HR Vision Podcast #34 – Increasing employee retention with a Boarding solution – ft. Greg Horn

Ivo:

Let's start then. Just open this up little bit more. Yes, OK? Hey everyone, and welcome to the HR Vision podcast. I'm your host Ivo and every week I'm going to have a conversation that matters about our this week. I have Greg Horn with me again, welcome Greg. How are you doing?

Greg:

I'm doing well thanks. How are you?

Ivo:

I'm good. Thank you for being here once again. Greg was on the podcast earlier we were discussing his expertise as a consultant, but today we're going in a different direction. Is our boarding web app product specialist and we're going to talk about that super important process in HR, which is welcoming your new employees in a way that they feel part of the team from day one, and increasing your chances of retaining them. So we're going to talk a lot about the solution, what are the functionality's in depth that can help you with that process. So Greg you ready, let's get to it.

Greg:

Yes, let's do it.

Ivo:

Alright good. We have a strong partnership with Microsoft, right? So starting with Dynamics HR, is going to be dynamics finance and operations. What can you tell us about about Microsoft boarding functionalities in terms of the HR app?

Greg:

Yeah, a little bit of history Microsoft used to have their own on actually applicant tracking system into a boarding with Microsoft to track Microsoft decided, Few years back to go another direction. So the functionality currently in the solution is what are called Checklists. So you can you can set up onboarding offboarding transition checklist in Dynamics 365 HR and be able to set up. Basically it's an electronic task list. It has a little bit more functionality than just a yes, The person did it. They know they didn't. You can actually have it navigate to external websites. It can launch different screens with inside dynamics HR. So if you're onboarding an employee it can go to higher worker process. Or maybe you need to set up a screening for the individual. It can go to that to be able to record that for that. That onboarding employee. But that's basically where the Microsoft functionality stops. We developed our boarding application to be able to be an enhancement to that, I think that the general feeling with all of our web apps is, you know, an extension to what Microsoft does not try to replace What Microsoft does.

Ivo:

Yeah, exactly. It adds extends the functionality right that's where basically we come in. So go into that. Like I mentioned before, you were a boarding product specialist, so let's say listeners don't know the Web app. what can they expect from it?

Greg:

So taking off from that and important to know that you don't need to reset up any data in the system. All of the information that is in your if you're utilizing them in Dynamics 365 HR is in the dynamics 365 HR solution and synchronizes to our boarding web app. I would say the biggest you know, biggest difference with our boarding application is it allows you to be able to add a lot more graphical content and make the on boarding process a lot more. I guess maybe as you know professional looking.

Ivo:

maybe approachable as well like more, more relatable, not too robotic I guess.

Greg:

Yeah, so I think the boarding process just over overall is a key piece of a hire to retire cycle. It's the person that's coming on Board's first impression of the organization. And if things don't happen, they don't get there cell phone. Or they don't have email, they don't know who to go to for questions and in context. that information you start that employee off in a bad and not so great spot they don't have a great feeling about hey what the heck did I really get myself into here? So what our boarding app allows you to be able to do and it works for transition. So if an employee is Moving from one position to another, or I have a customer that I'm working with that with for long term leaves, individuals are off and to be able to help incorporate them back into the corporate culture. They're using boarding guides to be able to help that not new boarding, but kind of a reboarding of the of the individual or offboarding as well. And it allows you to be able to set up stand your kind of standardized product, your processes depending upon whether it's by region, there might be some different things that might need to happen for that employee based on their region or based on the type of employee they are. Maybe they're a normal salaried worker versus an executive and key to making sure that All of those the one the cut the employee feels comfortable in in their process. and also that there aren't any missteps that things that we needed to have happen, Get missed and the customers I've worked with, it's they're working in with word Docs and Excel spreadsheets, and people are having their own their own checklists and in inevitably stuff. Stuff gets missed and being mobile to not only create those guides from templates, send them out to individuals where they have their own onboarding portal to be able to see what things they need to accomplish who they contact if they've got questions and also for the managers to be able to see where they are in those different steps. Really key, and I've gotten a lot of very good feedback from customers and they're onboarding employees to be really enhancing their experience, and I think that really can set those individuals to a much easier process in a better feeling for working for the organization overall.

