Today’s workforce practices continue to evolve at an alarmingly fast pace with new technologies being used to manage operations and complete tasks which were previously completed manually. Despite so many technological advances, research has shown that a large percentage of HR departments do not take advantage of these and may fail to stay competitive in 2017. The impact of this is considerable, and many companies find it difficult to attract and retain the best workers due to their outdated or inefficient practices. Here are 6 steps that HR can take today to update their practices and remain current with today’s innovations in personnel recruitment.
Automated Systems
Competitive companies have found a way to incorporate automation in most areas of their operations. From advertising and recruitment to onboarding, payroll and benefits administration, using automated systems offers a variety of benefits. First, it frees up time, and tasks which were previously completed manually by HR staff can now be streamlined and completed with an easy press of a button. For the bottom line, this means that companies are using their staff and resources more effectively and allowing staff more time to focus on higher end tasks. Automated systems reduce the potential for human error and systems which administer tasks such as FMLA leave or health benefits often provide real time system updates. This means HR staff have access to the most up-to-date laws and practices, reducing the chance of non-compliance with state and federal regulations and the penalties which can be associated with them.
Payroll
Perhaps one of the most common areas where automation should be applied is payroll. With payroll software, workers’ pay can be automatically calculated, timesheets can be submitted online, and payments can be easily deposited into employees’ bank accounts each month. This greatly reduces the time taken to manually calculate employee hours and cut checks. Moreover, these systems provide accurate record keeping, which is optimal for compiling information required for tax season.
Proactive Recruitment
For competitive companies, traditional recruitment practices are a thing of the past. By embracing innovative recruitment practices, they can recruit some of the top workers in their field. Although these companies continue to post job advertisements as positions become available, they also actively look for workers even before this period. Consequently, they often have a pool of potential employees ready to step right into a job as soon as a post opens. This can greatly shorten the recruitment process period and the time typically spent waiting for employees to contact your organization.
Flexibility
When interviewed about what attracts them most to a company, most job candidates and employees have reported that they value ‘miscellaneous’ benefits nearly as much as salary and traditional benefit offerings such as health insurance and retirement. Benefits which focus on offering staff work/life balance, such as flexible working hours, shortened work weeks and the ability to work from home, can be winners with employees. These are great options which help companies stay competitive even when they cannot match salary levels offered by their competitors.
HR plays a key role in every organization, and staying up-to-date on current practices, technology and trends helps companies to improve efficiency, attract the best workers and move forward in today’s ever-changing business world.
