Category: Technology

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How to effectively use data analytics for workforce success

data analytics

There’s a lot of emphasis put on data-driven decision making. But how do organizations start that process? Serena Huang, global head of people analytics at the Kraft Heinz Co., shared some helpful insights into how leaders can use data to better understand the workforce and improve overall management and performance. 

Workforce recently caught up with her, and she shared her thoughts on how to use data analytics and gather information and employee feedback for better workforce management. 

Workforce: What do leaders need to know about the relationship between strategic business planning and data analytics?

Serena HuangSerena Huang: I’d encourage leaders to think of data analytics as a new mindset and a new language rather than a new tool from IT. There are several areas where analytics can improve business planning, such as more accurate demand forecasting and a better understanding of consumer behaviors. 

WF: What is the importance of using analytics in managing people? How did the COVID-19 pandemic highlight this?

Huang: It’s always been important to use analytics in managing people. Many companies would say that “people are their most important asset” and even the most technologically advanced companies cannot operate without people. Instead of relying on intuition, analytics can help organizations make more informed decisions faster and at scale. 

Employees’ health, safety and engagement have never been more important. The pandemic has provided an opportunity for HR to become heroes by caring for employees and ensuring business continuity.  At Kraft Heinz, this is critical because our employees are crucial to making food that everyone needs.  We have a responsibility around the world to feed people, and our employees make it happen.

WF: What are the common misconceptions about people analytics and its role in workforce management?

Huang: One of the biggest misconceptions is that data must be perfect before you can do analytics. I always recommend starting with the business problem rather than the data. You’d be surprised how much usable data already exists. Another misconception is that you need data scientists or know how to code to start doing people analytics. It is much more important to focus on the right questions before hiring a data scientist or learning how to model.

Also read: Labor data analytics can inform better talent decisions

WF: How can organizations effectively use and make sense of the data they have? 

Huang: Visualizations and dashboards are great ways to turn data into insights. To know where to start, it’s best to align with business leaders on solving problems. 

For example, in workforce management, companies often have significant data on time and attendance, so a starting point can be using analytics to optimize labor costs. If there are different systems, it’s helpful to choose a country or location that needs the most help and start with a pilot.  

To create the most value, it’s important to monitor data quality on an ongoing basis.

WF: How can organizations track the right type of data for their workforce? How can they identify metrics of success?

Huang: It’s crucial to stay closely connected with the leadership team on strategy and business problems. If you can figure out the top three to five pain points, you can then frame questions to answer and think about what data you’d need. 

The metrics of success will vary from one problem to another. I’d recommend thinking in different time frames and ask yourself what success looks like in six months, 12 months, and two to three years.  

WF: How can managers use data to improve productivity and boost employee engagement?

Huang: Managers can certainly leverage surveys if they have a large organization. Often organizations conduct engagement surveys on a regular basis, so start with existing surveys for potential areas of improvement.

For managers with smaller teams, it is most beneficial to conduct regular check-ins and one-on-ones. Managers must create an environment where there is psychological safety, so team members feel comfortable sharing concerns openly. 

WF: What are different ways companies can collect feedback or listen to their employees, especially in the era of remote work?

Huang: There are several ways companies can listen to employees, including surveys, virtual focus groups, and Q&A during employee town halls. It’s helpful to monitor the participation rates as it could signal overload if participation decreases. It’s also important to encourage managers to connect with their team members directly on a regular basis in addition to this corporate-level feedback. 

WF: What are the factors to consider when choosing the right tools, methods or technology to measure and improve employee engagement?

Huang: A good starting point will include an evaluation of how many employees, how many languages, local legal requirements, reporting/analytics for users, text analytics capabilities. In my article published on LinkedIn, I explain why there isn’t the “right” number of times to pulse employees, and it depends on how quickly the business leaders can act on feedback. 

WF: What do you think the future of work will look like given current times?

Huang: It’s hard to predict what will be a temporary rather than permanent shift in the future of work, but I see more focus on flexibility, diversity and inclusion, well-being and skills development. 

Data from COVID HR-Pulse show that fewer than 50 percent of companies had a remote work program before the pandemic, and now office employees have been working virtually for months. Employees will demand more flexibility, and organizations can use flexibility to attract new hires. 

