Employee Self Service – Dedicated and talented workforces are the foundation of successful companies. However, effectively supporting these workforces requires significant administrative efforts. Human resources departments constantly strive to enhance their efficiency and accuracy.
They face challenges such as managing payroll benefits, handling substantial amounts of time-consuming paperwork, and overseeing employee data. All these often consume most of their time. Consequently, these departments cannot fully utilise their potential as strategic assets for their organisations.
To tackle these issues, employee self service (ESS) solutions help to alleviate the administrative burden by digitising and automating essential tasks. Additionally, ESS empowers employees by granting them more direct control over their data.
By implementing ESS, companies can streamline HR processes, allowing HR departments to focus on strategic initiatives and contribute more effectively to the organisation’s overall success.
How Do Employee Self Service Portals Work?
Employee self-service portals offer various functions by combining interactive online apps with searchable knowledge databases. These portals typically incorporate automated systems alongside customer support options such as live chat or a ticket-based help desk system. In many cases, employee knowledge bases include Q&A sections or social media-style discussions, enabling employees to answer each other’s queries on HR and IT-related topics.
While specific needs may vary across companies, several common features are present in employee self-service systems due to the nature of HR. This commonality makes it convenient for businesses to engage third-party vendors to meet their requirements for these systems.
Features Of Employee Self-Service Software
The following are some crucial features of employee self-service software:
- Personal Data – If employees opt for direct deposit, they can easily modify their banking information whenever necessary. They also can update their contact details and print their tax documents. ( applicable for countries having tax procedures)
- Schedule Management – Employees can handle working hours, submit requests for paid time off (PTO) and sick leave, and monitor their remaining PTO. Once an employee submits a schedule request, you (or the HR department) can either approve or reject the request.
- Payroll and Benefits – Employee portals enable employees to view and make changes to their time cards and access their pay stubs. ESS portals also help employees directly manage their benefits, such as adding or removing specific services.
- HR Communication – Self-service portals effectively share employee handbooks and notifications and offer employees a direct channel to communicate with the HR department.
What Are the Benefits of Employee Self-Service?
ESS does not aim to replace a skilled HR team. Its purpose is to relieve HR professionals from repetitive tasks and enable employees to access HR information and services directly. This brings several benefits to organisations after implementing ESS human resource management software, including:
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Reduced Costs
Previously, most of HR’s time only addressed employee inquiries and data handling. However, with the implementation of ESS, the HR department no longer must undertake these responsibilities. This shift enables HR to assume a more strategic role and concentrate on other crucial responsibilities. It also diminishes the necessity to recruit and train additional HR personnel.
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More Streamlined Systems
In the past, HR data entry required specialized training and involved multiple departments or entities handling different aspects such as payroll and revenue information. However, self-service HRIS has revolutionized these processes by integrating and connecting these systems.
So, it provides easy access to the information for those who require it. This integration has helped streamline operations, eliminating the need for dedicated data entry personnel and enhancing accessibility to crucial HR data.
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Improving HR Functionality
Including a self-service HRIS can significantly enhance the effectiveness of human resources departments. By implementing this system, HR managers can dedicate their attention to matters requiring a human touch.
Their valuable time is no longer consumed by tasks such as data entry or addressing basic employee inquiries, as these can be efficiently handled through the self-service human resource management software. This allows HR managers to focus on more strategic and complex aspects of their role, leading to improved overall functionality and effectiveness of the HR department.
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Easier Self Service Compliance and Auditing
The simplified data entry process and enhanced efficiency of HR functions have resulted in improved data auditing. This, in turn, has bolstered data integrity, leading to better compliance with company policies and existing legislation.
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Easier Benefits Management
Authorised users can utilise ESS to monitor and track employee benefits information effectively. This encompasses comprehensive coverage information, payment history, employer, and employee contributions, and more. ESS is a centralised platform where employees can conveniently access and review statements, monitor eligibility and participation, and enrol in different benefit programs.
Employee self-service portals are particularly favoured by organisations utilising global workforce management solutions and managing extensive employee data. However, as ESS involves storing sensitive information online, there is a potential risk of data and payroll security breaches.
Therefore, before selecting an ESS, it is crucial to verify that you’re outsourcing it from a reputable global payment execution platform. They should provide a dependable security infrastructure to safeguard the system and its data.
HR WORKS is one such solution that understands the HR Manager and the employee’s challenges well. Our ESS module is a one-stop solution to manage employee service with one click. To know more you can contact us at info@dli-it.com.