6 Best Practices for a Successful HR Tech Implementation

Effective employee management was always one of the most critical ways of ensuring the success of one company, especially if the organization in question needs to work with limited assets and relies more heavily on its human resources.

As you can probably guess the strategies we used to meet these important goals have gone through tectonic changes as time and business trends went by. Now, that we have stepped in firmly into the digital age when companies delegate an increasing number of duties to AI, it is only logical that HR is following in the same footsteps.

But, robust tools rarely make a success if they are not implemented in a sensible and effective manner. Let us take a look then at a couple of practices that will help you leverage these current digital trends to refine your HR department.

Leverage hard metrics and analytic tools

Any HR professional needs to tackle numerous metrics that are used to put employees’ skills and work performance into a more tangible framework that can be used to engage in subsequent analytics draw out various conclusions and take necessary actions. Keeping that in mind, we would like to point out that the latest-gen HR tools are not only more capable of performing this type of analytics faster than human employees but also of getting more accurate and actionable results. All these perks should help you navigate through robust data with far less effort and make other HR tasks simpler as well.

Get your employees on board

Any kind of initiative is much easier to see through if all parties involved in the process are equally as engaged and capable of providing sensible contributions. This means that if you are going to start using some new, advanced HR tools or automate the HR process, your subordinates need to be aware of the changes, know what benefits they bring to the table and how can efficiently fit into this new workflow system. The best thing you can do in this regard is to make employees from all company instances a part of the decision-making process from the get-go. Starting some sort of committee should do the job.

Develop a dedicated APP or website

This simple move will provide you with numerous benefits. But, speaking in the simplest of terms, having a dedicated HR app or website streamlines the HR process, gives everyone a unified platform where they can perform their duties in a standardized and repeatable manner, and makes the review of complex data and analytics a matter of clicks. Of course, in order to be able to meet these expectations, the app needs to be created by professional web development services who not only have experience with building apps and websites but also know how to align these platforms with your business goals.

Outline clear goals and strategies

The change is good but it never should be a goal in itself. The same can be said, about introducing a greater level of digital technologies to your HR activities. Implementing these new initiatives just to keep up pace with the rest of the industries and without any clear goal in mind will inevitably produce compromised results and potentially damage the functional system you already have in place. That is why, before making any sort of long-term changes, you first need to examine what problems you want to sort out and use these end goals to reverse-engineer the specific methods you will use to get there.

Think about integration with other applications

The HR department makes an incredibly important facet of any company. But, the work put out in this sector is hardly isolated from other departments and is nowhere near self-sufficient. That is why you should try to think long-term and draw out the map for the digital transformation of the entire business and integration of all these distinct areas under one unified and fully automated workflow. But, in order for this to be possible all of your digital resources need to be designed with the prospect of the eventual future integration in mind – at least if you want to avoid expensive overhauls down the road.

Make transition evolution rather than revolution

Rolling out all initiatives and performing structural changes in one stroke will probably save you some time and probably even resources. But, at the same time, you would be forced to put your operations on hold until the works are over and you will have very little time to re-evaluate if the moves you are taking bearing desirable results. What you should do instead is to take things one step at a time and make sure new HR tools and methodologies are fully integrated and performing in an intended capacity before moving forward. These small changes are much easier to evaluate and, if necessary, roll back.

We hope these few examples gave you a general idea about the strategies you can use to get your HR department on the digital bandwagon and use all the perks of digital tech implementation. And rest assured, the entire business world is undergoing a thorough digital transformation with good reason – a department as critical as human resources can only benefit by joining this digital wave. But, in order to make your efforts fruitful, you need to have a clear goal in mind. The practices above should definitely put you in the right direction.

How HR Teams Can Improve Workplace Safety to Increase Employee Satisfaction

At the core of every good company are the workers which push the progress of your business forward. As an HR team member, it is vitally important to attract new workers to a workplace that is going to ensure their maximum safety as they try to do their best work. Maximizing their safety is essential because this allows for a way more efficient and worry-free work environment and in turn, it drives employee satisfaction and retention. Not only will your workers be more satisfied but you won’t have to constantly worry about nagging workplace safety regulations. Developed countries such as Australia are actively enforcing this on many worksites with comprehensive workplace health and safety (WHS) laws. This is why it is important to respect these laws in order to prevent any possible penalties which not only create a bad image for your investors and employees but also set you back financially which can significantly disrupt your cash flow. Workplace safety has a myriad of great benefits for you and your company’s employees. Here is how you can contribute to workplace safety as an HR member to help increase employee satisfaction. 

Use good equipment

The best solution to any problem is its prevention. Most of the time, work-related injuries and even fatal cases happen because improper equipment was used, or even worse, there was no protective equipment at all. Personal protective equipment (P.P.E) is by far the best way to prevent the most common types of workplace hazards and protect hardworking employees. For instance, professional men’s workwear in Australia is becoming an industry-standard in many different business domains, because truly successful companies understand the value of providing high-quality protective equipment for their employees. That is why more and more companies in this country are supplying their staff with some of the latest P.P.E. An HR can help develop a better understanding of what kind of equipment the staff needs by developing good and open communication with them. This will provide your workers with a positive sense of belonging in a company and will make them feel like their work is even more appreciated and respected. In the long run, this can only increase employee satisfaction and retention. 

