It might seem like everyone is talking about new technology, but in some of the most specialized corners of the HR field, staying on top of innovation is second nature.
Tiffany Paquette is one of these pros. As director of people technology & operations at PUMA North America, she knows how data-driven decisions and innovative technologies are reshaping HR practices. She sat down with HR Executive at the Workday Rising conference in September to explain her approach to HR technology.
PUMA’s evolving workforce
PUMA North America’s workforce of more than 2,000 employees spans both office and retail environments, including a corporate location in Massachusetts and over 100 stores across the U.S. and Canada. This diverse employee base presents unique challenges, especially in terms of recruitment, labor management and maintaining compliance across different regions.
Paquette has been instrumental in overseeing the company’s HR transformation, particularly through the implementation of Workday, which went live in January 2018. She explained the critical expectation of a platform that could address Puma’s unique business needs.
“We needed a system that could satisfy the global nature of the company with systematic data and one source of truth,” Paquette said, describing how Workday integrates HCM, recruitment, payroll and benefits into a cohesive platform.
Embracing data-driven decisions
As HR’s role evolves, so do the demands placed on leaders like Paquette. She noted that economic markets have changed significantly, which in turn has shifted the types of inquiries coming from management. The focus at PUMA is now firmly on leveraging data to drive business decisions.
“There’s a technical hurricane requiring HR tech professionals to know more about data,” Paquette remarked, highlighting the fast pace at which HR technology is advancing. She emphasized that the goal should always be to make a data-driven decision.
Her team plays a critical role in providing all the HR data for the organization and supporting this data with actionable insights. “We must always be ahead of what people are asking for,” she says.
As PUMA becomes increasingly data-minded, Paquette stresses the importance of building a data-driven culture. “Data must be at the forefront of decisions,” she added. To this end, she has created 30 robotic process automations (RPA) that allow for behind-the-scenes activities to run seamlessly, reducing manual workload and improving efficiency.
Privacy, automation and AI
A key part of Paquette’s role is ensuring that the company’s data is handled with care. “Data privacy and protection are handled with kid gloves,” she says, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding personal information. “We are huge on testing—someone’s eyes are always on it,” she adds, indicating the rigorous processes in place to protect employee data.
In addition to automation, Paquette is exploring how AI can further enhance HR processes. She describes AI as a “beast” and questions, “How do we deliver something that’s worth it?” One solution in development is Scarlett, an HR bot that aims to take the “robot out of the robot,” making AI interactions more human-like and valuable for employees.
Simplifying frontline workforce management
PUMA’s frontline workforce, composed primarily of retail employees, poses its own set of challenges, particularly in terms of technology adoption. However, Paquette notes that “everyone has a phone, so adoption struggles are reduced.” Still, the company remains mindful of work and labor rules about using personal devices for work-related tasks.
To further ease the workload for store managers, particularly in the context of high-volume recruiting, Paquette has focused on self-service solutions that are simple and non-intrusive. “How do we make high-volume recruiting less stressful for store managers?” she asks.
This is particularly relevant, as there is increasing demand in retail hiring. According to the Workday Global Workforce Report, there were 12 applications per offer in the retail industry during the first half of 2024, a 22% increase over the previous year.
Innovation: forever faster
PUMA’s mantra of “Forever Faster” drives much of the company’s innovation, and Paquette is no exception. “We’re moving so fast,” she says, reflecting on the rapid pace of change in HR technology. As PUMA continues to advance HR innovation, Paquette believes that a forward-thinking approach to data will undoubtedly play a key role in ensuring the company remains at the forefront of HR transformation.
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