lifecycle surveys, and always-on feedback channels. This continuous listening approach provides a real-time understanding of employee sentiment and identifies areas for improvement.
• Analyze Data with AI-Powered Insights: Leveraging the power of AI, Quantum Workplace analyzes employee feedback and provides organizations with actionable insights. This helps identify trends, uncover hidden issues, and prioritize areas for action.
• Drive Action with Collaborative Tools: Quantum Workplace provides collaborative tools that empower managers and teams to take action on employee feedback. This includes goal setting, action planning, and progress tracking, ensuring that feedback translates into meaningful change.

Key Solutions for a Thriving Workplace

Quantum Workplace offers a range of solutions designed to address critical people management challenges:

• Scale Employee Success with AI for HR: Leverage AI-powered insights to identify top performers, predict turnover risks, and personalize employee experiences.
• Reduce Employee Turnover: Understand the drivers of turnover and implement targeted interventions to improve employee retention.
• Identify and Develop Top Talent: Recognize high-potential employees and provide development opportunities to support their growth.
• Build High-Performing Teams: Foster collaboration, communication, and trust within teams to drive productivity and achieve shared goals.
• Increase Strategic Alignment: Connect employee goals with organizational objectives to ensure everyone is working towards a common purpose.
• Manage Remote Teams: Support the unique needs of remote teams with tools that foster connection, collaboration, and engagement.
• Improve Employee Engagement: Create a culture of engagement where employees feel valued, heard, and motivated to contribute their best work.

Core Products

Quantum Workplace’s platform is built on two core products:

• Employee Engagement Software: This solution provides tools for collecting feedback, analyzing data, and taking action to improve employee engagement.
• Performance Management Software: This solution helps organizations streamline performance reviews, set goals, track progress, and provide continuous feedback to support employee development.

About Quantum Workplace

Quantum Workplace was founded on the belief that people are the key to organizational success. Their mission is to help organizations create workplaces where employees thrive.

Conclusion

By combining robust data collection with AI-powered insights and collaborative tools, Quantum Workplace helps organizations unlock the full potential of their workforce and achieve sustainable success.

The post Quantum Workplace:</br> People Analytics and Actionable Insights appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

HR teams require a suite of tools to source, recruit, onboard, train, and retain top performers. Rival is designed to empower HR teams at every stage of the employee lifecycle. This blog, based on a Brandon Hall Group analyst briefing, dives into the key functionalities of Rival’s product suite, highlighting its potential benefits for organizations seeking to optimize their human capital management (HCM) strategy.

Rival’s Talent Acquisition Suite

Rival Recruit equips HR professionals to streamline their recruitment processes. This all-in-one platform boasts over 700 million passive candidate profiles and leverages AI-powered functionality to source, identify and engage qualified candidates.

Enhancing the Candidate Experience with Rival Engage

Rival Engage integrates seamlessly with existing applicant tracking systems (ATS) to enhance the candidate experience. This intelligent solution offers features such as AI-powered sourcing and recruitment marketing capabilities, allowing HR teams to personalize the candidate journey and improve conversion rates.

Streamlined Onboarding with Rival Onboard

Rival Onboard facilitates an efficient onboarding experience for new hires. This integrated solution streamlines data, workflows and systems into a unified platform, ensuring a consistent and positive onboarding experience for all new employees. Rival Onboard offers functionalities designed to address key onboarding components, including new-hire onboarding, cross-boarding and offboarding.

Boosting Employee Engagement with Rival Learn

Rival Learn empowers HR teams by aligning learning and development initiatives with individual and organizational goals. This LMS offers a flexible curriculum that can be delivered on any device, fostering engagement and knowledge retention among employees.

Driving Performance Management with Rival Perform

Rival Perform equips HR professionals to implement effective performance management strategies. This solution caters to various performance management approaches, allowing HR teams to design programs that meet their organization’s unique needs. Rival Perform offers features such as real-time feedback, performance management tools and analytics to empower managers and improve overall employee performance.