Encourage communication
One of the first things to consider when trying to create safer working conditions for your employees is the identification of potential risk factors and hazards. Workplace hazards can stem from various types of sources; mechanical failure, chemical poisoning, unexpected fires and other extremely dangerous elements. This is because most businesses operate using heavy machinery which is extremely dangerous and comes with many risks on its own, let alone in situations where the machine operators are already fatigued. This is where most mechanical issues stem from, to make the matters worse these issues are more likely to happen when the machinery is old and not carefully maintained. On the other hand, chemical hazards are less subtle but equally dangerous, this is because they can come in a multitude of forms. Everything from poisoning and flammable fluids to extremely dangerous gas leakages and highly corrosive fluids is a major risk factor that many employees have to face on a frequent basis. In addition, a potential injury could happen because of faulty electronic equipment. Identifying and understanding the different types of risk factors is the first step toward making a safer workplace.  

Good reputation for everyone

A reputable company is one that is able to provide the safest possible working conditions for its employees. This is because it takes a long time to build a great reputation in the industry and just a second to completely ruin it.  This means that only one workplace accident can cost you and your employees a lot. Bad word travels quickly and if you want to make sure that your employees are well respected in the industry it is crucial to encourage teams to talk about potential issues, whether they are physical or even psychological because they can all contribute to a potential workplace hazard. 

Better finances

One of the easiest ways to lose money as a company is to go through a tedious legal process in case you get sued by your employees. If a member of your company gets hurt, they can legally claim compensation for such an accident. Not only does this immediately hurt your finances and hinder your reputation, but it also makes your company subject to safety inspection which can cause additional problems. That is why, preventing such accidents in the first place is essential. Research has shown, that for every 1$ invested into workplace safety there is a return of 4$. 

Provide proper training

Once you have provided your staff with adequate support in terms of both good HR management practices, good communication and high-quality safety equipment. It is time to enable your workers to become fully self-reliant and more cautious workers by providing proper training for them. 

Improving workplace safety is a serious thing to consider if you want to improve your employee satisfaction. There are a couple of things to consider here; use good equipment, identify potential issues, maintain a good reputation, get a good return on investment from funding safety equipment, and provide proper training for your employees so that they can respond better in case of emergency. 

How Can HR Managers Benefit From Using Data Archiving?

HR managers deal with a lot of confidential and sensitive information. Maintaining the confidentiality of employee data is crucial. Any breach of confidentiality of employee data can result in monetary and lawsuits. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the confidentiality of employee data.

Data archiving is an effective method to maintain the confidentiality of employee data. It not only safeguards confidential employee data but also enhances the efficiency of HR managers. However, most HR managers are not aware of the benefits of using data archiving.

It is a misconception that data archiving will cost a lot of money. However, in reality, it is a very cost-effective method to maintain the confidentiality of employee data. Moreover, it also helps in increasing the efficiency of HR managers.

Here are 6 benefits of data archiving for HR managers.

1. Data archiving can prevent the loss of confidential employee data

Losing confidential employee data can prove very costly for HR managers in several ways. It can result in costly lawsuits. Moreover, it can also result in the loss of the reputation and goodwill of the organization.

Data loss can occur due to natural disasters or system failures. It can also be a result of human errors such as the accidental deletion of files.

Data archiving can prevent the loss of confidential employee data by preventing any corruption or accidental deletion of confidential data. It prevents the loss of confidential employee data by ensuring its regular backup. Moreover, it also shields confidential employee data from unauthorized users.

2. Data archiving can help HR managers in complying with regulations and compliance standards

HR managers need to comply with many laws and regulations. These include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Family, and Medical Leave Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, etc.

Failure to comply with these laws can cost the company a lot of money. Therefore, it is important that HR managers comply with these laws and regulations.

Data archiving helps HR managers in complying with regulations and compliance standards. This is because data archiving helps HR managers in tracking, auditing, and protecting employee data.

3. Data archiving can help HR managers in tracking employee data

HR managers need to maintain all employee records. These records include correspondence, employee files, employee documents, etc. Maintaining such records manually is quite difficult and can result in the loss of employee data.

Data archiving can help HR managers in tracking employee data. It can help in organizing the records of each employee. Moreover, these records are organized in a systematic manner. Implementing cloud archiving software can help HR managers in tracking employee data in an effective manner.

4. Data archiving can safeguard employee data

Maintaining the confidentiality of employee data is very important. If the confidentiality of employee data is lost, it may lead to the misuse of personal information.

This can prove very costly for both the employee and the organization. . Furthermore, it can also affect the reputation of the company and may even result in lawsuits. 

Data archiving can help HR managers in safeguarding confidential employee data. It can help in restricting access to confidential employee data to authorized users. Moreover, data archiving also helps in tracking the source of any unauthorized access.

5. Data archiving can help HR managers in retrieving employee data quickly

If an employee faces a workplace issue, the concerned HR manager needs to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Therefore, it is important for HR managers to respond quickly to employee issues.

Data archiving can help HR managers in retrieving employee data quickly. Archiving solutions index all the data stored in the database, which makes it easy to retrieve all the data. They also allow advanced search options, which make it easy to search for specific employee data.

6. Data archiving can help HR managers in reducing litigation risks

Lawsuits are very expensive. Therefore, it is important that HR managers reduce litigation risks.

Data archiving helps in the preservation of crucial evidence. This can help in resolving legal issues such as sexual harassment, racial discrimination, etc. Data archiving allows HR managers to keep a record of all employee data, which is required for resolving legal issues.

Moreover, data archiving also helps in resolving compliance issues. It can help in resolving compliance issues by providing reports, audit trails, etc. HR professionals can use this data to eliminate any compliance issues and ensure complete compliance.

Over to you

The benefits of data archiving are tremendous. However, most HR managers are not aware of the benefits of using data archiving.

It can help HR managers in increasing the efficiency of their department. It can also protect confidential employee data. Moreover, it also ensures compliance with privacy laws and regulations. Hence, there is no doubt that HR managers should seriously consider data archiving.

