People-powered success in federal HRIT transformation

Digital transformation used to be a buzzword. Now, it’s a survival strategy. Federal agency leaders know that they need to modernize their systems and use technology to effectively handle tomorrow’s challenges. But technology doesn’t transform organizations—people do. Getting everyone on board is what matters most, and managing change effectively is the engine that converts possibilities into real results.

Mastering the art of change management

Federal HRIT modernization goes much deeper than simply acquiring new software. Leaders feel the pressure to eliminate duplicative platforms, unify disparate data sets, and create an HRIT ecosystem with elements that all work well together. The goal? Faster hiring, better workforce analytics, and happier employees. Overarching changes like these need strategies that go beyond training sessions and email updates. 

These initiatives will fail or succeed based on how well leaders manage the people side of change. The most successful ones own the narrative, anticipate resistance, and embed change into every project milestone.

Positioning governance as a growth engine 

It’s essential to turn governance from a bureaucracy into an innovation accelerator. More than just a committee, governance can be the operating system for change. When done right, your governance model should:

• Prevent fragmentation by having everyone use the same standards
• Speed up decisions with actionable data and create clear escalation paths when unanticipated changes arise
• Promote continuous improvement by connecting regular updates to agency goals

Creating a change-ready culture 

Technology changes constantly. If your organizational culture can’t absorb change, you’ll fall behind. You can build a culture where updates are expected and welcomed by:

• Gamifying adoption and encouraging friendly competition
• Celebrating wins publicly
• Using analytics to spotlight teams that lead the curve

Putting theory into practice with Workday

The Workday platform offers powerful features like data standardization, self-service, and automation. But these benefits are only tangible when you invest in the human side. This means using built-in learning tools, AI support, and community resources to make change stick.

As the federal government pursues broad-scale HRIT modernization, it’s critical to realize that technology is only part of the equation. True success comes from engaging your team, giving them the appropriate tools, and supporting them to drive change. When you focus on comprehensive change management, you can transform hesitation into confidence, potential into performance, and modernization into mission success. 

3 steps to take now

1. Design for adoption, not just deployment. Don’t focus solely on the launch date. Think about the lifetime value you aim to deliver. Track how well people adopt the new systems and streamline business processes and make those numbers just as important as staying on budget and on schedule.
2. Build a real change network. Don’t just assign people to be champions—empower them. Give them real authority, access to data, and a direct line to leadership. Make them influencers and advisors, not just messengers.
3. Turn training into enablement. Skip the boring webinars. Instead, create role-based simulations, bite-sized learning modules, and AI-driven nudges inside the platform. True learning and adoption should feel natural, not like extra work.

This article was written by Winta Tewolde, Partner, Guidehouse, and Matthew Cornelius, Managing Director, Workday.

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