The post Rival: A Talent Management Suite</br> for the Modern HR Team appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Efficient benefits enrollment and administration are crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. bswift, a leading provider of ed benefits administration solutions, empowers organizations to streamline these processes, enhance the employee experience and achieve greater operational efficiency. Based on an analyst briefing with Brandon Hall Group, here are the key strengths of bswift:

The Power of Cloud-Based Benefits Administration

At the core of bswift’s offerings is their centralized platform for benefits enrollment, management and communication, bswift enables organizations to simplify complex processes, reduce administrative burdens and improve data accuracy.

Comprehensive Benefits Administration Solutions

bswift offers a comprehensive suite of benefits administration solutions designed to address the diverse needs of organizations across various industries. Their services include:

• Benefits Enrollment: bswift’s intuitive enrollment platform simplifies the benefits selection process for employees. The platform provides personalized decision support tools, educational resources and real-time cost estimates, empowering employees to make informed choices about their benefits.
• Benefits Administration: bswift’s robust administration tools streamline the management of employee benefits throughout the year, including dependents verification, COBRQ, HAS administration, retirement administration, QMCSO administration and much more. The platform automates eligibility verification, enrollment changes and carrier connections, reducing manual effort and minimizing errors.
• ACA Compliance: bswift’s ACA compliance solutions help organizations navigate the complexities of the Affordable Care Act. The platform automates reporting, tracks employee eligibility and ensures compliance with ACA regulations.
• Employee Engagement: bswift’s communication and engagement tools foster a deeper understanding of benefits among employees. The platform provides personalized communication, targeted messaging, and interactive tools, enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction.

Partnering for Success

bswift is committed to partnering with organizations to achieve their benefits administration goals. They work closely with clients to understand their unique challenges and develop tailored solutions that align with their strategic objectives. The company’s team provides ongoing support and guidance, ensuring that businesses can maximize the value of their benefits administration investments.

The post bswift:</br> Streamlining Benefits Enrollment and Administration appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Construction workers and related services businesses face unique challenges when it comes to health and safety. Long hours, demanding physical labor and often unpredictable work environments can contribute to a higher risk of injury and illness. Traditional corporate wellness programs, often designed for office workers, often fail to address the specific needs and lifestyles of construction crews.

A Tailored Approach to Construction Worker Wellness

Based on an analyst briefing with Brandon Hall Group, StrongOrg addresses the shortcomings of traditional wellness programs.

• Key Offerings: Construction-specific wellness programs focusing on safety training, fitness education and healthy lifestyle coaching.
• Value Proposition: Improve the health and safety of construction workers, reduce injuries and illnesses and boost overall well-being.
• Strengths & Differentiators: Tailored programs that fit construction workers’ lifestyles, focus on engagement through reward and recognition.
• Target Market: Construction companies seeking to improve worker well-being and safety.

Beyond Safety Training: A Holistic Approach to Wellness

StrongOrg’s early blog content may have offered insights into their program’s

• Safety Training: Programs designed to address the specific hazards faced by construction workers, promoting safe work practices and injury prevention.
• Fitness Education: Emphasis on physical fitness programs that cater to the demanding nature of construction work, improving strength, endurance, and injury prevention.
• Healthy Lifestyle Coaching: Guidance on nutrition, sleep habits, and stress management, promoting overall well-being and a healthy lifestyle for construction workers.
• Reward and Recognition Systems: Incentivize program participation and promote healthy behavior change through rewards and recognition programs.

Potential Benefits of StrongOrg Programs

By implementing StrongOrg’s wellness programs , construction companies and related services organizations can gain several benefits:

• Improved Worker Health and Safety: Reduced injuries and illnesses, leading to a healthier and safer work environment.
• Enhanced Employee Engagement: Programs that cater to worker needs and lifestyles can lead to increased employee engagement and morale.
• Reduced Costs: Improved worker health can lead to lower healthcare costs and reduced worker downtime due to illness or injury.
• Increased Productivity: A healthier and more engaged workforce can potentially lead to increased productivity and efficiency on construction projects.

StrongOrg’s focus on tailored programs, safety training and a holistic approach to well-being can empower construction companies to create a healthier and more productive work environment for their crews.

