Getting Started: HR Automation for Beginners
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The human resources (HR) department is an essential part of every successful company. However, the responsibility for managing potential new employees and the needs of new and existing employees can be complex and high-maintenance. HR managers are often exhausted and overwhelmed with mountains of annoying paperwork.
While we still need real people in HR departments, automated systems help reduce the amount of paperwork and streamline administrative tasks.
In this post, you'll learn what HR automation is, why it's beneficial, and how it can be used in the workplace.
Dive in!
What is HR Automation?
Automation is any digital system that can be used to organize, store, track and manage data volumes intuitively and efficiently. HR automation is the automation of tasks or processes that typically occur in the human resources department.
HR automation is not one specific thing. It is a broad term that encompasses a variety of different tools and mechanisms. Using automation helps HR managers save time, be more productive, and be more innovative in their work.
What are the benefits of HR automation?
Using HR automation has many benefits. Not only does it mean you get access to a faster, more streamlined system, but it also means HR can provide employees with high-quality feedback and support. Some other practical advantages are
- Lower costs for paper-based processing
- Significantly fewer errors
- More positive experiences for employees
- Access to actionable insights
These benefits make the lives of HR managers and the employees they supervise much easier. So how can you implement these benefits in your company? Let's take a look.
7 ways automation can be implemented into HR systems
The first step is to understand the relevance and importance of automation in HR systems. Integrating them into your business requires some additional considerations.
So where does automation fit into HR? Here's our list of 7 ways your company can implement automation and AI into its HR system - from onboarding to expenses.
ONBOARDING AND OFFBOARDING
Onboarding and offboarding are 2 of the biggest tasks assigned to most HR professionals.
New employees need a lot of support when they join the team. This often involves a lot of paperwork and processing work.
With automated onboarding processes, new employees can receive their handbook, company guide, and any other important documents they need.
Automation can also be useful for employees who are retiring or otherwise leaving the company. Employee feedback forms and offboarding checklists can be automated to streamline and simplify the process of leaving an employee.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS
Human resources departments are often responsible for conducting performance reviews. This helps management keep an eye on employee behavior and apply necessary recognition or discipline when necessary.
With the help of automated systems, the performance appraisal process can be made more effective. For example, a system can be set up to intuitively monitor and record employee reviews so that HR only has to evaluate the results.
RECRUITMENT
Recruitment is another important part of the HR department. Finding new talent is important for any growing company, but the administrative work involved is stressful.
Documents such as personnel requisition forms and employee application forms must be created and ready to use immediately. This is exactly what automated HR tools can help with. AI can also be used for market research and help you find better talent.
Systematic recruiting is an essential business component, regardless of size or industry. And with an automated HR tool, it becomes much easier. Using automated tools for job descriptions and interviews also helps eliminate bias and make the process more fair and inclusive.
TRAINING DOCUMENTS
Once the onboarding portion of a new employee's entry is complete, they typically enter a training phase, largely led by a human resources representative. Tracking and monitoring new employees' training progress and growth is useful to help them settle in.
HR professionals can use automation tools to create comprehensive employee training checklists and ensure their progress is accurately tracked throughout.
TIME RECORDING SHEETS AND TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management forms are another important part of a successful HR department.
Tracking employee work hours provides important information about employee productivity and monthly payroll, so your company is aware of important details.
Using an automated time tracking tool eliminates the need for tedious and often inaccurate manual time tracking. It also makes it easier for HR to manage the hours of multiple employees.
If your company runs payroll based on hours worked per employee, an automated tool like this can positively impact HR productivity and accuracy.
ATTENDANCE RECORDING
The human resources department can also benefit from automation when recording employee attendance. When employees get sick, take vacations, or go on vacation, this information needs to be tracked, and that's exactly what an automated system can do on your behalf.
COST COLLECTION
If you need a reliable, accurate, and automatic expense tracking system, you're in luck. There are numerous business cost tracking tools that can play an important role for both HR and management in getting an overview of cost data.
These tools have mathematical calculations built into their system that prevent human errors from distorting records and reduce the risk of fraud. You can track key metrics and deliver accurate reports in minutes without the need for human intervention.
Conclusion
We live in an age of automation. Implementing AI in business management brings many benefits, especially for a department like HR, which often has a large amount of paperwork to complete. From recruiting to timesheets, automation can be beneficial in many ways for HR managers looking to optimize their productivity.
If you work in human resources management, knowing the benefits of automation can play an important role in the success of your business.
Incorporating automation like IceHrm transforms HR, reducing paperwork, enhancing productivity, and optimizing processes.
