Skype is to roll out a new self-service HR platform for its 800-plus UK employees on 1 September.
Since Skype split from eBay in November 2009, it has been actively looking to replace its finance and HR systems.
Its new Workday system, which is hosted from the United States, provides HR software, human resources management and payroll. Employees will be able to update their personal details, request annual leave and record absences from work, and elect benefits and enrol in benefit schemes.
Staff can also use the system as an online directory and it is fully integrated with Skype, so employees can simply click a button on the system and Skype their colleagues. It can also be used on personal digital assistants (PDAs) so it can be accessed on an iPhone as staff are travelling.
Mandy Hooper, HR operations consultant at Skype, said: “As a global business, Skype employees are able to access the system from anywhere, using any toolkit, so they do not have to be on a particular network which suits our employees who are travelling a lot.”
The new system will be rolled-out in phases. It will go live within the HR team on 21 July and then super-users will have access three weeks later followed by managers. By 1 September all users will be on the system.
The communication strategy will involve one-to-one interviews with employees to choose 'change champions', an intranet site, posters, and various sessions to pass information on to employees. In addition, there will be training sessions for all staff in the lead up to the full roll-out.
Hooper added: “The employee base at Skype is fairly technically-minded so we anticipate that most people will pick the tool up very quickly. However, if it is not communicated effectively, the benefits will not be reaped.”
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