The post StrongOrg: Empowering Construction Worker Wellness appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Beqom, a total compensation management solution, enables employers to manage compensation, including salary, bonus, equity, long-term incentives and all other compensation components. The company partners with enterprise employers to connect workforce goals with compensation to drive retention, fill critical roles and advance DEI goals.

Personalized Compensation for Employee Growth

Beqom’s platform empowers employees to understand their total compensation and how it aligns with their career aspirations and skill development needs. This approach ensures that compensation investments are relevant and impactful for both employees and the organization. Whether an employee is looking to upskill in their current role or make a career transition, Beqom’s platform provides the tools and resources to support their compensation journey.

Global Reach and Comprehensive Support

Beqom is a global company with a presence in Europe, North America and Asia. The company provides comprehensive support throughout the entire compensation management process. From compensation strategy design and implementation to ongoing coaching and support, Beqom ensures a seamless and successful compensation experience for employees.

Data-Driven Insights and Measurable Impact

Beqom’s platform provides robust data and analytics capabilities, enabling organizations to track compensation trends, benchmark against competitors, and model the impact of compensation decisions. This data-driven approach allows employers to measure the impact of their compensation investments on key business metrics, such as employee engagement, retention and performance. By demonstrating the tangible benefits of total compensation management, Beqom helps organizations make informed decisions about their talent development strategies.

Driving Social Impact and DEI Initiatives

Beqom is committed to driving positive social impact through compensation. The company’s solutions are designed to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace by providing equitable access to compensation opportunities and fostering a culture of continuous growth and development. Beqom’s focus on DEI aligns with the growing recognition that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential for innovation, productivity and overall business success.

Addressing Critical Business Challenges

By providing a personalized, transparent, and impactful compensation experience, Beqom helps employers address critical challenges such as skill gaps, talent shortages and employee engagement. The company’s solutions are designed to meet the evolving needs of the modern workforce, preparing employees for the jobs of the future and ensuring that organizations have the skilled talent they need to thrive.

The post Beqom: Orchestrate Compensation</ br> for a High-Performing Workforce appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Maintaining a connected and informed workforce is essential for organizational success. However, managing various communication channels and ensuring information accessibility can be complex. Haiilo offers a platform designed to centralize communication needs.

Consolidating Communication Channels

Haiilo moves beyond traditional communication methods like email and intranets by providing a unified platform. This platform centralizes communication needs, an analyst briefing with Brandon Hall Group showed, potentially allowing organizations to:

• Facilitate Two-Way Communication: Encourage open communication with features like a social intranet, interactive forums and real-time chat functionalities. Haiilo may foster collaboration and knowledge sharing across departments.
• Deliver Targeted Content: Distribute relevant information to employees based on roles, departments, and interests. This could eliminate information overload and improve content engagement.
• Streamline Onboarding and Training: Provide a centralized platform for onboarding processes and ongoing learning opportunities. Haiilo can offer features for creating training modules, knowledge-sharing communities and accessing company resources.
• Boost Employee Engagement: Motivate and engage employees with recognition features, internal communication campaigns and employee advocacy tools. Haiilo can empower employees to become brand ambassadors.

Key Features of Haiilo’s Platform, according to Brandon Hall Group:

• User-Friendly Interface: Haiilo prioritizes a user-friendly design that caters to employees with varying technical backgrounds. This may encourage participation and foster a sense of community.
• Employee Advocacy Tools: Haiilo makes it easy for employees to share company content and position them as industry experts.
• Actionable Data and Analytics: Data from Haiilo informs data-driven decision-making to optimize communication strategies.
• Seamless Integrations: Haiilo integrates with popular HRIS, learning management systems (LMS) and communication tools, creating a centralized data hub and streamlining workflows.
• Mobile Accessibility: Haiilo offers a mobile app, ensuring employees can stay connected and access information on the go.
• Focus on Communication: Haiilo focuses on creating a centralized communication platform. This can lead to improved information flow and contribute to a more informed workforce.

Haiilo streamlines communication processes within organizations. This could lead to a more informed and more productive workforce.

The post Haiilo: A Unified Employee Communications Platform appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Brandon Hall Group views building a great corporate culture as a paradox. Great culture requires very human skills — trust, transparency, inclusion, recognition, collaboration, leadership, motivation, pride — to name just a few.

