In a Tech-Friendly HR World, User Experience Is Critical

The days of judging a product solely on how well it works are quickly passing. Today’s watermark on the quality of a product can be summed up in two letters – UX. User Experience can be defined as the overall experience a person has while using a product such as a website or computer application, that relates specifically to how easy or pleasing it is to use. 

The better the experience, the more likely the product is to attract users. According to PwC, “A subpar employee experience can have a ripple effect across the organization, shaping everything from how engaged people are to their enthusiasm for delivering a superior customer experience.” The same report states that when companies don’t have a clear understanding of how their people use technology in their jobs, and what they need and want from those tools, their overall experience at work can suffer. 

If a system provides an easy, modern, and engaging user experience, chances are more people will use it. On the other hand, if the system is difficult to navigate and frustrates the user, people will avoid using it. 

For HR and payroll professionals, the importance of User Experience can’t be overstated as more organizations are turning to HR and payroll solutions to help manage their workforces. One of the most significant advantages of using an HR and payroll system is the ability to streamline common tasks and empower users to take control of key payroll and HR data. But to take advantage of these benefits, employees must be willing to use the technology. 

An important factor in driving user adoption is being able to deliver a consumer-like experience. Consumer experiences are designed to be simple and engaging. Employees at work expect the same type of experience they would get outside of the workplace. In order to drive user adoption of any tool, the system should make completing work tasks or collaborating with colleagues as simple as making an online purchase or posting on social media. 

According to Josh Bersin during his talk at HR Tech, “We’re not building software for HR anymore — we’re building it for employees. If employees don’t find it useful, if it doesn’t fit into ‘the flow of work,’ “then it’s not going to be used.”  

The most efficient HR and payroll systems are built on the principal of understanding how users perform common functions. The systems are then able to reduce the amount of manual effort involved and do so in a stylish, user-friendly manner. 

Understanding the importance of User Experience, Paylocity’s solutions are built with the end-user in mind. This helps to provide a more positive user experience by making the process of completing tasks more logical and intuitive. Paylocity has designed its user interface to provide a similar feel to many of the most popular consumer-based user experiences: clean, simple, and easy to navigate. 

Date Posted: January 28, 2016