Fixing HR Operations: 3 Key Elements for Optimizing HR

This month, McKinsey Quarterly featured an article on new opportunities for HR to maximize its value and productivity. We particularly loved the last third of the article, which outlines operational priorities that can help move HR away from time-consuming operations. When HR has more time and resources on hand, they can refocus efforts on managing the strategic issues that keep HR leaders up at night. We’ll take a look at these key priorities and why they matter so much in the service world era.

1. Continuous Process Improvement: making HR operations more efficient

The first step to process improvement is to conduct an audit of existing processes and identify opportunities for streamlining - including automation, which can drastically shorten time to complete processes. The next step is to implement continuous improvement, by using analytics to make informed decisions about opportunities for optimization. The value of optimizing processes is expansive. Not only does it give time back to HR, it also drives a higher quality of service for employees, which in turn supports positive employee experience and, ultimately, employee engagement. That means that not only will HR be more productive, but it’s likely that employees will be too.

2. Next-Generation Automation Technology: eliminating manual tasks

Today’s technology has the power to redesign HR operations to be as sleek and efficient as possible. Automated workflows and processes eliminate a lot of manual and time-consuming work for HR, particularly when the automation technology has the ability to work across multiple systems. Additionally, automation helps ensure compliance with processes, ensuring that every step is accounted for - even if different employee types or geographies require different steps. This enables HR to provide a superior experience, resolving employee requests faster and more consistently.

3. User Experience: ensuring employee AND HR satisfaction

As we recently explored in our post about the impact of HR services on employee engagement, providing your employees with positive HR service interactions is crucial. Any negative experiences at work can profoundly affect job satisfaction, which in turn affects productivity, the quality of service your employees provide to your customers, and potentially your employer brand. We know that the physical workplace, company culture, and technology all impact the employee experience. But because HR is the one function that engages with every employee, it’s a particularly effective area to focus on, or even start with, when you begin to create a great employee experience. Modern HR technology enables HR to provide service-world interactions that meet the consumer-level technology expectations of your employees. With an easy and intuitive user experience (UX), HR and employees alike have exactly what they need to get the job done. Excellent HR service means that employees won’t get bogged down with long turnaround times, prolonged processes, or outdated technology. They can get back to work faster while feeling truly supported by their place of work.

To read find out more about these 3 key priorities, read the full McKinsey article here!