But in today’s fast-paced, dispersed, hybrid, global work environment, those human traits cannot be fully capitalized on without the right technology. There’s too much to do and too little time to rely on only traditional analog approaches in the age of AI.

Leave it to Great Place to Work® Institute, a trusted authority on workplace culture, and its owner, UKG, the HCM software company whose “purpose is people,” to address this with The Culture Playbook.

The playbook delivers a clear path to minimizing the impact of turnover, employee burnout and other business pitfalls by combining an end-to-end culture strategy with technology systems that facilitate the high-trust behaviors that inspire employees and establish the building blocks of a thriving enterprise.

Of course, it starts with the human stuff. Organizations must recognize the elements contributing to a culture of trust and belonging and ask the right questions about their organization to uncover opportunities to address those elements. But once focused and ready to act, the path must also be centered on leveraging technology systems to facilitate the journey. Culture depends on technology.

The Importance of Technology

Brandon Hall Group research shows that there are 17 traits necessary for a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture. Most do not exist to a high degree in the majority of organizations. It is not for a lack of trying. In the past several years, more than 80% of organizations responding to our surveys have launched or accelerated culture-building initiatives. However, there has been far more emphasis on training than on strategies and actions that embed the principles of trust and belonging across organizations. In this era of work, that requires operationalizing the cultural standards through HR and workforce management systems and processes.

We have also found that HR teams often focus on “macro” approaches of culture building — such as enterprise-wide diversity, equity and inclusion strategies that are hard to coordinate and sustain — to the exclusion of “micro” approaches that can more easily have a positive impact on employees.

The Culture Playbook includes many of these, all of which require the help of technology. They include:

• Empowering employees with self-service tools for scheduling and time-off requests.
• Regularly surveying employees and using AI-based sentiment analysis to understand their needs.
• Providing managers with real-time guidance and “nudges” to help lead and develop their teams.
• Transparently communicating progress and timelines and incorporating employee input on new company initiatives.
• Centralizing key information, documents and communications for easy employee access.
• Equitably sharing successes, opportunities and resources across the organization.

Overall, the insights from UKG and Great Place To Work® align well with our own research on high-performance cultures. Building trust requires focused and sustained effort across multiple dimensions. For organizations that get it right, the payoff is immense in terms of employee engagement, retention and business results. Technology becomes the great enabler.

Here is a deeper dive into the insights of the Culture Playbook:

The Contributing Elements of a Culture of Trust and Belonging

Thirty years of continual research by Great Place To Work® has proven that the definition of a great workplace is one where employees trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with. With survey responses from more than 100 million employees, GPTW has found that five factors are instrumental in building a great workplace:

• Credibility
• Respect
• Pride
• Camaraderie
• Fairness

For each of the factors, the playbook poses a few insightful questions, plus worksheets that allow you to see how well your organization stacks up with it comes to nurturing trust. You can access them here at the back of the book.

Encouraging Personal Best

The playbook focuses on high-trust behaviors, including thanking, developing and caring. Technology can help in this in several ways, including:

• Prioritizing learning and development and setting clear outcomes, such as promotions, raises, bonuses or performance goal completion, based on employees hitting learning milestones. With the right systems, you can actively track which team members receive certain opportunities to ensure equal access for everyone.
• Mapping career paths and succession plans for the different roles in your organization, predicting the readiness of different people in your organization to move up, prompting managers to recognize those readiness markers and scheduling regular discussions with employees on these topics to help them feel engaged in the process and having a clear vision of their future.
• Offering intuitive access through technology to a variety of voluntary benefits that go beyond just healthcare coverage, such as employee assistance programs for mental health support, mindfulness resources, nutrition and fitness support, financial advice, or charitable gift matching.

Cultivating Team Spirit

For this, the playbook focuses on thanking, developing and caring. Technology can help in this regard by:

• Systematically integrating career planning, mentorship and learning opportunities into your new-hire processes to start new employees off in a way that makes them feel supported.
• Setting clear, unbiased requirements across the employee lifecycle and build them into your processes as rules, such as in the templates and descriptions you use for open job requisitions, onboarding processes for different roles, milestones to meet for different types of promotions and other similar key moments in the employee experience.
• Using technology to regularly evaluate key business practices, such as candidate screening, onboarding, performance reviews and succession planning by using sentiment analysis.

