Is your HR team struggling with repetitive tasks and sourcing the right information across scattered systems? If so, they could be engaging in much more work than necessary.
They could be missing out on automation tools and solutions that streamline many of their daily HR processes while also eliminating errors
In today’s piece, we’ll explore what HR automation is, why it’s gaining traction, and walk you through practical steps on how to implement it.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Humanising HR: the magic of AI in empowering people and processes
Harness the power of AI to boost HR efficiency and engagement, foster smarter decisions, and enhance human-centric processes.
What is HR automation?
HR automation, also known as HR process automation or HR workflow automation, is the practice of using software and technology to streamline and automate various administrative tasks within the Human Resources (HR) department.
By automating routine and repetitive processes, your HR team can enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and focus on more strategic, people-focused activities.
For example, during the recruitment process, HR automation tools can handle tasks such as posting job ads, tracking responses, and screening candidates.
Automated systems can quickly acknowledge applications, verify candidate information, and even facilitate initial screenings through video interviews.
One of the key trends today is the use of AI in HR, which helps you tailor many of these functions to individual employees or departments.
If your HR strategy is geared to agility and consistency, onboarding is another area that is ripe for automation.
Once a candidate is hired, automated systems guide new employees through induction and training.
These systems can deliver personalised plans, provide access to necessary resources, and even assign mentors.
The same system comes into play throughout the employee lifecycle, allowing staff to access training materials or submit requests for information through self-service portals.
This lets them get up to speed without relying heavily on HR personnel.
Why is automation in HR important?
HR automation helps businesses improve their HR processes and enhance employee satisfaction—aspects that become more crucial as your business grows and evolves.
Here are some of the key reasons why HR automation is important:
Saves time on repetitive tasks
Automating routine administrative tasks frees up HR professionals to focus on more valuable activities like employee engagement and strategic decision-making.
Reduces human error and compliance risks
Automated systems minimise the chance of manual errors and help ensure compliance with labour laws, regulations, and internal policies, reducing potential risks.
Improves employee experience
Automation enhances the employee experience by providing employees with self-service portals to update personal information, request time off, and access HR policy information, all at their convenience.
Enables scaling with leaner HR teams
As organisations grow, automation helps HR teams scale efficiently without increasing headcount.
It ensures that essential HR functions can be handled more effectively with fewer resources.
Supports growth-stage businesses
For businesses expanding from 10 to 50 employees or more, HR automation streamlines essential processes like recruitment, onboarding, and performance management, ensuring that HR can keep up with the demands of a larger workforce.
What HR processes can be automated?
The basics of managing employees apply to just about everyone on the roster, which means there’s no shortage of repetitive tasks that you can entrust to automation.
Here are some key HR processes to consider:
Leave requests and approvals
Modern systems give employees an easy way to submit time-off requests, while HR and managers can approve or deny them just as quickly.
There is no longer any need for manual tracking and the process is completely transparent.
Timesheets and attendance
Direct registration of work hours, overtime, and attendance means time-tracking is updated instantly across all relevant systems.
By logging their hours digitally your employees reduce the chance of errors in the system, and HR teams can generate reports automatically for payroll and compliance purposes.
Onboarding checklists
HR automation can guide new hires through the entire onboarding process by providing them with digital checklists.
Typical onboarding tasks include completing forms, signing documents, and setting up access to necessary resources.
Automation ensures these are all done in the right sequence.
Payroll and benefits administration
Payroll automation reduces the complexity of processing employee salaries and deductions, ensuring timely and accurate payments.
This also goes for benefits and perks, which often require enrolment.
Automation also takes care of disseminating updates and giving employees access to their benefits information.
Performance review reminders
Performance management processes can be streamlined by setting up automated reminders for managers and employees.
This ensures that reviews are conducted on time, all employees are given the same surveys, and responses are instantly registered upon completion.
Document storage and updates
HR automation systems can help store, manage, and update employee records and documents, such as contracts, certifications, and tax forms.
This ensures that files are easily accessible and up-to-date without requiring manual intervention.
Exit processes
When an employee leaves, HR automation can manage offboarding tasks, such as listing company property to be returned, deactivating access to systems, and scheduling exit interviews.
Automating these processes ensures a smooth transition and reduces the administrative load during employee departures.
Humanising HR: the magic of AI in empowering people and processes
Harness the power of AI to boost HR efficiency and engagement, foster smarter decisions, and enhance human-centric processes.
How to get started with HR workflow automation
Having said that so much within HR can be automated, that doesn’t mean you HAVE to automate everything.
Sudden change across the board could be too disruptive.
The best approach, then, is to focus on processes that will have the most significant impact on efficiency and employee experience.
- Start small and gradually expand so you can ensure that each automated task successfully integrates with your existing systems and processes.
- Start by selecting one or two HR processes that will deliver the most immediate benefits. Where do bottlenecks occur? It could be leave requests or payroll processing, for example. Addressing high-impact workflows will provide quick wins, demonstrating the value of automation from the get go.
- Make sure your team understands the purpose of automating HR processes, with a clear goal in mind. For example, the immediate objective could be to free up time and reduce the administrative burden, allowing HR to dedicate more one-on-one time to each employee. By framing the automation process in terms of a specific outcome, you help build momentum and support for the transition.
How to automate HR processes (step-by-step)
Building on that start is a matter of taking a “rinse and repeat” approach. This way you gradually introduce more automation, minimising disruptions and maximising the benefits.
