The world is becoming techier and so are organizations. That shift is also causing more focus to be placed on data and analytics as an integral part of business solutions. The right systems are needed to support the data, metrics, and analytics.
HR is also shifting to more self-service, tech-based processes to help support the needs of the business. Data and analytics are relatively new, but not human resources management (HRM) systems, also known as human resource information systems (HRIS). If lucky, an HR department has one system that supports and measures the functions of employees across the entire employee lifecycle. But, unfortunately, not all systems are created equal and most departments have multiple systems to get the job done.
Most of the bigger system and software providers offer core human resources information systems (HRIS) with additional modules as add-ons. Those add-ons include:
- payroll processing
- applicant tracking systems (ATS)
- performance management systems (PMS)
- Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
- learning management systems (LMS)
- employee engagement systems
- rewards & recognition systems
- benefits administration
There’s one key aspect to HR that hasn’t received as much attention when it comes to the digital transformation for HR: employee relations.
Employee relations, investigations, and case management tends to be a manual process for most HR professionals. You may create individual files with notes from interviews, any research, and communications, but that’s probably about it. If you’re concerned about litigation, you may not even keep that much due to fear of discovery. Anything surrounding the investigation can become discoverable in court if you choose to use your investigation as part of your argument.
Even the process for employees to submit claims can be problematic. Most issues get reported to HR via direct communication, like an office walk-in, phone call, or email. Unfortunately, people can be uncomfortable with speaking up if the perception of HR isn’t good. There’s also a fear of retaliation. Alert lines do give employees an anonymous way of reporting but can leave them feeling like their comments went into a black hole.
This is especially true in large organizations where employees can be confused about where to go to file complaints. Employee hotlines to manage simple concerns like payroll and benefits questions are common in these organizations, but they may not be trained to take complaints. Google has recently introduced a new intranet website strictly dedicated for employees raising concerns. Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Melonie Parker, stated in an open letter to employees that it has streamlined the process for reporting misconduct. The site emphasizes its no retaliation policy and provides a clear one-stop for all conduct-related information.
Trends or broader issues are not easily identified when claims are managed in a one-off process. This is especially true if multiple team members are handling claims. How do you know if there’s just one bad manager or the problem is more systemic and apart of the culture?
The right systems can help HR better track where claims are coming from to create direct solutions. It creates transparency for employees to trust in the process and that their concerns will be properly managed. Additionally, systems create a standard process for following investigations, which mitigates the risk of mishandling the case. As HR tech expands further to support all aspects of the employee lifecycle, both employees and the organization will benefit.
An HR dashboard can be a useful tool to help you manage your employee data. It creates intuitive visualizations for your metrics, even pulling the data from multiple HRM systems. Sign up today for a free demo of our automated HR dashboard.
