A large U.S. federal health agency required a shift to full-time reporting, requiring employees to log daily work activities in a centralized system, for its 1800+ employees to proactively comply with regulatory requirements and provide robust data to assist leadership with workforce capacity decision-making. Implementation success required a user adoption strategy aimed at high participation (95% or higher) and accurate data entry.
Introducing this time reporting system to the workforce presented a complex change that was just as monumental as the system’s potential impact. The agency sought out Eagle Hill to provide responsive change management across the implementation.
Goal: To drive and maintain a user adoption strategy focused on maximum proficiency with the time reporting system.
Breakthrough results
Offices successfully transitioned to the new, full-time reporting system.
Users now regularly and effectively using the time reporting system.
Believe that the full-time reporting system is important to the organization’s mission (a 46% increase over two years).
Our starting point
Recognizing that the system’s end-users represented a diverse collection of users, Eagle Hill focused on a change approach that would build clear understanding and buy-in from each affected group in the federal health agency from the beginning. We had to:
Develop a user adoption strategy for changing long-standing behaviors by bringing users along the change journey. This included carefully planning and implementing communications that underscored their critical role and responsibility for the system’s data accuracy. It also provided leaders with the accurate data they needed to understand workloads and make important resourcing and staffing decisions.
Embed the employee voice into the system development process. As the technology team worked to meet requirements and continue to enhance the system, we promoted the voice of the customer by sharing data-driven end-user feedback during bi-weekly meetings with the development team, leveraging data collected from surveys, input from Office representatives, and helpdesk communications.
Create highly tailored communications and engagement tactics for each of the user groups affected by the changes—responding to a broad group of user needs, functional roles, and technology expertise levels.
Unconventional consulting and the roadmap to success
- We developed customized online and in-person training and creative, user-specific job aids to ensure that users had the resources most relevant to their daily work.
- We created a consistent brand identity, including a unique logo and clever taglines, that carried across all communications and training materials to improve recognition and engagement.
- We kept users engaged after the launch to promote continued adherence in the new system using unconventional outreach approaches including animated videos, monthly newsletters featuring crossword puzzles and other games, infographics, and reference books delivered to each user’s office mailbox.
- We held one-on-one training sessions with executive leadership to help equip, understand, and advocate for the system.
- We consistently monitored functionality and feedback from the helpdesk and followed up on a one-to-one level to support users.
- We stood up a network of energetic, passionate “program champions” to broaden influence over users’ behaviors. This friendly peer-to-peer format became a favorite source for tips, troubleshooting, and encouragement. Champions helped advocate for participation across their group and the champion with the highest participation was presented with a trophy each quarter.
- As a result of complete and accurate reporting across the system, the organization now has high-quality data that leaders use for decision making around topics like workforce capacity planning.
