For over a decade, Tugela People has been helping mid-sized multinational organisations select the right HR and Payroll solutions that fit their needs. Our founder and CEO, Thomas Schilling, spent much of the early years of his career working in HR for large multi-national enterprise businesses, and let\u2019s face it -these big companies are pretty good when it comes to systems, data and reporting.\u00a0 When it comes to mid-sized businesses, the story can be quite different. Many of them just don\u2019t have the same budget, resources or skillset.<\/p>\n
Tugela People was set up with one simple mission: to bring the same enterprise-level expertise and support to mid-sized businesses\u2019 HR technology. When a firm grows to more than 200 people, those casual \u201cchats\u201d around the office about updating your employee details or checking in about how everyone in the business is feeling or performing start to feel more difficult. Then, when your business grows to 500 people, you\u2019re swimming in data, changes, documentation, contracts, and spreadsheets – and suddenly, everything starts to creak under pressure. Then, when you hit 1000 employees, chances are that you\u2019ve likely gone global, with employees in more than one country \u2013 and suddenly, you\u2019re facing the same complexities as those large international companies.<\/p>\n
Although our clients’ industries may vary, their needs are pretty much the same; they\u2019re all looking to implement, adopt, and enhance their HR and payroll technology. And let\u2019s be honest, they\u2019ve learnt a few (hard) lessons along the way, so they\u2019re hesitant not to make the same mistakes twice.<\/p>\n
Tugela People have been around long enough to see how mid-market businesses react to changing financial markets and economies, evolving technology trends and shifting priorities.\u00a0 Over the last 12 months or so, we have seen a rise in our existing clients looking to get more out of what they already have.\u00a0 Let\u2019s face it – migrating and transitioning to a new system is a luxury most firms don\u2019t have the time or money for. While systems and processes are a critical concern for most business leaders, they are also working hard to keep employees engaged and productive \u2013 using the same technology they already have.<\/p>\n
We have even seen some consolidation happening – systems purchased but not implemented correctly, or worse, systems that can\u2019t do what they were promised they could do. These days, it seems like changing business processes is now easier than bending the technology to fit.<\/p>\n
That said, it\u2019s not all doom and gloom! The beauty of the mid-market is that it is constantly evolving. At Tugela People, we\u2019ve helped dozens of companies over the years (especially recently) prepare for and execute an RFP process and select the right technology for them.\u00a0 We have also noticed a trend in the types of companies taking action to improve their HR technology stack:<\/p>\n
On the HR technology maturity curve, smaller companies often start with a basic HRIS, and that\u2019s just fine.\u00a0 Small business HR systems have come a long way and can offer more today than ever before.\u00a0 When you had circa. 200 employees, it worked perfectly. Over the last few years, however, the focus and priority have been on growth, which meant adding other HCM systems, like an ATS, to support the vast amount of recruitment activity \u2013 it\u2019s been a lifesaver!<\/p>\n
But then, one day, you wake up to find that you now have 600 employees spread across three different systems and that basic HRIS just isn\u2019t cutting it anymore.\u00a0 The spreadsheets are growing, and the lack of integration means you are throwing people resources at the problems, and mistakes are being made.\u00a0 Questions that should be simple like; \u201cHow many employees do we have?<\/em> \u201cor \u201cWhat is the headcount plan for the year?\u201d <\/em>now take days or even weeks to pull together and give an accurate answer \u2013 and by the time you get the answer, it’s already out of date.<\/p>\n These firms are reaching out to us, saying, \u201cHelp! We\u2019re in a mess, and just getting through the day-to-day is difficult. How are we ever going to be able to figure out what we should do about this? We have implemented so many point solutions as quick fixes, and we now have a siloed stack of different systems that has gotten out of hand. Which ones do we replace, and which ones do we keep? We cannot afford to get this wrong.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n For some larger organisations who have been around for a long, long time (hence the dinosaurs\u2019 analogy) and who have operated for decades and implemented best-in-class technology some ten, fifteen or twenty years ago have come to realise that innovation is now more important than ever if they want to stay competitive.\u00a0 Some of these firms are having their hands forced into action by their long-standing technology partners \u2013 systems moving into sunset, support no longer available and employee expectations shifting (who knew booking a holiday or checking a payslip could become so… modern?) Honestly, this is not a bad thing; in fact, kudos to them \u2013 these companies have squeezed every ounce of value from their technology over the years, and it has \u201cdone a job\u201d, so why change?<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the catch!\u00a0 These companies have also lived with the same tech for so long that there hasn\u2019t been a need to implement even a best-of-breed solution. Their old procurement processes and RFP documentation still have \u201con-premise\u201d requirements, so how do they get up to speed and quickly, with process maps, requirement documents, demo scenarios and other tools to make sound decisions? Meanwhile, technology vendors have perfected the art of how they \u201csell\u201d your systems, and if it\u2019s a while since you\u2019ve been through the process, you are a sitting duck for those hungry salespeople just queuing up to show you their shiny new tech.\u00a0 It\u2019s impressive, and there is no doubt you will get very excited, but the moment you do, you are playing into their hands.<\/p>\n As market cycles ebb and flow, there will come a time when buying tech as a \u2018nice to have\u2019 will return, but for now, we\u2019re in a \u2018must-have\u2019 situation. The stakes have never been higher, especially with more choices on the market than ever before. Now, we\u2019re biased\u2014we live and breathe the world of mid-sized multinational HR and Payroll technology every day. Maybe Tugela People isn\u2019t the perfect fit for you, but I can tell you this: having a consulting expert in your corner right now is worth its weight in gold.<\/p>\n\n
The dinosaurs return \u2013 traditional companies that have underinvested in technology over the years<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n