HR Shared Service Centre - Do’s & Don’ts

This article aims to summarize some of the Do’s and Don’ts that any Shared Services Centre manager should think of. This is not an exhaustive list but enough to increase your chance of success.

PEOPLE

(1) Customer satisfaction

• Be service orientated
• Be customer focus
• Engage with your customers. Remove the barriers
• Do explain what you do. Don’t keep it a mystery
• Don’t be internally focused. Do pay attention to your customer’s feedback
• Do resolve your customer issues
• Pay attention to the development of “shadow organisations”. An unsatisfied customer always find ways to bypass you

(2) Communication

• Do communicate. Communication must not be reactive. It must be planned
• Communicate about who you are, what you do
• Keep your communications clear and simple if you want to be read
• Diversify your communication channel. Don’t stick to emai
• Don’t take good relationships for granted. Communication is an ongoing process (Forums, satisfaction survey, workshops, etc…)

(3) Staff

• Train your staff to be prepared and efficient with customers
• Motivate your staff and avoid high turnover (i.e. provide them with the opportunity to take part in the Service Centre improvement and extension projects)
• Do explain them who their customers are
• Do ensure they engage with customer
• Set up face to face meetings between your staff and their customers

MEASUREMENT

(4) Service Level Agreements (SLA)

• Do develop an SLA and gain the confidence of your customers
• Make sure you take your customers expectations into account
• Do update your SLA and shows that you are service oriented
• Keep it short, keep it simpl
• Make it easy to understand

(5) Measurement

• Do measure and make your SLA relevant
• Do measure qualitative progress and pay attention to your customers’ satisfaction
• Do measure quantitative progress and count the work done by your team
• Do communicate your measurement, use dashboard
• Keep your dashboard simple

(6) Operational cost

• Don’t use automation tools and ensure high cost per transaction
• Do customise your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to death and enjoy high cost of maintenance
• Implement data audits and avoid long term poor data integrity
• Make sure you’re compliant (i.e. Sarbanes Oxley)
• Streamline your processes. Avoid duplication of work effort
• Be customer focus. Avoid the cost of “shadow operations
• Implement effective reporting systems and stop spending so much time gathering data

PROCESSES

(7) Standardisation & centralisation

• Do not apply too many exceptions
• Think global but do not forget the local requirements
• Do not make your HR Service Centre just as an extra step in the process
• Opt for multiple country/one process
• Set clear procedures
• Set clear roles and responsibilities
• Identify process owners
• A streamlined process will be easier to communicate to all parties involved in it

HR SYSTEMS

(8) Automation

• Minimise manual processes and reduce delays
• Minimise paper work and simplify storage of supporting documentation
• Do use workflow (automatic notifications, approvals, etc…) and improve compliance
• Do use automation tools: Self Service tools, Scanning systems, Phone systems, tracking systems, etc… and decrease the cost per transaction
• Do use automation tools (Interactive Voice Response IVR, etc…) and improve response to your customer
• Do use “standard” Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and improve your reporting capabilities

MANAGEMENT

(10) Leadership

• Do get a good leader/manager and do provide that person with clear direction
• Do assign the right people to the right place
• Set clear roles and responsibilities
• Get a clear escalation process if you want to be proactive rather than reactive

(11) Sponsorship

• No sponsor no decision
• Lack of sponsorship longer decision
• Lack of sponsorship and spend more time fighting and negotiating rather than making things happen
• Lack of sponsorship and develop a sense of frustration, a defensive attitude leading to a lack of motivation