It’s no secret that organizations across the country are struggling to hire and retain qualified staff, putting more pressure on their HR teams to deliver. Whether it’s called the Great Resignation, the Great Reshuffle, or some other catchy moniker, it’s evident that the forces of change have impacted every part of the employment journey for candidates and hiring companies. So what does this mean for HR?Â
As companies continue to face the challenges brought about by the pandemic, the demands on HR teams continue to evolve. And so are the HR tech platforms that can act as technology “partners†for HR pros as their roles in their organization’s change and grow. It comes as no surprise that HR tech investment has grown significantly. In 2021, HR tech spending increased 57%, according to the 2021–2022 HR Systems SurveyOpens a new window .Â
Increased HR tech investment will bode well for HR professionals, specifically, so they can focus on the heart of any business — their people. HR wants to help care for employees, foster development, support company culture, and drive initiatives that improve employee engagement and productivity. However, more often than not, HR will get pulled into manual, time-consuming tasks that, while arduous, are also crucial to running a business.Â
Important areas, such as compliance, payroll, benefits administration, and more, need to be addressed — even if they take up significant HR time. In fact, Ravin Jesuthasan and John Boudreau, co-authors of Reinventing Jobs: A 4-Step Approach for Applying Automation to Work (Harvard Business Review Press, 2018Opens a new window ), say, “as we look to substitute repetitive and rules-based work, augment work that is more variable, and create new types of human work, we have a tremendous opportunity to inject more “humanity†into our organizations. The key is emphasizing the more creative and human aspects of work.â€Â
Here I’ll discuss the five key areas for success when adding automation into HR’s workflow so that they can focus on the people side of the business.Â
1. There’s no such thing as over-communicationÂ
As we’ve discussed, automation, particularly HR automation, can supercharge your HR teams and empower them to do their best people work. However, it is key to remember that your HR professionals may be hesitant to embrace new technologies. And they wouldn’t be alone. In a PwC Global surveyOpens a new window of 32,000 employees, it was found that 60% of those surveyed felt that automation is putting many jobs at risk.Â
The pandemic has rapidly increased what is considered within HR’s domain. With employees working from home or in a hybrid environment, the HR needs of workforces have changed, and HR has been expected to keep up at a breakneck pace. Whether it’s providing enhanced mental health support to treat or prevent burnout, creating and managing work-at-home policies, or sustaining staff morale amid greater workloads, HR has been at the forefront.Â
HR teams, especially small ones, are under pressure to deliver exceptional results under extraordinary circumstances. In such stressful times, implementing HR automation can create the fear that such tech will replace their value. Or that the automation will eliminate the human element that HR brings to the table.
To combat these fears, it is crucial when implementing HR automation to emphasize to your HR team that the tech is there to enhance and add support. It is merely another tool in their toolkit, which in turn allows for more interaction and touchpoints with employees. Through clear and consistent communication, highlight the fact that their priorities will be the workforce, not reconciling data or manually filling out forms. This will emphasize that your HR automation deployment is being done to set them up for even more success, not hobble their impact.
See More: HR Automation That Showed Results: Case Studies You Can Learn From
2. Assess where you are now
It’s incredibly useful and important to understand where your company currently stands at the start of your HR automation journey. The technology should meet you where you are and fit within your organization; you shouldn’t need to upend all processes to implement it. For that to be the case, it will be important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your HR processes and procedures.Â
What’s working? What’s not? For example, if your HR team, or HR pro, depending on the size of your organization, is dealing with extensive paperwork or data manually, the likelihood of human error is there. And when implementing HR tech that automates tasks such as processing important company or personnel information, handling payroll compliance, or even benefits administration, the likelihood of human error is put to a minimum. However, it is key to understand that the problem exists in the first place for HR automation tech to address it.
Creating an in-depth analysis of the weaknesses — and also the strengths — of your HR procedures will set up your company for success when implementing your specific automation solution.Â
3. Work smarter, not harder
Once you have your HR automation tech in place, what exactly can it do? With a truly flexible HR system, the options are limitless. From employee onboarding to PTO management to performance management to employee offboarding, HR tech can streamline these areas and enhance efficiency.Â
Without technology, employee onboarding requires multiple touchpoints with the new hire, double-checking provided information, keeping their sensitive information secure, and more. Considering the high-volume hiring many organizations are undergoing, this can take up an HR professional’s entire week. On the other hand, with HR tech that lets your new hire self-onboard with an app on their phone or a user-friendly portal, HR is freed up to conduct onboarding interviews with the hire instead and answer any specific questions they may have, focusing on the people side of staffing.Â
Do not underestimate how robust HR automation tech is. The features and capabilities of HR automation software can help create efficiencies in almost all aspects of your company’s HR functions.Â
4. Understand your people to understand your business
Automating HR procedures using technology can also provide your business with key insights that help move your company forward. Beyond fostering efficiency, reducing human error, and greatly enhancing your HR team’s people time, HR automation software can also provide deep insights and actionable business data. Companies can track, collect, and analyze HR data in such areas as productivity, workflows, information bottlenecks, employee exit rates, employee engagement survey data, and more. Such data gleaned through reports or dashboards can provide businesses with insight into patterns across the company, facilitating highly informed decision-making.Â
Don’t simply see HR tech as only the domain of HR. Instead, enable your HR team to use it strategically to understand your company and your people more than ever before.Â
5. Get creativeÂ
Technology can also support the “human†elements of HR; it just takes a bit of creativity and a flexible system. Not only can your HR technology manage the day-to-day processes related to compliance, reimbursements, time tracking, and more, but it can also support the culture and initiatives to support the personal touches within your organization. For example, you can use your workflows to set reminders for HR to send new hires a welcome package. Or, you can set up a custom reimbursement code for employees to expense a cup of coffee or a treat from a local business as a thank-you for their hard work and to also support local shops.Â
As you can see, the technology serves multiple purposes when used correctly and creatively. This allows HR to cover more ground in their quest to support culture, initiatives, and the daily needs of the business. We must debunk the perception that technology eliminates the ability for personalization and human touch; in fact, it can enhance it by freeing up time and supporting busy HR professionals in all of their efforts.
You’ve Deployed HR Automation — Now What?
Once your HR automation tools are in place, HR is ready to shine even brighter. Now, HR can set its sights on areas such as employee relations, training and development, change management, and employee engagement, to name a few. All of these areas need the human “touch†that is irreplaceable and require high levels of interaction with the workforce. Without automation, such people-focused job responsibilities can often be overshadowed by the manual and time-consuming work HR professionals find themselves bogged down with. By implementing a flexible HR system, your HR team can finally showcase their real talent — fostering careers, guiding new employees, conducting thoughtful touch bases, and much more. Level up your HR professionals today by equipping them with a critical tool in their toolkit.
What steps have you taken to ensure that the human element remains during HR automation? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .