70% of failed HRIS projects fail because of change resistance, not technology. Investing early in a structured change management approach turns a deployment into a lasting transformation.
ADKAR model applied to HRIS #
| Step | Goal | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Why change | Leadership communication, site visits, testimonials |
| Desire | Want to change | Personal benefits, ambassadors, demos |
| Knowledge | Know how to | Training, e-learning, documentation |
| Ability | Skills embedded | Guided practice, coaching, hotline |
| Reinforcement | Make it last | Usage metrics, celebrations, adjustments |
Step-by-step #
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Impact diagnosis #
Map who changes what: who sees their role evolve, which process disappears, which skill becomes essential.
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Segmented strategy #
Each group has needs: HR ops want time savings, managers want simplicity, employees want effective self-service.
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Ambassador network #
10-15% of headcount as ambassadors: trained ahead, they relay communication and coach peers.
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Communication plan #
Multichannel (email, intranet, videos, all-hands), multi-frequency (launch, milestones, post go-live), multi-actor (leadership, HR, ambassadors).
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Adoption measurement #
Login rate, % of key feature use, satisfaction. Continuous adjustments.
FAQ #
What % of project budget?
15-20% of total budget. Under 10%, high risk of failure.
And declared opponents?
Don’t ignore them. Understand their fears (often legitimate) and respond concretely.
When to see first results?
Target 70%+ adoption at 3 months post go-live. At 6 months, >90% or investigate.
Hotline in-house or outsourced?
Hybrid. Level 1 in-house (ambassadors, HR), Level 2 outsourced (Illizeo support).
