First and foremost I need to say that hangovers suck. I’ve had the good fortune of avoiding them with the exception of a few random incidents back when I was younger, but when I did have one it was a real pain. The good news is that they rarely last more than a few hours after you wake up. At worst it will kill a whole day.
Now imagine a hangover that lasts for 15 years. Words cannot begin to describe how that might feel, yet for many companies they’ve been dealing with hangovers that have lasted that long and may continue for years to come.
Think back 15 years ago – all the way to 1995, when many organizations were beginning to start remediation activities in preparation for Y2K projects. Companies bought software, hired consultants, and spent money like crazy in efforts to prevent a catastrophic breakdown in their systems when the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2000. The catastrophe never came, and yet we were all left with a massive headache related to pushing tremendous amounts of new technology into our companies to meet the impending disaster.
A full decade has passed since the clock “turned over” into the new millennium, yet for many companies they’re still dealing with the aftereffects of the build up to the non-event.
Just using the same technology which was slammed into place leading up to Y2K isn’t necessarily a sign of a HR Technology hangover, but here’s a checklist of things which might be signs of a hangover:
- The organizational hierarchy in your HRIS reflects a point in time prior to your graduation from high school
- Your software does not support internet browsers other than Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Adding email address as a field requires “customization” and involvement from either IT or the vendor
- Your HR software requires something installed on your computer in order to work properly
- Web 2.0 functional is a full generation away because you’re stuck with a green screen user experience
- Instant messenger in your office involves hand signals and a whiteboard
- Voice over IP means two tin cans and a string
The last few are slight exaggerations, but if you’re stuck in a HR Technology hangover, anything is possible.
In a future post we’ll discuss how you can help cure your technology hangover. I can assure you that it does not involve drinking water or Gatorade.
Great post. I’ll add a few personal favorites: (1) employee status codes that mush together about a dozen attributes that should be separated and require miles of if/then code to sort them out, (2) employee master files in a world of many more persons of interest to HRM, (3) earnings and deduction codes with no view of total compensation plan components, (4) skills code tables rather than KSAOC-centric HRM processes, (5) effective-dated data (at least some of it) but single instance business rules/procedural logic that is overwritten when modified, and the list goes on. What were innovations in 1980 look like crap in 2010. Am I ranting? Naomi
Great additions Naomi. I’m sure the list that you, Kutik, Corsello and others can compile would be quite extensive.
Excel spreadsheets and paper memo job reqs.
Get me a bloody mary. Stat.
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How about the employee intranet has information on how to operate the fax machine, microfiche reader, and dot-matrix printers.
@Kevin : Don’t underestimate the power of the world’s most popular integrated talent management system – Microsoft Office
Great post. Y2K was indeed a fine vintage for the IT industry….in 2010 we still have to press a “start” button to switch our PCs “off”…so looking forward to the hangover cure!
Really liked the post especially point #4. I might also add having to sort through the first batch of resumes yourself.
[...] The HR Technology Hangover by Bryon D. Abramowitz (@HRTechnologist) [...]
@Kevin : Don’t underestimate the power of the world’s most popular integrated talent management system – Microsoft Office