9 Benefits of Using Video for Training and Onboarding

When you think of training and onboarding, what comes to mind? Probably a room full of people sitting at desks or tables. You’re probably right—that’s where most training happens. But with video, you can put the power of learning in the hands of your employees by bringing it to them whenever and wherever they need it. And while traditional training may be effective sometimes, there are plenty of benefits to using video training:

Improved training efficiency

Video is a great way to communicate information because it is more engaging than text. It is also more efficient since the information can be simultaneously delivered to a larger audience. Most especially if you add music to your video, it will be more entertaining and people are likelier to watch it until the end.

Better retention of information

Video is a more engaging way to learn.

Video, when used properly, can be a powerful tool for learning. People are more likely to retain information when they can see it as opposed to just reading it. This is because the brain processes visual and auditory stimuli differently than textual information; in fact, people learn better when they see both images and hear sounds together! Using video in your training program or onboarding process is an effective way to convey complex concepts that might otherwise be difficult for employees on the job. For example: if you’re helping new hires understand how a particular tool works (e.g., time sheets), you can record yourself using that tool so that employees are able to see what steps need to be taken rather than simply reading about them in an email or manual document somewhere on your website/ intranet page(s). 

It’s important to keep in mind that when you’re recording a training video, you should be sure to use clear and concise language so that your employees are able to understand everything that you’re saying. You may also want to consider adding subtitles to your videos so that employees can follow along even if they’re not able to listen to the audio. 

Improved understanding of complex concepts

In this section, we’ll talk about the benefits of using video for training and onboarding.

Video is a better learning tool than text. As a visual medium, video offers learners more information in less time than text alone can deliver. In fact, research shows that people retain 90% of what they see as opposed to 10% of what they read!

Because we’re demanding more from our learners today – requiring them to learn complex concepts and procedures faster than ever before – video offers unique advantages over other types of media such as e-learning or online articles:

• It’s easier to retain information that’s conveyed visually (i.e., via graphics) than it is when presented in words alone
• Visual information engages your audience more deeply and keeps them interested throughout the duration of a session or lesson

Engaged employees are more productive

You know what’s better than an employee who is doing their job? An employee who is also engaged in the company, its goals and its culture.

A recent study by CEB found that employees who are highly engaged are 57% more likely to stay with a company for at least four years. In fact, 71% of managers said they would not have hired someone if they had known that person was disengaged.

Engaged employees are more productive because they feel like their work has meaning and purpose—and it makes them want to do better work! They also recommend their company to others (78% vs. 35%) because they know how great it is to work there—they want others to enjoy working there too!

Increased employee confidence

When an employee has a question, they can see how to do it themselves by replaying the video. This way, they don’t have to sit around and wait for someone else to help them or answer their questions. They’ll be able to see for themselves how something is done, and this gives them more confidence in their own abilities. If you’re working with a large team of people on different tasks, having them all watch a training video together can also be helpful because it creates an environment where everyone is learning from each other at the same time.

The videos are also great for showing new employees what types of tasks need doing on a daily basis so that they feel confident in performing those duties without needing much guidance from others first (and possibly making mistakes). When your company has multiple departments where different workers will interact with each other often throughout their day but aren’t necessarily part of one big group like HR or sales teams would be – having these videos available makes it much easier for managers like myself who spend most days behind my computer screen rather than out meeting face-to-face with coworkers!

A positive employee onboarding experience boosts morale and productivity.

When you have a clear and engaging onboarding video, your new hires will be more motivated to learn about their role at the company, less likely to feel confused or overwhelmed by all the information they’re being given, and much more likely to feel like an essential part of the team. This is all good news for your bottom line! A study by Wrike found that companies who invest in effective employee training see a 20% increase in productivity among new hires during their first 90 days on the job. In addition, they also found that 51% of employees who were trained in their roles said they would stay at their jobs longer than expected—and 48% said it made them happier at work.

Consistent training and messaging for all employees

Video is an excellent way to keep your company’s training clear and consistent. All new employees will receive the exact same information, which helps them understand what they need to do, why they need to do it, and how they should feel about those tasks. This means that your employees will likely fully comprehend the expectations of their position.

Video provides a physical element that other types of training just can’t match. After you watch a video with your supervisor or manager present on how to complete certain tasks at work, it is much easier to imagine yourself completing these tasks than if you were simply reading instructions on paper or viewing them online. In addition, because video gives people more time than text-based methods do which simply click “next slide” or read through one sentence at a time without stopping often enough between slides/sentences – video allows viewers more opportunity for repetition when attempting something new; which helps them remember what they have learned in greater detail later down the line!

Fast, affordable updates to training videos mean you stay compliant with less effort.

Training videos are an effective way to keep training up to date. Video uses motion, sound, and visual storytelling to communicate a lot more information than text-based documents or live training. Because of this, video is much more engaging for learners than reading manuals or attending classes can be. This makes it easier for employees to learn what they need in order for them to perform their jobs well—which means that companies save money by not having to pay someone else (like you) just so they can deliver their message effectively.

Additionally, training videos can be updated without too much effort; they don’t require the time and money needed for live sessions with your employee base. In fact, if an update only requires small changes here or there then video is often faster and less costly than sending everyone into an office full of people who might have conflicting schedules or other commitments that make getting everyone together difficult at best—or impossible at worst!

Employees are empowered to help themselves with on-demand access to popular resources.

When you use video for onboarding, your employees can access the training resources they need in the moment. This means that instead of waiting for a scheduled training class to begin or being told what resources are available, your new employee can simply ask for help or seek out information on their own. They’re empowered to get the answers they need without being held back by time schedules or office location.

