HR Technology Adding Value to the Employee Experience

In our quest to be more efficient, leaner, meaner, and more profitable with a bottom line laser focus, employers often forget how adding new technology can have effects on its non-artificial intelligence – their employees –  be it good or bad. 

Human Resources has traditionally been a very face-to-face paper-laden department.  The bigger the company, the more paperwork, the more cumbersome the process – until businesses started making the shift to cloud-based operations, the use of artificial intelligence (AI), and employee-facing management solutions.  

For example, online job applications have prospective employees cringing as they now need to spend time doing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on their resumes and praying their keywords to get picked up by the hiring algorithms.  I’ve heard terms such as “dehumanizing,” “black hole,” and “a pure waste of time” associated with the process.  However, the good of HR Tech far outweighs the bad.

HR Tech that Employees LOVE

• Top Talent Attracter?  It’s true.  Companies that use technology that benefits employees and brings teams together is a positive culture booster. The current trend amongst career seekers is benefits and culture over dollars.  Investing in anything that lets your business shine in the culture department over others gives you a leg up when looking for the best of the best in the talent pool.  Here are some small shifts that can make a significant impact: 
• Self Service & Time. HR Tech has empowered employees to take charge of their data from setting up payroll, collecting hiring data such as W-4s and direct deposits, and once hired, getting copies of payroll stubs and W-2s – the list goes on.  Most technology is now built with the employee experience considered even before the HR Department.
• Instant Gratification. Handwritten forms are a recipe for disaster when it comes to accuracy.  By allowing employees to manage their personal information, the likelihood of misinterpreting data such as a social security number, emergency contact information, or even a correct spelling of a name is gone. Sure, there is still a chance for typos, but that is greatly diminished when you have employees handling the process.
• No More Telephone Game. People, in general, are frustrated with dialing 800 numbers to call centers so they can update a beneficiary or address for a life insurance policy or 401K account. Empowering them to manage their data improves morale because frustration levels are reduced.  
• Transparency. Simple things like PTO-master calendars are beneficial so employees can see who is out of the office, and how much time an employee has left in the cue helps teams to work together in managing vacation times and more. 
• Insurance Enrollment and Health Care Management. If you aren’t using technology for open enrollment and employee health care self-management, you are missing the boat!  Allowing employees to manage the process and have access to their information is priceless. Many of our clients have decided to invest in the HealthJoy app to enhance the employee experience at their organizations. Beyond enhancing the employee experience, it also allows employees to manage all their health care in one place.  This not only reduces the calls into HR by frustrated employees, but it also gives the employees better control over their health care management.  

As technology continues to evolve, so will HR Tech.  From e-learning to predictive analytics to shifting talent within the company based on job tracking – all will soon become the “new normal.”  If the COVID-19 pandemic is showing us anything, it’s that we need to learn how to incorporate technology into our processes and systems to work more efficiently in any type of work scenario.