Performance

7 Tips on How to Improve Your Core HR

28 December 2022

7 min read

Lynette Teo
Lynette Teo

The role of an HR within a company comes with multiple functions and responsibilities. While their duties are crucial to the success of a business, the tasks are tedious, repetitive, and hectic. 

With HR software, it automates the manual tasks commonly seen in HR processes. The HR team can perform more effectively while minimizing errors. It will improve the overall end-to-end employee management starting from recruitment, onboarding, time off management, offboarding and more.

Let’s get to know more about it and the ways you can enhance your core HR functions.

What is core HR?

The primary function of a core HR is to provide employees within the organization with a varied range of activities that enable it to deliver the most efficient output in the favor of the organization. With a Human Resource Management System (HRMS), you capture employee data in a centralized database that gives you a single source of truth.

What are the advantages of HRMS?

An HRMS helps you automate various tasks that can actually reduce the time spent on manual data entries and eliminate chances of error. The added advantages include: 

  • A centralized location for storing employees’ personal data information such as payroll, bank details, vaccination status, and more
  • Automate and streamline core HR processes within the organization
  • Save time by digitizing paperwork
  • Avoid errors or duplicate records
  • Provide employees with more control with an employee self-service feature
  • Offer privacy and security to both your company and employees
  • Gather valuable insights through data analytics

What are the functions of core HR?

One of the most critical functions of a core HR platform is to store important information. HR professionals can use it to complete various tasks, including talent management, attendance management, learning management, and more.

Some basic functions to include in the list are:

  1. Recruitment and Selection
  • Identify roles, job descriptions, advertising, screening, and interviews
  • Provide hassle-free onboarding 
  • Carry out initial orientation process

2. Training and Development

  • Address skills and weaknesses
  • Provide the necessary tools
  • Increase employee retention

3. Performance Management

  • Monitor progress, and productivity
  • Develop managerial leadership and coaching skills
  • Annual or bi-yearly appraisals
  • Include one-on-one meetings
  • Reward employees at work

4. Employee Relations

  • Prevent and resolve problems and disputes
  • Assist in creating and enforcing policies
  • Create and maintain employee relationships

5. Employment Law and Compliance

  • Stay up to date with law and order
  • Legal framework knowledge and processes
  • Adherence to laws to avoid legal complications
  • Promote equality

6. Compensation, Benefits, and Administration

  • Basic salary and added benefits calculations
  • To attract, retain and reward employees
  • Related to job satisfaction and motivation in the workplace

7. Data Handling, Payroll, And HR Systems

  • Track work hours, leaves, and pay employees accordingly
  • Tax withholding and salary disbursement
  • Makes it easier to handle analytics

8. Time Off – Leave Management 

  • Track employee’s time off
  • Handle time off calculations accurately and show a clear breakdown of how entitlements are calculated
  • Clear view of team’s time off and work schedule at a glance

How can HR software help improve your existing HR processes?

If you’re looking to invest in core HR software that can help you enhance the above-mentioned processes, we recommend looking for the following elements:

1. Enhance the current recruiting process

Start by having a recruitment plan before the actual candidate selection. Prepare a predefined set of steps. This way it’ll be way quicker to ask one question to the other. Begin by having your HR software linked to your website where you can post job openings. 

Your job applicants can directly apply with the help of this portal. You can share this link on your social media platform as well. This way the applicant tracking system (ATS) can help you screen through the resumes. It will filter the basic details that are kept as filter questions. For example, it could be years of experience or relevant skills. Keep the platform easily accessible, such that candidates can easily navigate through the job application steps.

2. Introduce a streamlined onboarding process with zero paperwork

With an HRMS in place, you can automate your onboarding workflow with predefined task sequences. This means a faster and more seamless onboarding experience for your new hires, even before their first day at work, and better retention in the long term. This minimizes the need for HR to track everyone’s progress, both internally and externally, or have constant back-and-forth communication which runs the risks of lost documentation or missing out on important emails. 

With an HRMS in place, automated reminders will be sent on HR’s behalf to the relevant parties to complete the tasks. This gives HR more valuable time to focus on people engagement instead of being tied down to tedious administrative tasks.

3. Time tracking and attendance management

Introduction of time tracking and attendance management software will provide you with the accuracy of employees’ working hours, and leave requests. This avoids any discrepancies that may occur such as employees applying for more time off than what they thought they have earned which leads to a decrease in morale and productivity. HR would not need to spend time investigating and reviewing it.

Managers can have a quick overview of the team’s calendar to know who’s in and out of the office and avoid any instance of understaffing that may impact the organization’s productivity.

4. Implement employee performance management tools

Replace traditional performance reviews with a 360 performance review approach, that involves individuals, managers, and peers for a more rounded evaluation. Doing so allows everyone to have a better overview of their strengths and weaknesses, and makes it less biased. According to research by HBR, 57% of the employees preferred corrective feedback; while only 43% preferred recognition.

This signifies that teams should continue to run their own internal performance appraisals on a more regular basis so that they can continuously work on improving and developing their people. Through this interaction, it increases employee engagement and strengthens bonds.

5. Scale your business needs and requirements

With an automated HRMS process, HR can reduce time spent on manual tasks and minimize errors. And, the time saved can be spent on people management. From an employee perspective, having a proper system in place means being able to request leaves easily, payroll is processed in a timely manner and you can have full transparency on how performance appraisals are conducted. It shows that the organization is invested in its people.

In addition, HR software needs to scale with the organization as it grows. This way the business can redesign its existing workflows or have the flexibility to add additional features or functions, and increase its employee records database. This avoids the issue of HR having to look for an alternative system, and restart the whole implementation process, or run into the issue of the need to integrate with other systems.

6. Employee record and data management

Have a centralized database that stores all employee information digitally, making it easy to manage and locate. This replaces the need for physical documentation that runs the risk of files being lost or not updated with the latest version. Instead, now everything is accessible securely online and in one place. 

With an Employee Self Service (ESS) portal, you can get employees to upload their documents to the dashboard or update their contact details without having to inform HR to update their records on their behalf. This process will minimize the risks of incorrect inputs or manual data entries from HR’s end.

Apart from these, make sure the below points are considered when introducing a new HR software:

  1. User-friendly interface
  2. Easy-to-use
  3. Provide implementation
  4. Localized customer support
  5. High-security standards
  6. The ability to scale as your company grows
  7. Sections addressing employee information
  8. Adhere to local laws and compliance
  9. Robust reporting capabilities

Conclusion

A company’s success is highly dependent on the efficiency of its HR department. Enhancing their capabilities with an HR solution is a great way to improve core HRMS without going over your company’s budget.

An HRMS like Omni HR can help your organization automate its HR process. Book a demo with Omni HR to experience an upgrade to your workforce management approach and help HR cut administrative workloads!

Get started today!

Get a 14-day free trial and see how Omni can work for your business.