Whitepaper: 8 Benefits of HR Process Automation

According to ELMO’s 2021 HR Industry Benchmark Report 71% of HR leaders claim that ‘general admin work’ takes up too much of HR’s time, relative to the value it delivers. Clearly it’s time for a rethink. Automating HR processes can be a game-changer for HR teams as the time gained can be focused on more essential areas such as cultivating an unforgettable employee experience and ensuring employees are productive and engaged.

What is HR automation?

HR automation refers to the use of technology to digitise repetitive and time-consuming processes. Within HR’s remit there are many manual tasks that lend themselves to automation, including employee onboarding administration, payroll tasks, the offboarding process, CV screening, recording leave requests – the list goes on.

This whitepaper outlines some of the time-consuming challenges faced by HR professionals in their day-to-day jobs, and how automating certain processes can allow HR to get back to more value-adding priorities.

What are the benefits of HR automation?

Since their inception some 35 years ago, spreadsheets have become a staple tool of just about every business department.

Today, many HR functions and tasks are still coordinated via spreadsheets and other time-consuming, data-heavy manual processes. However, the business world continues to evolve, and the once-trusty spreadsheet is no longer the best choice when it comes to workforce management.

Spending time and resources wrangling error-prone spreadsheets and endless administration tasks means less time and resources can be devoted to more essential areas, such as cultivating an unforgettable employee experience (EX) and ensuring employees are productive and engaged. The use of spreadsheets also increases the chance of incorrect data entry and data duplication – creating a potentially costly compliance nightmare.

Fortunately, automating HR processes through technology can help. In fact, a study by McKinsey Global Institute1 revealed that 56% of typical ‘hire-to-retire’ tasks could be automated with technology.

This whitepaper covers 8 of these key areas including:

• Streamlined recruitment processes
• Consistent, positive onboarding experiences
• Enhanced employee engagement capabilities
• An improved employee experience (EX) through self-service
• Flexible performance management
• Increased learning and development opportunities for employees
• Enhanced compliance 
• Increased workforce visibility and data insights