Understanding HRIS Systems

HRIS Benefit 1: Streamline IT system access processes

Did you know that organisations automate just 25-40% of their workflows, and miss 50% of all automation opportunities?
Manual data entry and inefficient processes are challenges for most organisations. When you integrate your HRIS system with other applications – such your payroll software – you’re reducing the amount of time your people need to spend on manual data entry, while also improving the accuracy and security of your people data.
Plus, you can use an HRIS system such as Ciphr HR to set up automatic notifications, making routine HR approvals easier (and more consistent). Linking your HRIS system with Microsoft Active Directory, for example, will automate the process of setting up new starters on your organisations’ IT network, and automatically deactivate their account when they leave.

HRIS Benefit 2: Simplify paperwork with electronic signatures

Some HRIS systems (such as Ciphr HR) integrate with electronic signature technology, such as Adobe’s Acrobat Sign and DocuSign, enabling HR teams to issue documents such as contract letters for electronic signature. This is essential for a quick hiring and onboarding process – especially if your workforce works remotely some or all of the time. Plus, using electronic documents creates a more robust audit trail (there’ll be no more letters being lost in the post) and it’s cheaper and more environmentally friendly, too.

HRIS Benefit 3: Digital document acceptance

You can also use your HRIS system as a repository for important documents – such as organisational policies – that you can invite employees to view and digitally ‘accept’, creating an auditable history of who has agreed to which policy, and when. Because previous versions of the same document are overwritten and employees are alerted to the new version’s existence, there’s no confusion over which version is current. Plus, all the documents are easy to find in a single location – there’s no need to navigate to a separate intranet or trawl through a shared network drive.

HRIS Benefit 4: Simplify paperwork with electronic signatures

Opting for integrated HR and payroll software brings myriad benefits for organisations (and their employees and HR and finance teams), by:

• Reducing the potential for human error: data is drawn from your HRIS system and transferred automatically to the payroll software, so there’s no risk that data will be mis-typed from one system to another
• Speeding up pay runs: the seamless, automatic transfer of data from the HRIS system to the payroll software, rather than downloading data and sending it by email or secure transfer, reduces the time it takes to process pay runs
• Improving data security: with integrated systems, there’s no need to remember separate passwords for different software or Excel files
• Enabling instant access to pay information: employees can view documents such as payslips and P11Ds online, as well as view total reward statements, helping them to understand the full value of their benefits package

HRIS Benefit 5: Welcome new starters with improved onboarding

With half of employees saying that their organisation’s onboarding process could be improved, there’s huge potential for HRIS systems with in-built onboarding functionality to make a significant difference to new starters’ experiences. Onboarding software can improve the employee experience through:

• Sharing information about their new team and working location before their first day
• Enabling employers to collect essential information – such as bank details – before they start, so payroll runs smoothly
• Inviting new hires to complete important training activities ahead of their start date, so they hit the ground running
• And, crucially, provide a consistent – yet tailored – experience to every new employee

HRIS Benefit 6: Understand the link between learning and performance

Choosing an HRIS system that encompasses integrated HR and LMS software will help your organisation monitor the link between training activities and course completion and employee performance. You can use this information to understand what training interventions pay off (and which don’t), and uncover additional training needs. Single sign-on between your HR and learning platforms, as part of your HRIS, also helps to improve the learning experience for your people and encourage them to engage more frequently, and more proactively, with learning activities.