Using Technology to Speed Up the HR Process

While some people may argue that technology is taking the “human” out of human resources, the opposite is actually true. Leveraging the latest digital tools to manage your workforce can actually make the HR experience more human, by relieving you and your staff of time-consuming administrative tasks and freeing you up for more meaningful employee interactions.

Here’s a snapshot of how tech continues to reshape HR in positive ways.

Employee Empowerment

Employee Self Service (ESS) portals enable members of your workforce to manage many of their own processes; for example, applying for leaves of absences, requesting time off, managing claims, and changing such personal details as banking and next-of-kin information.

With time-off requests, workers can easily see which days are available before they submit. As a result, HR team members are not overwhelmed by multiple requests for the same dates.

Cloud-Based Solutions

While cloud-based business solutions are not new, there has been a significant increase in their use by HR departments in recent years, especially for recruitment purposes.

Cloud-based solutions help ensure that your information is centralized, efficiently stored, and easily retrievable. This applies to applications and resumes, candidate status updates, and new hire forms, to name just a few.
With the growing implementation of cloud-based technology has come amplification in data security. Through software encryption and cybersecurity measures, you, your employees and your applicants can rest assured that sensitive data is well protected.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence continues to reinvent traditional HR functions through advancements in app-based capabilities, auto-generated information, and machine learning.

In addition to streamlining processes, automation can be used to reduce hiring bias. This is accomplished through algorithm-based assessment platforms that result in more diversified candidate pools.
Although AI and related developments could cause 75 million jobs to be displaced, 133 million new jobs will emerge as a result. This will create an increase of 58 million new jobs over the next five years. To accommodate this shift, 54 percent of all employees will require significant reskilling and upskilling. By automating HR functions, companies can free up their employees’ time, allowing HR specialists to focus more on the development of needed training programs.

Big Data and Hiring Analytics

With the rise of big data and hiring analytics, HR departments will be more successful in matching candidates with job openings that require their specific skills. Software solutions can be used to access talent potential and determine the best fit for each role.

Core Functions Improved

The list of HR process improvements resulting from technology also includes:

Employee records management: Automation can help you to organize and store records to be compliant with laws and regulations. When the time comes, it can also help you dispose of records.
Benefits management: Employees are eligible for benefits at different times. This can make the benefits management process time consuming and complicated. When you automate a system, it alerts you to such events as enrollment eligibility dates.
Tax form distribution: The process of sending out and collecting tax forms can be automated, including sending reminder emails as organizing related paperwork.

To learn more about the latest technological advances in human resources and how they can boost your business, contact HR Works today. We’ll bring you up to speed – and help keep you there.