How automating simple, repetitive tasks can save HR professionals time and energy
HR staff can be more effective when their time and energy are deployed on more productive activities such as developing programs to improve employee engagement or building out a learning and development program.
By understanding how automation can lighten the workload on your staff, and identifying the use cases where it works, you can leverage this technology effectively. This is key to improving HR processes and bringing your business to the next level.
How to get started in your organization
The first step to getting started is understanding the types of processes that can be automated and what automation tools are available.
- When identifying the types of tasks to automate, it is useful to consider the following:
- Which process can be streamlined?
- Is the task simple and repetitive?
- Which information can be accessed by employees with self-service tools?
- Which tasks involve a lot of paperwork and standardized forms?
Tools that are available and how they work in general:
- Intelligent Document Processing extracts data from sources such as PDF files, images, and hardcopy printouts to be stored.
- Self-service employee tools record hours worked or time-off requests and compile automatically during month end.
With a better understanding, identifying which workflow to automate within your business can be made simple. By following these simple steps, you can take advantage of automation in your organization and reap the benefits of increased efficiency and cost savings. Let us dive into some use cases for deeper understanding.
Use Case: Shortening Your Hiring Process
With a well-designed system of automation workflows, users enjoy the seamless experience of processing, classifying, and storing information for analysis. Such systems can then be connected to other software, such as email, to assist the user in completing last-mile tasks.
Workflow for selecting the right talents from a large pool of candidates:
- Processing. The system processes the CVs of all candidates into structured and organized data.
- Classification. The system then shortlists the appealing options based on relevant search criteria for the role.
- Storing. The system compiles the CVs that meet the criteria in the correct location.
- Analysis. With all the best CVs identified, users can dive straight in to analyze the most suitable candidates, saving an incredibly large amount of time.
Workflow for arranging interviews:
- With the best candidates identified, the user can then trigger the system to send out the relevant documents to the desired candidates and schedule an interview.
- When candidates respond, the system creates events on the HR user’s calendar and notifies the user.
Automation has a much larger field of application than just the hiring process. Another good example is payroll management.
Use Case: Simplifying Payroll Process
An automated payroll system can be designed to collect relevant employee data, such as their working hours, leave applications, and claims. The data can then be analyzed and potential errors spotted. This is a valuable addition to any business as human errors with payroll can reduce employee satisfaction and productivity. Such a system will also ensure that there are no delays, removing risks and grievances from the payroll management.
Take Action
Hiring and engaging the right talents are extremely challenging for smaller companies. Many companies hire more staff to cover the lack of skill sets within their team.
By using automation tools, you can hire the right talents and keep them engaged. Company expenses can be optimized to ensure operations scale smoother and faster. Tasks like the examples mentioned earlier are just two of a large variety. It is always best to start simple and work your way up into larger processes and systems to ensure a successful transition.
The right solution provider
Choosing the appropriate solution provider can be challenging. It is important to consider the provider’s experience in working with small businesses and their expertise in the relevant tools. Foxle is a technology provider that assists smaller companies with automation and digital transformation. We provide various technical services to help companies optimize their investment in technology. Our services include but are not limited to:
- Automation and software development
- IT maintenance and technical assistance
- System integration and process management