Tips for digitizing your HR processes

How can you make the move toward digitization as easy and smart as possible? We have some handy tips for you!

HR is, of course, a people business. It is done for and by people. But that doesn't mean that many administrative tasks can't be automated very effectively. Old-fashioned paperwork, filling out forms, and sharing files via email: today, standard administration can be automated.

Digitization has another advantage. If you set it up smartly, employees can now handle all sorts of HR matters themselves, take training courses, and take charge of their own career development. See, that puts employees in control and creates much-needed space in the busy schedules of HR staff.

Automating processes and integrating systems is not just highly efficient. A modern HR system also gives a significant boost to both employer branding and employee engagement. And with that, you can immediately check two boxes on the wish list of many modern HR managers.

In short: there are more than enough reasons within HR to make use of IT solutions. Yet, for many organizations, the threshold for HR digitization is quite high. Where should you start? How do you make smart choices? And where do you find the time to set everything up properly? We’ll help you get started with our tips.

1. Put the end user on a pedestal

Our golden tip number 1: don't immediately call the first system vendor you find with your request for help. First, map out what you actually need yourself. How do your HR processes currently run? Who is involved? Where exactly are the bottlenecks? Don't forget to involve the people who know what they're talking about. And we don't just mean the IT department, but also the end user.

In other words: talk to the HR officer, payroll administrator, manager, and the average employee. After all, they are the ones who will have to work with the HR system.

Start a conversation with the subject matter experts. What could be automated and where is a human touch still necessary? What are the different stakeholders struggling with? What is working well and should be kept? And do the stakeholders themselves have ideas for solving the bottlenecks? It might take some time to ask these kinds of questions together, but it is well worth the investment.

It will save you oceans of time and money later if you don't have to reinvent the wheel yourself. Moreover, contact with end users will significantly increase support when implementing a new system later on.

2. Take stock of what you already have

Every entrepreneur and individual is busy emailing, messaging, and Googling. And by now, you can hardly find a company where paper personnel files are still hanging in folders in a cabinet. So, we are assuming that some things have already been automated in your organization.

Take stock of which systems are already in your organization. Look beyond just the HR department. Management systems with production information, revenue figures from Finance, and market analysis from Marketing also contain very interesting information for HR.

By linking data to your HR system, you can make good use of this for estimating things like staffing levels, training needs, and budget possibilities.

Once you have a clear picture of the current IT landscape and the information needs, it is time for the next step: taking stock of the desired system capabilities.

3. Re- or upcycling is sometimes possible too

You don't have to throw away all your old shoes when you buy new ones. A modernization of the HR department doesn't have to mean that you immediately write off all existing automation. Perhaps your current systems can be integrated with new software, or an update might be enough to meet your current needs.

It is very possible that you don't have enough automation expertise in-house for this inventory step. Of course, you can turn to a software vendor of your choice at this stage.

However, realize that a sales representative usually doesn't look at your automation question with a truly independent eye. The advice you receive will likely always fall within their own offerings, with the corresponding price tag. That is why it is a better idea, if your own IT department lacks sufficient knowledge, to approach a specialized independent consultancy firm that has a clear overview of all the options from different vendors.

4. Connect with your target audience

Choose carefully what you want to renew, when, and how. Of course, technically a lot is possible, but will you really use it? Or will such a tsunami of information be unleashed that you can't see the forest for the trees?

Don't go overboard with your modernization drive. It has to be functional and fit your organization.

An important point to consider if you switch to a self-service system: do employees understand what is expected of them? Choose a system that is intuitive enough so that people don't have to stop and think every time about how it worked again.

Furthermore, an accessible menu, clear language, and an easy-to-read layout help ensure that an expensive HR system is actually experienced as supportive.

5. Wrap up the introduction properly

You have chosen a system, imported data, exchanged it, and linked it to your HR processes. But that's not the end of it. The real implementation only ends when every user knows how the system works, sees its added value, and actually starts using it.

So spend enough time and attention on wrapping up the rollout of a new system. Make getting acquainted with the new way of working as easy as possible.

Put the manuals for the various systems in an online location that is accessible to every user. Set up a help desk where people can turn in the first few months if they have questions. Hold special introduction sessions where users can share their questions, ideas, and comments. And do you notice from the feedback that some improvements do still need to be made? That's fine; that's called evolving insight. Embrace it and thank users for their valuable input.

‍

Need more tips for smartly automating your HR department?

HR digitization is a complex process on which a lot depends. So it must be carried out carefully. But if you approach it the right way, you'll get a lot of benefit from this efficiency boost. We have already helped many customers get started with digitizing their HR processes. We are happy to share our knowledge and experience. So feel free to contact us for tips!