Ask an HR Manager: How do you know it’s time to implement HR software?

Carrying out HR tasks using manual processes is now outdated. HR teams worldwide are rapidly transitioning into the digital age and changing the mindset: if you want to scale up your team and compete with larger organizations, you need HR software.

Technology has been a blessing to the global workforce, and the HR department isn’t left out. We can now automate manual processes and put a stop to frequent burnouts.

With the unending tasks and the ever-expanding team to manage, HR professionals need to adopt the new and improved way of handling operations, HR software.

Wonder what prompts the adoption of this software? We have an interview with the Senior HR manager of Kobiton, Tiffany Williams to help you clarify what triggers this decision.

Below are Tiffany's answers to our questions in the interview.

What are some signs that you need HR software?

Growing companies have more people, which means more onboarding, more documents, and more data. If you're lucky (and forward-thinking enough) to have a dedicated HR/People Ops Team, the choice to implement HR tools and software sooner than later will save you countless hours wasted on manual processes.

HR software will also allow your HR team to create and build a strategic function beyond tactical lists to support high-performing teams and a company with a strong culture.

Here are some signs that you need to invest in HR software:

• Onboarding is slow and you're growing

A great onboarding experience is imperative to retaining top talent. If your HR team is spending more time emailing static PDFs back and forth than ensuring new hires have what they need, that's a red flag.

Onboarding should be automated and seamless. HR doesn't need to be a bottleneck for employees getting the information they need, and they're too valuable to spend their time sorting and filing papers all day.

• Data is a pain to retrieve

Whether small or large, HR teams should be able to provide key data insights and reports at the push of a button. If your HR team takes a long time to prepare and produce reports, it's likely because they're spending time manually pulling and combining information from different sources.

This is time-consuming and leaves your data (including payroll data) susceptible to human error. Dashboards are the way and you should take steps to move away from daunting spreadsheets to meaningful data visualization.

• More time is spent on admin tasks than anything else

If your team is spending more time on data entry than your people, it's time to invest in software - especially if they're required to enter the same data in multiple locations.

How can you build a business case for HR software?

While people love to spend money on CRM tools and feel HR doesn't "drive revenue", it's time to shift that way of thinking and grasp the understanding that employees are your greatest assets and are the internal clients of your company.

When building a business case, I'd look at the employee retention periods and satisfaction score. These figures determine if employees have a positive experience interacting with the company and the tools they're required to use regularly. Do yourself a favor and help your HR team elevate from "paper pushers" to strategic partners.

We know we need HR software, but which one is right for us?

You need to consider your immediate and projected team size in order to determine the ideal tool. You should also consider which functions are on your "must-have" list vs. "nice to have".

Performance, payroll, time-off management, self-service employee data are some of the most common uses for newly implemented tools. As you grow, you may also want to consider options such as benefits management, headcount management, and automated org charts.

When doing research and attending demos, it's useful to do the evaluation exercise:

• Does it offer features that tally with your company’s operations?

You need software that meets the demands of your company. For example, if you have teams working remotely, you’d need software that can track and report employees' working hours in real-time. This way, you can make appropriate deductions, compensations, and overtime for each employee.

• Is it easy to use?

The whole point of implementing software is for a smoother operation. Pay attention to ease of use. As an HR personnel, you want to easily add new employees, manage their profiles, export data, approve/reject requests, and check progress.

• Does the system have a mobile app for employees?

Millennials and Gen-Zers spend more time working on the go than sitting at their desks. Opting for mobile-friendly software to empower your teams to be productive wherever they are, on the way to meetings, or on the bus.

If you’re having a tough time finding the right software that ticks all the boxes in your evaluation exercise, you should check out our list of carefully selected HR software.

Get the most value out of your new HR software

The best way to get the most out of your HR software is by utilizing all its features. Sticking to just one feature could make even the best HR software lose its credibility. For instance, some companies often use HR software to manage employee records, which is just a part of the several benefits this software has to offer.

These days, companies are now looking for more than efficiency in HR software - like enhancing employee experience. This is especially important for companies that want to build a strong company culture.

As an HR Manager, I would first ensure that the HR team understands and master what the system offers. Then I would ensure that managers and employees understand how the system can benefit them. They can run reviews, track goals, give peer feedback, do pulse surveys, recognize team members, and more to develop a high-performing team.

The HR team should help everyone in the company adopt the system and show them how HR software can make their job easier.