How Document Management Software Streamlines HR Onboarding

When a new employee is hired, a lot of paperwork is involved. For HR professionals, onboarding a new staff member requires processing the same basic information for each employee, across important documents like 401ks, healthcare enrollments, policy acknowledgements, direct deposit authorizations, W-4s, I-9s, and more.

It should come as no surprise that many HR professionals complain that processing onboarding paperwork takes up a huge chunk of their time. Employment applications have gone from two to upwards of ten pages, and companies are still hand keying this information which introduces the potential for errors.

Document management software can help HR departments be more efficient and reduce errors by optimizing the hiring process through HR automation. Instead of wasting their first day filling out paperwork, document management software enables your new hire to hit the ground running!

So, how does it work?

Document management solutions allows you to securely store employee files into a digital document database and be able to access them anytime and anywhere via a web browser. No more searching for paperwork, misplaced documents or even worse, lost files. With document management, HR professionals can focus their time on ensuring the best applicants are found, screened, trained, and offer the most value to the organization.

What are the benefits?

By digitizing this process, human resources staff can electronically track all pieces of a new hire’s documentation to make sure everything is accurate, timely and complete. Once employee information is electronically created and stored, it’s then far easier to retrieve it and follow your normal retention plan. With browser-based access to employee information, HR can ensure data is quickly and easily found as needed, yet securely stored through robust user-based permissions.

How do web forms help the process?

Electronic forms simplify and improve the accuracy of employee onboarding from the moment an application is submitted. A self-serve solution enables new hires to fill out forms from home. By getting applicants to enter their own information via a web forms solution, you can streamline onboarding by preventing repetitive data entry and eliminating the risk for errors. Having that information digitally entered into the document database makes it easy for HR to see what’s missing and send reminders as needed.

What about my existing HR programs?

Once captured, you will want to ensure that employee onboarding information is immediately accessible by integrating the document management software with your human resource management systems (HRMS). Doing so will ensure that captured data is linked between the systems you use, with the most current and accurate information. By integrating the resulting data into your HRMS, you can spend your time on more important tasks and improve the efficiency of your department. Your document management solution can also be linked into other systems like payroll, easily passing information from one area to another. Workflow automation software can help you streamline other HR processes like employee reviews, PTO and promotions.

Document management software delivers higher reliability across HR departments by eliminating inefficient paper-based onboarding processes while saving your organization time and money. When people are your most important asset, document management solutions are beneficial in eliminating errors or oversights. To learn more about document management for HR automation, or to schedule a demo, contact Square 9 today!