Summary of 10 things to put on your HR portal…
- An HR portal is a crucial tool for businesses, offering benefits such as improved communication, streamlined processes, and better data security.
- The top features to look for in an HR portal include self-service options, mobile access, social features, analytics, and integration capabilities.
- Implementing an HR portal can be a significant project, but with careful planning, clear objectives, and the right software, it can lead to substantial improvements in HR efficiency and employee engagement.
- Things to include on your HR portal include a company who’s who, your corporate values, latest news and internal vacancies – amongst other things.
So, what is an HR portal?
An HR portal is an online central hub where employees can access information about their workplace quickly and easily. And, with many businesses having a distributed workforce, consisting of off- and on-site employees since the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a handy way to stay in touch.
Companies can use these internal social platforms to help employees stay up to date, connect with colleagues and work together seamlessly on projects. It’s a great way of improving employee ‘connectedness’, driving innovation and helping staff feel more involved and engaged with what’s going on in an organisation.
Some HR software solutions, like Cezanne HR, offer integrated portals which provide companies with a ‘one-stop shop’ where they can give staff access to the vital information they need, and a platform where everyone can have a voice.
So, what are the top things you can include in your HR portal?
HR portal checklist
- Who’s who
- Corporate values
- Latest news
- Internal vacancies
- Sustainability
- Fun and social
- Useful links
- Policies and procedures
- Company handbook
- FAQs
1. Introduce who’s who
New starters can use it to help identify people they need to meet (or who they regularly pass in the corridor). It’s also an easy way to facilitate networking across the business and help people find colleagues who can help them with queries or collaborate with them on projects.
2. Display corporate values
The HR portal is a great place to prominently display your company values so that all employees are regularly reminded of ‘the way we do things around here’. You don’t have to limit it to a boring list either.
You can make it an interactive feature and encourage employees to post examples of how they see their colleagues ‘living’ the values in their day-to-day work. It’s an effective way to share stories of all the excellent work that’s going on and to create a real feel-good factor among employees.
3. Update everyone with the latest news
Keep everyone updated by having a ‘news’ section on your social portal. You can share HR-related news such as new appointments, staff awards or changes to benefits – but don’t restrict yourself solely to HR news.
It’s also a great place to post general company news such as client wins, progress against growth targets or plans to diversify into different markets. People will be encouraged to use the portal regularly if they know it’s the ‘go-to’ place for keeping on top of what’s happening in the business.
With Cezanne HR a newsfeed widget can be included on the homepage, so that employees get the latest news as soon as they log into their HR management system. There’s also the option to receive daily updates by email, too, ensuring that absolutely everybody is in the know.
4. Advertise internal vacancies
Before you spend a fortune on recruitment advertising, you might want to check if you’ve already got the skills you need right under your nose. Post all your vacancies on the portal; you may find there are existing members of staff who are looking for a change of direction or have skills you didn’t previously know about.
You can also encourage employees to share information about vacancies within their personal networks. Some companies even operate a ‘recommend a friend’ scheme where staff receive a small reward if they refer an applicant who is subsequently recruited.
5. Promote sustainability
The HR portal is also a vehicle you can use to promote your stance on corporate social responsibility (CSR). You may want to share your policy on recycling, for example, or encourage employees to set up a group to explore how the business can operate in a more environmentally friendly way. It’s also a great place to publicise any community projects you may be involved in and to invite staff to participate.
6. Encourage fun and social times
Work shouldn’t just be about the grind; to keep people motivated and engaged, you need to have some fun as well. While gatherings may not be possible due to social distancing rules, you can still use your HR portal to post news about celebrations and online socials you may have arranged.
Make it an interactive feature by encouraging staff to come forward if they are interested in running groups or classes. Someone may want to set up a company-wide online pub quiz or an online team dinner. Making space for the social side of work can help to maintain community spirit, even when employees are physically apart.
7. Link to useful employee services
Most companies use third-party suppliers to deliver some employment-related services. You may have an occupational health service or employee assistance programme, for example, or maybe you offer discount vouchers as incentives.
Posting links to those services on your HR portal can be useful. Employees often forget what they are entitled to – or can’t remember what they need to do to access a particular service. It’s a great way of reminding people what benefits you offer and encouraging them to use what’s available.
8. Display your policies and procedures
Your HR portal can act as a central hub for key company documents (as appropriate). It means people will be able to access employment-related information easily – this will also cut down the number of questions you have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
You might want to post your policy on absence for example (including the procedure people need to follow when they have to report in sick), as well as your disciplinary procedure and the steps employees need to follow if they want to raise a grievance or make a subject access request.
Other policies you might think about hosting on the portal include your policies on equality and diversity, data security (GDPR) and the use of social media and drugs and alcohol at work. If there are some documents you only want certain people, such as line managers to see, check if your system has the security settings that will allow you to control access.
9. Upload your company handbook
The company handbook is often the first thing thrust into an enthusiastic new recruit’s hands. But in all the confusion of the early days in a new job, trying to absorb all the information given can be hard.
Putting your company handbook on your HR portal means new employees can easily check on details they may not have fully taken in. It will also serve as a handy reminder for existing staff who may have forgotten some of the basics, from where to find the accident book to what employee benefits they have.
10. Answer FAQs
There are bound to be general HR-related questions that come up again and again – and your HR portal is a great place to answer them.
You can either compile a list of FAQs which sits on the site and gets updated as needed, or you can develop a more interactive feature where you encourage employees to post questions ‘live’ to encourage dialogue. Make sure, however, that if you choose the latter option, you are geared up to reply quickly, or you will lose credibility and engagement.
Each business will have different requirements – the beauty of an internal HR portal is that you can tailor how you use it to meet your needs. The key to getting the best out of the technology is to think outside the box and find creative ways to engage with your people so that they will be loyal to the business and willing to go the extra mile when needed.
What information do you post on your HR portal?
Author bio
MICPD-qualified Peter Hall is the Head of Customer Success at Cezanne HR. He’s been with the business since its launch in 2013, and has over a decade’s worth of experience in successfully implementing HR software solutions for global clients.
