Workiz probably doesn’t see itself as HR technology any more than the SMBs in field service industries see themselves doing workforce management when they schedule shifts or align time tracking with payroll and benefits. They probably don’t consider employee engagement or bolstering the employee experience when they communicate in their collaboration tools. But, that’s what it is. For SMBs in field service these processes are core to getting work done, just as shift scheduling and communications/collaboration are core to retail or in any other shift or hourly-focused segment of the workforce. It’s also not where the Workiz platform reportedly ends, taking the hours and time from shifts and communication from the field in to CRM and invoicing capabilities. The direct tie between people practice and business results is built in.
As businesses grow out of the SMB and middle markets, scaling organizationally and departmentally, these direct ties are harder to keep in place. However, with today’s technology there is no excuse not to.
I’m reminded of a customer demonstration from a large global retailer using Ceridian Dayforce where retail floor shift scheduling is tied to sales productivity and NPS metrics captured in the ERP/CRM, ensuring a consistent customer-experience on every shift in that retail environment.
HR is increasingly becoming the “business of getting work done,” and the sooner we align with the business in this way, from the shop floor, to the retail floor, to software code deployment, and so on – the sooner we draw those connecting lines and reinforce the alignment of people practice with with business operations (all of them), then we’ll have a real chance to improve employee experience and truly understand engagement.
We don’t know Workiz – and can’t validate whether they’ve got it right or not. But, the messaging is good, and the alignment of people practice and business ops is spot on. Enterprise HR tech and HR and talent leaders from companies of all sizes should take a look and translate this kind of alignment into their business. Need help? Just ask.
Source: Field management software startup Workiz raises $5 million Series A | TechCrunch