Ivo:

no. Yeah, I definitely understand that. From what you said, I also get the feeling that this is not a closed loop, The web app. What I mean by that is you don't need to be inside the company all ready to go see all this so you can actually share already like some activities or the on boarding guide through the portal to someone through to their private emails. So a new hire can already see what it's going to look like, what he's going to do. He can already read some documents even before He or she joins That's true, right?

Greg:

Yep, when You create your boarding guide. You can use an individual's personal email address, or if they are, maybe they already have a corporate one set up. Then when the guide utilizing that template, you can modify the template to the different activities that need to happen, who the contacts are, attachments that If there's maybe a form, That they need to fill out, You can attach that to the boarding guide. It will get sent to them. You can define a email template, so again standardization to when it goes out, that the detail that you want the individual to be able to see correct. Welcome Message Gets sent, the individual gets at in their email, be it personal or corporate. There's a link In there to go to the boarding guide portal. They log in. You can set. You've got some controllable security in there as well as to whether the company sets the password whether the individual sets The password. they log in, maintain their onboarding activities, and as soon as the individual is maybe uploading a document, that's required. That immediately seen back in for the managers be at one or more managers of the boarding guides for those employees, so they're able to see status, you said due dates? So there's some color coding dashboarding to be able to see. We need to have this by Friday and it's Wednesday and We don't have this, Already.

Ivo:

So I think that what you mentioned about uploaded documents because I see that a lot of times you know before you join, sometimes you need to. I don't know. Provide your passport copy or your bank number copy or something like that. That's also possible from a personal email. Again, enter that boarding portal and update. Upload those documents even before you join so the process goes smoother, right?

Greg:

right, And one of the keys and that personal experience for the individual then. Once they get a email, they're able. we can then convert that over to their corporate email, Once they've received that. and then also you know we're looking to enhance the integrations because typically we don't offer an applicant tracking system, but we have partners that do. so a lot in what our customers are saying is hey, I've got a lot of this information about that individual already in our applicant tracking system. Can we interface that with dynamics 365 to eliminate data entry? Can we interface that with boarding? Or can we interface that with HR and then send out boarding guides from that and working through that loop to again eliminate the data entry is 'cause we're going through that onboarding process.

Ivo:

OK, OK, that's that's interesting. Besides setting up activities, those templates, those guide templates. the access to the portal, the fact that you can standardize the process there, are other functionalities that you know talking with customers that you figure out that they are really happy with. They're really interesting for them.

Greg:

Yeah, the document attachment capabilities that we discussed are really nice, because typically with an onboarding process documents are going to, need to be upset W4Z9 even tracking of things like screenings. You know company might have a policy to do a a drug screening or.

Ivo:

Criminal records, for example. Yeah,

Greg:

yeah exactly. And being able to track that process sending out the nice thing too is in these activities are not just static. you need to do this. You need to meet with your manager. You can send out multimedia content be it from you, know from YouTube or Vimeo to be able to enhance That experience, customer I have is already a large catalog of welcome to our organization videos. So in their onboarding guides, that's one of the activities that the individual can, watch a video, or could be a Microsoft Stream if you want to have them attend a class, maybe you're hiring A lot of individuals. Maybe you're hiring 10/20 people at A time and you wanna do an online webcast. That is an onboarding session so you could attach a stream or even a power app. I had one customer that was we actually create a power app to kind of walk them through a questionnaire and the questionnaire was basically How was your onboarding experience and some different questions around that? You could even have like a not training, but a kind of quick quiz, Being able to gather knowledge about them, how well they know what they're being hired on for.
So there's a lot of, and those are some of the advantages. I think that we saw were gaps in the HR checklist functionality that we talked about and enhanced when it came to our Web app. and We're constantly looking to add additional things as well. Like the ability to be able to integrate document signing. That's something I've gotten asked multiple times for individuals or like an offer letter, and typically a lot of ATS solutions do have that kind of capability so customers could still use that. But were definitely looking into being able to send documents. And electronically sign them straight to our boarding application.

