After our webinar this week, Rebekah wallis, Director, People & ESG, at Ricah, gives some insights into automation for HR.
Q: What are the prime targets/opportunities for automation in HR?
A :In a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, automation is a useful tool to aid the flow of HR process. It allows for increased efficiency, lower costs and better decision-making.
Automating tasks can complement human inputs by improving accuracy, efficiency and saving time for HR professionals to focus on tasks that require emotional intelligence and the human touch.
HR automation has a wide range of applications, from screening applications during recruitment to onboarding to training. It can reduce tasks that traditionally took days to hours or minutes.
B&M reduced onboarding time from weeks to hours by integrating Ricoh’s solution a href=”https://www.ricoh.co.uk/business-solutions/business-process management/process automation/”>DocuWare/a>, which automates business processes and workflows by electronically managing and sharing documents. B&M’s onboarding process was reduced from weeks to just hours by integrating Ricoh’s solution DocuWare. This software automates workflows and business processes through electronic document management and sharing.
How can HR automate their processes?
First, identify the HR tasks that can be automated. This includes time-consuming HR tasks like payroll, leave management and recruitment processes. This could be the starting point if there are areas for improvement that have been identified through employee surveys and conversations.
It is best to evaluate and research the various HR automation software available in the market. You should consider their features and costs, as well as their usability and integrations. There are many HR automation tools available. They should be selected based on the relevance of the tool to the organization’s needs, their user-friendliness, integrations and future scalability. Ricoh offers a wide range of solutions, including digital document management, scanning/archiving and accounts payable automation.
Instead of rolling out automation at a large scale, it might be better to pilot the process on a smaller-scale first. It can be a good way to identify and fix any issues before going full-scale. This should be a gradual, slow-and-steady process. It’s crucial to have partners who can support you on the journey before and after implementation, while maintaining consistent communication.
Q: How can you balance the need for efficient automated processes with giving your employees a human touch?
It can be difficult to balance efficiency with automated processes while maintaining a personal touch in any business. But there are many strategies that can help you find a common ground.
A hybrid approach is ideal. Blend automated and human-led operations. Automate routine, mundane tasks which don’t require much human involvement. Keep functions that require creativity and judgment from humans. Keep human interaction in complex tasks that require emotional intelligence, compassion and good judgment.
Second, you need to inform employees of the advantages of automation. Teach them how to use automated systems to free their time to perform tasks that require human intervention. In order to do this successfully, it is important that the necessary training be provided in order to improve skills and ease transition. To guide this process, it is important to solicit feedback from employees and facilitate ongoing conversations.
Q: Does ROI only come from cost savings?
Automation’s ROI is more than just a cost-saving measure. This includes increased productivity, accuracy, faster delivery times, enhanced competition capability, and improved customer service. This allows for more time to be spent on strategic, creative or problem-solving activities, which generates greater value for the business and its customers. Automation allows companies to focus their resources not only on tangible financial gains but also on innovative, strategic tasks that will drive growth.
Digital transformation and growth of business are the core principles behind automation. Businesses can stay competitive by adopting new technologies that improve customer service and operations. It has the potential to change the way in which HR functions are performed, resulting in enhanced efficiency, more accuracy, data driven decisions, better compliance, and cost savings.
