HRIS HR management – The future of HR
by Tanya Gray | Jan 10, 2023 | ConsultingHQ Blog, HR Software, HRIS
Why HRIS is the future of HR management
- HR is one of the last functions to take advantage of automated processes and technology
- So how can HR processes be automated?
- HRIS reduces HR documentation errors and improves compliance
- Which HR functions and processes can be automated using HRIS?
- Recruitment
- Documentation and Compliance
- Employee Record Management
- People Management
- Offboarding
- Employee Issue Management
The global pandemic, and the related lockdowns and work-from-home culture, have all contributed to some major shifts in how we work and approach business:
- Pivoting and flexibility: The importance of being flexible in the ‘how’ – but not necessarily in the ‘what’. For example, many retailers invested in ecommerce capabilities to take advantage of the huge demand for online shopping.
- Location independence: The definition of how and where work gets completed has been changed forever. This has created a whole new paradigm in HR processes.
- Technological shifts: The move to online everything, especially meetings and cloud-based collaboration tools.
These changes have demanded a new way of working. In turn, this has created a new reality where businesses continually need to review and rethink how they manage various processes – including HR functions and processes. Automation and online collaboration are a crucial part of that equation.
HR is one of the last functions to take advantage of automated processes and technology
To date, the HR sector has been slow to embrace technological shifts such as the automation of HR and recruitment processes. Yet this is arguably one of the greatest time saving and risk reduction tools available for business owners. Just how well businesses are organised to use digital technologies is a fundamental source of competitive advantage. After all, automating certain HR functions and processes can help free up huge amounts of time, allowing managers to focus on more important and value-adding priorities. Yet currently, many businesses still coordinate their HR functions and tasks through the use of spreadsheets and other time-consuming, data-heavy, and manual processes. But the faithful spreadsheet is no longer the best choice when it comes to workforce management – the biggest risk being that they are error prone, and also do not allow for automations and integrations.So how can HR processes be automated?
HR processes can be automated through Human Resource Information Systems – known as HRIS. This is centralised, cloud-based software that’s been created and developed exclusively to meet the needs of HR managers and business owners. It doesn’t just store information; it can automate tasks and workflows, is interactive, and provides powerful reporting capabilities for decision making. It’s powerful stuff.HRIS reduces HR documentation errors and improves compliance
Another important aspect of HRIS is that it can improve compliance with employment and other legislation. Not only will the Human Resources Information System standardise contracts and agreements (and make you aware when documentation is missing or incomplete) – it will also warn you when certifications and licences are due to lapse.
The need to move towards electronic HR management is now greater than ever. Businesses that automate administrative and highly repetitive tasks can free up resources to focus on longer term ‘macro’ activities such as shaping organisational culture, building the workforce of the future, and addressing the needs of its people – particularly in critical areas such as diversity and inclusion.
Which HR functions and processes can be automated using HRIS?
Recruitment
- Automate recruitment requests and approvals, and easily create position descriptions and job ads – and our HRIS software integrates with your favourite job boards.
- You can also automate the application process and filter the best candidates, plus there’s a built-in applicant tracker and rating scale.
- Reference checking functionality makes it easy to locate referees for each applicant and then keep track of the results.
Documentation and Compliance
- Stop using valuable management time on minor tasks such as chasing people to return forms and then processing them.
- Consistent online onboarding processes ensure a well organised, faster induction process that can have a positive and lasting impact on new employees.
- Induction tasks can not only be automated, but also delegated.
- Manage regular pay review processes in a timely and effective way with important information, such as job evaluation data. Our HRIS software can also keep track of temporary and permanent variations to salary, and integrate with payroll systems.
- Reporting capabilities let you undertake salary benchmarking, so you know how competitive your organisation is in the marketplace, and also compare roles, departments, and levels.
Find out how to automate your documentation compliance.
Employee Record Management
- Produce fast and accurate attendance metrics when dealing with attendance issues – this helps managers ensure compliance, and be aware of any issues early on.
- Allowing employees to update their own personal details can drastically improve the employee experience by having a sense of autonomy and of ownership over their personal information.
- A portal for leave management means that employees can easily request leave online, and check on the progress of their requests. What’s more, online leave management minimises queries and eliminates double handling and errors.
- The leave management functionality in our HRIS software integrates with payroll systems for a seamless connection between payroll, people, and processes.
- Emergency contact details are immediately at hand, should they be needed.
People Management
- Employee surveys, pulse checks, engagement surveys, and satisfaction surveys have the potential to enhance staff motivation and productivity – as well as provide valuable insights to management. Our HRIS software has a wide variety of surveys and templates ready for you to use, and can easily be customised. Read more about employee surveys.
- Performance evaluations have never been easier, with everything you need for goal setting, KPIs, action plans, annual performance reviews, and end of year scoring. Complete with the ability to set reminders plus collaboration tools. Read our best tips on managing employee performance.
- An online performance review system has the ability to improve employee productivity and engagement by facilitating continuous feedback. It enables employers to align individual and team goals with organisational strategies and streamlines the employee appraisal process by offering a range of pre-built goals and development objectives.
- Manage learning and training easily: develop a skills matrix that identifies gaps, create development plans, and manage it easily with an online approval system so you can manage your budget.
- Get notifications when certifications expire, and send reminders before training certificates lapse.
- 90-day trial processes just got easier, as 90-day check ins are automatically generated, making it easy to manage your new hires.
Offboarding
- As soon as an employee resigns, the offboarding process is initiated. Our HRIS software can automatically generate letters that outline contractual obligations and restraint of trade.
- Offboarding tasks and checklists are automatically generated and can be delegated.
- Exit interviews and surveys can be automatically generated.
- By initiating the offboarding process promptly, it gives you maximum time to ensure all the knowledge from your employee is captured, thereby maximising the employment notice period.
Employee Issue Management
- Easily check the history of any employee conduct issues.
- Develop employee performance improvement plans to encourage staff to step up.
- Guidance on how to manage unsuccessful 90-day trials.
Next step
Find out more about how our HRIS software can help you – or book a demo of the software to see what it could do for you.