Four Reasons You Need an HR System for Remote Work
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It's possible to run your business virtually without an HR system - but it's difficult. Here are four reasons why a remote working HR system will be critical for your business
While many companies have traditionally supported part-time remote working for certain groups of employees, it wasn't until 2020 - following the coronavirus outbreak - that working from home became the norm for a significant group of workers in the UK. Similarly, recruitment management practices had to adapt rapidly, with many organizations shifting to virtual hiring processes to accommodate the new remote working environment.
Successfully transitioning from 100% in-person on-site work to 100% remote work or a mix of on- and offsite workers (commonly referred to as 'hybrid work') has proven difficult for some companies. Given the significant impact a change in work location will have on HR-related processes and activities - such as adjustments to working hours and locations, shifts in organisational culture and changes in employee recruitment - much of the burden will fall on HR professionals. HR teams and organisations that don't have modern HR software that is cloud-based and accessible at any time and from any internet-enabled device will find their efforts to work remotely successfully hampered by the lack of technology. In fact, almost a quarter (24%) of UK workers surveyed by YouGov in 2020 said their productivity suffered because key software was inaccessible from home.
Below are four reasons why a dedicated remote working HR system is essential to help your business operate effectively as a remote or hybrid business.
1.It helps ensure business continuity - especially when it comes to paying your employees
In times of crisis, it's vital that your business is able to respond quickly and maintain 'business as usual' processes as much as possible. Whether your employees are working from home or on-site, they need to be paid. Companies that don't have cloud-based, integrated HR and payroll software will struggle to complete their payroll on time, potentially putting employees in financial difficulty. Paying workers on time and correctly is always important, but with the growing cost of living crisis, this is even more true.
If a crisis or emergency results in an office or workplace having to close at short notice and employees having to work from home, a remote work HR system can also help you communicate urgent messages to employees. For example, IceHrm's crisis communications tool allows HR teams to quickly send urgent messages via email or SMS and track and monitor response rates.
2.HR systems help you hire and onboard new employees remotely
Companies that work remotely and those that have a portion of hybrid work will now be faced with the task of hiring and onboarding new employees remotely, either fully or partially. An HR system for remote work is critical to success during this crucial stage of the employee lifecycle. With so many competing priorities on HR teams' plates, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is essential to quickly advertise vacancies, securely collect and compile applicants' information, and route applications to managers. Video interviews are also growing in popularity. Companies are using tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams for two-way interviews or specialized video screening software to quickly evaluate large volumes of applicants.
After successfully interviewing and hiring a candidate, you want to welcome them to your company as best as possible and help them become a productive member of your team as quickly as possible. Getting this onboarding or induction phase right is crucial. New employees need to feel supported, be part of the company culture, and get to know their new colleagues and the requirements of the role. New employee onboarding software like IceHrm's Onboarding Portal helps employers make virtual onboarding more successful by allowing new employees to access important information about their new company and team online before their first day of work, and read and fill out important information and forms electronically. If you do it right, you'll find that remote onboarding benefits your company rather than hurts it.
3.You can better measure employee engagement and well-being
When employees work in different locations, it's harder to measure the overall mood and well-being of your workforce - there are no quick conversations or spontaneous chats at the coffee machine. Realistically, you don't have the time to meet with each individual employee, so why not use your HR system to ease the burden? HR systems for remote working have built-in survey and employee engagement tools that help you find out how your employees are really doing through surveys (short or long) that can even be anonymous to maintain confidentiality. By conducting employee engagement or well-being surveys through your central HR system, you can link the data and results of such activities to other metrics such as absenteeism rates and performance management measures, helping you determine which strategic initiatives to focus on.
4.HR systems help you accurately track absence rates
As health and well-being is a constant concern for HR teams, it is important that your remote working HR system makes it easy to manage and report on absence times. Tracking and monitoring absences via email or Excel is not practical. You need a self-service online HR system that allows employees and managers to track and approve absences and helps you track the main causes of absences in your company. The HR system you choose might even be able to automatically calculate Bradford Factor scores. A reliable overview of actual absence times will also help you identify which departments or teams are under-resourced and help you plan appropriate measures to reduce absence rates.
Adopting a cloud-based HR system like IceHrm is vital for maintaining business continuity, effectively hiring and onboarding remote employees, measuring employee engagement, and tracking absences. Embrace modern HR technology to ensure your remote or hybrid workforce thrives.