Here’s why you should be using video for training and onboarding.

• Video is more memorable than text: People remember 94% of what they see, compared to only 10% of what they hear.
• Video is more engaging than text: Videos are like a window into a person’s life and can be very engaging—if you’re able to create engaging videos.
• Video is more effective than text: 90% of people say that video helped them learn something new in just one minute or less!
• Video is more efficient than text: The average reader needs 25 words per second in order for them to understand the main points being communicated; whereas the average viewer needs 16 words per second! This means that your message will be delivered faster and easier with video content compared to written content such as emails or articles on websites.
• Accessibility on any device — anywhere at any time — has made it easier for us all especially those who may have difficulty reading large amounts of information on a computer screen (elderly).

Conclusion

As we’ve seen, video can help employees learn and retain information more effectively. It also improves their understanding of complex concepts and makes them feel more confident in their work. Video training is more engaging than other kinds of training, so it keeps employees engaged and interested in what they’re learning—which means they won’t tune out or get lost! This will help boost morale and productivity for everyone involved from top to bottom.

Five HR Digital Trends That Are Urging The Evolution Of The Hiring Process

Modern globalization trends, mobility, business going online, high competition, and high speed in the industry require companies to transition to a new networked digital economy. The impending digital revolution certainly requires a revision of the rules of doing business, new management models that provide productivity, innovation, flexibility, and adaptability come into competition. And the foundation for this transition is the transformation of human resources.

Planning a personal career path

In managers, employees of “creative” professions, and all those areas where there is a high share of personal responsibility for decisions, where there is a lot of communication with people, typical career ladders are not enough. HR directors, company leaders, department heads take into account the personal ambitions of employees, their predisposition to certain types of activities, their strengths and weaknesses, and personal goals for the coming years. Based on this, the employee’s career path is built, personal goals are set.

Help-management

The prescriptive setting of goals and requirements is being replaced by facilitation, participation, and assistance. With regard to complex tasks requiring complex knowledge, responsible decisions, coordination of significant resources, help-management is exactly what is needed. The employee is offered assistance to complete the task on time and in the required quality from management and HR. This can be helpful with various resources, training, information, involvement of other team members, etc. So the company simultaneously makes it clear that it shares responsibility for the task with the employee instead of escalating the situation.

Systematic work on the brand of the employer company

Companies invest in their employer brand to retain existing employees and attract new talent with the desired professional experience, values, and personal qualities. In the past, especially for small and medium-sized companies, these efforts were often chaotic, multidirectional. Now we can note a serious shift towards consistency of actions, improving the company’s quality and usefulness about the company, more interactivity is involved.

This aspect is crucial for hiring – young companies whose branding has not yet been formed often experience difficulties finding new employees since there is no information about how the team lives. This is why such companies can partner with an employer of record that will do the hiring for them. 

Increasing the diversity and quality of employee training

Training becomes more targeted: for the development of specific competencies of employees, helping to solve specific commercial tasks of the company. Accordingly, narrower topics are selected, programs with the promise of a specific result. HR directors and HR specialists set more stringent criteria for the selection of agencies, trainers, and consultants. At the same time, they also set the requirements within the company for how employees report on the results of training, and how they apply the acquired skills.

Increased flexibility in organizing personnel management and significant revision of personnel standards

Looking at the same training, more varied formats are used. For example, they combine live activities, online courses, participation in a master group, and solving personal tasks. Flexibility also applies to the definition of working hours and the use of various forms of employment. Outsourcing of directions is still in demand, and freelancers are more actively involved. If this does not harm the business processes of the company, then employees, if desired, are provided with a mobile workplace, the schedule is adjusted.

Companies are changing personnel policies because the previous ones have lost their relevance. The updated policies pay more attention to the translation of the company’s values, a flexible approach to employees, and employee participation in the comprehensive development of the company’s activities. Several requirements, for example, measurable actions and results, are described more specifically, just in the language of numbers.

Stimulating creativity on the part of employees

Typical business models and products are copied very quickly, and it is increasingly difficult to surprise customers. Companies understand the importance of using employees’ potential to generate new ideas for optimizing current activities, for new products, services, etc. HR and directors are becoming more empathetic and attentive to employees, their life and comfort. Comfortable lounge areas are being organized, employees are provided with sports corners, and corporate libraries are being expanded. Companies pay more attention to equipping meeting rooms. By the way, there are more meeting rooms themselves. Some more companies create “zones of silence” – as an option, small offices, where you can work on a task under conditions of excellent sound insulation.

Conclusion

The result is a humane, positive picture. The global, long-term trend of modern HR management is engagement, feedback, understanding, participation, and personalization. Due to these areas, it turns out to form and support a dynamic, developing, and honest team that works for the result.

How Automaton Has Impacted Employment

While new technologies have slowly been adopted and implemented across industries for decades, recent global events have pushed many businesses over the technological tipping point. This has changed the world of business forever, and most believe it is a welcome and positive change.

Remote working is easier than ever, digital data interactions with customers are an everyday occurrence, and the work is now organized, divided, and conducted between humans and machines across most sectors. One thing is not quite clear yet, however, and that is exactly how automation impacts employment. What happens when we include automation into human resources and is it truly possible to fully digitize human interactions in the workplace?

Automation and employees

There’s no denying we live in a world of rapid technological advancements and accelerated social change. And while these aspects might have negative effects on employees if changes are announced and mandated in a short period of time, using proper management practises before and during change implementation can actually be quite beneficial for everyone in the workplace.

