HR Administrative Tasks Are Causing More Than Just Headaches
A recent statistic attributed to Forrester Research says that 50% of a human resource department’s time is spent processing employee information and answering questions. Another reported statistic from the Society of Human Resource Management says 60% to 80% of the time spent by HR staff is devoted to repetitive administrative tasks, including answering common employee and management questions and retrieving information.
If you ask us, this just doesn’t seem right. How is it possible, with the incredible advances in technology to automate just about every other area of our lives, can we still be left with this? The infamous article published back in 2005 by Fast Company, “Why We Hate HR,” poked serious (and painful) holes in the notion that HR is becoming more strategic. The author referred to HR as neither strategic nor leaders; the corporate function that most consistently underdelivers; and even “not the sharpest tack in the box.”
Almost 7 years later, those words still hurt.
But they don’t hurt nearly as much as the pain you feel on a daily basis as you – the HR leader or administrator – play tug of war with the strategic initiatives you want to pursue and the administrative tasks you’ve been charged with. These tasks, which include activities like collecting time sheets, processing enrollments, managing vendors, running reports, communicating with employees, are tasks that clearly must get done. And HR is the perfect department to handle it all.
So you’ve tried putting in place technology to automate your processes, systems to integrate disparate programs, and lines of communication to keep everything flowing. How’s that working out?
If you’re like most HR executives we talk to, not very well. That’s because the systems you rely upon don’t talk to each other. The automation you were promised only goes so far. And the lack of coordination leaves gaps that must be filled by yet another set of administrative tasks. It’s a terribly vicious cycle!
Does this really have to be so painful?
Inefficient administrative processes drive up costs and impact your ability to deliver the value you’re capable of. It’s those processes that many vendors try to address but they fail to do so because their solution is a selfish one. It’s designed for their processes, not yours. To finally solve your problems and eliminate your administrative burdens you need a system that is responsive to YOUR unique business processes. One that turns the dials to the exact right levels of automation, integration, and communication to erase the gaps and let you get on with the strategic job of HR.
