So everyone is back at work refreshed and renewed with resolutions made and in-boxes full of motivational articles about how we can make 2015 bigger, better, and brighter.
But wait a minute… that pile of HR admin is still there, and however ramped up you may be for the challenges of the months ahead, you’ve spent the first few days dealing with time-consuming requests about annual leave and chasing managers to get performance appraisals done.
If this resonates, you can take some comfort from the fact that you’re not alone. A recently-published survey conducted by Ortus HR indicates that HR people are struggling to manage their workloads within the confines of the normal working day, with more than three quarters of HR professionals spending around three and a half hours a week completing work-related tasks while travelling to and from the office.
People Management report that of those working on their commute, 63 per cent feel pressured to do so, while more than a fifth believe they could not keep up with the demands of the job without putting the extra (unpaid) time in.
It would be interesting to know how many of the overworked professionals questioned for the survey are using HR software to automate key people-related processes and help ease the admin overload. If you’re still wedded to the spreadsheets and drowning in paperwork, here are three reasons why it’s time to buy a new HR system:
It will reduce your workload, fast
The latest generation HR software will help you cut your workload almost immediately. The newer systems are much quicker and easier to set up than those that have been available in the past. With the help of a supportive provider, you can be up and running in days or weeks not months. The best technology is highly intuitive and easy to use, allowing you to automate key processes, such as recording absence and managing holiday entitlement – and if you opt for a system with a self-service element, employees will be able to update their own personal data and access all the HR-related information they need – cutting down on time spent answering the basic queries, which if you’re not careful, can swallow up your day.
It will put HR data at your fingertips
The sooner you start collecting information in a systematic and organised way, the sooner you and your colleagues can start to benefit from it. Up-to-date HR software systems do much more than just automate processes. You can use them to generate reports, track trends and provide up-to-the-minute information about everything from absence to retention. You can keep an eye on employee churn, and raise the alarm bell if retention rates are starting to look poor in a particular area of the business. Managers will be able to see at a glance if there’s a worrying increase in short-term absence in their team. And if the CEO suddenly asks for the latest headcount or salary information, you can make it available at the click of a mouse.
It will help you connect with employees
The Generation Y employees rising up through the workplace now have typically been raised on technology, are social-media savvy, and are used to obtaining information and making connections on-line. It can be jarring for these digital natives then when they join an organisation and find that social media is banned and they have to go through a laborious paper-based process simply to change the address on their personnel file. In a recent edition of HR Magazine, KPMG Partner Tim Payne warns that digital cracks will begin to appear in the workplace during 2015, as organisations grapple with the need to embed new technology at the speed their employees are demanding. The latest HR software systems allow you to communicate with employees in the way they want and expect. Many also come with integral social portals, which HR can use to help employees feel involved and engaged with the future direction of the business.
HR software will not only make your working day easier – it will also free up time for you to concentrate on the strategic stuff that adds real value to the business. It’s a tool you can use to help drive creativity, stimulate connectivity, raise performance, and support engagement.
To understand how HR software can support your organisation, arrange a free, one-to-one online demo of Cezanne HR by calling us on 020 7202 2727 or completing our short booking form.
You may be interested in our blog on how technology can make you a better HR business partner
Erika Lucas
Writer and Communications Consultant
Erika Lucas is a writer and communications consultant with a special interest in HR, leadership, management and personal development. Her career has spanned journalism and PR, with previous roles in regional press, BBC Radio, PR consultancy, charities and business schools.