In today’s fast-paced business environment, Human Resources (HR) professionals are constantly seeking ways to streamline their processes and maximize efficiency, so they can put more energy into creating an engaging employee experience. One powerful solution that has emerged in recent years and is completely changing HR as we know it is automation technology. Automation can completely revolutionize the way HR departments handle certain processes, saving time, reducing errors, and allowing HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives and, of course, the people.
Here are five HR processes that should be automated and can undergo drastic improvements that will impact the entire HR team.
1. Onboarding
Onboarding new employees sets the tone for their entire journey within the company. If it’s not handled well from day one, they will come to expect slowdowns and inefficient processes throughout their time with the organization. It must be a smooth experience for everyone’s benefit. Onboarding often involves extensive document work, from employment contracts to tax forms and benefit enrollment documents that can be the source for slowdowns when not managed properly.
Automating the onboarding process can drastically cut down on onboarding administrative work. Automation, specifically through the use of a document management system, can give HR the tools to help new hires complete forms, submit them digitally, and store documents securely in a central repository for easy access later on. This not only reduces the chances of lost paperwork but also provides a smoother and more engaging onboarding experience for new employees.
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2. Performance Management
Performance management processes often involve a cycle of evaluations, feedback, and goal-setting that can be time-consuming for both HR and employees. Automation can simplify the steps within each of these processes by providing a platform to file and centralize the documentation for ongoing feedback, goal tracking, and performance reviews.
Certain technologies can facilitate the laborious HR work involving performance management. For example, document management systems can easily store those performance-related documents, making it easier to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and return to and revise plans as needed. It can even automate the collection of information from employees, managers, and HR teams with the click of a button so performance management becomes a simple and straightforward process for everyone involved.
3. Benefits Administration
Administering employee benefits involves a multitude of documents, ranging from insurance forms to retirement plan documents, and everything in between. Collecting every required piece of information from employees, along with each completed form can be taxing work for HR teams. And that’s without the extra work of answering questions and reminding employees to submit their forms.
Automating benefits administration with a document management system can go a long way. You can automate the storage and organization of your documents in a centralized location, and automatically retrieve these documents, freeing up valuable HR time to better focus on employee engagement. It can also streamline the enrollment process, ensure compliance with regulations, and provide employees with easy access to their benefits information.
4. FMLA Requests
Tracking employee FMLA requests manually can be a time-consuming endeavor prone to errors. With many required documents and even more approvals, there are countless opportunities for holdups. As FMLA requests usually come in serious times of need from employees, it’s up to you to give them a positive experience with a quick response. With the right tools, you don’t have to do it alone.
A document management system can automate the process by allowing employees to submit forms, which can then be routed for approval and automatically updated within the system. Document management can store these requests, approvals, medical information, and other pertinent records, providing a comprehensive overview, so managers and HR teams can easily access them and make an informed decision about the request.
5. Employee Record Management
Maintaining accurate and up-to-date employee records is crucial for HR compliance and decision-making. However, paper-based record-keeping systems can lead to disorganization and lost documents. Even certain digital storage systems create the same disorganization problems—with no method to the storage structure or findability.
Implementing a document management system can digitize your records and make them usable and accessible to your team. One of the top advantages of using a robust document management system is that it can centralize the storage of employee records, including contracts, personnel information, certifications, and more. This not only ensures data integrity but also simplifies audits and reporting required by regulatory and government organizations.
A Document Management System’s Power
Document management systems can play a pivotal role in not only managing documents, but also managing every step of your document-dependent work. They offer features that are key to digital transformation such as:
Centralized Storage
All HR-related and personnel documents are stored in a single, secure location, eliminating the need for physical file cabinets or scattered digital files.
Performance Management
HR teams can use document management to access evaluations, goals, feedback, and more in one location—instead of scattered between physical documents, email, and hard drives.
Workflow Automation
Document management systems can automate workflows with document routing for reviews and approvals, reducing the manual lift and accelerating the speed at which processes can be completed.
FMLA Requests
With document management, HR professionals can automatically route FMLA requests to every approver so that they can be completed quickly and without any hiccups.
Search and Retrieval
Finding specific documents when you need them becomes effortless with powerful search capabilities—like full-text and metadata searches—improving efficiency and reducing time spent searching for specific information.
Onboarding
Instead of having to sift through individual documents to find an employee’s signed contract, HR can locate it in an instant with advanced search capabilities, even if it has been misfiled or mistitled.
Security and Compliance
Document management systems provide robust security features, encrypting your data and ensuring that sensitive employee information is protected so your organization can maintain compliance.
Employee Records Management
Since there are strict regulations about the way personnel records should be stored, HR can use a document management system to apply security measures automatically. Additionally, it can automate the document retention of employee files that must be kept for a certain period of time.
Remote Accessibility
With the rise of remote and hybrid work models, cloud-based document management systems enable HR professionals to access documents from anywhere, enhancing flexibility and collaboration.
Benefits Administration
While HR teams and their employees may not be located in the same location, that won’t stop them from effectively administering benefits. Every document that the HR department needs to better assist employees and answer their questions can be accessed remotely in a centralized location.
Conclusion
Automation technology, particularly document management systems, can completely revolutionize HR processes by streamlining operations, reducing errors, and giving you valuable time back to enhance the employee experience.
These systems offer a range of functionality that can overhaul document work from onboarding to performance management, and any other time-consuming HR process involving extensive paperwork. This technology empowers HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives that put employees first. As businesses continue to evolve, embracing automation in HR will help businesses stay competitive and efficient in the modern workplace.
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