The Future Of HR Hinges On Digital Transformation

3 ways digital transformation is helping HR

The role of HR in the workplace is on the fast track for a change. And, HR professionals are increasingly expected to do more with less staff and fewer resources, while companies are relying on them to boost employee engagement, maintain a robust company culture and manage the overall employee experience, managing employee documents can be a drain on those limited resources. Fortunately, through digital transformation, meeting all these expectations are entirely possible. In fact, the reimagining of HR means HR professionals can contribute new insights and value to their organizations with less time on transactional work and administrative tasks and more time on strategy. Here are three ways digital transformation is already positively impacting HR.

 

HR transformation is the term applied to the reimagining of the human resources department, so professionals can contribute fresh insights and add new value to their organizations. To effectively do this, the time normally spent on administrative functions must be minimized. By implementing a “digital start-to-finish” plan through e-forms and the like, key employee data can be retained and re-entered automatically, greatly reducing time-consuming tasks such as onboarding. Document management technology allows for the integration of information and quick document classification, providing accurate electronic filing and a secure space for sensitive employee data.
 
In addition, internal documents such as contracts and performance reviews can be routed for review/approval, digitally signed and filed. Manually downloading, filling out, scanning and maintaining employee information without the use of digital HR technologies is arduous and not necessary in this day and age. Allowing a document to remain digital throughout its lifecycle and relying on an online HR management system to automate many of the processes that were traditionally done by hand, means that less time is spent on transactional work and more time can be devoted to high-level, value-based company contributions.

It’s getting harder and harder to stay compliant within the current atmosphere of shifting rules and regulations. Ensuring the security of employee information is also becoming more difficult, both online and off, when the paper is prevalent and security measures are not taken seriously. By embracing digital transformation, companies can create a culture of consistent compliance with corporate and regulatory policies. Digital employee document management enables companies to quickly flag missing and expired information, saving HR professionals the stress of a documentation scramble.
 
There are many touch points related to employee information; employees, auditors, litigators, business partners and management all need access to documents managed by HR. By digitizing key information and implementing a strong data security program, controlled and monitored access can be granted without printing or downloading a thing. Through secure data rooms, for example, auditors can be granted access to any information needed, avoiding the fines and fees that often follow a manual approach to audits and information requests.

As time and mind space is freed up in equal measure, HR can begin shifting its resources to focus on talent acquisition, employee engagement, and staff retention. Reuters recently published government data showing that there were 6.6 million unfilled jobs nationwide this past March. That means the HR department must work harder than ever to attract and secure the right kind of employee from an ever-shrinking talent pool. Digital transformation provides HR departments with the time needed to implement a vibrant talent acquisition strategy and streamlined onboarding process.
 
Employee engagement is the extent to which an employee’s personal goals and interests align with the vision and goals of the company where they work. When employees feel that alignment and synergy, a company will naturally experience higher levels of productivity, a better retention of top talent, a boost to the bottom line, and an increase in health and well-being. People are the most expensive and important asset, and keeping them engaged and motivated fosters a culture of personal and professional success. HR is taking the lead in developing and implementing a well-rounded employee retention and professional development program, but without developing work-flow efficiency alongside this request, the success of these programs can suffer. HR professionals may have the best of intentions, but there’s not enough time in the day to do everything without addressing the tasks such as document management.

A strong focus on digital transformation in HR benefits the organization by increasing efficiency, improving compliance and security. An organization can’t go from being completely reliant on paper documents to fully digital overnight. This change to real digital transformation takes time, but is well worth the investment and no longer optional. HR departments that want to excel at talent retention and growth can do so successfully by making the digital transformation and allowing these advanced automation technologies to redefine their departments – for the better.

BJ Johnson is a Senior Solutions Specialist/Digital Solutions & Marketing with Access Information Management, focusing on its CartaHR document management software solution.   He has worked in the information management industry for more than 17 years in strategic planning, document management, account management, customer care along with sales and marketing.  Follow@accesstoday Connect BJ Johnson