Stop Automating Bad Processes: Bridging the Gap Between HRIS Capability and Organizational Need
- Katrina McCullough
- Dec 22
- 12 min read
Updated: Dec 22
A Research-Backed Framework for CHROs on Technology Implementation That Actually Drives Retention and Growth
Executive Summary
Despite unprecedented investment in HR technology—with 48% of HR leaders planning to increase budgets in 2024—most organizations are failing to realize expected returns. Research from Gartner reveals that only 24% of HR functions are maximizing business value from their technology investments, while 58% of HR leaders report their systems don't meet current or future business needs.
The cost of this failure is substantial: 70% of digital transformation initiatives fail to meet objectives, with 49% of those failures traceable directly to inadequate requirements gathering. Conversely organizations that implement HRIS systems properly achieve 40% retention improvements within 12 months and reduce unexpected resignations by 34%.
The difference between success and failure isn't the technology itself, it's understanding that HR transformation is fundamentally about people first, technology second. This white paper provides CHROs with a tactical framework for implementing HR technology that actually serves organizational goals while elevating the human experience.
The Real Problem: Technology That Makes Work Harder,
Not Easier
The Current State of HRIS Implementation
The data paints a sobering picture of HR technology adoption:
These statistics reveal a fundamental disconnect: organizations invest heavily in technology with the promise of efficiency and strategic impact, yet the majority of implementations fail to deliver either. The root cause isn't the technology's capability—it's how it's implemented.
The Hidden Cost: Shadow Systems and Workarounds
When HRIS implementations fail to make employees' lives easier, organizations see predictable patterns emerge:
Employees maintain shadow spreadsheets alongside the "official" system
HR teams spend more time fighting the system than using it strategically
Manual workarounds proliferate, negating automation benefits
System adoption exists on paper but utilization remains minimal
The warning signs are clear: if your team is still keeping spreadsheets after implementation, you didn't fail to go live—you failed to make their work easier.
Why Implementations Fail: The Requirements, Testing, and Change Management Gap
The Requirements Crisis
Research consistently identifies requirements gathering as the single most critical factor in implementation success or failure:
49% of digital transformation projects fail specifically due to requirements issues (Info-Tech Research Group)
Projects with clear requirements are 97% more likely to succeed than those without (Impact Engineering Study, 2024)
Organizations with mature project management practices achieve 92% success rates compared to 33% for those without (PMI Pulse of the Profession, 2024)
The problem manifests in three common mistakes CHROs make:
Automating Existing Inefficiencies Organizations digitize their current processes without questioning whether those processes serve their goals. This approach simply makes bad processes run faster—it doesn't improve outcomes.
Inadequate Requirements Gathering Rushed discovery phases miss critical details about how work actually gets done. Vendors demonstrate their capabilities without truly understanding the organization's unique needs, terminology, and culture.
Dismantling Support After Go-Live Many organizations treat go-live as a finish line, dismantling project management infrastructure precisely when ongoing iteration and refinement become most critical. HRIS systems require continuous optimization as organizational needs evolve.
The Testing Gap
Even well-planned implementations fail without rigorous testing protocols:
29% of project failures stem from poor or inadequate testing, representing a critical gap in quality assurance practices (Beta Breakers, 2024)
50% of project budgets are spent rectifying errors post-implementation, indicating insufficient pre-launch validation (Software Quality Research, 2024)
Production defects are significantly more expensive to fix than issues caught during testing phases, with experts often reassigned by the time defects surface
Organizations that establish clear exit criteria for testing—including acceptable defect thresholds by severity level, comprehensive regression testing, and validation across all integration points—dramatically reduce post-launch failures and associated costs.
The Change Management Imperative
Even technically successful implementations fail without proper change management:
Organizations that embed a clear people agenda are 2.6x more likely to succeed in their transformation (BCG, 2024)
Culture-focused organizations see 5.3x higher success rates than those focused only on technology (McKinsey, 2024)
The message is clear: technology implementations succeed or fail based on human factors,
not technical ones.