Takeaways

• Building a great organizational culture requires a combination of very human elements like trust, transparency, inclusion and recognition with the effective use of HR technology.
• As the playbook by UKG + Great Place to Work® emphasizes, it’s critical to operationalize cultural standards through HR and workforce management systems and processes. Technology solutions can facilitate and scale trust-building behaviors such as empowering employees, understanding their needs, providing real-time guidance to managers, transparently communicating and equitably sharing resources.
• Brandon Hall Group research validates the playbook’s insights. We’ve found that while most organizations have prioritized culture-building in recent years, there has often been an overemphasis on training vs embedding the principles of trust and belonging through actionable “micro” approaches enabled by technology.
• Forward-thinking organizations will embrace the guidance of The Culture Playbook and recognize the role that HR technology plays in bringing their cultural aspirations to life.

About UKG

At UKG, our purpose is people. We are on a mission to inspire every organization to become a great place to work through HCM technology built for all. More than 80,000 organizations across all sizes, industries, and geographies trust UKG HR, payroll, workforce management, and culture cloud solutions to drive great workplace experiences and make better, more confident people and business decisions. With the world’s largest collection of people data, work data, and culture data combined with rich experience using artificial intelligence in the service of people, we connect culture insights with business outcomes to show what’s possible when organizations invest in their people. To learn more, visit ukg.com.

About Great Place to Work®

The global authority on workplace culture. Powered by our proprietary model and platform, GPTW offers the most respected workplace certification and lists, unparalleled data and benchmarking, and industry-leading research and insights, all supported by a wealth of resources and a thriving community.

The post Building a Culture of Trust:</ br> Insights from UKG and Great Place To Work® appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

The ability to navigate and adapt to change is essential for modern organizational success. Being “Change-Ready” encompasses more than just reacting to external forces; it involves proactively managing change within the organization to stay agile, innovative, and competitive.

Change readiness is a mindset that permeates every aspect of the organization, from leadership to frontline employees. It’s about recognizing that change is inevitable and embracing it as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Effective change management begins with assessing the organization’s attitude toward change. Some organizations are naturally agile, with a culture that fosters innovation, experimentation and continuous improvement. These organizations are quick to adapt to market shifts, industry trends and emerging technologies, positioning themselves as leaders in their respective fields. On the other hand, some organizations may be resistant to change, clinging to outdated processes, systems and mindsets. This resistance can stem from fear of the unknown, concerns about disruption, or a lack of understanding of the benefits of change.

In this blog, we’ll explore the concept of being “Change-Ready” and delve into strategies for managing change within organizations. We’ll discuss how we as HR professionals can assess their organization’s readiness for change, implement effective change management strategies and foster a culture that embraces innovation and adaptation.

Assessing Organizational Attitude Toward Change

Understanding the organization’s attitude toward change is a critical first step in becoming “Change-Ready.” It involves evaluating the organization’s current culture, leadership approach and historical response to change initiatives. Agile organizations typically exhibit characteristics such as openness to new ideas, a willingness to experiment and a proactive approach to problem-solving. These organizations embrace change as an opportunity for growth and innovation, viewing it as a natural part of the business landscape.

Conversely, organizations that are averse to change may display signs of resistance, including reluctance to adopt new technologies, skepticism toward new processes and a preference for maintaining the status quo. Today’s workforce seems to air on the side of embracing change so it’s important we do what we can to guide our organizations forward and embrace change.

Assessing the organization’s readiness for change involves conducting surveys, interviews and workshops to gauge employee sentiment and identify areas of strength and opportunity.

To get the best information from your surveys, you can hire professional companies, like Brandon Hall Group, to conduct them for you. By understanding your organization’s attitude toward change, HR professionals can develop tailored strategies to address resistance, build buy-in from stakeholders, and create a culture that embraces innovation and adaptation.

