Automating HR processes is a small step that can send big, positive ripples throughout an entire organization. But how do you streamline HR processes, reduce human error, and create repeatable protocols that your busy HR team can follow?
Modernizing your HR department through automation will not only reduce the burden of repetitive manual tasks on your human resources specialists, but it will also make life easier for managers and team members across all departments. That’s a valuable benefit because happier, more satisfied and engaged employees tend to stick around longer. This means that by automating HR processes, you may actually be boosting recruitment and retention rates, too.
So, how do you streamline HR processes for maximum impact in your organization? Automation is only one piece of the puzzle. In order to truly streamline HR processes, you need to be prepared to complete a top-down audit of your current systems and ready to implement an agile digital solution.
Tips to streamline HR processes
The first step in streamlining your HR processes is reviewing all your existing processes, workflows, and systems to identify complicated or cumbersome elements. If a task, a form, or a step in the workflow is tedious or just unnecessary, either rethink it or eliminate it altogether.
During this HR audit, take a look at any systems or automated solutions you have in place. Are they multi-functional, or do they just serve one purpose? By reducing the number of single-solution systems you use, you’ll also reduce the amount of unique logins and workflows your employees need to keep track of and the number of systems your IT department has to support.
Finally, automating workflows and HR processes will help streamline things like onboarding, payroll, and training so your employees spend less time filling out stacks of forms and more time contributing their valuable role to the company.
How do you automate HR processes?
HR processes can be complex, so is it even possible to automate them effectively? In a word, yes. When you automate HR processes, you can address efficiency gaps in a number of areas — from recruiting to operations and even wellness initiatives. HR processes and functions that are ripe for automation include:
- Recruitment and onboarding
Of all the functions HR departments perform, recruiting and onboarding are two of the most important. However, they’re also two of the most complicated, typically requiring tons of paperwork, information processing, and filing. Automating the recruitment and onboarding processes can not only improve and streamline the experience, but can also reduce the risk of human error, prevent the loss of important paperwork, and improve new-hire status visibility across departments. - Time management and tracking
In most organizations that track time manually, hours typically don’t get logged until after the fact. Of course, this leads to a significantly higher risk of inaccurate records, inadvertent as they may be. A digital time tracking solution will make things easier for employees who won’t have to struggle to remember their time, as well as for HR employees who can be assured that payroll is accurate. - Payroll
Speaking of payroll, automating this function can hand you several benefits including more accurate calculations, less time spent processing and preparing payments, and easier record keeping with digital files instead of physical ones. - Offboarding
Offboarding personnel can be just as complex and time consuming as onboarding them. Offboarding procedures often include credential revocation, ID collection, an exit interview, and other various paperwork. By automating these processes, you can help ensure that all the right boxes get checked, even if emotions are running high. - Training
Trying to schedule training sessions that accommodate everyone’s hectic calendar can be a nightmare. But with digital technology like webinars, apps, and HR portals, employees can complete mandatory training on their own time and at their own pace. You can also ensure they don’t forget to complete those trainings by implementing automated reminders.
How Wrike can help streamline HR processes
With streamlined HR processes, you’ll free up time and resources both for your employees across the company and, of course, for your HR specialists. After all, more than 50% of an HR department’s time is spent processing employee information and answering questions, while HR specialists spend an average of 40% of their time on administrative tasks like data entry.
With Wrike, you’ll be able to easily create workflows for repetitive HR tasks like recruiting and onboarding, both of which require hefty amounts of paperwork and file creation. Wrike allows you to set up dedicated folders for each candidate that can house their application, resume, and other forms and documents. What’s more, you can share information and chat about potential new hires with fellow managers directly in Wrike, eliminating long email chains and lost information.
Wrike also helps you keep personnel updates organized and accessible, and it can even help you organize training events, to-do lists, formal notices, and meetings all in one central location. For a more in-depth look at all the ways Wrike can help you streamline and automate HR processes, get started with a free two-week trial today!
