The Human Resources (HR) department plays a crucial role in your business. Although it doesn’t directly increase revenue streams, by guaranteeing your employees are happy and talented, it can have a massive indirect effect on your profits. It’s, therefore, essential to do everything you can to make it work.
But the workload of HR departments is constantly growing. Employment contracts are getting increasingly complex, the healthcare and insurance costs are going up, the workforce is getting more diverse and all of these can add to the pressure your HR personnel is under. The good news is there are ways to reduce the workload – more often with a help of specific HR software.
If your HR department seems to be struggling with work, consider putting these five tips to good use.
Tip #1: Make access to information effortless
It’s crucial to use an integrated all-in-one HR solution in the workplace. This ensures access to information is effortless and available anytime, anywhere. You don’t want the information to be limited to just the HR personnel either. Having employees able to access a variety of personal information can help cut the middleman and make the flow of information smoother, as well as more transparent.
When it comes to finding the right HR software, you need to analyse your company’s needs carefully. You can find plenty of small business products to suit small teams but also opt for scalable options if you feel your business is about to grow. Here are some good options to consider:
- IntegreatHR
- Bayzat Benefits
- BreatheHR
- Cezanne
- Octopus HR
The above options are just suggestions and you want to check out different options when looking for HR software.
Tip #2: Make the office paperless
In the era of the digital revolution, it is time to say goodbye to paper documents. If your employees still need to print out forms and send out paper requests, you are not only wasting money but also valuable employee time.
The ability to make HR requests online, view the documentation online and fix errors digitally will make employees more self-sufficient and reduce time spent on managing these tasks. A good online document management system will allow people to find their required information in a matter of second. It can also ensure information gets from one department to the other and thus reduces issues of misaligned information.
Tip #3: Automate all possible tasks
Automation is also an important part of reducing workload. It’s a mistake to think the HR department doesn’t have many tasks that could be automated. There are a number of good opportunities for automation, including employee onboarding.
It is possible to make new recruits take charge of the training and onboarding prior to starting in the new job. Software solutions will make it easier to schedule sessions, view the materials online and complete personal assessment whenever it suits the employee. This actually results in your HR department being able to focus their efforts helping those who need help, rather than holding hands for all the new recruits – some of who might not need additional help.
Tip #4: Creating flexible working schedules
It might sound counterintuitive but flexible working hours can actually increase productivity. The secret is in employee happiness – when people are able to decide their own working hours, they will be able to work when they are at their most productive. They feel appreciated and happy, with studies continuously supporting this claim. Because of the overwhelming evidence, major corporations are starting to implement flexible working opportunities across sectors.
For the HR department, the ability to decide when and where they work through a more flexible structure can be important. It can also provide benefits if implemented company-wide, as employees will be happier and therefore, might have less issues to solve with the HR department. It’s a very simple and effective solution to managing workload even though at first glance it might seem counterproductive.
Tip #5: Teaching employees to self-manage
Overall, it’s incredibly helpful to instil a culture of self-management in your business. You want employees to be able to solve small HR problems without bothering the HR department. This will allow the HR personnel to focus on dealing with the immediate cases and problems.
This doesn’t mean making everything about personal responsibility. But consider tasks such as checking information on a file or changing their preferred holiday days, for example. You don’t want the employee to have to get the HR to help with these. Instead, you want them to be able to view, fix and manage this information on their own.
At the end of the day, you can reduce a lot of HR workload by instilling a culture of initiative and problem-solving in your business. You want to use the power of technology to your advantage – the application of the right HR software is an essential part of improving how the department works.
Written by: David Fournier is a professional writer and marketing analyst.
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