Gone are the days where HR departments could hide from a company’s employees. Modern HR professionals need to understand that engaging workers on a day-to-day level is essential for employee morale and a key step towards building a cohesive company culture.
Millennials and Gen Z workers, who are set to dominate the workforce by 2020, prefer to work for companies who take a collaborative approach to HR functions and talent retention. They are not inclined to take orders, instead preferring to give and receive meaningful, ongoing feedback on their work and the business in general.
How can a HR department live up to their expectations? This is where HR software systems come into play. These systems monitor workplace efficiency, and provide data that can be used to shape policies and protocols. They can save you considerable time and effort, streamlining tasks that were previously done manually, such as payroll calculations.
Here are the top 7 benefits of using a HR software system:
- It improves employee engagement
When you install specialist HR software, you are sending employees a clear signal: “We care about making your working life better.” When workers feel as though their employers care about their opinions, they are more likely to report feeling engaged with their work.
When you empower employees by making them feel valued, your company culture will improve. Given that 87% of employees worldwide are unengaged at work, any solution that can improve this situation is worthy of consideration. You can use software to administer anonymous surveys, thus identifying problems early on.
- It streamlines the recruitment and onboarding process
An effective HR software system allows you to store resumes, job descriptions, advertisements, and onboarding documents in one place. Some allow you to post to multiple job forums in just a few clicks, thereby reaching more candidates effortlessly.
You can purchase software that facilitates the entire recruitment process, from collecting online applications, administering screening tests, and forwarding résumes and cover letters to the appropriate person.
Once a new recruit has been hired, HR software can play a pivotal role in ensuring that they are registered on the payroll and that they have read essential onboarding documents and completed any online training.
- It helps you retain the best talent
Software not only helps you hire the right people, but it also improves your chances of retaining them. Administering and recording performance reviews will become significantly easier. When you have a system that alerts you to opportunities to train and develop high-performing employees, you can liaise with their line managers to develop their skills.
- It allows you to keep track of employee performance and attendance
You will no longer have to rely on subjective reports to identify your most productive and reliable employees. HR software makes it simple to keep track of useful metrics such as number of sales made, and lets you keep track of an employee’s attendance over a specified time period. You can then assess an individual’s economic value to the business.
- It lets you make decisions that are based on relevant, accurate data
When you can monitor all key HR functions with just a few keystrokes, you are in a strong position to make high level decisions that shape company performance. For example, suppose you are trying to ascertain how many vacancies you need to fill in a particular department.
Employee productivity data will help you formulate a realistic estimate of the workload and how many individuals will be required to fulfil the day-to-day duties that keep the department running. You can also use HR software to track the performance of employees in the first six months or year following their change of role.
- It allows you to store sensitive information more securely
Traditionally, employee records were kept in filing cabinets. Even when locked, it was hard to monitor who had access to sensitive information. When you use HR software, you can set passwords that control who can view employee records.
Software also provides a professional digital trail that ensures compliance, giving you peace of mind if your business is audited or you need to defend yourself against a complaint made against you by a disgruntled employee. Because data is stored in the cloud, you can also recover valuable information if your hardware is damaged.
- It can save thousands of dollars
HR software saves a lot of time, which ultimately means that businesses can downsize their HR departments. Traditionally, businesses hire one HR professional per 100 employees.
However, when they use HR software, this ratio can be adjusted to one HR professional per 140 employees. In a large company, this can translate to significant savings. This is because software automates repetitive tasks that have long been a staple of HR, such as manually booking vacation, scheduling shifts, and recording periods of sick leave. HR professionals don’t need to spend valuable time looking up information on employees when they have software to do the job for them, thus cutting down on total number of hours worked per week.
Put your employees’ needs first
When choosing your software, remember that employees from all departments will be using it, not just the HR professionals. It should have an intuitive interface and suit your company culture. Make the most of any free trial period. Ask a few employees to give you honest feedback. Implementing a system that annoys or confuses users will quickly backfire.
If you work for a large organization and want to distribute lengthy policy documents to employees working in other countries, you may want to have them translated into the local language.
It may take a few weeks to fully appreciate how your new software works, but most are designed with usability in mind. Furthermore, access to helplines and training courses are often included in the price. You will quickly realize a ROI in terms of both time and money.
Kristin Savage nourishes, sparks and empowers using the magic of a word. She is practicing regularly while reviewing new translation services at Pick Writers and constantly contributing to other educational platforms. Along with pursuing her degree in Creative Writing, Kristin was gaining experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in marketing strategy for publishers and authors. You can find her on Facebook .
