Solid Solutions

Without an HR function at all until 2017, Solid Solutions relied on limited internal systems to connect employees, managers and teams.

On joining the business to form the HR department of one, HR Manager – Helen Scares – found her work cut out to deliver even the simplest of data requests.

“Before Natural HR, we had some internal systems that performed specific functions for us – like holiday booking and a directory phone system. There was nothing where employees and managers could access information about other employees, teams and organisational structures.”

“As a result, any type of information request from a manager – even something as simple as, ‘Can you tell me how many days holiday my staff have got left?’ – required extensive spreadsheet crunching.”

“Similarly, a request for things like job titles, or where a team member is based, would mean having to go back  into the HR contract to find out.”

“It all added up to a slow response on all kinds of queries, so self-service became a key driver behind our approach to Natural HR. We wanted
employees and managers to be self-sufficient, and work at the speed they’re used to working with everywhere else.”

Other drivers for the business included easier reporting, recruitment, improved compliance and slicker employee experience.

Implemented in the Autumn of 2018, the Natural HR system has seen high adoption rates right across the business – with Helen quick to praise the system as an ‘easy sell’ to employees.

“We didn’t have to convince people to learn where it was and how to use it – and because all of our employees are highly technical, the training, remote
log-in and webinars were all second nature.”

“Of course, the employees didn’t see the preparation we’d done in advance – a few months’ worth of work with the Natural HR project team, who were absolutely outstanding.”Now fully up and running, the system allows Helen to provide a vastly improved service to employees, with typical queries able to be dealt with swiftly by HR, or bypass the HR desk entirely.

“With self-service available, the worst case scenario is now a very quick response from me, because I’ve got the information at my fingertips as opposed to having to go hunt for it.”

“For me personally, this speed of reporting on things like holidays and length of service is the main benefit. From the employees point of view, it’s the ability to see their holiday information themselves.”

“We’re also just in the middle of our first performance appraisal round, and I’m having a lot of good feedback from the employees about the system’s goal-setting attributes. They can see those on a continuous basis, not just annually, which keeps goals live and relevant throughout the year.

With Solid Solutions being just six months into its Natural HR journey, there’s still plenty more functionality for the business to explore – with the recruitment module top of Helen’s to-do list.

“The facilitation of recruitment was part of our reason for wanting the system, but it’s something we haven’t switched on yet.”

“Also, our onboarding workflows, which we didn’t get round to in the implementation phase, and the social media side of things too – we want
to announce when new starters are coming on board, and the ability to recognise and thank employees.

“There are definitely even more things we can switch on in the system.”

• Self-service functionality provides instant answers for employees and managers, reducing admin pressure on Solid Solutions’ HR department.

• The intuitive HR system helps to deliver an enhanced employee experience, befitting of a business at the technological edge.

• Centralised employee data facilitates simplified reporting. Previously, metrics such as average age had to be obtained manually.

• Greater confidence in compliance achieved, with signed contracts and right-to-work information now easier to store and manage.

• Goal-setting and tracking features help to keep employees motivated and engaged throughout the year.