We have seen different businesses get creative during the pandemic. At Kraft Heinz, we’re focused on being agile at scale because we believe that agile and nimble organizations will outperform those that cannot pivot quickly when needed. To be truly agile in workforce planning, an organization should know the skill sets needed to deliver business results and the skills its workforce currently has. 

Also read: A midterm outlook on the future of the workplace

The recent tragedies have brought diversity and inclusion front and center for many organizations. Companies that can create an inclusive environment where everyone belongs will continue to be able to attract and retain talent. 

While mental health remains a difficult topic to discuss, especially in a corporate setting, the pandemic has made it more critical to talk about this topic. We will likely see a focus on employee well-being extend beyond the pandemic.  

 

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Leave management should be as simple as submit, approve and hit the beach

Submitting a request for time off should be a simple, positive experience.

In most cases an employee seeking leave is looking forward to time away from the workplace. Their request to take time to relax and unwind shouldn’t get bogged down in a bureaucratic morass of an overly complicated process, further slowed by multiple approvals and unnecessary paperwork.

Let employees know their vacation is approved before they even book their travel plans through an intuitive online time management solution. Managers and supervisors also will appreciate the solution’s ease of use and rapid response so they can plan for that employee’s absence weeks or even months in advance.

Clear the confusion

Too often employees don’t know how much time off they have accrued or the amount they have left. Worse, managers are often in the dark about such employee basics as paid time off.

The employee approaches the manager to ask, “How much time off do I have left?” only to discover that the boss has no idea, either.

Frustrated, both begin to search for an answer. Naturally, it is either on a paper form tucked deep inside a hulking gray filing cabinet, or it is squirreled away among a previous manager’s archived spreadsheets, which of course is in a folder on an inaccessible server.

A mobile leave management solution makes such confusion and aggravation a thing of the past. Employers and employees enjoy ease of use and spend their time on tasks much more important than digging through a bank of filing cabinets.

Time off at their fingertips

A fully integrated leave management system literally fits in their pockets. Managers will always know who is available to work any shift with a quick glance at their mobile phone.

Innovative leave management software supports both mobile and desktop applications and implements approved requests directly into an employee shift schedule.

Online leave management benefits

Employers can customize leave management for multiple industries and global locations. Through quick implementation to the cloud, supervisors and employees also have a fair, transparent leave approval solution. Employers also increase their efficiency by shedding burdensome paperwork and save time and money by avoiding costly compliance complications.

Fair, transparent leave approval

Whether your organization uses paid time off or traditional vacation/sick leave, employees submit leave requests using their mobile devices. Managers can then review, approve or modify the requests. With ongoing, updated tracking, employee and supervisor both have access to records, balances and proof of compliance. Tracking time off helps optimize labor management for all employees.

Ease scheduling hassles

Every employee deserves time away from work, whether it is a weeklong vacation or a half-day doctor’s appointment. But when that worker’s time-off request is mismanaged it causes problems for the business, managers and fellow employees.

A simple, user-friendly mobile leave management solution is accurate, immediate and rebuilds the trust between employees and their managers that may have been damaged by a sloppy paper-based system. 

Managers can see pending leave requests and check on employee availability, then make informed decisions on whether to grant or deny the time off.

Remain in compliance

Lax adherence to tracking employee leave and ignoring federal and state Family and Medical Leave Act compliance is the fast track to a lawsuit. A user-friendly, effective leave management system helps clarify FMLA and other regulations with intermittent or continuous employee-leave tracking to avoid litigation and costly fines that typically come with noncompliance.

 Efficient records of absentee, sick leave, annual leave and timekeeping translates into accurate compensation and an engaged workforce secure in the knowledge that their leave requests will not fall through the cracks. A mobile leave management solution benefits the employer as well as the employee.

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How we implemented an Enterprise WFM Rollout During COVID-19 in under two weeks

The Coronavirus changed a lot of things for companies all over the world, but some companies used this time of change to better their business and prepare for a new future. Our client was one of those companies. Below is a brief overview of how we worked with them to deliver a smooth rollout of our product to their entire workforce faster than ever before. Now that we’ve accomplished this with them, we’re excited to use our new process as a competitive advantage for more of our new clients.

