Three ways IT is supporting and automating HR

There is no doubt that technology has changed the roles and responsibilities of essentially all employees within nearly every industry over the last few decades, but none more than those in the IT department, and most directly those leading the IT department.

With the role of CIO often encompassing both IT and HR processes, it is clear that the two departments are growing increasingly dependent on one another to function efficiently.

According to a recent report by Sage, 82 percent of HR leaders anticipate that their role will be unrecognizable in 10 years’ time, thanks in large part to the transformation from HR to a “People” function and the adoption of technology. This “People” function will incorporate “Operations”, which accounts for productivity, employee loyalty, change management and even tech adoption.

 As tech becomes more embedded in our way of work— within even the most resistant of industries— typical HR duties will have an increasingly strong thread of tech running through them, including the use of AI and automation.

By implementing AI (like that of chatbots and virtual assistants), HR departments can streamline repeat processes that require valuable time and resources – such as recruiting and onboarding. That way, HR employees can increase overall productivity levels and spend time focused on more strategic processes – particularly those under the umbrella of their new “People” role.

Consider the following three ways that IT could support and automate HR processes to boost efficiencies.

# 1 | Case management

Most companies have ticketing systems in place for IT, but what about HR? IT can leverage proven incident/request ticketing systems to help HR with case management.

This kind of automation could help HR departments – particularly in large companies – filter through onboarding, payroll, etc. requests more quickly and efficiently. These systems can also elevate more urgent and/or time-sensitive inquiries to the top of an HR executive’s to-do list.

# 2 | Self-service portals

The right self-service technology can help HR regain a lot of wasted time through offerings that provide directions to commonly asked questions (e.g., where certain forms can be found on internal servers).

For instance, a virtual agent or chatbot, which utilizes advanced ML/AI, could be taught to answer the aforementioned questions. This type of technology would help to decrease delivery time, lower department support costs and ensure control objectives are met.

# 3 | Onboarding processes

Given that onboarding processes are essentially a consistent repeat of office process, expected roles and responsibilities, current activity and the like, it should be a fairly turnkey process for companies. But many find themselves recreating the wheel while downloading new employees.

Fortunately, IT can help automate the onboarding process with workflows to provide the tools and information employees need from day one, using a knowledge base to become familiar with company policies and other pertinent information. This technology can also ensure that all departments are in alignment before and during the onboarding process so that no deliverables are shared out of turn.

A nearly automated future is imminent for HR. However, the full potential of intelligent automation is still being recognized, particularly through the lens of IT. Via a working and functional relationship with IT, HR can deliver case management solutions that provide increased visibility, self-service functionality in order to better engage employees, and optimization onboarding processes to ensure a smooth integration of new staff.

This collaboration is a win-win situation, giving IT tangible business value to the organization and giving HR improved efficiency through automation. Companies that neglect to see the benefits of adopting automation in HR will soon start to fall behind those who choose to implement it.

This article was contributed by John Prestridge, CMO and Senior Vice President of North America at EasyVista.