The Opportunity: What Proper HRIS Implementation Actually Delivers
Measurable Business Impact
When HRIS systems are implemented with rigorous requirements gathering, comprehensive testing protocols, proper change management, and ongoing support, the results are dramatic:
Retention & Engagement:
31% better retention outcomes with integrated systems compared to fragmented approaches (HR Cloud/SHRM, 2025)
40% retention improvement within 12 months of implementing comprehensive workforce management platforms (HR Cloud/SHRM, 2025)
Revenue & Performance:
31% higher revenue growth for organizations prioritizing employee experience in technology implementations (IBM/Oracle, 2024)
92% project success rate for organizations with mature project management practices vs. 33% without (PMI, 2024)
Operational Efficiency:
HR teams can redirect up to 72.6% of their time from manual tasks (45.2% building ad hoc reports + 27.4% merging data from multiple sources) to strategic work when systems are properly implemented (NTT DATA, 2024)
Self-service features reduce HR tickets by 60-80% when portals are properly configured and adopted (Industry Research, 2024)
The Strategic Shift: From Administrative to Strategic
Current research shows that 57% of HR time is spent on administrative tasks, leaving minimal capacity for strategic work (Deloitte). "HR teams spend 20-30% of their time solely answering routine questions about leave policies, balances, and procedures" (Adam Leeper, CEO of Forge Achievement Coaching, cited in Applaud HR research)
Proper HRIS implementation doesn't just automate these tasks—it fundamentally transforms what HR teams can accomplish:
After Proper Implementation:
System generates reports automatically
Data integration provides real-time insights
HR professionals freed to provide "richer actionable insights" that drive business decisions
Focus shifts from report-running to strategic partnership
The People-First Framework: What CHROs Should Actually Be Doing
Phase 1: Deep Discovery Before Design
Successful implementations begin with understanding organizational reality, not technology capability.
Critical Actions:
Map current state comprehensively: Understand not just what processes exist, but why they exist. What outcomes are teams actually trying to achieve? Organizations often have excellent reasons for doing things their way. Don't dismiss these as "resistance to change", understand the logic, then determine if its a change management item or if technology can achieve the same outcome more effectively.
Assess organizational characteristics to inform project management approach: Evaluate technology sophistication levels, exposure to change across the organization, enthusiasm versus resistance to new systems, and previous implementation experiences. This assessment enables the project management team to tailor communication strategies, training approaches, and implementation pacing to meet the organization where it is, ensuring higher adoption rates and smoother transitions.
Document requirements rigorously: Research shows that organizations with clear, documented requirements before development are 97% more likely to succeed. This isn't bureaucracy, it's the difference between success and failure.
The McCullough Management Approach:
McCullough Management conducted comprehensive requirements gathering for California's fourth-largest school district, mapping current state and future state across all back-office systems. The engagement documented not only operational processes but also the underlying rationale, desired outcomes, and practical improvements that would genuinely enhance daily workflows.
The Result:
3,500 requirements for HR, Payroll and Financial systems.
150 subject matter experts engaged.
3 days of comprehensive demos per vendor.
All cloud ERP and HCM major vendors participated.
Selection of the vendor was unanimous due to the confidence based on the requirements and the demonstrations.
When the RFP was issued to vendors, they characterized it as the most organized they had ever seen a school district in an RFP. The resulting implementation proceeded successfully because vendors understood precisely what constituted success for this specific organization.
Phase 2: Bridge Technology Capability to Organizational Need
Technology vendors speak their product's language. Organizations speak their operational language. Without translation, implementations fail.
Critical Actions:
Create shared language and manage terminology transitions:
Modern HRIS systems use industry-standard terminology that differs from organizational vocabulary
Bridge the gap through clear communication, training that connects old terms to new ones, and documentation
Prioritize user experience for both employees and HR professionals:
HRIS Systems serve two distinct populations:
employees using self-service (69% report barriers; 92% want portals that work)
HR professionals managing workflows
Each group has different needs and technical sophistication
Configure to optimize experiences for both populations
Leverage vendor defaults while configuring for organizational requirements:
Begin with out-of-the-box functionality (industry best practices, system stability, upgradability)
Configure strategically only for governmental compliance, unique policies, or critical processes that cannot use standard functionality
Resist customizing simply because "that's how we've always done it"
The McCullough Management Approach:
McCullough Management structured a three-day workshop for HCM design on an Oracle engagement once it became clear that the vendor was proposing solutions without understanding our clients environment and organizational needs:
Day 1 — Vendor learns organizational terminology and processes
Day 2 — Map requirements using both vocabularies
Day 3 — Demonstrate design recommendations balancing standard functionality with organizational requirements
The result - we finalized design ahead of schedule because the HR team fully understand the new technology and was able to make clear decisions with confidence. This produced a system leveraging vendor best practices while accommodating legitimate requirements, resulting in substantially higher adoption and effectiveness.
Phase 3: People-Centered Project Management
Most project management firms excel at timelines, deliverables, and Gantt charts. But HRIS implementations don't fail because of missed deadlines, they fail because nobody ensured the technology actually serves the people using it.
Critical Actions:
Execute projects in support of people: Project teams implement technology to enable HR professionals to perform their best work. Success is measured not by meeting go-live dates but by creating systems users genuinely want to adopt.
