Advantages of Automating Workforce Management

In today's competitive and ever-changing business world, it is simply no longer enough to offer a high-quality product or service at the best price and in an optimal market. Effective management of your most important asset, your people, is critical to the success of your business and to staying ahead in your industry. This article looks at the concept of workforce management as a business strategy and shows how HR software can help your company improve its productivity, efficiency and performance.

What is workforce management?

Workforce management (WFM) refers to a specific organizational strategy and the associated set of processes to maximize the productivity and performance of a company's employees. At its core is the idea that all the resources required, be it human capital (employees), systems, processes, etc., are in the right place at the right time to achieve the highest possible efficiency.

Five key elements of automated workforce management

There are so many activities and processes under the WFM umbrella. Trying to coordinate them manually can not only cause headaches, but can also be ineffective, time-consuming and resource-inefficient.

Automating some of these processes is a good way to achieve efficiency gains.

Here are some of the key areas where you could see major improvements by implementing automated solutions in the form of workforce management software:

Recruitment

Automation allows recruiters to quickly and easily assemble job descriptions and advertisements from pre-defined templates. In addition, clever analysis methods are used to determine the best advertising methods based on past performance. As for candidate applications, CVs can be automatically checked against pre-defined keywords and competency matrices, saving overworked HR teams countless hours of manual assessment of applications. Subsequently, short-listed candidates can be automatically assigned free interview slots.

Time and attendance

For many companies this is one of the most valuable aspects of a workforce management solution. Employee time sheets can be filled out and stored online, with automatic approvals within predefined parameters. This also makes it easy for line managers to assess the effectiveness of scheduling and the need for overtime, and to measure whether productivity could be improved by shifting resources to other times or departments.

Many workforce management solutions also offer employee self-service functions that allow staff to request leave and time off at the touch of a button.

Performance management

By removing manual interventions from the performance management process and replacing them with automated ones, supervisors can save significant time in organizing meetings and filling out lengthy assessment forms. Workforce software can automatically arrange review sessions through diary coordination, and perform an automatic assessment based on pre-defined criteria.

Line managers can also use the software to compare the performance of employees in their team and in the organization as a whole. The software helps them to make well-informed assessments of which employees have future potential and which can benefit from training or development.

Talent management and job forecasting

When combined with performance management, workforce management software can help to underpin management team decisions about the future of the business. This software can predict future staffing needs (in terms of size and skill levels) to meet the projected needs of the business. It can also help with strategy development to address future skill gaps, from internal development and promotion to external recruitment.

Offboarding of employees

Workforce management software is able to automate many of the tedious manual tasks associated with an employee leaving the company. Using this software ensures that everything is completed on time and accurately with minimal human intervention. Such tasks could include organizing exit interviews, generating final salary payments and requesting the return of company property.

Top 5 benefits of managing your workforce with HR software

Using WFM software has many great advantages.

Here are just a few of them:

Improvements in data accuracy

If data is processed by the system instead of relying on manual data entry, the risk of inconsistencies caused by natural human error is greatly reduced.

Reducing costs

By automating many processes that were previously performed manually, or by reducing human input for repetitive tasks, the company can save money on employee salaries to perform day-to-day administrative tasks. Companies often also see cost reductions by improving data accuracy, as described above.

Saving time for the HR team

A workforce management system takes over many of the administrative tasks traditionally performed by the HR team. This creates time and space for these people to focus on more value-added activities that contribute positively to business success, from employee training and coaching to planning the HR strategy.

Reporting options

The new wave of workforce management software has sophisticated reporting features that allow companies to leverage the wealth of data stored in the system. Evaluating information such as absenteeism rates, supervisor performance reviews and the effectiveness of recruitment methods can help the company make informed decisions and changes based on facts.

Smoother and more streamlined processes

Automating HR processes eliminates much of the unnecessary work (such as cross-referencing information and duplicating data across different platforms). This leaves only the most relevant and value-adding parts of the process. The result is smarter, more streamlined HR workflows that are easier for everyone involved to navigate.

The best workforce management software solutions in the industry

There are a variety of workforce management software solutions on the market, and choosing the right one for your business can sometimes be overwhelming.

Here are five of the best:

UltiPro

This workforce management software has a comprehensive list of features and functions that help companies organize and plan their staffing needs. UltiPro was awarded for the great balance between standard functionality and a high degree of customization options, should the customer require this.

BambooHR

BambooHR is perfect for small and medium sized businesses looking for an easily accessible and straightforward system with an impressive range of features, from time and attendance recording to benefits management and recruitment automation.

Kissflow HR Cloud

Kissflow HR Cloud is a cloud-based HR system that supports multi-channel access and enables HR teams and employees to use its self-service options on the road. The system also makes it easy for users to add additional functionality to the core system, such as supplier, procurement and financial management suites.

It provides a range of functionality from recruitment to performance management and sophisticated reporting capabilities, as well as advanced automation options for the more basic HR functions.

Workday HCM

Workday HCM offers its customers a comprehensive, web-based workforce management system with automation across the full range of HR processes, from compensation and benefits to recruitment, compliance and performance management.

SAP Fieldglasses

SAP Fieldglass is a cloud-based workforce management software and a global leader in the field with customers in over 165 countries. Part of its popularity lies in the scope and quality of the features it offers, such as advanced workforce planning and forecasting capabilities.

Use Workforce Management to stay on top

There are so many advantages of using a workforce management system that is tailored to the needs of your business. Therefore, it is certainly worthwhile to examine the options available on the market to evaluate how such software can benefit your business.

If you are looking for a Human Resource Management tool that can grow with your business, you should try IceHrm. Sign up for a free demo and see how effective an automated human resource management tool than your manual system.