What is HR Automation and why should I use it?
HR Automation but also process automation in general saves time and efficiency in various sectors. The most important issue for large enterprises (up to 250 or more employees) is to manage volume. Yet many HR employees waste valuable time in manual processes. Administration, mass calling of potential candidates, on-boarding etc. can be long and tedious processes. That’s where automation can play an interesting role.
What’s Automation?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary automation is: the use of machines and computers that can operate without needing human control. By automating repetitive tasks, HR professionals can focus on more important or even more human tasks (which a machine could not replace). Automation helps to make companies more efficient, communicate better internally, speed up boring and time-consuming administrative tasks and motivate teams!
1. Contact candidates
Hiring in the world of HR is an ongoing activity. The time the HR employee takes to call potential candidates is time that can be used for other more profitable tasks. Did you know that you can automate these processes?
For one of our clients, we have implemented automated voice calls combined with automated SMS. When a position is open, the HR or HR agency pre-records a voice message. Then, automated calls are made to potential candidates. The candidates who receive the call choose whether they are interested in the position or not. If they are, they are transferred to the right consultant. Once the position is taken, the calls are automatically stopped.
2. Automate administrative processes
The administrative tasks linked to the on-boarding process can be long and time consuming. This kind of administrative tasks can also be automated. Then, your HR employees can focus on more human tasks. The processing time for the various documents required for on-boarding can be reduced to a few hours instead of a week.
Many things can be automated when a new employee arrives. In addition to the pure administrative side mentioned above, you can personalize his arrival with an SMS. Indeed, for his first day, the employee can receive an automatic SMS indicating the main information (place, arrival time,…). He can also be invited by SMS to go and see more information about his on-boarding in his mailbox.
3. One Time Password
Also, you can send a one time password via text message so that the new employee can start up independently. Send him the necessary codes so that he can connect both to his computer and to the company’s server and access all the data and documents he needs.
Thanks to that, the HR can focus on the most important things in the on-boarding process. Indeed, he will have more time to concentrate to the well being and integration of the new employee to the team.
4. Satisfaction inquiries
A large majority of HR people do not have the time to update employee performance records, organise enough appointments to know how everything is going… The most important thing is still the human aspect. But to make regular and informative feedback, send reports and even ask employees how they feel in the company, automation can be a solution.
Indeed, annual reports are important for both the employer and the employee, both can be submitted as forms and automated. In terms of employee satisfaction, one to ones are important. However, nothing prevents sending NPS several times a year to get a general idea of the general mood in the company. Above all, for some people it reassures them to be able to keep a certain anonymity and not necessarily talk to someone live.
5. Reminders
Reminders via SMS or automated voice can be very useful for your HR department. Have you already encountered cases of no-shows during candidate interviews? This is a terrible waste of time and energy for your employees. A simple appointment reminder will save time for both parties (candidate and recruiter).
Reminders can be used in many cases, next to appointment reminders there are also contract or subscription reminders. Remind your temporary employees to sign their weekly contracts by SMS. For example, you can do this by text message: “Hi Sophie, Your performance sheets for the month of June must be sent by your manager before tomorrow to get paid this month.”
6. FAQ chatbot for employees
In order to answer frequently asked questions from employees, a chatbot can be very useful.
You can answer them easily and quickly or refer them to the intranet or the company’s knowledge base.
7. Crisis Communication Tool
Another tool that can also be very useful as HR is the crisis communication tool. Indeed, it is important to manage a crisis case quickly and efficiently. Your employees expect you to be reactive and to make their health and comfort a priority.
For one of our customers, we have implemented a very simple management tool: during the first wave of containment and therefore closure of the stores, an SMS was sent to all employees telling them to stay home. It was also indicated in the SMS that more information was in their mailboxes. The SMS can be used to communicate a short piece of information in a fast way to a big audience but also to give more information by using multichannel (SMS & Email).
