Workflow management in HR: Streamlining processes and improving employee experience

According to a study by G&A Partners, HR departments spend 73% of their time on monotonous administrative tasks. Such a huge drain on resources inevitably hinders HR professionals from focusing on their core responsibilities, compromising their valuable role within an organization. The solution to these issues can be found through workflow management in HR, which opens the door to optimum efficiency, improved communication and fewer mistakes. Most importantly, it enables HR teams to deliver the best possible employee experience. But first, let’s take a look at the difficulties most HR departments are facing at this time.

The Challenges Faced in Traditional HR Processes

Traditional workflow management in HR is laden with challenges that impede efficiency, employee satisfaction, and overall productivity. These are some of the most pressing issues:

1. Manual and repetitive tasks

All too often HR departments find themselves drowning in paperwork, manual data entry, and repetitive administration tasks. Their valuable time is consumed by this inefficient way of working and they are prevented from attending to their key responsibilities.

2. Poor communication

In the absence of clear and consolidated communication channels, misunderstandings and delays are prolific. This significantly impacts the quality of communication HR departments can achieve both within their department and without, at the detriment of their service to clients.

3. Compliance concerns

HR departments must abide by many compliance regulations, particularly with regards to the safe handling of their clients' sensitive data. If they fail in this responsibility they can not only lose their client’s trust and damage their reputation, they can also face serious legal repercussions.

4. Data Discrepancies

When dealing with multiple data sources and systems, procedures become fragmented and this leads to discrepancies. It is therefore challenging to maintain a unified view of employee information, which in turn hampers strategic decision-making.

5. Visibility

Without full visibility into operations, it can be difficult for large teams to keep on top of who is dealing with essential responsibilities. Employee onboarding, recruitment, and payroll can all be vulnerable to poor management in this kind of environment.

Why HR workflow management software is the bee’s knees

To address these problems, many businesses are introducing HR workflow management into their operations. This provides a structured approach to coordinating HR processes. Here’s why it’s indispensable:

1. Process standardization

Inconsistent processes usually mean an inconsistent experience for employees. By standardizing these processes with HR workflow management software, variations and mistakes are reduced. Consequently, every employee is treated equitably and in compliance with regulations.

2. Automation of repetitive tasks

Many HR professionals are diverted from their core job responsibilities by time-consuming tasks. Automation can have a profound effect in this area, research by SHRM discovered that 69% of HR professionals using automation in hiring said it drastically decreased the time spent on this process. This allows teams to reclaim their time for higher-level work.

3. Enhanced communication

Adopting an HR software workflow tool will bring scattered communication channels together into one centralized hub. This makes it easier to share updates and supports greater collaboration. Everyone in the team is on the same page and communication silos are effectively erased.

4. Real-time tracking and analytics

HR managers can use the real-time insights and analytics of HR management software to gain a clearer understanding of which areas are in most need of improvement. This helps them to make informed decisions and take action to fix inefficiencies and other problems in their operations.

Workflow management HR benefits

Incorporating workflow management into HR operations can produce a multitude of benefits, including the ones below:

1. Improved efficiency

Once workflow management is in place, tasks that used to take a lot of time and effort can be automated and completed in a fraction of the time. In fact, Nucleus Research found that companies that adopted an HR automation system reported 90% time savings on administrative tasks. This creates a more agile HR department that can respond quickly to requirements.

2. Enhanced employee experience

Freed from the burden of routine administrative work, HR teams can spend their time in a more productive way. They can provide better support to their clients, helping ensure they are well supported in their working lives and career progression. This helps create a positive environment to work in, which can attract new talent and reduce employee turnover.

3. Reduced compliance risks

Mistakes that can lead to compliance breaches are minimized when workflow management is implemented. This is possible because of the compliance checks and automated alerts that are built into this software. HR teams can then be confident that legal requirements are adhered to, reducing the risk of costly violations.

4. Data-Driven decision-making

When an HR team can benefit from the real-time data and analytics of workflow management tools, their data-driven decisions can help achieve positive change in their operations. Workforce planning is improved and they can more effectively manage employee performance.

5. Cost savings

Many companies are having to tighten their budgets in response to their current economic climate. Because workflow management helps HR departments achieve greater efficiency, reduce errors, and allocate their resources more effectively, cost-savings are a natural by-product.

Ready to adopt workflow management?

Adopting an HR workflow management software like Enate is the fastest route to realizing a more efficient department, one that gives time back to your team and saves your organization money. Liberated from heavy-duty administration tasks, HR professionals can then focus their energy on the value-driven work which is essential for every organization.