Here’s a step-by-step checklist to follow as you integrate automation through more and more of your HR processes:
1. Identify repetitive, manual processes
Start by identifying the HR tasks that are most time-consuming and prone to error.
These are typically the processes that involve routine data entry or administrative work, such as payroll processing, timesheet approvals, or leave requests.
This is where automation will deliver the biggest efficiency gains.
2. Map your existing workflows
Once you’ve identified the tasks to automate, map out the current workflows for each one.
Understanding how each process works in its manual form will allow you to determine which steps can be automated and what needs to be adapted for a smoother transition to automation.
3. Choose the right HR software
Select the HR automation tool that best fits your organisation’s needs.
Look for software that integrates well with your existing systems and can scale as your business grows.
Consider factors like ease of use, customer support, and customisation options.
4. Start small—pilot one or two tasks
Begin by automating one or two processes as a pilot project, referring back to the shortlist made in step 1.
By selecting only a couple of processes it’s easier to monitor progress and address any challenges before you scale up.
5. Collect feedback from employees
Once the initial automation is in place, gather feedback from employees who use the new system.
Their insights can help you identify any pain points or areas that need improvement.
They will tell you whether the new solution truly enhances their experience and adds value to the process.
6. Expand and optimise
After the pilot phase, evaluate the results and make necessary adjustments based on feedback.
Once you’re confident that the automated processes are running smoothly, go back to the shortlist and target other areas lacking efficiency.
Continuously optimise the system by reviewing data and making improvements as your business evolves.
Common myths about HR automation
Nobody’s going to say “HR automation is not for everyone”, because every company has room for improvement.
However, you may come across some misconceptions about how valuable automation can be.
These myths could prevent you from realising the full potential of modernising your processes.
Here are some common HR automation myths we can debunk:
Myth 1: “It’ll reduce the human touch”
One of the most persistent myths is that HR automation will remove the personal element from human resources.
Let’s go back to the idea that automation frees up HR professionals to focus on more human-centric activities.
In that context it’s easy to see that automation supports great HR, rather than replacing it.
Instead of spending valuable time on administrative duties, HR teams can dedicate more energy to employee engagement, conflict resolution, and talent development.
With automation your HR professionals can now connect with employees in more meaningful ways.
Myth 2: “It’s only for big companies”
Sure, there’s more that can go wrong with massive HR teams and the complex systems that are typical of large enterprises.
Automation clearly makes sense in that situation. But that doesn’t mean small and medium-sized businesses should miss out on the benefits.
Their HR departments may have limited resources, but again, there’s no need for them to automate everything.
Targeting the basic processes that create most administrative overload can facilitate greater efficiency in other areas.
Then, as the business scales and headcount increase, you can look at other processes that are ripe for automation.
Also, by automating a few processes early, smaller businesses can establish basic efficiencies that grow with them.
Myth 3: “It’s hard to set up”
Many organisations hesitate to implement HR automation because they believe the setup process is too complex or time-consuming.
However, modern HR automation tools are designed to be user-friendly and easily integrated into existing systems.
These are out-of-the-box solutions that require minimal configuration.
Additionally, most software providers offer support during the implementation phase, ensuring that your team has access to the knowledge and training they need to get started.
Humanising HR: the magic of AI in empowering people and processes
Harness the power of AI to boost HR efficiency and engagement, foster smarter decisions, and enhance human-centric processes.
The market offers tools and solutions for companies of all sizes, often tailored for specific niches.
Your decision might start with those criteria, but within each offering there are universal factors that any properly functioning tool should feature.
Let’s look at the basics:
Ease of use
To ensure easy adoption, tools should be intuitive and easy for HR teams to use, without requiring technical knowledge.
Look for software that offers a user-friendly interface with clear navigation and minimal training required.
A tool that’s simple to set up and use will save time and prevent frustration for HR teams as they implement automation into their daily workflows.
Pre-built templates
Many HR processes are similar across all organisations—such as onboarding, recruitment, or leave requests.
It’s therefore a simple matter for HR automation tools to offer pre-built templates to guide those operations.
Templates can save significant time during implementation, following a ready-made structure that works every time.
Check if the software allows you to customise each template in line with specific departments’ needs.
Workflow customisation
Every organisation has its own set of processes and workflows.
The ideal HR automation tool should allow for flexibility in customising workflows to match your company’s niche and operating style.
Look for tools that let you tailor processes such as approval chains, notification triggers, or report formatting.
Customisation ensures the tool can scale with your needs and adapt to changes over time.
Reporting & compliance
HR departments need to remain compliant with ever-evolving labour laws, tax regulations, and internal policies.
A good HR automation tool will track compliance, helping you monitor key metrics and generate reports in the correct way as rules evolve.
Features like audit trails, compliance reminders, and automatic updates to reflect changing laws can help HR teams stay on top of their legal obligations without having to manually reconfigure the parameters.
Employee self-service
A tool that includes self-service portals allows employees to update personal information, view pay stubs, request time off, and consult their benefits without needing HR’s direct involvement.
This not only reduces administrative burdens for HR teams but also enhances the employee experience as they know they can clarify their situation at any time.
Final thoughts
There are many areas of running a business where automation can cut costs and improve efficiency.
Sooner or later, you will apply the same logic to the HR department and will discover that significant improvements can be made.
HR automation’s numerous benefits include streamlined workflows, reduced errors, improved compliance, and enhanced employee experience.
With the right tool, such as HR software, you can optimise internal processes, empower employees through self-service options, and reduce administrative workloads.
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