If you’ve been managing positions in a way that ties them to the people in the role, you’ve probably realized that separating people from positions makes sense. You’re at a place where you want to update your approach so you can get the most out of position management best practices. You’re probably looking at how HR tech and position management software can help you achieve your HR strategy and goals. But you also realize that you’re not sure where to start.
Based on our discussions with clients and our work in the HR industry, we’ve identified the following eight position management principles that will help redefine the way you evaluate the roles required for your organization to succeed:
1. View past, present and future status. There’s a reason the Back to the Future movies are so popular —they acknowledge that there’s great value in looking at the past to inform our current and future realities. That’s true in movies, life, and HR software. Effective position control best management relies on your organization’s ability to view past, present, and future status — in one system. Thankfully, a time machine is not required to achieve these views; instead, with “effective dates” tied to events for both position records and “person” records, the best Human Capital Management (HCM) technology enables you to easily the past vs. today and today vs. the future.
2. Integrate finance and HR data. The right position management software can help you avoid data integrity issues because financial and staff plans are managed in the same system as your recruiting and HR functions. When all the data is in one system, teams use integrated data to work together. Not only are teams able to save time and reduce errors, but they’re also able to efficiently create and manage financial and people strategies with a unified approach.
3. Maintain position records when people leave. In traditional HCM models, when people leave, all the data related to that position (budget, benefits, salary range) leaves with them. If an employee is promoted or leaves the organization, you can spend your time recruiting and hiring for that position rather than recreating all the data associated with it. It’s imperative that the HCM software uses position management to reference actual staffing levels (filled, vacant) against budgeted staff plans (projected needs).
4. Run real-time reports based on accurate data. Any HR or finance professional can tell you about the headaches that arise regarding accurate data and reporting between HCM and financial software. By comparison, with one integrated HR and finance system, there’s no need to export to spreadsheets and merge data. Thanks to integrated position management software, planning sessions, monthly budget reviews, and leadership meetings are a breeze with reports that can be delivered in minutes.
5. Maximize efficiency and cost savings. When an employee leaves and a new one is hired, the new employee inherits the attributes associated with that position — benefits eligibility, salary range, hierarchy, etc. The system automates tasks that would take hours to complete manually. Rather than focusing on updating every detail, you can rest assured that all the details of a position are captured in the position management software.
6. Review budget vs. actual for staff and financial planning. Financial planning becomes more accurate, and projecting and acquiring headcount becomes easier when each position record and person record have dates associated with start date, end date, and any employment-related events in between. These dates make it easy to run reports on annual plans vs. present actuals.
7. Empower planning with interactive org charts. Traditional HCM models allow you to create static “best-case-scenario” organizational charts in Q1. In that model, the org charts break when people enter and leave the organization. By comparison, when critical position data remains, as it does in SyncHR, leaders across the company are empowered to envision the ideal state, simply by modifying and updating the chart based on current needs and projections.
8. Establish a single source of employee-related data. Employee-related data — budget, headcount plans, salaries, and department structure — has a way of expanding into an abyss. Accessing the right data and ensuring it’s correct can take a significant toll on efficiency. With the right HCM, the HR team is able to create and establish a single data repository for greater transparency. Not only does this make it easier to complete necessary tasks, but it also allows HR to interface with the organization in a way that adds value by supporting reliable, data-driven decisions.
These eight position management best practices are just the beginning when it comes to realizing the potential benefits of HCM technology. With access to updated, accurate, and integrated position control data, leaders have the HR and financial insights they need and which are vital to achieving organizational success.
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Liz Sheffield is a writer and communicator based in Seattle, WA. She specializes in writing about topics related to HR and the people side of the business. Her areas of interest include HR Tech, HCM, leadership, training and development, employee engagement, culture, and recognition. Sheffield brings more than a decade of corporate experience in HR.