How Adopting a HR System Will Turn the NDIS into an Opportunity

Change can always be a scary thing, most of the time people are unenthusiastic about change. However, the only thing that is certain is that those that aren’t agile enough to adapt will be pushed aside or left behind. With the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), perhaps the biggest social reform since Medicare, change and uncertainty are truly present for the organisations impacted.

Although change is a funny thing those who embrace change can find the perfect opportunities which lie within. The key resides in adapting to the environment and embracing the opportunities brought about by change. I’m going to outline the 5 ways that a HRIS can assist organisations dealing with the NDIS to cope with the change and also make them agile for future changes.

It is also important to note that even if your organisation is not affected by the NDIS you will still be able to use these tips to remain agile in the event of change.

Understanding the impact of the NDIS scheme

The NDIS has presented many organisations the challenge of having to change and providing uncertainty in many cases, of the organisations’ future. The NDIS is the perfect opportunity for these organisations to grow as there is a shift to be more customer centric. If done right this will allow organisations to grow as the demand for services outweighs supply.

The main impact will be on how the organisations are funded, there is now a consumer centric approach to disability support. To put it simply instead of organisations applying for funding, the funds will be given directly to the consumer and they will choose where to spend their money. This will give control to participants enabling them to choose services that are more appropriate and suit their needs.

The disability support sector will become an industry following the customer, and responding to customer requirements. This will mean that they need to have a better idea about their organisation and employees, such as privately funded organisations do.

5 ways a HRIS can benefit an organisation dealing with the NDIS

1. Culture

With a Human Resources Information System (HRIS) you will be able to focus on building a strong core with a resilient culture which will help your organisation be where you want it to be. It is paramount to foster a positive culture in the organisation which clearly conveys your organisation’s values. A happy employee with a view and a goal aligned with company values and company goals leads to a better delivery of services. Through a HR system where employees are able to set goals aligned to cpmany values with managers tracking the progression and completion of those goals, you will begin to see a positive shift and increasingly dediated workforce with direction and purpose. With the shift to a more customer centric business model it is extremely important for employees to have the company culture and values instilled in them so as to deliver the best services possible.

2. Engage

With a more customer-centric take on disability services there will likely be an insurgence of private providers in the industry. Now this won’t necessarily present a threat to business, however private providers are able to pay their staff better wages. With a shortage of trained and qualified staff it is really important for organisations relying solely on funding to keep their employees engaged in the organisation to avoid losing them. A HRIS can assist in motivating and empowering employees. By placing employees in charge of their own information will lead them to be more invested and engaged in the organisation making them less likely to leave. If they are likely to leave you’ll have the tools to pre-empt the resignation and act, or be made aware through a flight risk function.

EmployeeConnect Flight Risk Dashboard

3. Develop

A HRIS with a Training module allows you to develop your employees as well as identify skill gaps. In conjunction to this considering the new customer centric approach to disability services, equipped with a HRIS will enable you to identify skill gaps; not only will organisations be able to develop their employees for the future but it will also give organisations and managers a better idea about who to assign to a particular consumer, depending on that consumers needs and that employee’s strengths. For example, some employees will be better at tackling challenging behaviours while others may work better with physical disabilities. Serving a customer rather than caring for a patient will be a new concept to grasp, therefore it is vital that managers have this information on hand to ensure that their customers are receiving the best possible tailored service.

4. Recruit

Recruiting is a major part for any organisation and is essential to get right especially in the light of the NDIS role out. Using a HR System to assist you with recruitment will allow you to be more strategic in your decisions and allow you to compare applicants more effectively. Using a HR System for recruitment means that you can also build your own talent pool so that you can keep track of your bench strength. Building a high quality talent pool will lead to a solid stream of candidates which you can ensure are the right fit for the organisation. This will then save costs in having to find new applicants if the individual you initially hired isn’t the right fit. It is also important to make the candidate feel a smooth transition from applicant to employee, without a HR system this would be a clunky and lengthy process.

5. Report

With the NDIS role out there will be a heavy emphasis on reporting, without a HR system reporting on your workforce can be extremely difficult and time consuming. Reporting shouldn’t be a hard and time consuming task. With a HRIS in place reporting can be made easy. You will be able to get an instant pulse of your HR metrics with flexible user defined reports. A HR system can also provide managers (the people that need it most) with data in real-time to unlock the power of insight and control in a way that is easily understood.

Change is everywhere around us; it always was and always will be. Rather than fearing uncertainty and change, embrace those concepts and build your organisation in such a way that it can thrive off change. Implementing a HRIS will assist you in being agile enough to deal with any industry change that comes your way. Because in a world where quick reactions to a constantly changing landscape define competitive advantage, why not capitalise and embrace change and the opportunities that come with it?