HR Project: how to respond effectively to the new challenges in the world of work?

These days, many Human Resources Departments are having to deal with HR project management.

The reason for this? An increasingly fluid and digitalised working environment, in which new challenges are emerging, such as the spread of teleworking and the deployment of HRIS solutions.

So what are the current issues driving the development of HR projects? How can they be managed in practical terms, and with what tools? We tell you all about it.

See all software Project Management

HR project: definition

Project management is now an integral part of HR processes. HR departments are required to manage a large number of projects, both :

• strategic and operational
• short or long-term.

The aim? To respond to the various challenges inherent in today's world of work. That's why Human Resources Departments are diversifying their remits. They are no longer confined to the simple administrative management of personnel and payroll, and must now deal with new elements:

• the development of flexibility in the workplace: teleworking, coworking, flex office, free working hours, etc.
• Increasingly volatile and demanding employees,
• growth in the notion of well-being at work
• ecological and societal issues, etc.

Examples of HR projects for 2021

Developing teleworking and new forms of flexibility

• The health crisis,
• but also the changing aspirations of employees,
• and the influence of American models,

  have put flexibility and teleworking at the heart of HR priorities.

Human Resources Departments are therefore faced with new challenges:

• logistical and administrative: organising workspaces, managing equipment, drawing up a teleworking charter, etc.
• on the human side: preventing employees from becoming isolated, difficulties in communicating and collaborating, etc.

Undertaking or continuing the digital transformation of HR departments

The digitalisation of activities is no longer just the preserve of technical and IT departments. HR departments are making increasing use of online tools such as HRIS, whose functionalities make it possible to automate a number of operations (management of training, absences, recruitment, etc.).

☝️ While digital transformation has an impact on the Human Resources Department itself, any project of this kind must also include employees: they will have to embrace the new processes that result.

Enhancing well-being at work

Well-being at work is becoming a major issue for companies, particularly in view of the recruitment difficulties encountered in certain sectors (IT, for example) and the increasing volatility of employees.

As a result, HR departments need to take action to ensure quality of life at work (QWL) and encourage employee commitment:

• psychological monitoring of employees
• providing training,
• hazard prevention and compliance, etc.

☝️ Well-being at work can be linked to an organisation's CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy. Such a policy, which encompasses social, environmental and ethical aspects, requires the involvement of every member of the team, managers and employees alike.

Developing the employer brand

Developing the employer brand is a priority for many HR departments. And for good reason: it encourages :

• talent retention
• making the company more attractive to qualified profiles
• spreading a positive image among customers.

Against this backdrop, Human Resources Departments find themselves diversifying their activities. For example, they are now involved in the organisation's communication on social networks, particularly LinkedIn.

Developing soft skills

57% of recruiters say they give more weight to behavioural skills than to purely technical skills.

Étude Linkedin Learning

Adaptability, communication, leadership, cooperation... we're hearing more and more about soft skills. And quite rightly so: in a market that is constantly changing, employers like to rely on profiles that are autonomous, innovative and have a sense of teamwork.

But these skills are still difficult to assess! As a result, HR managers need to base their assessments on precise data and procedures, not on their own feelings.

HR project management: example of a method

Defining the objectives and scope of the HR project

Project management involves a number of stages, and the HR field is no exception.

To begin with, precise objectives need to be defined, so that the players involved can focus on the essentials and correctly guide their thinking as well as their decision-making.

💡 Example of an objective: developing your employer brand.

Setting clear objectives then leads to the identification of the results expected at the end of the project.

💡 Example of a result: increase the number of unsolicited applications received by 50%.

Ultimately, objectives and results help to define the scope of the project, and therefore the development of a clear, structured action plan.

Supporting change

An HR project is not trivial. Sometimes it completely overturns the company's culture and organisation, as with the introduction of full remote working, for example.

Human Resources Departments must therefore take this into account when developing their project: by assessing the company's degree of maturity with regard to future developments, they are able to manage the project through the prism of change management.

💡 To overcome resistance to change and get teams on board, you need to share and propagate your vision. Any HR project therefore requires education and optimum communication within the company.

Identify the stakeholders involved

Project management involves setting up a dedicated team and appointing a project manager capable of taking charge of steering the project and pooling ideas. In our case, this is usually the HR Director.

As for the other parties involved, they don't need to come from the fields of project management or human resources. On the contrary, it's often a good idea to draw on a wider range of skills to tackle different issues in an informed way.

Here are a few examples

• Recruitment and skills management: managers are in a key position to identify current and future business needs.
  
  

• developing the employer brand: it's in HR's interest to work with the company's marketing and communications departments, which have the most legitimate skills in this area.

Identify the resources available

What human, material and financial resources will be available to carry out the project?

Before taking concrete action, it's a good idea to make as accurate an estimate as possible, based on past experience, for example.

💡 We recommend creating a resource schedule. Thanks to a precise display of the various data, you will have the information you need to assess as closely as possible the financial expenditure and the availability of the people involved, so that you can adapt accordingly.

Drawing up an HR project schedule

Before the various players start working on the project, draw up a precise schedule for its completion. This should include

• the start and end dates (the deadline) of the project,
• the main stages of the project and the results expected at each stage.

💡 To do this, identify in advance the various tasks required to achieve the predefined objectives, and prioritise them in order to manage priorities and ensure the smooth running of the project.

Coordinating and monitoring the project

Once the project has been launched, it is important that the project manager coordinates the actions of the parties involved and monitors progress on an ongoing basis in order to :

• ensure that the HR project is running smoothly, in particular that objectives are being met and deadlines adhered to ;
• remove any obstacles that may arise and be able to act quickly on any problems encountered;
• facilitate decision-making.

💡 Good project monitoring requires fluid communication between the various players involved. That's why we advise you to hold monitoring and scoping meetings as often as necessary.

Evaluating the success of your HR project

Is your HR project complete? It's time to take stock. The first question to ask yourself is: have the initial objectives been achieved? If not, why not?

It's also important to look at compliance with deadlines and cost constraints, as well as any difficulties encountered. In this way, you can draw on your experience for future projects, so that you can re-use tried and tested good practice and avoid pitfalls.

See all software Project Management

Which tool for your HR project management?

HRIS software remains the tool of choice for Human Resources Departments. These solutions make it possible to centralise all HR-related data, such as holiday requests or requirements leading to absence. What's more, by integrating a project management extension into the software, you can capitalise on shared information that can be circulated according to your parameters.

🛠️ monday.com HR is a platform dedicated to HR managers. It enables them to monitor the candidate recruitment process, integrate new employees, create all kinds of templates to save your teams time, and manage data and resources using the included management modules.

🛠️ Project-based HRIS software such as Syrhalogic includes functionalities that facilitate resource management, and therefore HR project management. One example is capacity planning, which highlights the availability of different people over time, depending in particular on their respective workloads.

Are you an HR Director? What major projects do you plan to undertake in 2021, and what tips do you have for managing them effectively? Don't hesitate to share your experiences with us in the comments section ;-)