HR departments, in dealing with its people, often form the backbone of any business. HR is a weird one in that although a significant portion of its focus inevitably lies in case-by-case, objective matters, a big part of its operations rely on repetitive, subjective practices. It is on these tasks that HR teams often spend most of their time. And the solution to this, as you may have guessed, lies in smart HR automation.
What is HR Automation?
HR automation, as evident by its name, is the process of automating a portion of the operations commonly performed by the HR department of a business. These are often the repetitive, consistent tasks. The McKinsey institute estimates that around half of HR operations could be automated, therefore optimising the time and costs allocated by businesses on HR systems. Through smart automation, HR teams are able to re-allocate their time on more stimulating and motivating practices that hold the potential to generate higher profits.
What are the Benefits of HR Automation?
As we’ve already touched upon in the previous section, smart automation allows HR teams to shift their focus from repetitive, tedious tasks to newer, more thought-provoking ones. Not having to spend days on manually submitting job applications to boards or weeding through resumes means that HR departments are then able to concentrate on the essential matters that impact the business the most.
Not only that, but optimising the time spent by HR teams means that the department need not expand as much as previously necessary, and that key employees are remain enough to perform the necessary functions. This is cost effective for businesses, yes, but also allows for tighter-knit HR departments where all employees are motivated by the positions they hold.
And finally, smart automation in HR also comes with a significant reduction in the possibility of human error. Whereas having employees perform tedious tasks can lead to margins of error relating to distractions or subjectivity, automation of these tasks leads to consistently analytical and quantifiable results.
What are Some HR Tasks that can be Computerised through Smart Process Automation?
Automation isn’t limited to a certain section of HR, and can be beneficial in enhancing a wide array of practices. Below are some examples of tasks that can be completed by AI:
- Hiring/Recruitment
- Resume scanning
- Applicant ranking
- Applicant follow ups
- Setting up interviews
- Creating platform to track applicant process
- Facilitating hiring
- Employee onboarding
- Employee offboarding
- Operations
- IT configuration
- Hardware/software provisioning
- Inputting data on various platforms
- Granting IT permissions
- Automating communications
- Tracking client satisfaction
- Legal
- Guaranteeing policy compliances
- Managing inter-company approvals
- Conducting risk assessments
- Improving compliance
- Finance
- Processing reimbursement requests
- Asset management
- Payroll operations
- Conducting credit checks
- Estimating costs
Will HR be Made Redundant through Automation?
Although smart process automation does help reduce the amount of time spent on repetitive tasks, therefore eliminating the need to allocate employees to perform these, it is impossible for automation to disregard the need for HR fully. Automation is a tool to enhance HR practices, rather than to replace them altogether. And, let’s be honest – the human aspect plays too much of a focus in HR to ever be overtaken by AI.
What automation does do, in turn, is to allow for HR personnel to uncover more challenges that might need solving in the company. Instead of spending days on end weeding through resumes, for example, a recruiter might instead work with the hiring manager to improve the hiring programme and to perfect employee onboarding. Moreover, the increasing amount of AI coming into play in HR practices means that there is now increasing need for employees who can tailor the softwares to the specific needs of the company and troubleshoot if necessary.
How Can You Implement Smart Process Automation in your HR Department?
Think of HR automation softwares as new employees that will need a bit of training. You will need to find the best possible fit and to tailor it specifically to your needs. Well, this is where professional services come into play. Having worked with many other HR departments in order to help implement smart process automation as part of their operations, companies such as ours are able to easily distinguish the best way for your business to take this next step. This way, you’re able to start saving time immediately.
Smart process automation in HR can help automate practices in talent acquisition, employee experience, process automation, business insight, and financial and legal compliances. So why not take the plunge?