It all starts with good communication. By being open and honest ahead of time, as well as using consistent messaging, confusion can be avoided and enthusiasm encouraged for technological change. Similarly, offering necessary tools and equipment, investing in education, offering support to employees, staying positive but being realistic, and leading by example can all reduce the common fears and stresses associated with the implementation of new technologies, and improve the employee experience during this rapid change.

Enhancing the employee experience

Of course, automation has evident benefits, including a reduction in manual or tedious work and increased efficiency. That generally means spending less time focusing on repetitive, often time-consuming tasks, and more free time for employees to hold insightful conversations and make meaningful connections with one another.

In a similar manner, new technologies can allow businesses to streamline their processes and foster a better company culture as well. For example, tools that create surveys can allow managers to check up on employees, set new priorities, as well as offer and receive continuous feedback, thus enabling them to make more efficient adjustments in real time. Software used for giving out badges and awards, or even recording milestones, can also be brilliant for motivation, increased productivity and satisfaction, along with possibly fostering good relationships among employees.

Streamlining industries and sectors

Apart from employees themselves, automation has had a major impact on many industries as a whole as well. For instance, innovative solutions such as construction equipment maintenance software benefits the construction sector greatly. Thanks to seamless IoT integration, construction companies are now able to analyze their workflows in detail, utilize data to identify any issues or potential maintenance work than needs to be performed, and find effective solutions that suit their unique needs the most, thus effortlessly automating an industry that was long known for being far behind technological advancements.

But even the more tech-savvy sectors have been improved due to automation. From refined production and packaging processes in the food industry to the significant medical advancements in healthcare, including even increased safety and security in law enforcement, industries across the board are able to enjoy quicker, simpler, and more streamlined processes thanks to automation.

Simplifying the process of recruitment

Robotic process automation (RPA) is among the most prevalent types of automation in the modern workplace, being used in onboarding, recruitment, learning and development, as well as everyday interactions with HR in the average life of an employee. When it comes to recruitment, AI and RPA can significantly enhance the candidate experience simply by using an automated collection of standard criteria to screen applicants.

Rather than facing discrimination based on race and ethnicity, these processes help to eliminate any bias during recruitment, and make potential candidates feel much more valued for their special achievements and brilliant qualifications. It’s even thought that certain applicants who become employees might turn into the most loyal ambassadors of a company’s brand, solely due to the fair and pleasant recruitment experience they had.

Boosting the HR experience overall

As already mentioned, onboarding is another aspect where innovative technologies could enhance the employee experience. While most new employees were forced to push paperwork from HR in the past, RPA has now made it possible to automatically complete employee forms using the initially provided data. As a result, this frees up new team members to meet their colleagues, learn the requirements of the job, and interact directly with HR in the early days at the company.

Automation could also facilitate more personalized learning and development processes. As each individual learns using a unique style and at a different pace, as well as having varying career goals, providing individualized learning opportunities is truly essential. RPA could help to enhance self-paced learning, monitor progress, and even recommend the best learning paths based on individual goals and performance, thus improving the entire HR experience for new employees.

Automation is a brilliant technological advancement, and it’s clearly here to stay. However, these tools still have to be used in a more thoughtful and meaningful way in an effort to increase convenience, boost user experience, and encourage positive interactions in the workplace.

Future of HR: Tools That Are Making Workplaces More Pleasant

HR (Human Resources) is a vital department in companies and organizations responsible for managing the employees, starting from recruiting, then hiring, onboarding and training, and in the end, firing.

While the HR office manages functions like recruiting and payroll, it is also responsible for creating a positive and pleasant work environment.

Before the pandemic of 2020, people had discussions around questions like:

· Is sitting in the office essential to work better?

· Would it be better if employees worked remotely?

The lockdowns worldwide during pandemics put an end to such questions. It proved companies can survive and thrive by working from home.

HR role has changed

Almost 50% of HR professionals think their role has changed because of the pandemic. The majority of those say their job has become much more challenging. 

HR is now playing a strategic role in dealing with sustainability concerns, and the capital challenges pandemic caused.

Reports claim that 70% of people rank work social relationships as valuable as getting their work done. Working from home minimizes social interactions.

All this leads to problems when sharing information. This is especially hard for the newbies because even the simple question becomes turmoil and creates difficult situations. 

Daily tasks performed by HRs have gone through severe changes. 

HR professionals had to guide their employees through the transition to a digital work environment and to deal with remote teams productivity. To work with remote development teams isn’t just a trend or the ‘future of work.’ It is the present and persistent reality.

HR professionals had to learn new skills and complete tasks they were not prepared to confront. Still, they had to learn how to be more productive and successful while working from home.

Virtual Recruiting

Many companies have already moved to virtual recruiting, but the pandemic forced all the other organizations to make this transition as fast as they could. 

HR teams now manage the whole recruitment process from planning to selecting and hiring in a virtual environment.

Candidate experience has a significant influence on satisfaction and employer branding. Candidates who had a pleasant experience with a particular organization accept a job offer and refer others to your company.

Managing Remote Teams

Managing remote teams is a task many HR teams weren’t prepared for at the beginning of the pandemic, but that is exactly what happened to most of them. They had to learn how to manage remote teams when the support systems and the infrastructure weren’t there to support a smooth transition. 

So to manage remote teams effectively, HR needs to:

· Put employee well-being in the first place.

· Reward people from the team.

· Balance visibility and flexibility.

· Stay connected.

· Create a happier workplace.

The happier employee is a better employee

Numerous research studies made the connection between employee happiness, engagement, and performance. How HR teams can make the best of the worst times is the right question.  

The happier employee is more engaged. An engaged employee shows increased productivity and a lower rate of absenteeism from work.

