Human Resources is an evolving environment that has changed dramatically over the years. In the Industrial Era, HR professionals were around to resolve wage-related issues and to deal directly with unions for labor-dispute problems and compliance requirements. In the 21st Century, the new era of Human Resources brought new challenges for specialists.

Instead of personnel management focusing their attention to unions, they become actively involved in an organization’s decision-making for recruiting and litigation issues. HR professionals of the 21st century have helped with direction and focused on employee management.

Today, in the Information Age, technologies and innovations have changed the way organizations do business and changed business processes. Instead of dedicating manpower to all processes, companies have focused on automating some processes so that their skilled HR professionals can keep up with changes in regards to organizational development by acting as a strategic partner. With new systems, streamlining is possible in many different HR processes.

Here are some of the processes that can be automated for greater efficiency.

Automated Employee Information Systems for Streamlined Workflows

Keeping an up-to-date information system complete with employee profiles and personal details can be a time-consuming process without some form of automation. When you have to manually enter every bit of information or you are updating physical files, it does not only take time, there is also a huge margin for error.

With a comprehensive and automated employee information system, you can streamline information updates and workflows within the organization. According to BambooHR, modern HRIS systems make it easier for both HR departments and employees to access current information, including employment status, personal data, PTO, benefits, hiring checklists, and a multitude of other info.

Track Time Sheets and Paid Time Off Without Relying on Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets take a great deal of time to create and can be extremely difficult to read and analyze. Instead of tracking and validating the time sheets that are submitted by your employees manually, a process which can be inefficient and mundane, you should focus on the benefits of automating submission and approvals.

You can collect data electronically, validate it, store the data, and then submit this information to payroll so that specialists never have to manually enter data that could lead to payroll errors. In this way, HR programs can significantly simplify your time sheets and payroll processes.

Automating the Hiring Process

When managers feel like they are understaffed, they will go to the HR department and request that they hire new employees so that the organization can lighten the workload on their personnel. Unfortunately, it can cost about $8 an hour per employee to complete the entire recruitment process.

Human Resources Information Systems can now automate much of the process so that specialists and managers are always in the loop. Managers can review job listings, see where they are posted, and know where they are at in the process as well.

Managing Time Off Requests

Most HR managers know just how much time it can take to process a time-off request. As heaps of papers fill their desks, they must review available hours and then see what staffing issues exist. By automating time off, employees can electronically send their request and see if the time is available. This process also makes it much easier to track and manage whenever an employee is on leave.

The purpose of automating processes in HR with current technology is to minimize the chance of error while maximizing the efficiency in the department. With the right systems, HR professionals will have the time to focus on areas of organizational development that they normally would have to put off.

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