6 Resolutions for Technology Improvements in HR & Payroll

A new year is on the horizon. You may have already compiled your New Year’s Resolution list. But what about your company? Does it have a list, too? It could. Maybe 2016 is the year to add to or upgrade the technology you’re using.

Here are 6 resolutions for helping your organization in big ways next year:

Resolution #1: Upgrade your database infrastructure

If you’re still using FoxPro®, migrating to Microsoft’s SQL Server makes sense. Its advantages include increased speed, security, scalability, and its immediate recovery function to name a few. A SQL Server 2016 preview is available to download on Microsoft’s website.

Microsoft SQL Server’s performance strength is recognized by Gartner, placing SQL Server in the leadership section of its Magic Quadrant for Operational database management systems. Unlike FoxPro which returns the entire table to the memory of the local client, SQL Server was designed from the beginning as a client/server database. This means SQL Server reduces network traffic by processing database queries on the server before sending only the data requests the client, not the entire table. Also, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) public security board, SQL Server reportedly has the lowest number of security vulnerabilities across major database vendors. We lay out these reasons and more in this post on reasons to move from FoxPro to SQL. 

Resolution #2: Remove the silos and share data between applications

Manual processes eat up your employee and manager’s time. How are you moving data from one system into another? Have you created single or multiple points of data entry?  As the lever that helps HR deliver services (planning, predicting, reporting, workforce needs, etc.) and transactional functions (employee data changes, compensation, paid time off, self-service, etc.), technology often requires process and system integrations to produce accessible, relevant, timely, and accurate workforce information. Empirical research reveals that improving HR process, technology, and data integration to eliminate silos and facilitate cross-functional reporting affords significant business benefits. Some of these benefits include faster onboarding, improved workforce productivity, and better workforce alignment. 

That’s why purchases of new enterprise software such as Sage HRMS and Sage HRMS HR Actions often require integration with other software such as time reporting, point-of-sales (POS), recruiting, and payroll systems. 

Resolution #3: Create a recruiting and onboarding system that appeals to millennials

Searching for a job has changed dramatically in the last ten years. Employers and prospective employees both turn to a variety of internet sites to find opportunities, widening the net for finding the right people or the right job.

According to LinkedIn’s Talent Blog’s “Your guide to Hiring Millennials [INFOGRAPHIC]”, 72% of millennials visit online job boards and 52% visit company websites to look for jobs. The majority of those use their phones to do it. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) software programs, like Sage’s Cyber Recruiter, automatically post all positions to your company’s career page and upload openings to leading online job boards like Monster.com® and Careerbulider.com®.

Once you’ve hired someone, moving the onboarding process online in a self-service application not only appeals to millennial employees who expect a  company to be tech savvy from the start, but can also save your company time and money by integrating with your HRMS system and eliminating duplicate data entry. Additional add-ons can further simplify the process.

Resolution #4: Get mobile-friendly

The number of people who access information on their smart phones or tablets is still on the rise. According to the Pew Research Center’s Mobile Technology Fact Sheet, 64% of Americans own smartphones and 42% own a tablet, and Pew’s look at smartphone use in the U.S. in 2015 confirms that they aren’t just playing games or checking social media; they are buying, selling, and comparison shopping. They are looking for jobs, submitting applications, and accepting offers.

What’s good for the general public is good for your employees. When a company makes self-service available on mobile devices, workers can log hours, check benefits, and request time off 24/7, no matter where they are. Remote employees in the field can access their company’s website to file reports, enter job progress, and share product information with clients to help close a deal.  

Apps@work, a white paper coauthored by Joe Panepinto and Chris Pape, published by Jack Morton Worldwide, suggests that companies should mobilize “as many internal processes as possible to allow workers to perform their core tasks…from whichever device they have to hand, from wherever they are.” Employees, especially younger ones accustomed to integrate mobile technology into daily routines, like the flexibility. And, the same paper cites research that when the number of enterprise apps go up, so does productivity.

How “mobile” is your company?

Resolution #5: Go digital and ditch the paper forms  

How many HR departments are going paperless? According to Matt Peterson, president and CEO or Utah-based eFileCabinet, everyone will be paperless eventually. In his article, “HR Departments Are Going Paperless Despite Resistance,” published by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Steve Bates quotes Peterson and a variety of business professionals discussing the pros and cons of a paperless HR. While resistance to change is not uncommon, the benefits outweigh the effort involved in the switch.

Maybe 2016 is the year you decided to stop sorting and filing paperwork. With a robust HRMS, like Sage HRMS, and integrated solutions that allow HR to manage forms and track employee information, time spent on administrative paperwork decreases dramatically, allowing HR personnel to contribute their expertise and insights to more strategic initiatives.

Time saving isn’t the only advantage. Forms are easier to locate, fill out, and submit. With a strong online employee self-service system in place, employees and managers can handle time off, benefits, and demographic information. It’s also an environmentally responsible business practice, promoting sustainability in the workplace.

A paperless HR can significantly eliminate errors and compliance risks. An Archives Systems Inc. survey of more than 150 HR professionals attending SHRM’s 2015 Annual Conference & Exposition found that 77% reported that their companies had gone paperless.  The same survey found that confidence in having the correct documents ready for audits and compliance reports among those with digital system was 70% compared to 50% among those still using paper.

Going paperless is a win-win. Is your company already there, or do you need to put it on your list?

Resolution #6: Clean up your compliance systems

HR departments are increasingly involved in identifying and dealing with compliance issues. As noted in a white paper “The choice between compliance risk and compliance confidence lies in HR management systems,” published by Sage, compliance reporting has changed from a reactive response for requested information to a proactive “checkpoint in the company’s ongoing business strategy.” Compliance issues can occur in the areas of recruiting and termination, safety and risk, certifications and required training, and government regulations (e.g., the Affordable Care Act, Voluntary Self Identification of Disability).

Creating an environment where data is pulled from various sources into a central location and compiled into customized reports helps HR, finance, and payroll run internal audits and identify problems on an ongoing basis. Workflow and alerting systems also provide an additional layer for informing the right people at the appropriate time about approaching deadlines that impact adherence to policies and regulations. Are you letting technology keep track of all this information, or are you still trying to keep up with manually created spreadsheets and paper files?

What resolutions will be on your business New Year’s list? How will you keep them?