Unless you are part of a very small business, having a strong and capable HR department is a vital part of staying successful. A human resources department that can stay ahead of the trends and help to keep employees happy and productive is an invaluable tool for the continued growth of any corporation.
In order to do this well, technology should be a staple of the department.
The right HR tools can save your team time, money and stress, and they can even boost the happiness and productivity of your entire workforce. Before you start taking steps to utilize this technology in your business, there are a few things that you should understand first.
It’s Not as Hard as It Looks
As mentioned above, the sheer number of options and functions can make the whole idea seem too difficult or overwhelming. Fortunately, this isn’t the case.
The designers of these tools understand that HR professionals are extremely busy and have a big load of responsibility to manage. Once you begin to look at tools that are specific to your company’s needs, you will often find that they are simple, streamlined and designed to lessen the workload rather than increase it.
For example, explaining the nuances of employee benefits can be time-consuming and complicated, especially if it’s a conversation happening in the midst of new hire training. There are online tools now that HR professionals can use to show employees a defined benefit plan in an easy and interactive way.
You Can Test It
One of the biggest issues that most business owners have with implementing new tech is the idea of sinking a lot of time and money into rolling out changes that require installation, training, and troubleshooting.
Most tech companies understand this, which is why they offer solutions like free trial periods and software testing appointments with professionals. This allows you to get a feel for how well the technology will work for your HR team. You will also have a chance to figure out where potential challenges would arise and get answers to any questions you might have.
In addition, there are several free Google Chrome extensions that your team can try out to “test the waters” a bit if you want a simple way to see how much benefit your HR department can receive from tech tools.
It Doesn’t Replace Humans
A common assumption about new technology is that it will make human jobs obsolete. In the case of HR tech, this simply isn’t true. These tools are designed to make a person’s job less stressful, but they cannot replace the human component of an HR position.
For example, services like Zestful and SnackNation make the task of offering perks and engagement boosters easier by removing the guesswork. This SnackNation review points out that feeding employees fun and healthy snacks can have a positive domino effect on the entire mood of the workplace.
Being able to achieve this kind of outcome with no extra effort on the part of HR is just one of many ways technology complements human positions.
Everyone is Using It
Technology has officially become integrated into nearly every aspect of daily life. Refusing to adapt to this idea is only going to slow your company down in the long run.
It’s vital to at least keep up with the trends even if you decide not to be an early adopter for new technology. If you get left behind in the early stages of implementing new technologies, it will be impossible to stay competitive and very hard to regain an edge in your industry.
You’ll Need More Than One
There are now software tools for almost every aspect of workplace management. HR professionals can use services to help with recruitment, hiring, training, project management, and employee engagement.
Two popular tools are Slack and Trello. Slack is an instant messaging platform tailored for use in the workplace. It allows teams to collaborate in real-time, and staff members can message HR directly or be a part of multiple team chats at once. Slack also has the ability to integrate with a number of other HR tech tools, and it requires very little upkeep.
Trello is a great project organization tool. It can be used for individual work goals or as a team tool to track the progress of various projects. Trello is a particularly useful tool for HR teams because it allows for important documents like policy and procedure manuals to be consistently updated and revised as needed without complication or excess paperwork.
It’s Evolving Fast
In general, technology is constantly evolving and advancing. This is part of the reason why it’s so important to stay informed on the tech that will benefit your HR team.
There are new innovations and upgrades to HR tools all the time, and falling behind can affect your bottom line. Not only will your HR team be overworked and stressed unnecessarily, but it will affect your entire staff’s productivity and happiness as well.
Maintaining up-to-date tools might seem frivolous, but it is a small bit of prophylaxis that can not only increase your team’s productivity but give you a serious competitive edge in your industry.
HR Tech Is the Future of Success
Implementing new technology is always a bit stressful, and it’s understandable for businesses to want to make sure that the cost is worth the benefit. In the case of HR tech, the six reasons above should be enough to show that these tools are the best path to success.
