Implementing HR tools within international organizations is a pivotal step towards enhancing operational efficiency and streamlining workforce management on a global scale. This article delves into best practices for successfully onboarding HR tools, focusing on how these implementations can optimize processes, improve communication, and foster a cohesive organizational culture across diverse geographical locations.
1. Understand Global Needs 🌎
Identify Requirements: Gather requirements from all regions to ensure the tool meets diverse needs.
Choosing the right HR software is a crucial decision for many tech businesses or companies looking to digitalize their HR processes and scale teams. As a HR software company we know what are the most asked questions and also what’s the most important while choosing a new HR tool. To find out more, check this article.Legal Compliance: Ensure the tool complies with local labor laws and regulations.
Calamari is used in 108 countries. We are known for being flexible, so we can meet legal requirements in various countries.
2. Customization and Flexibility ⚙️
Localization: Adapt the tool to different languages, time zones, public holiday calendars, time off policies, and cultural nuances.
We support 110+ calendars, meaning you don’t have to search for the list of public holidays after hiring from different countries.
Employees can see team availability in their own time zones and use Calamari apps in five languages: English, Polish, French, Spanish, or German.
Scalability: Ensure the tool can grow with the company and accommodate future expansions.
You can flexibly manage your subscription by adding new hires accordingly to the company's growth
Additionally, you get Customer Success support through the Calamari adventure. We are happy to assist you with configuring and importing the new hires' data.
We do not have any limitations related to the absence types, teams, or roles in the system, so you can scale your account as you grow.
We offer many reports on Time Off, Employee data, and Attendance tracking. Each report offers various filtering options, such as teams, locations, and contract types). The report can also be exported to Excel.
3. Integration with Existing Systems 🔗
Seamless Integration: Ensure the HR tool can integrate with the systems you use daily.
Calamari integrates with commonly used systems such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Teams, Jira, etc.
Accurate data from Calamari: It's important to note that the data from Calamari can be exported and processed using your various payroll tools. You can work with the reports in Calamari, export them to an Excel file, and then process the data, or you can build your own custom API integration with your existing payroll tool.
4. Data Migration: Plan for smooth data migration from old systems to the new tool 🔁
Comprehensive data assessment: Look at the big picture and identify all the data sources you can migrate to your new HR system. We have templates to use for uploading data. It is essential to get these in the planning phase to build estimates and data conversion with the proper format from the start.
Data prioritization: You must decide how much of that data is important to you going forward. Would you like to migrate current year absences or previous years as well? Consider the additional effort that may be required to convert the data.
Historical data storage planning: If you decide not to migrate all of your data, you will likely need a repository to store data for the future. When planning your repository, you'll want to consider the costs associated with implementing data storage software, ongoing maintenance, and maintaining permissions. Depending on the costs, it may be beneficial to migrate all of your data.
5. Data Security and Privacy 🔒
Secure Data: Adjusting visibility settings within a time and attendance management system is crucial for maintaining data privacy and security while ensuring efficient workflow management. These settings allow administrators to control who can access and view different types of information within the system, depending on their roles and responsibilities.
Calamari allows you different options for visibility of the employees' side:
different roles
regular employees
you can decide whether to allow employees to view the company-wide calendar or restrict their access to their team members only.
you can decide on the permissions of managers to view the details of their direct reports in the reports section.
you decide which details should be visible to all users and which should only be visible to managers and admins or admins.
6. Streamline daily operations and communication within the global organization 🤝
Calendar visibility: This feature allows employees to see each other’s calendars, which is crucial for scheduling meetings across different time zones. It improves communication by enabling teams to find mutually convenient times without extensive back-and-forth.
Integrations with external calendars: Integration with external calendars (like Google Calendar, Outlook, etc.) ensures seamless synchronization of events and schedules across different platforms. This reduces confusion and ensures that everyone is updated with the latest information, improving overall communication efficiency.
Group notifications: Notifications sent to groups (teams, departments, etc.) ensure that critical information reaches relevant parties promptly. This feature fosters better communication by making sure everyone is informed simultaneously about public holidays, planned time off, remote work. This transparency fosters a better understanding of team availability and ensures smoother operations despite geographical and cultural differences.
Presence list: A presence list indicates who is currently available, which is particularly useful in international companies where team members may be spread across different time zones. It facilitates real-time communication and collaboration by showing when colleagues are working.
Work-With-Me: The "Work with Me" section is a unique feature that provides a platform for employees to share insights on how they prefer to collaborate and communicate. By offering tips and preferences, employees can help their colleagues understand how to work together more effectively, ultimately enhancing the overall team dynamic and productivity.
People directory: Easy access to contact details, team structures, and positions enhances communication by making it effortless to find and connect with colleagues. It promotes a deeper understanding of the organizational hierarchy and improves collaboration across departments and regions.
7. User Training and Support 📚
Comprehensive training: Provide thorough training sessions for HR staff and end-users.
Effective training for employees onboarding to Calamari, especially in international companies, consists of two crucial elements: the tool and the process.
These two elements are inseparable.
On the one hand, we need to teach employees where to log in and where to click to achieve their goals (we cover this part; we offer training materials & the knowledge base for regular employees, managers, and administrators).
On the other hand, the use of the tool is embedded in a broader process that reflects how the organization operates. This part is usually the most valuable for the recipients but is often neglected during the implementation phase.
Based on our experience, you should consider:Roles and responsibilities: Defining who reports, who approves, and in which cases approvals are automatic, while accommodating different roles and responsibilities across countries.
Rules, policies, and expected timelines: Clarifying which absences need to be reported in advance, whether records are completed weekly or monthly, and when to update "work with me," considering that these rules may vary by country.
Recommended features: Informing employees about which features are beneficial and which are not recommended, such as using a QR code to mark attendance in the office and logging work through Slack when working from home, tailored to local practices and preferences.
Reflection in the tool: Demonstrating how company HR policies are integrated within Calamari, with adaptations for different countries' regulations and practices.
Security rules related to the tool: Educating employees on the security protocols associated with using Calamari, ensuring compliance with local data protection laws.
Ongoing support: Establish a support system to assist users with issues and questions. Employees should be informed about who to contact for specific concerns, such as entitlement details, timesheet information, and general tool usage.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about creating an onboarding plan for your organization, feel free to contact us. We're here to help!