6 Effective HR Process Improvement Strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a radical shift in the modern workplace, and many businesses have struggled to adapt to the changing landscape. For example, the shift to more remote work after the pandemic required a change in the way human resources work to ensure employees remain productive and satisfied in the workplace.

Union Risk Services shares some key HR efficiency enhancements below that could help your organization streamline its HR process improvement post-pandemic and moving forward. Read on to learn more, or feel free to contact Union Risk Services to speak to an employee benefit broker.

The Importance of HR Processes

What’s the main role of a human resources department? Firstly, it is a contact point between the company’s employees and its management. Some of the key processes involved in human resources include recruitment and employee relations.

Unfortunately, when these HR processes are unclear, inconsistent, or redundant, employee attrition emerges. It can take longer to fill new positions and, more importantly, contribute to poor employee morale and make it much harder to meet business goals. Still, it can be incredibly difficult to replace HR processes due to everyone’s familiarity with the old systems.

The inertia is strong in this area, and lots of employees will resist changes to the old way of doing things without the human resources department communicating them effectively. Think of how difficult it is to get employees on board with a new app or skill set. A new human resources process with complicated steps or unclear objectives doesn’t stand a chance without know-how.

Six Human Resources Processes You’ll Want To Improve

Effective HR departments know how to focus on employee engagement and productivity during times of change. They start by creating a supportive and positive environment for workers. They’re also meticulous about ensuring those processes are code-compliant and secure.

Here are a few more ideas:

#1 Map Your Processes

What are the specific steps people need to take in each human resources scenario? Process refinement in human resources in the abstract is almost impossible, so it helps to draw a physical map.

Something like a swimlane or flowchart shows each step of the process as a node on this map, connecting specific process inputs to the next step to take. The benefit of this exercise is that you can visually assess the flow of processes and identify missing pieces in processes like:

• Recruiting
• Onboarding
• Training
• Payroll
• Attendance
• Offboarding

Has your process map included all events, routines, decision points, and activities? From there you can modify action trees for HR process enhancement.

#2 Automate Tedious HR Tasks

Are you still using manual HR systems? By switching to an HR management system, you can automate tedious processes to open up more resources, improving HR workflow. For example, sending follow-ups to employees reminding them to share documents is a process that you can easily automate to send periodic reminders about outstanding tasks.

Other examples of processes you could partially or fully automate include the following:

• Sending documentation during the onboarding process
• Sending materials and assessments for training and development
• Managing password-protected employee data
• PTO requests and attendance management

Automating repetitive tasks lets your HR team focus more on company-wide goals and initiatives and directly contribute to real growth.

#3 Utilize a Cloud-Based System

Are you still using a hardware-based system? You may be hurting your company’s efficiency. Cloud-based systems allow for internet-hosted solutions, which means you don’t have to invest in expensive servers or physical hardware for HR systems.

Many cloud-based systems, such as Dropbox or Gmail, are already commonplace in HR workflow processes. In this case, it’s a matter of transitioning to cloud-based architecture.

The real benefits of cloud systems for HR process improvement are security and reliability. Since the system isn’t based on a specific physical server, document access and security are much tighter. Other benefits of cloud-based HR systems include:

• Real-time document editing
• Scalable architecture to incorporate company growth
• Lower costs due to lack of physical hardware
• Less physical paperwork

A cloud system’s architecture means that employees can access it on most smart devices, giving them a clear line of communication with HR at all times.

#4 Create Employee Development Plans

Recruiting and hiring good employees is not enough—you also need to retain them. One of the most effective methods of retaining employees is creating clear guidelines to direct employee development. Employees who see a clear future with a company and know how to advance their skills and careers in line with company growth are more likely to stay on board.

Below are some tips for charting a path to great employee development:

• Ensure your business goals and employee objectives align
• Consider the types of skills you want to cultivate in employees
• Create a detailed action plan with steps for employees to follow
• Find opportunities for your employees to add new skills while in the workplace

Finding new and better employees is important, but so is investing in your current workforce. Top achievers should always have room for advancement. Could you tailor your HR processes around that need?

#5 Be Thorough With Documentation

Documentation is everything with human resources’ standard operating procedures. SOP documentation helps ensure that everyone is on the same page. Teams will also execute tasks without fear of redundancy or inaccuracy.

Streamlining SOPs also provides similar benefits to automation—you can free up resources for tasks that require more input.

#6 Talk to Employees

Are you at a loss for how to improve HR processes? Include your employees in the bigger conversation. They interact with the system every day, and the odds are that they have some suggestions on streamlining HR processes and human resources optimization.

For HR departments, an outsider’s perspective can be useful. It will help identify any biases or assumptions they are making that are missing the boat.

Comprehensive & Integrated Risk Management Solutions

It’s important for HR offices to know the difference between employees and contractors, but that’s only a small part of the role. Would you like to discuss risk management solutions or HR process improvement strategies? Contact Union Risk Services online or call (718) 370-3131 to schedule an evaluation today!