Three Ways HR Influences Employee Time, Talent, and Energy

In HR’s Vital Role in How Employees Spend Their Time, Talent, and Energy, Eric Garton explores the ways that HR supports human capital. He explains that human capital “is converted into productivity and economic value” through the combination of employees’ time, talent, and energy. Garton points out that HR has the ability to give more time back to employees, identify and develop talent, and inspire employee engagement. Of course, we couldn’t agree more!

We believe that HR can offer the best support and services when the best tools are available. Providing HR with modern and agile technology empowers them to work more quickly and efficiently to bring employees excellent HR support. Drawing on Garton’s assertion that HR is a critical influence on employee time, talent, and energy, we’ve outlined the ways that technology affects how HR supports organizations and their most valuable assets: their employees.

1. Giving time back to employees (and HR!)

Providing employees with fast and efficient HR services means that employees can spend less time with HR and more time focused on their work. An HR Service Delivery Platform can help employees quickly resolve questions and issues through automated processes and personalized content.

A platform can empower employees with tailored information and a set of self-service resources, such as a knowledge portal with easily searchable articles and guides to take action. Built responsively, employees can access this information from anywhere, anytime they need to. And advanced analytics gives in-depth insights into HR processes and usage, so that services can be continually optimized.

Agile process automation and personalized self-service resources also give time back to HR, who can then focus on more complicated issues or strategic work. Efficient HR support saves a significant bulk of time for both employees and HR teams, so that they can put their efforts towards adding more value elsewhere.

2. Identifying and developing talent

As companies globalize and the modern workforce continues to evolve, identifying, cultivating, and retaining talent becomes more complex. Companies with regional employees and different types of worker agreements require effective HR technology in order to offer a consistent level of support. Technology can help HR professionals centralize requests and communications, manage employee files, and improve employee engagement for all employees, whether they’re contractors, working remotely, or located in different parts of the world.

Additionally, an HR Service Delivery Platform can support processes aimed at upskilling your talent. By giving your talent the resources they need, you help ensure their success. For instance, if an employee is internally promoted to be a manager for the first time, you would be able to put them through a “first time managers” process. This kind of process consists of tasks for the employee to complete, such as “read knowledgebase article on Performance Reviews for Managers,” “join this first time managers group,” “take Manager 101 in the LMS” and much more. Putting processes into place helps to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks as you cultivate your talent, allowing them to successfully grow into new roles.

3. Inspiring employee engagement

All of the services and features listed above help to boost employee engagement. By simplifying HR operations and automating processes throughout an employee’s lifecycle, your company can improve your employees’ experience. An HR Service Delivery Platform enables HR to quickly deliver personalized services for employees, giving employees a positive experience with HR. As we’ve discussed, better employee experience leads to higher employee engagement, ultimately yielding greater business benefits. An easy-to-use interface encourages employees to keep using the system, and on-demand, mobile self-service gives employees the ability to get help whenever and wherever they need it.

In his article, Garton points out that HR can suffer from a reputation of being inefficient or outdated. Streamlining HR processes and improving usability allows HR to quickly innovate and elevate its efficiency and capabilities - and reputation. Technology is a powerful resource for HR, and can help departments achieve a truly exceptional level of service. Agile and effective HR services yield real business value by directly influencing employees and their time, talent, and energy.