Digital marketing company Basis Technologies builds technology that drives advertising performance so customers know their media is working. By redefining online buying, operations, and media, Basis Technologies helps customers shift strategies and ask different questions so that they can attract, retain, and engage their target users and markets.
Why drive a Pinto when you have a Cadillac?
This ability to rapidly switch gears and charge ahead despite ongoing industry change stems from Basis Technologies’ inquisitive, flexible model. The company has always asked whether its existing processes and technologies are working—and has changed when they were not. This adaptability is what prompted Basis Technologies to deploy Workday, because it gives employees the comprehensive tools they need to customize HR and payroll processes.
However, once employees started using Workday, they saw more capabilities that they wanted to quickly learn and roll out. Emilie Clark, vice president of Talent Operations at Basis Technologies, says, “When we first deployed Workday, we started at a basic Pinto level and had a plan that would bring us up to a Cadillac, but Workday kept releasing more features. With just one dedicated support person on my team, we needed help keeping up with the rate of innovation and using the Cadillac we had. That’s why we subscribed to Workday Success Plans.”
My favorite is Ask an Expert. It’s like having a genie in a bottle that gives you three wishes every week.
Vice President of Talent Operations
An HR genie in a bottle.
With Success Plans, Basis Technologies HR teams gain different types of on-demand help, including personalized guidance from experts and other customers, plus extensive self-learning options. “My favorite is Ask an Expert,” says Clark. “It’s like having a genie in a bottle that gives you three wishes every week. And because we now have a three-person team, we all know we can each ask a question, so there’s no fighting over who gets to ask for expert assistance.” To improve understanding, experts demonstrate answers in Basis Technologies’ Workday tenant.
Get more bang for the buck.
After reviewing their business goals and Workday environment with Success Plans consultants in a Feature Adoption Workshop, Basis Technologies created a revised plan. Clark explains, “We found 100 features we weren’t using. And instead of saying, ‘Go at it and get it done,’ our consultants helped us categorize which ones we must use, should use, could use, and wouldn’t use—and prioritize our top 10 must-haves, which we adopted in six months.” Basis Technologies will repeat their assessment every year. “By continuing to find creative ways to use our system, we get the biggest bang for our buck, and we avoid having to purchase other tools.”
By continuing to find creative ways to use our system, we get the biggest bang for our buck, and we avoid having to purchase other tools.
Vice President of Talent Operations
Seamless, equitable experiences for global teams.
One of the top-10 priorities was ensuring consistent performance assessments and compensation policies. Clark explains, “With the help of Success Plans, in just four months we rolled out a new review process so that performance assessments and compensation packages are fair and equitable across different roles, teams, locations, and regions.”
Another priority was providing modern functionality to a generation that expects it by enabling the Workday Assistant chatbot and integrating Workday with Microsoft Teams by configuring Natural Workspaces. “We want to make it as easy as possible for our people to get answers and complete basic administrative tasks,” says Clark. “Today, they can do things like request time off directly from Teams or the Workday chatbot, so there’s less disruption.”
Know what’s working—and empower staff to change what’s not.
Basis Technologies also configured Workday to learn more about what employees require and want, and to provide insights about how the HR organization is doing in facilitating a warm and supportive culture across all sites. “We glean a lot of insights about how our people operate, what they’re reacting to, and what they’re most interested in based on conversations they have with managers and the things they look for in Workday Learning,” Clark says. “We now use Workday to tie all those analytics together so we can provide the right training for each individual, give them more opportunities within the company, and ensure we’re investing in programs that matter instead of spinning our wheels on efforts people don’t care about.”
For example, Basis Technologies learned the value that employees place on the company’s 401(k) program, and the organization now prioritizes character over skills during recruiting because skills can be learned. Hiring teams adjusted processes to reflect regional differences, so that they do not “Americanize everything.” This empowers Clark’s team to learn and take action. “Instead of me being a bottleneck, my staff can proactively fix issues themselves by leaning on Success Plans, Community, and Learn On-Demand,” Clark concludes. “And when they realize they can make improvements and drive change, they’re happier and they accomplish so much more.”
We now use Workday to tie all those analytics together so we can … ensure we’re investing in programs that matter instead of spinning our wheels on efforts people don’t care about.
Vice President of Talent Operations