When companies think about implementing or optimizing their HRIS, the process can feel overwhelming, technical, and a little intimidating. But according to Kelli Ann Huber, Work Friendly‘s HRIS expert, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, she says the best way to think about HRIS is the same way you’d think about building or remodeling a home.
She walks us through the analogy and what really sets Work Friendly apart in the HR tech experience.
Q: You often describe HRIS implementation like building a house. What do you mean by that?
A: When you build a brand-new home, you start with a blank slate. You know the contractor you want, you have big dreams for how you want the space to look and function, and you expect the finished product to support your life both short-term and long-term.
That’s exactly what an HRIS implementation feels like. In this scenario:
- Workday or your HRIS platform is the contractor (the builder).
- Work Friendly is the architect and project manager.
We design the plans, think through all the nitty-gritty details, and ensure the build aligns with your needs, priorities, policies, compliance requirements, and future growth. The contractor (the implementer) handles the literal configuration, but we create the vision, ensure everything is “to code,” and guide the process so the end result actually works for your organization – not just in theory, but in practice.
Q: So when you implement a brand-new HRIS, what does “new build” really look like?
A: A new build is exciting! Endless possibilities, clean slate, fresh foundations. But just like new construction, implementations come with different “levels of finish.”
Some base packages are bare-bones. Sure, you technically have a house, but the drywall isn’t up and the finishes aren’t anywhere close to move-in ready. In HRIS terms: payroll runs, time tracks, the basics function… but the overall experience? It doesn’t feel like your dream home yet.
That’s where Work Friendly changes everything. We know what gets overlooked, what tends to break later, what frustrates employees, and what keeps a system from truly supporting a business. We help clients not just build the house—but build the right house, for the long haul.
And even if you’re still “building while living in it,” we make sure there’s comfort, structure, and ease along the way—so your team can settle in and feel at home, even as we work toward the dream-state version together.
We want clients to flourish in their HRIS home for years, not feel like they’re constantly tackling DIY fixes because something wasn’t designed well from the start.
Q: You mentioned thinking ahead, like parents adding a second-floor laundry. How does that translate to HRIS?
A: Great question. Most companies don’t naturally think ten steps ahead in HRIS because they’re juggling so many priorities. But we do.
That “second-floor laundry” is equivalent to things like:
- Structuring your data for future modules
- Building approval workflows that scale
- Designing security with long-term roles in mind
- Mapping processes that won’t create bottlenecks later
- Setting up reporting that evolves with the business
Because retrofitting these things isn’t impossible but it’s always harder, and usually more expensive. We help clients plan their “forever home,” not a starter home they’ll quickly outgrow.
Q: What about data? You compared it to moving furniture into a new house.
A: Yes! Your data is your furniture, your boxes, your family heirlooms. You want it organized, clean, and placed in the right rooms. Good data in = good HRIS experience out.
If you move 17 whisks and no spoons into your kitchen… you’re going to have a problem. And if those whisks end up in your bathroom instead of your kitchen? Even worse.
That’s what inconsistent or messy HR data looks like.
Work Friendly helps clients unpack and assess what they have, decide what to keep, what to clean, what to reorganize, and how to place it so the system feels intuitive.
Q: How do you ensure systems are secure like choosing safe materials in a home?
A: When you build a home today, you don’t skip the security system and hope for the best. You install smart locks, sensors, and monitoring right from the start because you know safety has to be part of the foundation, not an afterthought.
It’s the same with HRIS.
Work Friendly builds with security in mind from day one—role-based access, compliance, audit readiness, and system controls that protect your business and your people. Some organizations wait until after go-live to address security, but by then it’s like retrofitting a whole home security system after you’ve already moved in: expensive, disruptive, and absolutely something you wish you’d planned earlier.
We bake security, compliance, and employee experience into the blueprint—not the punch list.
Q: How does the analogy shift when a client is optimizing or remodeling an existing HRIS?
A: Optimization is remodeling. You’re working with the bones of the house you already have.
Maybe the structure is solid but the kitchen’s outdated. Maybe the layout doesn’t support how your family actually lives today. Maybe the house was built quickly and cheaply, and now you’re dealing with the consequences.
You can absolutely change things, workflows, security, data structure, reporting, modules but you need to maintain the integrity of the original build. That’s where expertise matters.
And just like home renovations, you can add on. Maybe you want to bolt on performance management, or recruiting, or a learning module. Our job is to make sure the new addition feels like a natural extension of your home, not an awkward box glued to the back.
Q: How did you end up becoming an HRIS architect yourself?
A: I actually started as an HR practitioner. I did everything – benefits, recruiting, employee relations, compliance. Eventually, all of that experience led me into Workday.
Having lived inside the day-to-day realities of HR is what makes me approach systems differently. I know what frustrates teams. I know what compliance changes do to workflows. I know the questions employees ask over and over. That perspective shapes how I design and how I guide clients because HRIS is never just a technical tool. It’s a living part of how your organization operates.
Q: If a company is just starting to look “on the market,” how does Work Friendly help?
A: We guide clients through a structured discovery process, what I call the “What kind of house do you actually need?” phase.
We ask a thoughtful series of questions to understand:
- Your family size (headcount)
- How you use your space (your processes)
- Where you’re growing
- What frustrates you today
- What features matter most
- What “deal breakers” exist
- And what your future vision looks like
This helps ensure you don’t just buy the prettiest house on the block, you buy the right one.
Q: What’s the biggest difference between going through this process alone vs. working with Work Friendly?
A: On your own, you get the house the contractor builds. With Work Friendly, you get the house that actually works for your life.
The implementer builds the structure. Work Friendly:
- Designs the blueprint
- Oversees every detail
- Keeps things “to code”
- Anticipates future needs
- Protects the integrity of the build
- Guides decision-making
- Ensures your people love living in the system
- And ultimately helps you grow into your HRIS home
We’re not just system experts. We’re advocates, translators, project managers, and long-term partners.
Our goal is simple: To build an HRIS home you love living in. One that’s tailored, secure, practical, scalable, and designed to last.