Challenge

  • Deliver an implementation that was previously planned for 9 months in under 2 weeks for over 7,000 employees and 4,000 locations during the COVID-19 lockdowns

Solution

  • Unify and standardize employee data from multiple legacy payroll systems and other sources into one database
  • Have all 7,000+ employees use a mobile app to clock in and out of their shifts instead a communal physical device that all employees would have to touch
  • Work with internal stakeholders to create a personalized virtual interactive training program that includes a custom sandbox of the system simulating the managers’ real life working conditions
  • Create a more efficient process for gaining consent from employees who use the technology to stay compliant in different US states and Canadian provinces
  • Guarantee their next payroll cycle delivers without errors by providing an additional layer of customer service during that payroll process

Results

  • Almost 600 managers logged into the system in the first week
  • Over 2,500 employees downloaded and installed the app after the first round of roll out
  • Workforce.com was the first technology solution adopted by the whole enterprise globally

 

If you’re interested in taking a look inside the workforce.com workforce management platform you can sign up for a free trial here.

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Payroll challenges eased by software solutions

software, compliance

Payroll can be a complicated and time consuming process. If employers fail to be compliant —  intentionally or not — they may face potentially debilitating business consequences.     

Workforce management professionals can use technology solutions to address complicated payroll challenges. 

Challenge: Maintaining tax compliance

Tax compliance challenges come in many flavors. The Federal Unemployment Tax Act poses potential complications for employers, and employers must be careful to compute their FUTA tax liability correctly. 

Further, certain flexible work arrangements may introduce tax complexities to employers who must figure out how, when and where to withhold state taxes for their employees. Remote work is mostly a positive trend. Employees are generally more productive working outside the office, and employers can consider a larger pool of candidates for a job. But the company must make sure they have an effective system that takes state and local tax laws into account, especially if it manages a geographically scattered workforce. 

The right payroll system will help employers do this by allowing them to input all relevant tax laws in the system. Then managers don’t need to worry that the laws aren’t being addressed in their payroll, and they can continue benefiting from a flexible, remote workforce. 

Challenge: Balancing federal, state and local compliance laws

An “overwhelming alphabet soup of laws, regulations and agencies” govern the workplace — and not just regarding tax compliance. Federal agencies like the EEOC and OSHA and regulations like FMLA and COBRA affect workplace decisions on everything from payroll to health care to time off and beyond.

Managers may have a lot on their plate in addition to payroll, like creating effective schedules, controlling wage costs and taking overtime in account. While they deal with everything on their plate, they also have many legal responsibilities to balance. 

Labor management software can take on the most difficult part of this process, knowing how to apply different laws and regulations to every payroll decision. This leaves time and mental energy for workforce management professionals to focus on other parts of their job, rather than getting bogged down by compliance concerns. 

Benefits of payroll software

Payroll is a baseline, necessary duty of many managers’ jobs. Still, they have many other responsibilities that occupy their time and attention. Technology allows them to automate what is taking up too much of their time and energy and increasing efficiency at the organization.

Try Workforce.com software for your payroll and scheduling needs, which has saved managers: several hours a week by automating time consuming tasks like payroll. 

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Employee communication how-to’s during a crisis

employee communication

The usual employee communication strategy goes out the door when a company faces a crisis. Special circumstances like natural disasters, workplace shootings and pandemics put employers in a challenging situation. The future is uncertain, people are constantly learning new facts and messaging has to be carefully crafted. 

Meanwhile, emotions may be high while people deal with the aftermath of a potentially traumatic event, and employers must be able to communicate messages carefully and empathetically. Added to this challenge, distance may be an issue. Disease outbreaks, hurricanes and snowstorms may leave a workforce separated from each other, either working remotely or unable to work at all.

employee communicationIt’s important for organizations to develop a crisis communication plan. Within that plan include details that relate to specific crises. Technology will be a key part of these strategies, especially when there’s a possibility that employees and managers won’t be in the same office for an unknown amount of time. 

Here are some tips on how to utilize technology in a crisis communication strategy.

Communicate the organization’s response: 

Whatever the crisis, employees want to know what is going on with their jobs and updates on the company. If a company closes temporarily due to a disaster, for example, people want to know when it will open again. Are their jobs safe? Is the employer taking proper health and safety precautions as they reopen the workspace? Are employees’ concerns and questions being addressed or ignored?

While managers may not have all the facts, they can set up weekly calls or send ongoing communication that gives employees whatever information is available. That way, people don’t feel out of the loop and know that their concerns are being considered and addressed by management.

A mobile communication solution is especially valuable since employees can access the information they want whenever and wherever on their own device.

