Overcoming 'resistance' key to success in innovating HR's systems

HR needs to ask itself ‘can we change or lighten the procedure?’ to help re-model archaic HR systems.

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, took it upon themselves to ‘go paperless’ in 2013. Lucy Lockwood, a senior HR analyst at CERN, reflected on the transformation: “In my experience there are three things which contribute to slow HR systems change: rules, lack of trust in IT systems and the amount of change that has happened in the past.

“Resistance is the key challenge that I’ve experienced. Sometimes from the most surprising places – a change can be seen as too big, too complex, too disruptive, too expensive. CERN is a scientific organisation with thousands of people here experimenting every day, but still we face resistance to changing HR processes.

“If the end users trust that you won’t give them software or systems that make their lives more difficult, they’ll be much more open to change, and accepting of new systems. And of course you have to involve the people who are experts in the HR systems from day one and respect their knowledge and involvement to gain the best results.”