The world of HR Software Systems can be confusing, overwhelming, and downright scary if you don’t know what you’re looking for or where to turn. You need to create an online portal that not only gives your employees the tools they need to succeed in their jobs, but also keeps your company compliant with local and federal laws regarding recordkeeping, hiring practices, and more. In any case, how might you do that without burning through every last cent? How do you find the best system? What are some critical features to look for?
Introduction
When I was with a company, about three years ago, that used an HR Software Systems, I saw how much time it took for employees to get into their benefits. It was mind-boggling how long some employees were forced to wait just for information that should have been accessible online. For example, new employees would have to fill out hundreds of forms that should have been available electronically from their account on day one. Not only is it frustrating for new hires but it’s also frustrating for experienced workers who need information quickly and efficiently.
Onboarding
When your team starts their first day on the job, they’ll have no context for where they are going or what they are supposed to do. A good onboarding process sets expectations and offers both training and support throughout your new hire’s first few weeks on the job. Onboarding isn’t easy, but it can lead to significant improvements in retention and productivity it might even help you retain more customers! The truth is that most onboarding programs fall short when compared with other customer-facing initiatives. This makes sense since you’re trying to pull off multiple goals at once.
Managing (With Staffing Management)
For most small businesses, managing employees isn’t a top priority. That’s understandable if you just have a few people working for you and not very many customers, it doesn’t matter if your workers are happy or not. However, when you start employing more people (even just a few), it becomes extremely important that your employees have healthy job satisfaction and aren’t dreading showing up to work each day.
Recruiting
It’s impossible for a business to grow without hiring new employees. So, where do you start? The first step is attracting and acquiring qualified talent for your company. Here’s where things get complicated… Did you know that 74 percent of job seekers will never apply to another job if they have a bad experience with a single recruiter? There are a number of factors involved here, and it boils down to one simple thing: communication.
Compensation (With Payroll Management)
In terms of compensation, most people don’t realize that you can do payroll yourself which is ideal if you have a small company and just a few employees. This way, you know how much your employees are making (and how much they should be making) and there are no outside third parties taking a cut. Better yet, it will cost less than outsourcing your payroll management needs.
Analytics
Every system claims to offer analytics and reporting, but actually, no one has ever seen them. That’s because most companies never access or use their reporting tools. The sad reality is that software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions claim to be easy, but don’t tell you how much time you need to put in each month just figuring out what’s happening within your HR Software Systems.
Employee Self-Service
Employees should have convenient and easy access to their employment information in one place. A user-friendly interface is crucial, as is immediate access; employees shouldn’t have to wait more than a few seconds for vital data on paystubs, benefits and other pertinent information. Flexibility is key; real-time updates are nice but not necessary.
Workflows
One problem is that many of these systems don’t have workflows that are built-in. This means a lot of companies tend to reinvent the wheel and make their own workflows from scratch. The thing is, any software system you buy should come with an out-of-the-box workflow. If it doesn’t, then you may want to consider another system.
Administration (e.g. Internal Communication, Expense Reports, Document Management, etc.)
The market is flooded with companies claiming they can help you manage all aspects of your HR Software Systems. Beware, as many of these programs provide limited functionality and require a large amount of customization in order to get them to do what you want. Administration is really a specialty unto itself and requires software that has been built from scratch for an organization just like yours.
Leave & Attendance Management
While at-work sick days are definitely a problem, out-of-work sick days may be an even bigger issue for small businesses. When employees are allowed unlimited sick days, it gives workers an incentive to take off whenever they feel under the weather, even if they’re not truly ill. When that happens, productivity and profits plummet.
Time Tracking & Reporting
We’ve all heard it before. Time is money! When you have an employee and are charging them for their time on your company clock, what can you do when it seems like there’s no sense of urgency? A lackadaisical attitude toward their work could be costing you a ton. Fortunately, there are many great tools out there that make tracking employees’ time easier than ever. For example, you can use Hubstaff to manage employee hours from anywhere in real-time and even track how much each person has earned per hour. This way, you don’t have to worry about whether or not they’re slacking off at work; if they aren’t doing their job properly or in a timely manner, you know right away and can take action as necessary.