A healthy work environment is what matters. A positive work culture improves personal well-being, encourages employee friendships. It also expands employee skills and resources through enhanced relationships with coworkers, increasing worker problem-solving abilities and creativity.

A sense of community at work is one of the most important things. Feeling that their fellow managers care about them helps employees be more resilient when facing challenges and stressful situations —both in their personal lives and at work.

A happy employee is less stressed. High stress leads to physiological and emotional problems that will probably result in higher employee absenteeism. 

L&D leads to better employee engagement

If an employee has a sense of purpose at the job, he may experience a positive presence in the workplace every day.

The responsibility of HR is to create compelling role descriptions, which tell the employee what and why they are doing and how these roles fit into the organization’s overall plan. L&D also leads to better employee engagement.

What is L&D?

Have you heard of L&D before? L&D means learning and development and is a work process that develops employees’ skills to benefit both the company they work for and the individual.

The benefits of L&D are talent retention and attraction, improved employee performance, and higher employee engagement.

Upskilling your employees to meet your business’s demands and fill skills gaps can have an impact in other ways. Learning and development also position people to find out the latest in their fields, what’s trending, and how they can level up in their role to help move the business forward.

Organizations that focus on L&D can make an essential step in supporting company growth and higher employee engagement at the same time. According to a study, 80 percent of employees said that learning and development opportunities helped them feel more engaged at the workplace.

Video calling apps for more accessible communication

If you have a team you work with, you’ll probably need a video calling app, the one that will connect you all.

We have all heard of Zoom. Although it was launched in 2013, it has reached its peak during the pandemic, with around 300 million daily users. 

Zoom is easy to use – all you need to do is download the Zoom installer and start the app. Anyone can join in the call with a single link, and you don’t have to create an account. As a platform, Zoom is supporting up to 1000 participants. 

Google Hangouts is a communication app that allows you to start free video calls, send messages and join a conversation with a person or a group.

Google Hangouts requires a Google email address and a smart device to be used.

Google hangouts can include all your contacts with group chats – up to 150 people. It can also turn any group conversation into a video call – up to 10 people.

Chanty – its free version lets you have 1-on-1 audio calls, and group audio and video calls are also available in the business plan. 

Chanty is supporting up to 30 participants on the group video call. It is also possible to do screen sharing while presenting. In addition, all files and messages are saved in the chat, and you can always come back to them.

Chanty is a powerful alternative to Slack and other collaboration platforms. 

A platform for better managing mentorship programs

Have you already heard of Together Platform? It is a tool for enterprises to manage employee mentoring programs. With Together platform, you will be able to: 

• Make the program your own.
• Customize skills and goals relevant to your program. 
• White-label & brand your program.
• Write your content, or rewrite it from scratch.
• Watch your registrations roll in.
• Analyze your registration process.
• Send emails with the invitations tool.
• Set a deadline.

Explain complicated topics in seconds

Instead of spending too much time on chat and email, try to send instant screenshots and video messages with ScreenRec. You will save precious hours and get your point across faster.

ScreenRec is an excellent solution for developers, sales, designers, customer support, onboarding, business communication.

This is a fantastic way to explain complicated topics in seconds instead of losing hours. All you have to do is to capture your desktop and send the shareable link. Visuals are making messages more clear, and people better follow visual instructions to plain text.

By avoiding interruptions, team members can review messages you sent in their own time.

All-In-One tool for HR

Document management, employee onboarding, performance tracking, and more are all within ClickUp. This is an all-in-one tool for HR. You can build templates with employee requirements and individualized tasks to streamline training.

Using ClickUp, HR can create a centralized collection of company documents from handbooks to new remote working policies.

HR documentation software

The best way to transform HR teams to manage crucial documents is by using HR documentation software. With ProProfs, HR can search for information right away and track employees’ data from their day of joining. HR operations will become more simple when keeping documents well-organized, sorting and reviewing data. 

This is a great tool for HR to provide instant access to information and improve their productivity.

Future of HR

HR will have to find ways to support their business leaders in restructuring during and after the pandemic.

HR will use artificial intelligence to recruit employees. Recruiters will implement AI to examine the voice and facial expressions of the applicant in more than a hundred different parameters. Businesses are looking to adopt flexible working arrangements, so re-establishing organizational culture is becoming a top priority for HR teams.HR will have to evolve across each element of the HR lifecycle to meet a new set of company’s and employee’s needs.

Benefits of Using Videos for Training and Onboarding

Today’s hiring climate is more than competitive, so creating an attractive training and development program in your company can set you apart from the competition. Training and development are crucial for hiring, but that’s not all—they are great for retention and improvement of your profit. Developing employees is one of the executive team’s top priorities, yet learning and development professionals are constantly facing budget issues and the lack of staff. So for the L&D professionals and HR experts to demonstrate business impact, train employees and welcome them to the company successfully, they are using videos. 

Training videos are a great way to develop any team, and here are just some of the reasons you need to use them to train and onboard your employees. 

They provide flexibility

It’s easy to customize your training video so it fits your company culture and training program. It’s flexible when it comes to concepts it can present, so no matter if you’re teaching the basics of using a program or welcoming your latest employees, a training video can help. 

Video is a medium that can also accommodate various types of learners—some people are readers, some listeners and some visual learners. The video blends all of these learning styles and provides a smooth learning experience for every employee. 

They can be interactive

Interactive videos are really popular today, with the number of marketers and instructors using them rising every day. The interactive option is perfect for training and onboarding because it can be tailored to the individual watcher. For instance, senior managers don’t have to watch the same training as interns. 

