Is your HR department still working through paper forms and attempting to capture information in spreadsheets? This not only reduces the overall efficiency of the department, but it can also create difficulties if you want to analyze the information about your business and your staff members. While HR professionals have been utilizing digital systems to improve departmental operations for years in small ways, these four reasons should convince you that it’s finally time to take the plunge to a completely paperless human resources department. From the security of your staff’s information to ensuring that you remain compliant with government regulations, there are many compelling arguments to move in this direction.
1. Greater Security for Employees
The security of staff member information is a huge concern for HR departments around the world. The high levels of security that are available in today’s cloud-based HR systems should help alleviate the security concerns of your team. When you’re utilizing a truly paperless HR platform, your employee data is contained in such a way that even the HR professionals are rarely able to access details that are confidential. Personal and financial information of employees should be closely held. While HR staff are generally required to undergo rigorous screening, a paperless system provides an even greater level of security than using paper that is stored in filing cabinets throughout the office.
2. Improved Compliance with Government Regulations
Government regulations, particularly in the case of medical and financial information for individuals, are becoming increasingly challenging to monitor and address. Personally Identifiable Information (PII), includes “any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including (1) any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records; and (2) any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial and employment information”, according to the Government Accountability Office. Protecting this information can be a full-time job, but is automatically covered in many modern digital HR systems.
3. More Efficient Workflow for Your HR Department
Is spending their time transferring information written on paper into a digital system really the best use of your HR professionals’ time? Probably not, which is an extremely strong argument for moving entirely towards a paperless workflow. Much of the information that is filled into paper forms by staff members is then transferred to an online system for analysis and future use. Inputting these details directly into the web-based systems reduces the busywork associated with HR and frees your team to tackle the bigger problems such as hiring and providing exceptional benefits for your teams. This can also help reduce the costs and inefficiencies associated with rework within the department.
When you keep information flowing smoothly through your HR department and out through your organization, you’re providing a powerful base for growth for your business. New staff members will appreciate the efficiency of the business, which gives them a great start to their new career. Current staff members often cite incompetent operations and an unhelpful human resources team as a reason for seeking external opportunities — don’t let this happen at your organization! There are many more benefits for your team when switching to a paperless operation, and you can learn more from the professionals at Innovative Broker Services today by calling 916-932-2864 or download our complimentary guide to help kickstart a great open enrollment season: “8 Easy Steps to Your Best Open Enrollment Ever”.
