HR professionals have to juggle a wide variety of mission-critical responsibilities and tasks, from assisting in the planning and development of business objectives to recruiting employees that can support those objectives and beyond.
Streamlining some of these activities with HR process automation allows HR professionals to get more done in less time with better results.
Online/digital HR services alleviate the burden of manually managing forms, applications, and documents, leading to:
- Increased efficiency
- Simplified processes for both HR staff and employees
- Cost and time savings
Electronic Onboarding
The onboarding process for new or returning employees is a prime candidate for HR automation through the use of electronic forms.
Examples of employee onboarding information that can be converted from paper forms to e-forms include:
- Employment applications
- Policy acknowledgements/handbooks
- Direct deposit authorizations
- State and Federal tax forms
- 401(k), benefits, and healthcare enrollment
How electronic forms streamline your onboarding process
Save time for HR professionals
Using digital forms saves hours of work for HR staff because everything is easily organized and accessible online. Rather than searching through folders and file cabinets, everything is instantly available from anywhere with an internet connection.
Automatic alerts for what needs to be captured for all applicants can be set for additional time savings and convenience.
Connect people, departments, and systems
Getting information to or from other departments or individuals is also simplified. You can set forms to automatically alert and/or route to the appropriate personnel to keep the process moving smoothly without manually sending emails or making phone calls.
Connecting e-forms to systems such as candidate portals and online payroll systems is another way to automate the entire process and create efficiencies. For example, online HR systems could merge employee data with an existing record or use the data to create a new record.
Avoid errors that slow the process down
Electronic forms means no more lost documents due to misfiling or misplacement. This eliminates the need to send new copies of forms and wait for them to be completed again. E-forms can also have rules set that ensure forms are filled out entirely before they are submitted, so you aren’t missing any information.
Attract and retain better candidates
One of the biggest benefits e-forms can provide to your business is attracting stronger candidates. Using electronic forms helps eliminate frustrating, slow, and incomplete processes that can deter potential applicants and new hires.
Millennials especially are more accustomed to completing tasks online, and according to Pew Research Center:
“More than one in three (35%) working Americans are Millennials, eclipsing other generations in the labor force.”
Businesses can’t afford to risk alienating or deterring a candidate pool of that size due to outdated onboarding processes. Electronic forms show candidates that your business is modernized, efficient, and connected.
Going digital
Converting to e-forms means HR professionals can focus on the important aspects of their job — finding, hiring, and retaining the best candidates for the company — rather than focusing on paperwork. Reach out to WCC Business Solutions to find out how we can help you achieve more through technology today.