Share only trustworthy sources and facts: 

In times of crisis, misinformation and myths can be spread just as easily as facts, as crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and mass shootings show. Coronavirus myths include that antibiotics kill the virus and that only older people and people with chronic conditions are at risk. Mass shootings myths include that people with a mental illness are more likely to commit acts of violence (they’re actually much more likely to be victims of violence). 

The important lesson for employers here is that rather than relying on the opinions of random people online — even if they seem credible — they should rely on basic facts from the experts. 

As managers regularly communicate with employees as part of their crisis management strategy, they shouldn’t further spread misinformation.

Show empathy: 

Just sharing facts won’t show empathy for the anxiety, trauma or other negative emotions employees may feel during a crisis. Compassion and a sense of understanding can go a long way to easing employees’ fears.

This is also an area managers can practice. They don’t have to go in blindly when they want to show a human, vulnerable, empathetic side to employees. Practice could be role-playing with someone else and analyzing what responses worked. Or it could mean researching how to communicate with people who have been through a crisis and practicing how to say it genuinely to another person. 

In the case where managers and employees are separated, managers can show their team members on a personal level as well via their company’s mobile chat tool. It could be as simple as asking someone how they’re doing or communicating to them that management cares about their well-being. Just be sure it is genuine. 

Don’t ghost employees: 

Even though employers have enough on their plate when dealing with the aftermath of a crisis, they shouldn’t neglect their employees , who often are hailed as an organization’s “most valuable asset.” Ignoring the impact of the crisis on these people won’t reflect well on the manager or the organization. 

It can be easy to keep in touch with employees and keep the lines of communication open with the right tech tools. Workforce.com allows managers to communicate with employees, whether it’s to share important information with them or just to reach out and show empathy for their situation. 

Tools like this exist and can make managers’ crisis management responsibilities more effortless and streamlined. Utilize the latest communication technology in your crisis communication strategy. 

 

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The new normal: Navigating workforce challenges during and after the pandemic

remote work, mask

The COVID-19 pandemic has catapulted workforces around the world into remote work or a different environment than what employees are used to. 

Businesses are making adjustments to their operations in adherence to social distancing and in joining the fight to curb the pandemic. 

As the search for a vaccine continues, it seems like flexible work will be here to stay.  But what does that mean to the workforce? And what must managers do to help navigate the new normal involving remote work?

Same principles, different times

Jacob Morgan, an author, speaker and  authority on leadership, employee engagement and the future of work, said in a recent blog post that more companies will embrace flexible working arrangements. 

remote work, mask“With the current pandemic, millions of people around the world are working from home,” he said. “This will likely continue over the coming months but even after the pandemic is over, I expect we will see a dramatic rise in flexible work arrangements. However, in order for these efforts to be successful organizations need to use a new set of digital technologies and embrace a new way of working.”

Morgan also wrote about the things top companies do to succeed at implementing flexible arrangements during COVID-19 and even after the pandemic. He mentioned implementing the right kind of technology according to an organization’s unique objectives.

“Before rushing to pick that shiny new collaboration and communication platform, focus on developing a strategy which will help you understand the ‘why’ before the ‘how.’ This is crucial for the success of any collaboration initiative,” he wrote. “You don’t want to be in a position where you have deployed a technology without understanding why. Especially during this pandemic, make it clear what the desired goals are so everyone is on board.”

Aside from implementing suitable solutions, Morgan also highlighted the importance of collaboration, measuring the right metrics, leading by example and listening to the voice of the organization, among others.  Morgan explained the challenges in applying them and practical ways to overcome them. 

“Collaboration should never be seen as an additional task or requirement for employees,” Morgan wrote. “Instead collaboration should fit naturally into their flow of work. For example, with my virtual team of ten employees turning on Skype every morning and looking at what’s going in Asana is how we all start our day, it’s not an afterthought or something additional we do … it’s how we get things done.”

He reiterated that collaboration is an ongoing initiative and goes beyond simply rolling out initial guidelines, thinking that it will stand the test of time. It’s all about adjusting and being agile to changes. 

“It’s important to remember that collaboration is perpetual,” Morgan wrote. “It’s a never ending evolution as new tools and strategies for the workplace continue to emerge. This means that it’s important for your organization to be able to adapt and evolve as things change. Keep a pulse on what’s going on in the industry and inside of your organization. This will allow you to innovate and anticipate. So many organizations were caught off guard by this pandemic because they had neither the tools, the training, the leadership, or the guidelines to help make flexible work successful.”

