ServiceNow HRSD Transforms Global HR Operations

Employees enjoy faster, more consistent HR support across global operations

ServiceNow HRSD rollout delivers 40% reduction in manual HR effort

5 min read

Overview

A leading global home furnishings and retail enterprise sought to modernize its HR operations to deliver more consistent employee experiences across countries. Regional variations, legacy system dependencies and manual workflows created operational complexity across onboarding, offboarding and employee separation processes.

We partnered with the client to implement ServiceNow Human Resources Service Delivery (HRSD), standardizing HR workflows, improving visibility and enabling automation across employee lifecycle processes. The transformation reduced manual HR effort by 40%, increased onboarding efficiency by 30% and established a scalable foundation for continued global expansion.

The Challenge

The client operated HR processes across regions using a mix of legacy systems and manual workflows, resulting in fragmented employee experiences and operational complexity. As the organization expanded globally, existing systems struggled to support scale, consistency and compliance.

Key challenges included:

Fragmented HR workflows
Onboarding, offboarding, and employee separation processes varied by region, leading to inconsistent experiences and inefficiencies
Legacy system limitations
Certain HR functionalities were dependent on legacy ERP platforms, making enhancements complex and slowing process modernization
Limited process visibility
HR teams lacked a unified view of cases, approvals and employee lifecycle events across local and global operations
High manual effort and operational overhead
Manual approvals, routing and follow-ups increased turnaround times and administrative workload for HR teams
Scalability and governance concerns
As global rollouts increased, the need for standardized processes, auditability and role-based access became critical.

The Solution

HCLTech implemented ServiceNow HR Service Delivery as a unified platform to streamline and standardize HR operations across regions, supported by ongoing application management and support.

The solution included:

Unified HR service delivery platform
Implemented ServiceNow HRSD to support onboarding, offboarding and employee separation processes, replacing selected legacy system capabilities and creating a single platform for HR service delivery
Standardized global workflows
Designed and deployed common workflows for voluntary resignation, involuntary leave and separation due to death in service, ensuring consistency across regions
Lifecycle-driven automation
Automated long-running employee lifecycle events with structured approvals, notifications and task orchestration across local and global HR teams
Enterprise Integrations
Integrated HRSD with existing HR and identity systems to ensure seamless data flow and consistency across employee profiles and case
Role-based access and governance
Enabled secure, role-based access for employees, local HR, global HR operations and business partners
Global rollouts and adoption
Successfully rolled out the solution across multiple countries, with a roadmap to expand to 19 countries by 2027
Application Management and continuous improvement
Provided dedicated application management and support services managing approximately 100 HRSD incidents per month and proactively reducing recurring issues through automation

The Impact

40% reduction in manual HR effort through workflow automation and standardized processes
30% increase in onboarding efficiency through streamlined workflows, automated task orchestration, and improved process visibility
10% of HR processes automated, reducing administrative overhead and accelerating employee lifecycle transactions
10% improvement in SLA adherence through proactive application support, streamlined case management, and faster issue resolution
Unified HR portal providing a single pane of glass for employees and HR teams
Standardized global HR processes across onboarding, offboarding, and employee separation
Improved transparency and compliance with end-to-end case tracking and audit readiness
Scalable foundation supporting ongoing global expansion and continuous HR transformation

Beyond the Numbers

Beyond operational efficiencies, the transformation enabled the client to establish a more standardized, transparent and scalable employee operating model. By consolidating employee lifecycle processes, the organization reduced regional process variations, strengthened governance and improved visibility across people operations.

The platform also enhanced the employee experience by providing consistent service delivery across countries while enabling people teams to spend less time on administrative activities and more time supporting employee needs. As a result, the organization is better positioned to support future growth, regulatory requirements and evolving workforce expectations.

Celebrating Success

HCLTech is committed to helping organizations create experience-led workplaces that improve employee satisfaction, operational efficiency and business performance. According to HCLTech's Blueprint to Total Experience research, 56% of global leaders are reshaping their vision, goals and culture to become experience-driven organizations, while more than 40% are creating new business models anchored in experience.

This transformation demonstrates how modern HR service delivery platforms can help enterprises simplify employee interactions, automate routine processes and deliver more consistent experiences across global operations. By establishing a scalable HRSD foundation, the retailer is better positioned to support workforce growth, enhance employee engagement and continuously evolve its HR operating model.