Ivo:

Interesting, super interesting, a lot of cool functionalities already and the work never stopped so we gotta, It's just going to get better. So going a bit back, of course you said that we started developing it. Or basically yeah, it came about because Microsoft used to have kind of a boarding, a talent boarding app. they Stopped doing it. do you know if there is a reason for that? Do you think there's a possibility that Microsoft goes back to it or are they just happy with all the partners? And what the partners have created to support those gaps? Or to fill those gaps?

Greg:

I even heard anything that that would be something and there's one to be honest, I never really heard exactly why they did that. It was a good functioning app, but ours is very has a lot of similarities to that application. With some definite enhancements and looking to take it further. I think maybe part of it is just having worked For Microsoft directly, Microsoft is always very steadfast in their vision that they are a partner driven organization. And maybe they just felt that they wanted to focus more on the core HR functionality versus other solutions like applicant tracking or, Being able the onboarding process and we worked so closely with Microsoft. You know we knew it was coming and decided that hey, here's an app for an opportunity for us to be able to enhance what the current you know current solution does.

Ivo:

Definitely alright. Let's say that a company wants to implement this web app. Can you run us through what what is required to set it up? You just need the core HR? How does it work? and does it allow different integrations? Besides of course dynamics.

Greg:

Yeah, It's probably standard or normal, You know fourvision implementation process is, we need to gather the requirements, whether What's your typical prop business process? What documents do you capture? What steps Do you need to handle? Is it strictly in one functionality? Even I think mentioned before that Just came to mind was not only can the boarding process help standardize that onboarding employees activities, but you also have the ability to attach in tasks for current employees. so you can attach and send alerts to individuals that when you know Greg Horn is onboarding, and that we need to have IT. You know issue them A key security card to be able to enter the building they need to get him a phone, Need to get him a laptop and be able to track and make sure that those are individuals, not activities for that onboarding employee. But be able to track the task for those people so basic and we go through workshops to be able to understand what The customer is doing now. What would they like to do and seeing the application? a bunch of ideas popping in their heads. and then take all of that. Incorporate it, then set it up and design it in the boarding application and then do a kind of show and tell to say here's what it is. How does this look? Train them and then what I've even seen is customers will take it from there and and add stuff. One of our customers Just went live on boarding and I showed them stuff and a couple weeks later went in and they've really enhanced it and and taken their own learning to be able to really take to the next step.

Ivo:

Yeah, I think that also shows like how easy it is to use, right? Because if they can, In a couple of weeks Already do a lot with it really shows it's not only because. Of course we are selling it. We are developing it, but It's a proof. If a customer actually uses it that fast that well, it shows that it's very easy to use, right?

Greg:

Yeah, for sure. That was one of the things before we started chatting. I was thinking about is that amongst all of our web apps that we produce and implement. It is very easy not to make it seem too simplistic or basic, but there's there aren't a lot of areas that you really have to. Dive deep into, but not to say that it's not very valuable customer. We get have been getting Very good feedback on the application to be able to, then take it to the next level.

Ivo:

Awesome, Just one thing still referring to that question. Maybe we didn't touch that point, does it integrates seamlessly of course with Dynamics 365 HR. Does it allow other integration or combinations? With other apps that maybe you know ATS that the customer some ATS that the customer is using, how does it work with integrations?

Greg:

Yeah, we're working with our partners to be able to, There's the native we've set up with dynamics. Is you just as you discussed, but other partners that we have or we have the ability in our development framework even to look to ones that. Customer, we're not even aware of that current customer. I was talking about. We're currently working with them and to develop and work with the API's that that cut that ATS solution that they're using has to be able to integrate and discuss. Does it make more sense for us to do that integration from their applicant tracking system to HR and then to boarding or to boarding and then Into our dynamics HR.

Ivo:

OK alright. Not getting too much into technical details, but regarding data and data security, what can you tell us about it? It doesn't create any duplicates I guess, of course, but how does it handle data?

Greg:

Yeah, data stored in Azure typically It used to be warehousing and in a Microsoft data center, But now it's in customers environments. which still as much as Microsoft as well, and you can go out and look to Microsofts security. It's world class and not only just in security. Making sure that people don't have access to data, our solutions, our role base. So the data that you have access is Controlled not only with inside the security framework of D365HR, which comes over to our web app, but within the web app as well.