Clear course of action is vital

The pandemic has disrupted global workforces. Management consultancy Gallup has seen massive changes in different aspects of work and employee life, and they are seeing record levels of stress and worry among the U.S. workforce. So how are employers faring in terms of their response?

Leaders need to have a clear course of action and communicate it clearly to their employees. A survey from Gallup shows that 52 percent of employees strongly agree that their employer fared well in terms of sharing information to them about the next steps. 

Technology is key to implementing action plans

Having a strategy is just half of the battle. The other half is implementing it. Technology plays a crucial role in that.

A workforce management platform is helpful in this regard as it can help you operate efficiently beyond borders, staying on top of your operations, and improving overall communication with staff. It can help you automate and customize certain processes and adjust quickly to market changes. 

There’s a lot of factors at play when managing a workforce, especially so at a time like this. It’s vital to have the right solutions in place that will help you focus on enriching your people and equipping them to do their best even in this era of remote work and beyond. 

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Employee feedback apps boost employee engagement

employee feedback

When letting employees know their value to the organization, it’s important to show appreciation for their daily tasks through effective co-worker comments.

Technology provides exceptional opportunities to motivate your staff and engage their participation by providing ongoing feedback and building a two-way relationship. Selecting the right workplace app develops a continuous dialogue that improves your internal communications and builds a consistent, trusted relationship with employees.

Choosing the internal communications app that best suits your organization has far-ranging implications. Among the most effective forms of communication that your workplace app can provide is employee feedback. 

The value of ongoing feedback  

People thrive on feedback. Consider how often people are asked to “rate” an experience — the latest vacation spot, the quality of your pet’s food or a call center employee’s friendliness.

Naturally, employees are encouraged to rate their job experience, as well as their workload and the quality of management. In fact, feedback is not only appreciated, it is expected. Employees want to know where they stand with their employers.

An effective workplace app can make that communication faster and more focused. It could literally take seconds to offer a personal congratulations or post a companywide notice of the employee’s accomplishment. 

Feedback can come in the form of an employee performance review, a note of encouragement or a thank-you for a job well done. Many people would be surprised at how well a supportive, positive message is received. 

Peer-to-peer feedback

Constant colleague feedback also encourages your staff to communicate with one another and enables growth in the company. Employees can use communication-based apps, for example, to swap shifts. This process encourages staff to remain open with one another and enhances growth in the company as well.

Employees can use this online feedback to build an authentic, trusting relationship with each other, as well as with supervisors. Peer-to-peer communication coupled with supervisor appraisals goes a long way in helping them become better in areas they need to improve and showing genuine appreciation in the areas that they have excelled in.

Organizing feedback

Your app simplifies feedback by providing a centralized clearinghouse for all employees on a single platform. Employees can communicate one-on-one or in team settings. They also can organize schedules and are crucial  to building a feedback-seeking culture.

Feedback is clearly a valuable business proposition. According to a Gallup study, managers who received feedback on their strengths had turnover rates that were 14.9 percent lower than for those who received no feedback. Still, some employees are hesitant to provide feedback in person. And that applies to managers and supervisors as well.

An internal app makes feedback easier and eliminates barriers with simple, easy-to-use communications. An app also provides the ability to give feedback for those who prefer to avoid face to face meetings. 

Using a communications app is redefining the way we think of employee engagement. Unleashing such tools in your workplace are changing the way businesses operate and make feedback immediate and continuous. 

Give employees the power to communicate! Workforce.com’s employee engagement module empowers employees to respond immediately and effectively to topics relevant to your business any time of the day or night.

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Workforce management software: Don’t underestimate its value

workforce management software; hr tech

Workforce management professionals face more responsibilities than ever before, and workforce management software can help them manage their many responsibilities.  

While workforce management used to be a more focused term — mostly encompassing payroll, timesheets and scheduling — now it encompasses a broader array of duties including recruiting, onboarding, training, technology and more. Some of these duties are owned by HR, while IT, finance or operations take care of others. Balancing this variety of duties is not simple. 

Also read: How technology fits into an HR manager’s job description

Between 2020 and 2025, the workforce management software market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.21 percent, according to India-based market research organization Mordor Intelligence. The report also found that the global workforce management software market was valued at $2.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach a value of $3.5 billion by 2025. 

Why use workforce management software?

