In my previous life as a corporate HR Director, I was a PeopleSoft and most recently a Taleo superuser.  I spent many days in the office taking calls, answering questions, training, and blowing up my ATS and HRIS systems.  I caused trouble much to the chagrin of my HR IT department.  I called for reports, improved processes, and streamlined training that helped the users.  A one page cheat sheet really didn’t do it for me.  There was a better way to make technology more user friendly.

I had Sass.

As an end user who struggled with understanding the placement of buttons, click throughs to process, Saas wasn’t on my mind.  I wanted a better, more efficient and user friendly system human resources data, process technology and reporting system.  And I think that’s typical of the average user of the human resources technologies whether its an applicant tracking system, human resource information system, or employee peformance review technology. , SaaS is a type of on demand software with data and information typically hosted in the cloud.  And by the cloud, I mean on the internet.

Isn’t everything about the cloud these days?  An important part of this cloud computing technology involves the storage of Human Resources Management data like employee records, applicant information, employee time records, and invoicing.  Cloud technology fuels Amazon, social media tools like HootSuite and even your internet hosting, but your company HR records?  Surely not. . .

If the cloud can keep me from clicking and hitting enter 21 times to hire one single candidate in Taleo, I’m so there.  Me thinks that’s not the case.  The average user of these HR technology and sometimes SaaS based systems is someone who is mildly interested in understanding the technology behind its efficiencies at best.  They don’t have the time, the patience, or the pay grade to influence their organization to help design a better system.  The average HR professional is busy filling 15 requisitions resulting in 2,255 clicks of the mouse within their ATS.  Or busy on hold waiting on their HR Services Department to terminate an employee because their company choose not to pay the extra $2 million to integrate the ATS and HRIS systems.  The average HR person is too busy filling out forms to give a damn.

I’ve Got Sass Not SaaS

They don’t give a rat’s saas about SaaS, but I do.  So how do we fix it?