How to Automate Your Most Important HR Workflows

In 2022, it is almost mandatory for a business to have some sections of their operations automated if they want to survive and stay competitive. One of the departments that can be easily automated today is human resources. This department is usually the most understaffed and overworked as its tasks are majorly manual, repetitive and monotonous.

What is HR automation?

Automation means the employment of technology instead of humans to complete any given work. In the context of HR, automation entails the employment of machines and specialized software to do the repetitive and monotonous tasks of the HR department to increase their efficiency, reduce the workload and reduce errors. Machines can also work for longer hours with relatively low maintenance making their productivity much higher.

Some of the most significant benefits of automation of the HR department include:

• Streamlined workflows
• Consistent performance
• Reduction in errors

With automation, your HR department’s workflows become more streamlined and efficient as they get done without the human tendency of fatigue. Also, as an automated human resource management system only follows the set rules in its program, it will always carry out its operations free of errors and the probability of any mistakes would be drastically reduced. This would help the department deliver consistent and solid performance with relative quickness and efficiency.

4 more benefits of automation

The benefits of automation don’t stop there. Studies show that the administrative workload for HR employers and HR professionals can be reduced by 49% and 30% respectively. Other benefits include:

1. Reduced employee turnover

In the context of human resources, employee turnover is defined as the number of employees who are no longer a part of the organization and are replaced with new employees, usually calculated on a yearly basis. These partings can happen through various actions such as retirements, resignations and terminations.

Since the HR department is responsible for the welfare of the employees, their performance directly affects employee turnover. High employee turnover means incurring higher costs as it is very expensive to keep replacing employees. Studies show that almost 50% of American employees will switch jobs after two payroll errors.

2. Saving on time spent on hiring

While automation does help you retain employees, it can also help you in making the hiring process more efficient and fast. Instead of manually screening employees, running background checks and all the other processes that go into the hiring process, automation can run all of these tasks automatically. This will reduce the HR department’s workload, save them time and will also provide a pleasant experience for the applicants, ensuring that you don’t miss out on the best candidates.

3. Consistency and precision

Some of the most error-prone tasks of HR include manual tasks, i.e., those tasks which have to be done by HR professionals manually. Many of the errors can be caused by a number of factors such as bias, fatigue or simply low morale. This flawed HR system will surely lead to mistakes that could cascade into bigger problems in the future. HR automation eliminates most of these errors. By being programmed to run in an exact manner, automated systems can not only eliminate these errors but also deliver consistent performance with more efficiency across all the levels.

4. Data management

One of the most important benefits of HR automation is data management. It’s the single most tedious task to do manually and the probability of mistakes is very high. Manually handled data can be easily corrupted and lost, can take up a lot of time in case someone wants to retrieve any information, and can also be easily accessed by unauthorized people.

Many automation software, in addition to the benefits mentioned above, also provide a secure and efficient way of managing data. They provide the HR department with cloud backups and can also retrieve any information quickly. They’re also much less prone to be hacked or accessed by unauthorized people. Managing your employee database is essential as it can be a requirement of the law, will dictate your payroll process and basically keeps a record of your entire workforce.

Key HR areas to automate

Now that we know the importance and benefits of HR automation, we have to understand which processes to automate first. If you are just starting to automate your HR processes, then there are a few key areas you should first look into before getting into anything else.

1. Hiring

Hiring candidates and employees is one of the primary functions of the HR department. They are responsible for acquiring the best talent for the company and making sure they are taken care of and are happy. Automating this process will not only save you a big chunk of HR’s time, but it will also ensure that the candidates have a good experience.

In the past, recruiters had to go through every single application and screen the candidates manually. Today, you can set keywords that the software should look for and screen the applicants. Only those candidates which suit your requirements will be shortlisted and you can save time, money and reduce the workload of your HR department. This speedy process will also save the candidates’ time which will ensure that you get the best talent for your organization.

2. Gauging employee performance

Managing and gauging the performance of employees is a task that used to be an annual event. Today, however, with the competition in every sector at an all-time high, managing employee performance is a lot more important. Making the evaluation of performance a dynamic process will help the HR department correctly measure and improve employee performance.

Automation will be integral to progress in this area. Identifying, measuring and evaluating performance manually can quickly take up all the time of the HR and waste valuable resources that could have been employed elsewhere. Automating this process through automation tools such as performance management software can slash the time needed and also produce more accurate and reliable data. A more in-depth insight that comes with data can help HR identify weak areas of the workforce, where training is needed and where promotions or raises are deserved.

3. Payroll management

As mentioned above, errors in payroll can cause employees to quickly become dissatisfied and leave their employment. It’s estimated that 82 million American workers have faced some kind of payroll error and one of the primary reasons for that is the lack of technology – or, more accurately, a lack of adoption of technology.

With frustrated employees comes an increase in employee turnover, which in turn fuels costs. Investing in payroll software won’t help you avoid an increase in employee turnover and employee frustration, but will also help in the following ways:

• Tax regulation compliance
• Streamlined payroll process
• Decrease in outstanding salaries and wages

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of a good and reliable payroll system as it is the bread and butter of your employees’ experience working at your company and will help build trust for your business.

Final thoughts

Automation of HR processes is no longer an option. Without some level of automation, your business will be left behind. The adoption of automation has never been easier with the availability of numerous software to help you set up your business and run it while you sit back and relax. An automated HR department will ensure efficiency, increased productivity, satisfaction and engagement among your employees at every level.