They boost retention

Since you already have to invest money and time into training and onboarding, you want your team to actually learn something from the material you provide. Unfortunately, according to research, most employees forget over 60% of the training material after just a week. However, when we’re talking about video training, retention increases. Video is proven to be easier to retain than any other material. People tend to remember 20% of reading materials and almost 80% of visual material, so the difference is significant. 

It’s more engaging

Once upon a time, the video was used primarily as an entertainment tool, and was soon accused of killing radio and newspaper. Many people don’t understand why would anyone read a book when they can watch a movie. For average people, videos are more engaging, and according to research by Forrester, employees feel better after watching a video than reading articles and emails. So, simply put, if you want to have teams that enjoy their training, you must make sure it’s engaging like videos. Besides providing better retention, videos are more attractive and fun. 

They are cost and time effective

Money and time are two of the most important factors for most companies, and training videos can save both. Instructor-based training takes time, money and resource, most of which are spent on travel instead of training. On the other hand, video training doesn’t require extra costs of instructors, only a venue where the employees can watch and listen to the footage. Video training only requires a one-time expense required to create your video and you can use it for many years. In some cases, you don’t even require this initial expense thanks to easy access to the online video editor for free that allows you to create HD videos free of charge. They also provide users with filters, tools, effects, templates and stickers for the ultimate experience. 

It’s easy to measure

With written training and onboarding materials, there’s no way to be sure that your staff read them or studied them carefully. On the other hand, video is easy to track and measure because through your video hosting provider, you can access various metrics like the number of views, addresses and whether or not a particular user watched the video from start to finish. 

It does not discriminate

If you decide to hold classroom training, no two groups will have the same experience. The team having their training on Monday might be too sleepy to focus, the Tuesday team might include the office clown who distracts everyone, Wednesday might have a different coach, and Friday might be too occupied by the thoughts of the weekend—the list of different circumstances is practically endless. If you want to ensure everyone gets the same training (or as close as possible to that), video training will come to your rescue. It will cover all training points, development topics and onboarding practices, in the same way, every time. 

They are always available

Training videos can be accessed by your employees anytime and anywhere, it just depends on the content, your storage abilities and distribution strategy. When your staff can’t rely on help from colleagues and managers, they can return to their training video and solve the issue. And many times, people feel more comfortable consulting a video than ask someone else for help, so this might minimize mistakes and idle time in employees. 

They are easy to share

Videos are both easy to deliver and share. In case that the video is engaging, fun and full of useful information, employees will gladly share them with colleagues and friends, and your videos might reach people outside of your company. So they will not only help your employees, but also other people, and provide you with free marketing. 

These are just some of the reasons why you might consider creating training and onboarding videos for your company. If better retention and job satisfaction don’t spark your interest, money and time savings will—the benefits are countless.

How to Optimize Your Website for a Better Candidate Experience

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On one hand, it makes perfect sense that brands are doing everything they can to target customers and attract buyers with their digital outlets.

As a business, you need to make the most of your website when it comes to customer acquisition and retention, so you naturally post customer-focused content, reviews, and create pages that appeal to your target audience.

What about the potential employees? Where can they find useful information about a potential position with your business? 

A Careers page shouldn’t be the one and only candidate-centric page on your entire website. You need to optimize your site in such a way that it serves a double purpose: attracting customers, but also appealing to potential employees. To do that, you should focus on improving the overall candidate experience linked to your website! 

As much as you invest in creating dedicated social media pages for your potential employees and posting on recruiting sites to push your brand’s job ads to the forefront, your site should be employee-centric, too. Here are a few candidate experience ideas you can introduce into your strategy to make every step of the candidate journey, from a job through to an offer letter, easier for you and the applicants from day one! 

Live chat support for applicants

Your site likely offers chat support for customers and users, right? Whether you have chatbots or actual people handling these conversations, more often than not, such interactions will determine whether or not a person will buy from you. 

The same applies to your potential employees. Chatbots can enhance the candidate experience immensely because they’ll feel much more comfortable knowing they can turn to chat for help if they come across an issue during the application process. This is also another opportunity for your business to collect invaluable data from employees and to make smarter recruiting decisions in the future. 

A personalized website 

Whether you work as a recruiter or you’re an entrepreneur building a personal brand and in need of employees – personalization can truly save the day. Your website doesn’t have to be yet another generic .com domain that will hardly inspire action or tell a story about your business. For people who have a personal brand and depend on it to attract valid customers, you can do the same to attract valid employees.

For starters, you can choose a personal domain name that pairs with a .me extension for added value and relevance for your potential employees. You can pair a keyword from your expertise with your own first/last name or nickname to immediately show what your business is about. As soon as a potential candidate spots your domain name, they’ll know what your brand has to offer.

Personalization helps build trust as well as brand recognition, which in turn helps you with the entire recruiting process. Make sure your website is technically sound, loads quickly, and offers a great user experience as well as having an attractive design.

Employee-generated content

Every single business in existence uses customer or user-generated content as well as influencer marketing to make an impactful statement about the business itself. Have you been doing the same for your applicants and wannabe-candidates? Future employees want to see what it’s like to work with your organization. Your own job ads won’t suffice. 

• Encourage employees to write blogs for your website and promote that content on social media, too. 
• Entice employees to write their own reviews and experiences on your website. 
• Publish “behind the scenes” videos at the office to show your candidate pool what it means to work with your brand. 

When your candidates get to see your employees’ perspectives and experiences, they’ll be much more likely to apply, evaluate if you’re a good match, and reach out if they have any questions. Not to mention the SEO value of such content for your website when someone is searching for the specific position that you’re offering!

