In our previous blog, we discussed the modern age challenges faced by organizations in managing their employee records and how important it is for HR personnel to maintain employee records. 70% of leaders in the recent survey conducted by Gartner said that HR engagement is critical to business success. If the HR delays the overall document handling process, the engagement experience might go for a toss.

Employee record management (ERM) is very crucial from an employer’s perspective, they are not only required to keep track of all human resources, but it’s also essential for compliances and audit purposes that play a vital role in the organization. Without a proper solution to organize and maintain employee records, you may end up missing valuable information when they are most needed. Even worse, it may not be possible to recover such information once an employee has exited from your organization.

A recent study revealed that 69% of the HR professionals share documents with 3^rd party at least once in a quarter. About 11% need to share the information once a week. The same research found that 76% use email as their primary tool for sharing employee information, and 67% deliver physical copies of the employee records. Sharing of important employee information in an unsecured manner can lead an organization into some severe trouble, whereas maintaining & accessing physical copies of employee files is always looked at as a difficult job. And well, this is just a drop in the ocean.

Modern-age challenges require a new-aged solution. In this blog, we will look at how an HR leader can solve their problems relating to employee records management.

Automate indexing of the digitized employee records

The process of indexing is the process of labeling or tagging the document with a different search term. Any errors made during this process can directly lead to misplacing or incorrectly storing of the employee record . Impacting the searchability of an employee record. The method of indexing may seem time-consuming, yet it is invaluable to an organization.

Solution

The answer lies in using an employee records management solution that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Features like the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and advanced AI-enabled document recognition technology can help automatically tag the document. Additionally, ML can help strengthen the overall quality of the records by identifying and eliminating recurring errors.

AI and ML algorithms aligned with your company’s document policies, along with foreign language translation, can help spot anomalies and tag your employee file as per your customized categories and sequentially index them.

Benefits

1. Your HR team no longer needs to spend countless manual hours in tagging the employee document
2. Increased accuracy and efficiency of the overall digitized employee records management process
3. Faster retrieval of employee records
4. Far more superior HR and employee experience

Centralize and structure your digital employee records repository 

After properly indexing the digitized employee records comes securely storing these records in a structured manner. One key lesson that every HR leader/ personnel has learned from the recent COVID19 pandemic is the importance of continuity of HR service and the ability to access employee-related data from anywhere in a single click. Digitizing your employee records and not being able to access them in the time of need is as good as not having them scanned.

Solution

To ensure that the documents are centralized and can be accessed anytime and anywhere by the authorized HR personnel, the answer is using a cloud-based solution. We all know the numerous benefits of using a cloud-based solution. To further strengthen your cloud-based employee records management solution, implement strict controls, and define how you would like to store your employee records. Here are best practices –

Security

• Create a detailed ERM manual with the entire process and policies with information on access control and definition. It is a good idea to restrict access for even those who are part of the HR team. Providing strict need-to-know access to employees is a good practice and makes them self-efficient. Whether built in-house or using a 3^rd party solution, it is a good idea not to provide access to your employee data/ files to your in-house IT team or external 3^rd
• Leverage the system to provide you are a detailed log or history of the modifications made. It should include details such as what changes were made to the employee record, when and by who.

Structure

• Another element to add to your ERM manual is to include information on how you would like to store the documents. You can start by categorizing your employee records on the legal/ business unit, entity, locations, and further sub-diving them on departments of projects. The categorization helps in creating document IDs that help in the process of labeling.
• Last but certainly not least, you can integrate your HRIS and ERM solution. Using your ERM solution to digitize your employee records, whereas your HRIS to store all the employee records/ data, will make your documentation process far more structured, controlled, and streamlined.

Benefits

1. Single and centralized repository for your HR personnel to access employee records anytime and anywhere
2. A well-defined repository structure increase searchability of the digital records
3. Integrating your HRIS with your employee records help in improving employee records consistency and reducing data redundancy or duplication
4. Maintain the utmost security and confidentiality of documents

Un-complicate the compliance web –

It is no surprise that a simple answer to a complicated compliance web is technology! With so many legal considerations to think about when it comes to handling employee records, having a solution that has all the up to date country-specific compliance information in place takes it off the dreaded to-do list.

Solution

Designing an in-built repository of local laws and country-specific compliance can help you stay abreast. This backed by a team of experts can help maintain an up to dated repository of requirements and document retention period. Configuring the system to throw automatic alerts and notification when there is a change in law, or you can lawfully erase a document helps in taking pro-active steps. The system can also flag off any missing employee document to ensure the completeness of employee records.

Benefits

1. Keeps you abreast of changing laws and missing records are flagged
2. Safeguarding your organization in the event of a lawsuit
3. Streamlines employee file retention and workflows
4. Helping you get rid of unwanted files/ records

An outdated employee records process, and the system is like cancer to the overall health of your HR ecosystem. In the fast-paced business world, your organization must stay abreast of the modern technology that not only provides better insight but transforms the face of your organization’s records management function.

Now that we have seen some ways to help better your overall ERM process, would you like to know if there is a solution that has all these functionalities? NeeyamoWorks has recently launched its next-gen employee records management solution – NeeyamoWorks Docket™

CLICK HERE to schedule a free demo of NeeyamoWorks Docket.

For questions, feedback/suggestions, please reach out to mary.jane@neeyamoworks.com.