According to a 2014 Gallup Poll, an engaged employee is one who feels committed to and enthusiastic about his or her job and employer. Further, an engaged employee feels personally involved in the company’s success. Unfortunately for America’s employers, the survey indicated that just one-third of employees self-identify as engaged based on these characteristics. If your company struggles with employee engagement as well, one reason could be the choice of human resources technology that it chooses to implement.
The Good News About Technology in the Human Resources Industry
Cloud-based applications have made it easier than ever for companies to manage employees from any location. However, it’s important to realize that employees won’t start using them in droves just because they exist. It must be so user-friendly that it would be foolish for your employees not to use it. The same principle is true for technology primarily used by your human resources department. Make sure that your company invests in human resources technology that’s inviting, easy to use, and makes life easier for everyone involved.
Improve the Lives of Your Employees with Self-Service Technology
Like all busy adults, your employees value their time. One way to promote HR technology to engage employees is to introduce cloud-based software that allows employees to complete routine functions on their own. A central online location to request time off is one good example. Another possibility is providing employees with the ability to complete common forms online such as address and marital status changes. Not only does it save them the time of having to connect with someone in human resources, it frees up time that people in that department must spend on data entry.
Offer Employees the Most Seamless Solution Possible
While technology that employees can access from any location and at any time is convenient, it loses its favorability when they must access several different applications for various functions. For example, the employee uses one platform to submit his or her hours, another for vacation day requests, another to sign up for benefits, and yet another to complete a change of address. This can be frustrating and even more time-consuming than doing everything manually. When your company decides to invest in human resources technology, aim to have as many functions as possible on the same platform to ensure a seamless experience for employees.
We encourage you to look for this same capability when selecting technology for human resources representatives to use. It should offer functions such as the ability to onboard employees, complete payroll, and perform ongoing analytics at a minimum.
Look for HR Technology That Can Effectively Take Over Basic Human Resources Functions
Entering data manually takes time in addition to pulling a manager’s attention away from his or her employees. The problem with this is that it creates a permanently distracted manager, which in turn leads to disengaged employees. The technology you choose to invest in should automate all basic human resources functions to provide managers with greater visibility. You might be surprised at how much this strategy alone can improve employee engagement.
Outsource to Palmetto Payroll
Palmetto Payroll offers much more than payroll processing. We can provide you with everything from off-site storage of human resources data to a full-service human resources management system. Please contact us at 803-252-3083 to learn more.