Strategies for Managing Change

Managing change effectively requires a strategic and systematic approach that considers the unique needs and challenges of the organization. One key strategy is to identify and address barriers to change within the organization. These barriers can include resistance from employees, lack of alignment with organizational goals and insufficient resources or support from leadership.

Effective communication is an essential strategy for managing change successfully. HR professionals must articulate the need for change, the rationale behind it and the expected benefits to employees and stakeholders. Clear, transparent communication helps build trust and buy-in from employees and management, reducing resistance and fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to the change process. Additionally, involving employees in the decision-making process and soliciting their input and feedback can increase engagement and generate innovative ideas for implementing change.

Ultimately, managing change requires a proactive, collaborative approach that engages employees, aligns with organizational goals and addresses potential barriers to success.

Encouraging a Culture of Change

Creating a culture that embraces change is essential for organizations to thrive in today’s VUCA world. HR professionals play a pivotal role in fostering such a culture by championing change initiatives, promoting innovation, and modeling adaptability. One key aspect of encouraging a culture of change is to lead by example. We as HR leaders can demonstrate our commitment to change by embracing new ideas, experimenting with innovative approaches and seeking opportunities for growth and improvement.

Another great way to lead by example is by empowering employees to adapt to change and contribute to the change process. Involving employees is crucial for fostering a culture of change readiness. This can be achieved by providing opportunities for skill development, encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing, and recognizing and rewarding innovative thinking and problem-solving. By involving employees in the change process and soliciting their input and feedback, HR professionals can create a sense of ownership and engagement that drives positive outcomes.

Additionally, creating a supportive environment where employees feel safe to take risks and learn from failure is essential for fostering a culture of change. Encouraging a culture of change requires proactive leadership, employee empowerment and a supportive environment that values innovation and continuous improvement.

Benefits of Being Change-Ready

Embracing change readiness brings numerous benefits to organizations, employees and stakeholders alike. One significant advantage is increased agility and adaptability, allowing organizations to respond swiftly to external market shifts, technological advancements and emerging industry trends. By being proactive and responsive to change, organizations can seize new opportunities, overcome challenges and stay ahead of the competition.

Being change-ready enhances employee engagement and morale by fostering a culture of openness, collaboration, and innovation. Employees who feel empowered to contribute to the change process are more likely to feel invested in the organization’s success and motivated to perform at their best. This heightened sense of engagement translates into higher levels of productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction, driving positive outcomes for both the organization and its employees.

Embracing change readiness enables organizations to thrive, innovate and lead in their respective industries, while also fostering a culture of engagement, resilience and continuous improvement among employees.

Challenges of Change in a Company

While the benefits of being change-ready are significant, organizations often face various challenges when implementing change initiatives. One common challenge is resistance from employees and stakeholders who may be hesitant to embrace new ideas, processes or technologies. Resistance to change can stem from various factors, including fear of the unknown, concerns about job security or skepticism about the benefits of change.

Navigating the challenges of change requires strong leadership, effective communication and a commitment to engaging employees and stakeholders throughout the change process. By addressing resistance, managing uncertainty and overcoming inertia, organizations can successfully navigate change and unlock the benefits of being change-ready.

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Overcoming resistance to change requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the root causes of resistance and empowers employees to embrace new ways of working. One effective strategy is to engage with stakeholders early and often to ensure that their concerns are heard and addressed. This may involve conducting listening sessions, soliciting feedback and involving employees in the decision-making process to increase buy-in and ownership of the change initiative.

Additionally, providing training, resources and support to employees throughout the change process is crucial for helping them adapt to new ways of working. This may include offering skill-building workshops, providing access to learning materials and offering coaching or mentoring to help employees navigate the transition. By investing in employee development and well-being, organizations can empower employees to embrace change and thrive in a rapidly evolving business environment.

Overall, overcoming resistance to change requires a concerted effort from organizational leaders, HR professionals and employees alike. By addressing concerns, providing support and celebrating progress, organizations can overcome resistance and successfully navigate change, unlocking the benefits of being change-ready.

If you want to hear more about helping your organization become change-ready, check out our podcast, Excellence at Work, Episode 212 — Executive Series: Learning Strategies to Make Organizations Change-Ready.

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