The work dynamics have changed. As there has been a transition from traditional work methods to WFH (work from home) era, employees’ productivity has been greatly impacted. More than before, there is a need for enhanced technological ecosystems to support the remote work culture and effective strategies to motivate the workforce. There is no doubt that HR technologies have to be at the forefront to better manage remote work and minimize productivity loss. Not only processes and experience, but HR technologies are now driving organizational strategies and culture. 

Role of HR in well being of a remote worker

Work from home brings a win-win situation for both employees and businesses. While on one hand, businesses report lower overhead costs and higher productivity, on the other hand, employees get to achieve a healthier work-life balance. However, on the flip side, employees experience loneliness and lack of effective communication, thus leading to monotony and depletion in productivity.  Unfortunately, employees never reach out to HR with their issues. With work from home becoming the new norm, the discussion has now shifted from work-life balance to work-life integration. 

This is where the role of HRMS comes into the picture. It has become paramount for companies to invest in a comprehensive and robust Human Resource Management System (HRMS) to help them keep their employees more engaged. An efficient system helps employees attain better recognition and encouragement.  

Joel Martin, Director of Advisory Services for Software Reviews, said that during this pandemic, there has been an increasing rise in interest in workforce management software, learning management systems and other cloud-based HR software. He further adds that at present times HR and IT are probably the two most important departments for a company’s survival.

So how does this work?

Employees have better accessibility: One prime benefit of adopting an HRMS in a company is its accessibility i.e. a system’s availability on smart devices and mobile. More than a necessity, this becomes an incentive in a remote work environment. This also gives employees the flexibility to track their work hours, attendance, or leaves. 

Real-time feedback: On-the-spot review or feedback can be the biggest booster dose for an employee, especially a newcomer. Instant feedback can make the employee valued, in turn, making him more engaged. Moreover, with this, the management also portrays a picture of being more transparent and accountable to the employee, instilling confidence. 

Social collaboration tools: It has been tested and proven that introducing social tools like surveys and polls in your HRMS can boost employee engagement. This can be an effective tool to gauge the employees. 

Better employee onboarding: For any employee, a smooth and successful onboarding plays a vital role in making a lasting impression, thus leading to better stability. An efficient HRMS can help in this process. The joining processes can be completed without any hassles letting the HR focus on engaging the new joinee with the new company culture. 

Improved transparency at workplace: HRMS is also a place where employees can view their employee benefits like medical and other incentives. This shows a company’s commitment towards its workforce, making them feel more valued. 

HR tech tools at the rescue

According to the report ‘State of HR Tech in the post-COVID workplace’ by Darwinbox, during pandemic about 84% of companies had adopted at least one form of ERP Solution. Moreover the remote working structure compelled 59% of the companies to upgrade their contactless attendance system because of remote working. Digital hiring and onboarding followed this with 60% and 59% respectively. Video calling infrastructure gained a 40% rise whereas social messaging network rose 31%. About 85% of companies actively started using digital hiring mode. 

What’s in it for HR?

Automation of HR processes: Processes such as recruitment, employee onboarding, payroll management, and performance management comes under the ambit of a typical HR. If done manually, dedicated HR personnel can take up to days to complete these processes. However, an automated system minimizes human intervention and this work can be done in few hours, leaving HR to focus more on other important aspects like corporate training, improving worker efficiency, process improvement, and building organizational culture.

Reduce Human Error: Process automation is the biggest benefit that an HRMS brings to the table. Automation by a well-researched and implemented HRMS can not only save time but also help a company in eliminating some common human errors. These could be missed deductions, incorrect salary calculations, or double credits. Such errors usually cause companies huge losses and sometimes penalties.

Employee Self Service with remote access: Organizing employee services like documentation, certifications and clarifications can be cumbersome and time-consuming, making the HR staff less productive. When an HRMS is in place, it allows remote access for the employees and enables employee self-service. This implies that employees can generate any of the documents themselves from anywhere, anytime. The result: satisfied employee, happy HR department. 

Managing compliances: Companies usually follow stringent regulations related to legal aspects and taxation. Here too, HRMS facilitates all compliance checks and also alerts the management in case of any laxity. Non-compliance can result in huge penalties and fines to the company. Therefore, a well-structured HRMS plays a vital role in monitoring the company if it is following all the regulations. 

Conclusion

Modern-day HR functions have not only improved the way how a company delivers its products but has also transformed internal operations. Today, technologies like digitization, AI, robotics, automation have redefined existing processes by making them more efficient and data-driven. Undoubtedly an HRMS has emerged as an employee system to enhance productivity. The new-age systems don’t just ease up the workload for HR teams but also streamlines and automates other related tasks effectively for employees and management.