Integrate social media with your site

Be where your candidates are. Just like your customers, your future employees are spending time on Facebook and Instagram. As much as you’d like to limit yourself to LinkedIn, you should understand that many successful and in-demand workers don’t really spend that much time on this professional network. 

They prefer the casual and relaxed environment on Facebook, so that’s where you need to be, too. In fact, this is one of the best recruitment tactics modern businesses should use, but that doesn’t mean that it exists separately from the rest of your recruiting methods, like your site.

• Add clickable buttons to take your website visitors to your social media pages that are employee-focused. 
• Make sure that you share blogs, articles, employer branding videos, and other content on social media that is relevant for your candidates, not just customers. 
• Show screenshots of your finest social media moments (employee-centric ones) on your website, too. 
• Add original hashtags that will be part of your recruiting campaigns, and link them throughout your website back to your social media pages.
• Invest in Social Media Advertising on Instagram and Facebook.

Just like you actively try to simplify your customers’ lives and minimize their efforts, you should strive to do the same for potential employees. If they have managed to come across your website, it’s up to you to improve the site in its entirety to match their needs, exceed their expectations, and deliver the right content that matches their purpose. 

Wrapping up

It takes time to refine your website, and you’ll always need to revisit your content, add more relevant information, and get creative, but you already do the same for customers. Continuous growth is what your website should be all about.

Make sure that your site reflects your candidate’s values and that you can use your site to portray your brand in the best possible light whenever you’re about to search for that ideal person to join your team!

5 Ways Blockchain Technology Can Revolutionize HR Management

Blockchain technology has transformed many industries and processes, and it’s about to impact human resources management in the nearest future too! It has the power to alter the way HR experts approach their everyday tasks.

Demand for this innovative technology in HR departments is on the rise as its capabilities can be extended to various sectors to simplify and improve its operations.

Read on to learn more about five ways blockchain technology can revolutionize human resources management!

1. Enhanced data security and protection from cybercriminals

HR departments typically handle vast amounts of sensitive information like personal and financial data on employees. Information relating to pay, health insurance, finance and banking, and performance records can be stored, and therefore exposed to a certain risk.

Blockchain technology can elevate managing confidential data. It can transform data security as the information stored on the blockchain is decentralized and secured through cryptography. 

And as an added layer of security, every change that’s being made requires authorization and verification. This is especially important when it comes to delicate information like medical conditions or disciplinary records.

The adoption of this technology significantly reduces the ability of cybercriminals to gain access to sensitive data, making it extremely difficult to tamper with. Organizations from all industries could take advantage of blockchain to secure employees’ data and identify potential data breaches. 

2. Transformation of recruiting and hiring process

Recruitment requires significant time and resources like financial investment within the HR department. Many companies turn to third-party agencies or recruiters for this reason, but their services usually come with a substantial fee.

Blockchain technology can help organizations streamline sourcing and managing talent. Instead of going through dozens of resumes, it would enable employers with access to verified data stored on the blockchain including grades, degrees, work history, certificates, and experience. 

Applicants could acquire virtual credentials in a distributed blockchain network and provide potential employers with permission to access their records. Unalterable records of their work histories would eradicate the chances of inaccuracy and fraudulent applications.

With this innovative technology in place, the verifying process would be more efficient and secure as the need for third-party background and employment history checks would be eliminated. 

This way, it would be easier for HR managers to find the right talent for the right role. 

Advanced tech solutions like blockchain could enable the building of the next generation work platforms, eliminating bias, spam, third-parties and their fees, and lack of visibility of available workers. 

3. Paying workers in cryptocurrency

Blockchain is widely associated with Bitcoin and its mining. With the right hardware, bitcoin mining is a profitable business, and as a result, it got mainstream attention. And since Bitcoin hit its all-time high in 2021, it’s no wonder more and more people are exploring mining cryptocurrencies as an income source. 

But blockchain isn’t confined to this use only. There are other advantages to this technology that can make HR processes more efficient. Facilitating payments to the workforce is one of them. 

Employees want to access their money as soon as possible and move it with ease, and that’s where blockchain technology comes in. With cryptocurrency payrolls, there is no need for intermediaries to process the payments. 

Also, the transactions on the blockchain are encrypted and unalterable, and therefore more reliable.

This is especially important when doing business with underdeveloped nations where banking systems aren’t trustworthy, and the currency is devalued. Crypto-based payroll systems could provide a competitive edge to companies looking to attract more skilled workers across the globe.

4. Introduction of smart contracts

Smart contracts between the employer and employees would enable instant payments for the workers. And what’s even better, the risk of delay or fraud during transactions would be eliminated. This has particular importance for gig and contract workers, as their work and invoices are usually manually verified, so they have to wait to be paid.

The use of blockchain and smart contracts can automate this process, so payments can be distributed instantly when the criteria for which the wages are earned are met. 

Once the worker completes the assigned task (e.g. deliver cargo safely at its destination), the payment is released automatically. Without uploading workers onto the payroll system, HR teams will have more time for more important tasks.

The gig economy is on the rise, so the adoption of blockchain and smart contracts could help companies attract more talent and expand their business. 

5. Simplifying international payroll

The world is becoming increasingly globalized, and the remote workforce is growing. For this reason, cross-border payments are an important topic in HR departments. Due to multiple intermediary banks, currency fluctuations, and third-party vendors, paying international employees is time-consuming and expensive.

The international business would benefit greatly from blockchain technology, as it simplifies this process and eliminates the need for intermediaries. As a result, the cost of cross-border payments is reduced, and they are completed almost immediately. 

The introduction of blockchain-based corporate cryptocurrencies would only ease this process further for the HR and finance departments. And of course, the employees would benefit from faster, more secure payments with no changes in exchange rates.