General HR
What Does It Take to Implement an HR System?
Marlen Kothen
on July 31, 2026 • 5 min. reading time
Digitalizing HR processes is considered a mammoth project in many traditional public administrations. But why does implementing modern HR software often seem more complex here than in agile companies? We asked HR consultant Barbara Wiecher about the real hurdles, the most common triggers, and the biggest administrative time-wasters.
Challenges in HR system implementation: public administration vs. start-up
HR expert Barbara Wiecher observes in practice that the challenges in agile start-ups and traditional public administrations are often mirror images of each other.
While administrations are slowed down by too many rigid special rules, start-ups often fail at the opposite extreme: there, binding rules and processes frequently don't exist at all yet, which makes system integration just as difficult. The success of a digitalization project depends much more on the clarity of internal workflows. A simple basic rule applies here:
The clearer the structures and processes, the easier it is to implement a system.
Every deviation from the standard makes the project harder. When teams use different processes, those responsible for HR face a strategic decision on direction:
- The individualized path: Trying to map every special rule and exception agreement exactly in the system. This leads to an extremely high technical effort and increases the error-proneness of the overall system.
- The harmonized path: Consistently standardizing processes before the system switch. This means a genuine change process within the organization and requires intensive discussions with employees and managers.
How much time and staff does the project really cost?
When processes are clear and the data is clean, expert Barbara Wiecher says it can be done in 3 to 4 months. However, 6 months from start to finish of implementation is more realistic. In terms of staffing, what's mainly needed is one responsible person in HR (plus a backup) who plans to dedicate about 30% of their working time to the project. In addition, there's a smaller circle that provides support at specific points:
- A sponsor (e.g., management) for important decisions.
- Experts for specific HR processes.
- Data protection officers, IT managers, and the works/staff council.
- A few interested managers and employees as test users.
From what point does the HR team feel real relief?
Once the implementation effort is done, relief sets in very quickly. Searching for information and the email chaos around approvals disappear immediately. Barbara estimates that after 3 months at the latest, the system becomes second nature, and people can no longer imagine everyday work without it.
In conversation with the HR expert: three answers on dealing with skepticism and hurdles
Theory and timelines are one thing—practice among colleagues is another. Especially in the public sector and in strongly administrative structures, new IT projects often meet with reservations. In an interview, we asked Barbara how to resolve the typical concerns around data protection, legacy issues, and staff motivation.
About Barbara
Barbara Wiecher studied psychology and has 20 years of HR experience in a wide variety of roles and companies. Today, as an independent consultant, she supports HR departments in the meaningful implementation and use of performance tools, as well as in leadership development and team coaching.
IT projects in public authorities often meet with skepticism. What holds back implementation the most—the staff council, data protection, or people's lack of tech affinity?
Barbara: I don't see tech affinity as a critical issue. Systems today are so user-friendly: anyone who can order something on Amazon can also request vacation in an HR system. For people without a fixed PC workstation, there are practical apps.
The staff council is of course important, but if there's a collaborative partnership from the start, it isn't a problem. Data protection is naturally an important topic too: it's about things like where the data is stored and what the deletion routines look like.
Well-established systems on the market are prepared for this, though, and can provide good information. In the end, data with a system is actually significantly more secure than without one—sensitive applications or salary questions no longer fly back and forth unprotected by email.
Migrating old data from Excel or paper files scares a lot of people. How does this step go smoothly?
Barbara: No need to worry—often you can draw on existing payroll data already held by the tax advisor. That saves a lot of work. My tip for getting started: involve the employees! Once the system is set up, ask staff to check their own data. Since everyone wants their own data to be correct, motivation is high. This also lets you cleanly capture new information, like emergency contacts, along the way.
How do you bring along employees who have stuck to the old workflows for years?
Barbara: Through noticeable benefits and consistent leadership. One hour of training is usually enough, supplemented by short videos. Once the system is running, managers need to follow through: if a vacation request still comes in by email, the manager kindly reminds the person to enter it in the system. As soon as employees notice that they can view their pay statement or remaining vacation days anytime with a single click, the go-live happens almost on its own.
Conclusion: courage to standardize
Anyone who wants to successfully implement an HR system in public administration should bring one thing above all: the courage to change. In closing, Barbara offers HR leaders one important piece of advice:
Use the implementation as an opportunity to cut old habits and radically standardize processes. And: start the project team only with people who are genuinely excited about new things and change—that energy automatically spreads to the rest of the administration!