Organizations are interested in using HR and workforce management software for multiple purposes, and many organizations plan to use certain types of software in their long-term plan, according to the 2019 “HR State of the Industry” report from the Human Capital Media Research and Advisory Group, the research arm of Workforce.com. While 37 percent of the organizations surveyed already use a management software system that addresses all core areas of talent management, 10 percent plan to purchase it in the next year and 8.4 percent plan to in the next three years. 

workforce management software; hr techThe same trend exists for organizations interested in software that specializes in one talent management category. According to the report, 46.4 percent of employers already used recruiting technology software, 9.2 percent planned to in the next year and 6.5 percent in the next three years. With scheduling/time and attendance software, 59.9 percent of respondents already used it, and 9.3 percent and 5.8 percent plan to in the next year and three years, respectively.

Among this huge workforce management software landscape, organizations may have challenges choosing a provider and managing the software. Vendors are releasing new versions of workforce management software every other day while similar companies are also emerging, noted MarketWatch. 

Also read: Workforce management takes time and effort

One important functionality of a workforce management software solution is the capability to create schedules based on varying rules and regulations. For example, numerous cities and states have passed legislation including laws guaranteeing workers the right to request scheduling accommodations and predictable scheduling laws. Meanwhile, an organization may have specific internal rules that apply to just one team of employees, or they may have global employees who don’t fall under American law. 

The benefits of workforce management software 

Workforce.com software, for example, addresses this by allowing users to input a rule or regulation and have it automatically added to the system. This isn’t the case with every time and attendance software, but capabilities like this allow workforce management professionals to create good schedules despite the many rules that impact how they can and can’t schedule employees.  

Also read: 3 steps to navigating effective wage and hour compliance

The benefits of workforce management software solutions are clear. They can save organizations time and automate complicated processes. Still, some organizations haven’t made the leap yet, citing reasons like lacking the time, budget or resources to choose products, assess vendors and deploy new applications.Experts advise companies in this predicament to start small with core software solutions that address payroll, time and attendance, paid time off and benefits. Delaying workforce management software investments will hinder a manager’s ability to automate the necessary tasks and focus on the parts of their job that can’t be automated.

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How technology fits into an HR manager’s job description

HR tech; hr manager; workforce management software

While human resources used to be a more functional role, over the years it has become more strategic, with more HR executives earning a seat at the table. On the front lines, HR managers also have an evolved job description, increasingly relying on technology to take over the automatable parts of their job so that they can focus on more human tasks.

Just as employees are expected to grow with the times and learn technology skills like data science and programming that make them more attractive to employers and relevant to the jobs of the future, HR managers must do the same. 

Technology is gaining a larger role in many traditional HR duties, from recruiting to scheduling to performance management. This has been happening for a while and means that HR managers must be prepared to learn new systems and skills related to the software an organization uses. Relying on current skills is not going to get an HR manager far. They must be willing to be flexible, show curiosity and learn new skills. 

Also read: HR 101 for new human resources managers

However, if an HR manager is tech-savvy enough to manage various HR technology systems, ultimately they will have more time to focus on the HR duties that require timeless skills like tact and empathy.

Programs enabled with artificial intelligence, for example, can help answer common employee and candidate questions, leaving HR professionals time to focus on other responsibilities rather than repeatedly answer the same common, basic questions. Chatbots can’t answer more complex questions, but they can alert a person to answer those queries.

HR tech; hr manager; workforce management software

In the recruiting context, technology can help HR managers quickly review resumes. This has both advantages and risks. On one hand, employers don’t spend as much time going over resumes. On the other hand, recruiting technology may make biased decisions if it has been programmed with biased training data. Still, with appropriate training data, this has potential to make the recruiting process better. 

Also read: How the talent acquisition game has changed in the past decade

And with scheduling, workforce management software can help HR managers create schedules, even considering compliance laws that make scheduling complicated. Different states and localities have varied regulations regarding paid time off, sick leave and overtime. But the appropriate software can take regulations into account as someone creates a schedule for its workforce. 

Meanwhile, some HR tasks should always retain the human touch. Managers should always terminate employees face to-face, avoiding doing so via text message, email or other forms of virtual communication. Managers also have key communications responsibilities — for those times as common as the annual open enrollment and as unique as a crisis or global pandemic. Being able to effectively, strategically and sympathetically communicate information is part of the HR job description that does not change with the advance of HR technology solutions.

