So, You Want to Implement Workday for a Municipality ? Read This First.
Tackling a full-scale HR transformation for a government agency requires a specialized approach. Unlike private sector industries, municipalities must carefully balance both the interests of their workforce as well as the government on behalf of the public.
With this in mind, our team has compiled key considerations that have helped other municipalities go live successfully, achieve fast ROI, and position themselves for continuous growth.
Set Expectations for Highly-Impacted Key Stakeholders
Municipal leaders tend to hold a variety of roles within an organization. For example, an individual may balance the responsibilities of both HR Business Partner and Compensation Partner. Thus, in the case that Workday HCM is being implemented, the individual would need to participate in both Core HCM and Advanced Compensation project activities, therefore demanding more of their time.
As early as possible, communicate to key stakeholders the tasks they must accomplish during the project. An LOE (Level of Effort) table organizes each project leader by their estimated time effort per month and key tasks for each project phase. This tool allows project leaders to visualize how their time will be spent over the next few months. You may also discuss if any internal initiatives will compete with key project dates - if so, encourage stakeholders to structure their schedules accordingly.
As core system users, it is crucial key stakeholders spend ample time becoming familiar with Workday. Empower their decision-making by introducing expectations from the start.
Recruit a Strong Change Champion Network
Change can be challenging no matter the industry. Many municipalities rely on antiquated legacy tools which have often been in place for decades, leading to a deeply embedded way of working and making it especially important to drive true transformation at all levels of the organization. One method of supporting change throughout hierarchies is establishing a Change Champion Network, which comprises employees who are committed to the project vision. Their responsibility is to advocate change and serve as communicators between end users and the project team.
Step one to building a Change Champion Network is scoping out your team. Change Champions can reside at any level in the organization. However, they tend to be natural leaders and possess the ability to influence fellow Potential Change Champions will express enthusiasm and cooperation early in the project. They also frequently speak in the future tense, with the ability to envision the overarching goals of the implementation months and even years down the line.
Change Champions should be engaged regularly through Change Champion meetings. During these meetings, highlight project updates, timelines, and upcoming trainings. Equip Change Champions with talking points and FAQs so they’re positioned to help as employees will look to them for answers and reassurance.
Don’t forget to express gratitude to your Change Champions – they’re the hands-on leaders in collective change.
Reinforce Benefits of Transitioning from Legacy Systems
Historically, municipalities have struggled to stay current with the fast-paced technological landscape due to budget restrictions and public sector constraints. Budgets are tightly controlled, as they must be spread across various government agencies and ministries. Additionally, recurring election cycles make it difficult to predict buy-in for long-term deployments. I Unfamiliar with adopting new systems, it’s not uncommon for municipal stakeholders to mistrust the effectiveness of Workday. Individuals may shield themselves from the inevitable discomfort of change.
One sign that an individual lacks confidence in the transformation is the use of conditional statements, such as, “If Workday allows us to submit our expenses…” or “That depends if Workday works better than our old system…” Respond to these types of comments with a gentle reframe: “When expenses are submitted in Workday, you’ll be able to analyze spend by department.” Avoid disparaging comments about previous business organization tools. Instead, focus on emphasizing the ease and configurability available with Workday.
Language is powerful. Although a shift in perspective may take repeated efforts, you can promote buy-in through patient, concerted encouragement.
Practice Empathy Towards Public Sector Workers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022 Employee Tenure report, municipal workers tend to remain at their jobs for 7.8 years, compared to other industry workers who stay at their jobs for 4.8 years. Therefore, it is likely you will encounter long-tenured workers if you are implementing Workday for a municipality.
Keep in mind that the longer an individual is in a role, the harder it can be to embrace change, especially a change that affects one’s day-to-day like Workday. The routine of a job offers comfort, stability, and predictability, and learning new ways of working is challenging.
Practice empathy by recognizing and naming current learning obstacles. Validating concerns, however small, makes individuals feel heard. Every stakeholder will experience change at their own pace, and lending a listening ear goes a long way.
While there are many things that municipalities can do to support a successful go-live, these four considerations are some of the most important factors for a smooth experience.