Ivo:

OK, cool, just one more thing related to that. When you do an update on boarding, upload something a document or something. Those documents are stored only on the boarding web app. If the customer is for example, document management web app as well. For example, we provide one. Is that also going directly to that? Does it take a lot of time? How that process works?

Greg:

Yeah, the standard without Document management it stores it in the same you know in the same Azure. I think if I remember right, blob storage that any of the other data through boarding is created. If you're using our document management web app, you then have the ability to have some more control over where the document the documents are housed. Another feature that we've talked about potentially. Is the ability for any documents that might be interchanged with that employee to then maybe even be able to be visible with inside HR. so when you go on to the employee record that you would actually be able to see that filled out I-9 or W4 or other documents that might signed. So that's something we've been, I've been talking with, you know, with Peter and our development team about. Potentially adding that as well as I talked about the document signature capability.

Ivo:

OK cool yeah. Last but not least, let's look a bit into the future of the boarding app you already talked about. Some of the those, the DocuSign capability. Then you know being able to report the data updates or the documents updates back to HR. Is there any other capabilities that you see in the future that we will probably work on?

Greg:

I think those are the biggest Ones. we are constantly looking looking as well to feedback from our customers of what things that they would want to see. I would also maybe forsee something where there's maybe a little tighter integration with those background check providers that you could maybe embed. You can embed websites in the activities, but maybe a little more seamless. So if individuals gotta go out and do a background check that's more seamlessly integrated into the activities that they need to complete. it Would something Kind of? Off top my head, some of the things, but yeah, we're working with customers closely too, and I think that's really key to be able to make sure that, they're using it on a daily basis. And I think they've got the best vision. Into what we should be putting into the solution.

Ivo:
Yeah, that's interesting. Any other functionalities that you see? Coming possibly in the future?

Greg:

Yeah funny you mention that I just thought of one. I saw one of my one and it was one of my coworkers who had shown it to me was a power app and I'm pretty sure that Microsoft had created. and it was equipment acquisition which would typically be a part of a persons onboarding process, to pick their laptop in the power app actually had. You know the pictures of select your computer and you could see all the different options of laptop that the individual picked from, so they select that and then you know here you're different phone options and select that. So that's something that could as an idea. I'm sure it was something that they thought of as something that people might be interested in. Kind of trying to incorporate in Kind of employee self service feature set. and being able to then assist you know the IT team which would yeah typically have to do. Have to do that process and if it's more of an automated you know with with pictures and everything else that graphical experience would probably give that individual much more comfort and a little more comfort feel when they're coming onboard.

Ivo:

and it sounds kind of cool, right?

Greg:

Technology I love I think I'm like, oh man, that's kind of cool with all the pictures you can pick from the pictures and it'll then send to IT to alert them that the individual selected their equipment and I think it would also for the employee would make them feel more you know not being told. Here's what it is involvement in the process as well and kind of building that teamwork.

Ivo:

Yeah and funny that you mention as well the alerts because I thought. Maybe another thing that we could integrate, I don't know if it's integrated already. It's like email notifications. Imagine that you have an activity that needs someone to review it or someone to do something about it. You know, kind of generating an email notification. I don't know if that's In place already or it can be an idea also to do it?

Greg:

Yeah it. It already is whether you know the employee is. I think we talked about a little earlier, gets the Onboarding guide their notification that they have an onboarding guide to go to the portal. Isn't is an email and then from there they're managing their tasks. If items are getting close to due date, they want the onboarding employee is warned about that. If the customers utilizing the task functionality that we talked about the tasks are not for the onboarding employee. But for the existing employee, those folks those people are notified through employee selfservice in HR. then they can also be in Either either or Being able to be notified through email and that email gives them a link and the link is to the board is to the boarding application to be able to update and complete whatever task that that existing employee needs to execute for the the onboarding employee.

Ivo:

Cool, cool, fascinating stuff. So I think it's a good way to end this episode, Greg. Thank you again for coming in once again, so it's always Nice to talk to you. I hope you enjoyed it as well.

Greg:

Sounds good. Thank you so much.

Ivo:

Alright Greg, have a good one and people listening out there. We'll see you next time. Alright.