Retention of employees is becoming increasingly difficult, and this is a significant stress factor for HR staff. By automating HR tasks, you can allow your HR staff to focus on retaining your staff, which can ultimately have a big impact.
But where should you start with HR automation? That, of course, depends on your HR department and their needs, but we'll mention some areas within HR that are highly suitable for automation through Robotic Process Automation (RPA).
1. How You Receive HR Documents
How do you receive documents and forms from your employees? There's a high chance that you receive these things digitally more often than on paper.
Paper is being phased out within HR, and many HR departments are looking for ways to eliminate the paper trail before it even begins.
Staff have a 'lifecycle,' and this lifecycle needs to be managed. This is an endless task because until the staff member leaves, the data needs to be kept up-to-date. There are 'one-time' events, such as being hired or fired, which are, of course, part of the lifecycle. Progress meetings and assessments come and go, and all the documents that keep track of these matters must be available to HR at all times and immediately.
When you automate HR, you go a step further in reducing paper consumption.
Here's how it works: The software recognises incoming documents and automatically saves them in the system used to manage all documents. Your HR staff doesn't have to lift a finger for this. Moreover, electronic files are quickly retrievable. By automating the receipt of files in HR, you:
- Eliminate human errors because robots don't make mistakes
- Prevent lost paperwork
- Keep documents visible
- Guarantee document security
2. Where You Store Employee Information
Every HR document and form is packed full of information about your employee(s). Just during the application process, you need to store a lot of data, such as the name, social security number, marital status, bank details, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Managing employee information is much easier when you automate it.
Onboarding new staff is much smoother. Your new staff member enters their data once on a digital form, and the software robots ensure that the information is immediately spread and placed in all necessary forms.
Moreover, you can protect the data in this way much better than paper-based data. You never have to worry about someone accidentally seeing a document on your desk or someone inadvertently ending up in a cupboard where such documents are stored.
By automating the collection of employee information, you:
- Can say goodbye to manual data entry
- Speed up the hiring process by spreading information across the various systems
- Keep employee information private
3. How You Manage Daily Processes
HR life varies from day to day.
You have the known and planned processes, such as recruiting. But there are also unplanned processes, such as employee requests. When you automate HR, it becomes easier to manage these types of daily processes.
Take, for example, the recruitment of new staff members. Web forms can be used to simplify the application process, and email inboxes can automatically be checked for incoming applications. By automating HR, you never lose sight of potential new employees.
There are also routine processes, such as enrollments for certain benefits. You can send automated e-mail reminders when the enrollment period is about to close. Moreover, the software robot makes it easy to update employee information on all platforms where this info needs to be stored.
HR is also expected to handle requests from employees. By automating HR, these requests will never get lost or overlooked.
How does it work? The software robots use data extraction, which allows them to recognise specific content in emails. The software robot can then automatically send a response or place the request in the correct workflow. This ensures that every request is handeled consistently and flawlessly every time.
Moreover, HR automation makes it much easier to schedule training, rollout developments, assess employees, and much more.
By automating daily HR processes, you:
- Ensure consistent and continuous responses to requests
- Keep track of changing regulations
- Save time in the HR department so they can focus on recruitment and retention of staff.
Start with HR Automation Today
Focus on essential matters such as recruiting and retaining your employees. Take the next step and request a consultation! We'd love to discuss your automation and document management needs and wants. This will be followed by advice on the areas that are best to automate within your HR department.