Maintain structure while adapting thoughtfully: Apply rigorous project discipline while remaining flexible enough to adjust when discoveries reveal that organizational needs differ from initial assumptions.
Develop internal expertise: Handle project management complexity so HR professionals can focus on deep system learning and understanding how it supports their people.
Treat participation as professional development: Well-executed project involvement fundamentally builds team members' capabilities. This compounds the benefit, technology enables new work and the implementation process itself develops new skills.
Respect timeline realities while ensuring quality: Organizations often face fiscal year or calendar year go-live requirements. When hard deadlines exist, comprehensive planning determines what can realistically be accomplished within those constraints. This may necessitate phased approaches or extended timelines to ensure proper implementation rather than rushing to meet dates that compromise quality.
Phase 4: Ongoing Iterative Support & Enhancement
The most critical implementation failure occurs when organizations treat go-live as a finish line and dismantle project management infrastructure precisely when ongoing optimization becomes most essential.
Critical Actions:
Maintain support infrastructure: Organizational needs evolve, teams grow, and business requirements change. Technology systems must adapt continuously rather than remain frozen in initial go-live configuration.
Plan beyond minimum viable product: Many organizations implement minimum viable product (MVP) configurations at launch, intending to add enhanced features post-stabilization. However, without dedicated project management support and protected time for the HR team to engage in enhancement initiatives, organizations remain indefinitely at MVP level. This prevents realization of the substantial value delivered by advanced system capabilities. Establishing a cultural understanding that post-launch enhancement is essential, not optional, ensures continuous improvement and maximizes technology investment returns.
Monitor actual usage patterns: Analyze whether employees use the system or work around it. Usage data reveals where configuration requires adjustment before workarounds become entrenched habits.
Iterate based on feedback: Regular user check-ins uncover friction points before they become reasons to quit, both the system and the organization.
Measure business outcomes, not system uptime: Don't celebrate that "the system is working." Celebrate that unexpected resignations dropped 34% or that HR freed f their time for strategic work.
The Career Development Connection: Why This Matters for Retention
Proper HRIS implementation isn't just about operational efficiency—it's directly connected to the factors that drive employee retention.
The Career Development Gap
Research reveals a critical disconnect in organizations:
71% of employees say career growth opportunities are very important for retention (Association for Talent Development)
Companies with formal career development programs see 50% higher engagement scores (HRbrain, 2024)
How Properly Implemented HRIS Closes This Gap
Well-configured HRIS systems don't just track career paths—they make them visible, accessible, and actionable:
Transparent Performance Feedback: Real-time visibility into performance enables meaningful development conversations
Career Path Visibility: Employees can see progression opportunities, required skills, and development resources
Skills Gap Analysis: Systems identify development needs and match them with available training
Internal Mobility: Proper systems surface internal opportunities before external recruiting begins
The research validates this connection: academic studies show that positive HRIS implementation leads to higher job satisfaction, which leads to lower turnover intention. Organizations that implement HRIS to facilitate career development—not just track it—create the conditions where people choose to stay and grow.
The ROI Reality: Why Investment Without Implementation Excellence Fails
Mark Whittle, Gartner VP: "While HR leaders believe that HR technology is important and impactful, they continue to struggle with how to gain the most value. The goal isn't to maximize technology's value to HR alone, but to maximize the business value the technology can bring to the entire organization."
The Investment-Outcome Disconnect
Increasing Investment:
48% of HR leaders plan to increase 2024 HR technology budgets (Gartner, 2024)
$3.4 trillion projected global digital transformation investment by 2026 (IDC)
Disappointing Returns:
Only 24% of HR functions maximize business value from HR technology (Gartner, 2024)
58% say their technology doesn't meet current or future needs (Gartner, 2024)
70% of digital transformations fail to meet objectives (McKinsey/BCG)
This isn't a technology problem, it's an implementation problem.
How McCullough Management Does It Differently: A Tactical Framework for Success
Based on research showing organizations with mature project management achieve 92% success rates versus 33% without, CHROs should implement this framework:
Pre-Implementation (Months 1-6)
Objective: Understand organizational reality before evaluating technology
Key Actions:
Map current state workflows across all affected teams
Document the why behind every process, not just the how
Assess organizational characteristics to inform project management approach
Identify what outcomes matter (not what features sound impressive)
Build business case on retention/performance outcomes, not feature lists
Success Metric: Requirements documentation that map your current state to your desired future state, written by the team members who do the work and approved by executives who have a strategic vision for the future.