Given these tech-enabled and human-centric HR tasks, when a company is looking for a new HR manager, employers should include certain responsibilities in their job description. Some of these skills are constant:

  • Consults legal counsel to ensure that policies comply with federal and state law.
  • Develops and maintains a human resources system that meets top management information needs.
  • Oversees the analysis, maintenance and communication of records required by law or local governing bodies, or other departments in the organization.
  • Advises management in appropriate resolution of employee relations issues.

Other responsibilities can likely be streamlined through technology:

  • Recruits, interviews, tests and selects employees to fill vacant positions.
  • Responds to inquiries regarding policies, procedures and programs.
  • Administers benefits programs such as life, health and dental insurance, pension plans, vacation, sick leave, leave of absence and employee assistance.
  • Prepares budget of human resources operations.
  • Responds to inquiries regarding policies, procedures, and programs.

Additionally, the rise of technology solutions adds extra responsibilities to that list, like understanding how to use several types of tech tools. These include:

  • Knowing how to use social media to post jobs, research candidates and communicate with employees.
  • Knowing how to use an applicant tracking system.
  • Using talent management software and learning management systems can help you streamline hiring, onboarding, training and retention processes.
  • Using time and attendance software to quickly and efficiently create compliant, fair schedules.

While HR practitioners are expected to do more than ever before, they have more technology and tools available to make their jobs more efficient in many ways. 

 

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You can still clock in: Technology offers ways to overcome COVID-19 disruption

workforce management, time and attendance, HR technology

time and attendance, HR technologyThe coronavirus outbreak has prompted enterprising businesses to use their existing workforce management technology in new ways.

The unprecedented impact on people’s daily work and personal habits has been the catalyst for the businesses we work with to find new functions for our technology.

Innovative organizations are using the platform to help communicate with their employees about safety measures, shift changes and team morale during this difficult time.

The following are issues that businesses should be prepared for over the coming days, weeks and months and how workforce management technology can assist.

Health and safety issues are top of mind. Employers can use workforce management software to enter and monitor safety processes such as their staff’s COVID-19 test results and to monitor the staff’s self-isolation dates so they know when it is safe to allow them to return to the workplace.

This is an innovative use of a function that was originally created to ensure workforce compliance with industry regulations, certifications and visa working restrictions.

Leave management is another important issue. As a large number of people are required to self-isolate, businesses will see a dramatic increase in requests for all types of leave. They will need systems in place to handle this influx of applications.

Workforce management technology allows for easier approval of shifts and timesheets, along with the power to add and edit staff leave and add manual allowances.

Shift equity is something many employers will want to focus on. A platform can be used to equitably share shifts among staff as a fairer alternative to dropping staff members off the schedule.

Facing unprecedented economic conditions, businesses will be keeping a close eye on profitability. Workforce.com has introduced a live wage tracker that allows employers to make early cost-saving decisions based on reduced demand.

Our live wage tracker provides an update on wage costs every 15 minutes. If this data is connected to point-of-sale technology, businesses can track exactly how they are performing throughout the day and use the data to make staffing decisions. Especially when government directives are being made frequently, it’s vital that businesses are able to make rapid cost-saving decisions based on demand.

Employees working from home can still clock in via Workforce.com’s remote clock in, which allows staff to clock in via their mobile devices, to clock in and out multiple times to account for the distractions of working from home, and to list their activities performed.

This pandemic will speed up the adoption of remote work technology and employers are on notice that the workplace may be permanently impacted.

Once the virus is contained and it is business as usual, employees may be asking, “Why do I have to come into the office every day, I’m just as efficient from home?”

Can your business keep up if people want to continue to work from home? Some businesses are using this time of reduced demand to ensure they have the right processes in place for a flexible workforce.

Maintaining team unity is more important than ever. A chat function is a good way to check in on staff morale, set up reminders about sanitizing frequently touched surfaces, and even report on interactions with potentially unwell customers so that good records are kept.

Employers also can easily communicate changes to the business by messaging individuals or entire teams, sharing key updates and important documents like training files, new health and safety policies, and opening hours.

Because chat messages are easy for all team members to see in the app, employers and managers can also use this platform for important things like saying happy birthday to a team member or reminding them to clock out if they’ve forgotten to do so.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced upon employers and employees a new way of operating, at the very least in the short term. But technology that already exists can help businesses keep on top of the new normal of managing a workforce.