Written by Carling Sternbach
We have all heard the saying, “been there, done that.” One arena where this saying certainly rings true for me is in my work consulting with clients on how to best utilize their HCM technology. Former HR practitioners turned consultants, like myself, bring a unique perspective to the table because we can leverage our prior experience from our practitioner days, as well as previous client engagements, to continually raise the bar of success for our clients.
Former HR practitioners, with their accumulated knowledge and experiences, are easily able to put themselves in the client’s shoes because they have literally been in those shoes before. This qualifies us to offer guidance, advice, make recommendations, and spare the client the anguish of mistakes that we have already made. Our knowledge and experiences give us credibility with clients so that they know that they can rely on our recommendations confidently. Essentially, a former practitioner working in the capacity of a consultant enhances the value proposition offered by HRchitect, where the majority of our consultants are former HR practitioners.
Consultants with an HR practitioner’s background have witnessed the specific challenges involved in human capital management (HCM) technology. They have worked to resolve them with the intent to make business processes more efficient. As consultants, with any project, we want to ensure we are guiding every client in the right direction so that their experience with their HCM software is utilized to its full potential and functioning at the system’s maximum capacity. This results in a significant ROI for our client’s technology investment.
At the beginning of any project, one of the first questions we ask when engaging with a new client is, “What challenges have you faced with your current HCM system that you are looking to streamline or enhance with their new HCM system?” Understanding the answer to this question, and the organization’s current pain points, allows us to tap into our most relevant prior experience and best guide the client so that their organization will have a positive experience and see the value of their new HCM system for years to come.
In short, having a consultant who is a former HR practitioner by your side adds tremendous value, whether you are evaluating and selecting a new HCM system, implementing a new system, optimizing an existing system, or anything in between.
Carling Sternbach is an HCM Implementation Consultant at HRchitect. Carling brings several years of professional Human Resources experience, with a focus on payroll and accounts payable, to the HRchitect team. Carling’s expertise spans a wide variety of industries, including consumer packaged goods (CPG), hospitality, and professional services. This functional and technical expertise, along with experience gained working as an HR system administrator at a prominent CPG company, provides Carling with a unique perspective on how HR organizations work, allowing her to design and operate highly effective HCM systems for her clients.
Learn more about Carling here