Selection & Configuration (Months 4-9)
Objective: Match technology to organizational needs, not the reverse
Key Actions:
Translate organizational needs into vendor language
Configure systems for your workflows, not vendor defaults
Eliminate unnecessary complexity ruthlessly
Design for user experience
Establish comprehensive testing protocols with clear exit criteria
Establish ongoing project management infrastructure
Success Metric: System configuration demonstrably serves actual organizational workflows with documented testing protocols and stakeholder-validated acceptance criteria.
Implementation & Adoption (Months 6-18)
Objective: Make technology genuinely easier to use than current methods
Key Actions:
Maintain user-centered implementation methodology throughout all project phases
Execute comprehensive testing protocols with documented defect resolution by severity
Conduct continuous user validation testing beyond formal User Acceptance Testing
Deploy role-specific training tailored to distinct user populations and use cases
Establish defect triage and resolution protocols with stakeholder validation
Measure adoption metrics and user satisfaction alongside traditional project milestones
Success Metric: Successful go-live with sustained adoption rates, decreasing support tickets over time, measurable elimination of shadow systems, and documented progress toward ROI targets.
Optimization & Evolution (Months 12+)
Objective: Continuously improve as organizational needs evolve and move beyond MVP to enhanced capabilities
Key Actions:
Monitor usage data to identify friction points
Gather regular feedback on system effectiveness
Plan and execute enhancement projects with dedicated resources
Iterate configuration to better serve emerging needs
Expand capabilities as user sophistication grows
Measure business outcomes: retention rates, time allocation, manager effectiveness
Sample Success Metrics:
30%+ reduction in unexpected resignations within 12 months
60%+ of HR time redirected from administrative to strategic work
Measurable increase in employee satisfaction with career development opportunities
Successful implementation of enhanced features beyond initial MVP
Why McCullough Management: Implementation Excellence That Delivers Results
We don't just implement systems—we transform how organizations work in ways that genuinely improve people's lives. Our approach combines three critical elements that research shows drive success:
1. Rigorous Requirements Discipline
We understand that 49% of digital transformation failures trace to requirements issues, and that clear requirements make projects 97% more likely to succeed. That's why we invest substantial time upfront to truly understand organizational reality before recommending technology.
2. People-Centered Project Management
We execute projects in support of the people who will use the system, maintaining appropriate timelines while never compromising quality for arbitrary deadlines. Our approach is structured yet adaptable—maintaining the discipline that drives the 92% success rate research shows for mature project management, while remaining flexible enough to truly serve your unique needs.
3. Ongoing Partnership
We understand that HRIS systems need iterative, ongoing support—not just through go-live but as your needs evolve and as you move from minimum viable product to enhanced capabilities. We maintain the project infrastructure that enables the 40% retention improvement research shows is achievable within 12 months of proper implementation.
Our Track Record:
Representative Engagements:
California School District Implementation: Comprehensive requirements gathering for all back-office systems produced vendor feedback characterizing it as the most thorough RFP process they had experienced; implementation proceeding successfully
Oracle Implementation: Structured three-day workshop methodology transformed vendor-client communication barriers into highly effective collaboration, resulting in system configuration aligned with actual organizational workflows
Cross-Platform Experience: Delivered successful implementations across proprietary systems, mid-level platforms, and major ERP solutions. While the technology varies, methodology excellence remains consistent
We bridge what technology can do with what your organization actually needs—with project management that makes employees' lives genuinely easier.
Conclusion: The Choice Before CHROs
HR technology delivers transformational results when implemented properly. Organizations taking a people-first, requirements-rigorous, testing-comprehensive approach achieve:
31% better retention with integrated systems
31% higher revenue growth
70%+ of HR time freed from administrative burden
With 48% of HR leaders increasing budgets, the question isn't whether to invest—it's whether that investment joins the 70% of failures or the 24% maximizing business value.
True success means technology that makes employees' lives easier, HR teams freed for strategic work, and measurable retention improvements.
McCullough Management specializes in bridging technology capability and organizational need through deep understanding of culture and human dynamics.
Next Steps
If your organization is:
Planning an HRIS implementation or upgrade
Struggling with adoption of current systems
Seeing the warning signs (shadow spreadsheets, workarounds, low utilization)
Ready to achieve the retention and efficiency gains research shows are possible
Let's discuss how proper implementation methodology can transform your results.\
McCullough Management - Bridging Technology Capability and Organizational Need Implementation Excellence That Actually Delivers Results
Research Sources: Gartner (2024), Project Management Institute (2024), McKinsey & Company (2024), Boston Consulting Group (2024), Harvard Business Review, Society for Human Resource Management, Deloitte, IBM Institute for Business Value, Oracle, Association for Talent Development, NTT DATA Business Solutions, Info-Tech Research Group, HR Cloud, Beta Breakers Software Quality Research
Comments