HR teams –your business needs them to function seamlessly. But too often, they spend most of their time handling mundane admin tasks instead of performing critical strategic tasks in the organization.
So how can you get the most out of your HR team? Enter employee self-service (ESS), a key component of HR software that enables employees to handle mundane HR-related tasks themselves, thereby reducing admin overhead for HR professionals. This post will walk you through what the ESS portal is and how to leverage it.
What is Employee Self-Service Portal (ESS Portals)
ESS portal is a web-based solution through which employees can access relevant information and carry out certain transactions from a gateway or online sites. Some organizations use ESS portals to deliver corporate and HR-related information, while others focus on employee benefits or other HR services.
ESS portals allow employees to easily access HR-related services and transactions that HR teams would otherwise have to offer. This can minimize the HR team’s tactical duties and allow them to focus their efforts more on strategic pursuits. ESS portals, therefore, play a key role in raising the HR department’s stature in the organization.
Ways of Leveraging Employee Self-Service Portals
Here are some ways you can leverage the value of ESS portals:
Employee Onboarding
For onboarding can be time-consuming and often complex for the HR department and the new employee. An ESS portal can help you get new employees up and running with minimum fuss. Upon logging into the portal, the new recruit can digitally sign their contracts and access the company’s onboarding and other documents. This way, they are seamlessly integrated into the team.
Online HR Documentation
ESS portals allow employees to change personal data and upload documents. Users can access those documents and organize records conveniently for each employee. ESS portals also provide a central point for publishing policy documents and updates.
Payroll
Allowing employees to view and print their payslips minimizes the HR burden of printing and handing over hard copies to every employee. Also, some ESS solutions offer direct deposits, bypassing physical records completely. ESS platforms also allow employees to adjust tax withholding and deduction amounts.
Benefits Enrollment
ESS portals streamline the open enrollment process by allowing employees to make estimates and selections based on employer-provided options. This means employees can browse and select benefits programs, manage open enrollment, and make adjustments for major life events. Employees can also change retirement benefits plans, such as changing contributions.
Employee Development
An ESS portal that features performance management can allow managers to view employee performance with a 360-degree lens, with feedback from colleagues, supervisors, and direct reports. Performance appraisals can help employees find positive growth areas and work on their weaknesses.
Benefits of Employee Self-Service Platforms
Leveraging employee self-service platforms has numerous benefits, including:
Boosting Employee Autonomy and Empowerment: ESS platforms allow employees to enter information that pertains to them. This means things such as terms of service, remuneration, hours worked, holidays, etc. can be entered by employees approaching their managers. This makes them feel empowered.
Saving Employee Time: Employees will spend less time contacting HR for information or guidance. They will therefore have more time to perform their tasks and improve the company’s productivity.
Unifying Teams and Creates Cohesiveness: Employees and HR teams can access ESS platforms and share information about various processes –they, therefore, spend less time performing unnecessary administrative tasks and more time handling tasks that matter. Employees can also access valuable information about the company’s maternity, vacation, and benefits policies, among others.
Grievances Can Be Aired and Solved Amicably: There was a time when you had to go through a bureaucratic setup to solve work grievances. This setup took time, with everyone taking their pound of flesh at various stages. ESS platforms allow employees to connect with the right people efficiently and speedily.
Streamlining Communication: ESS centralizes employee, team, department, and organization-wide communication, enabling everyone to easily stay in the loop.
Looking for HCM Software to Streamline Your HR function? Try ASAP Payroll. We have partnered with iSolved to provide a robust and comprehensive HCM system. Packaged into a single HCM software platform, this framework will help you successfully implement various HR functions.
Contact us today to learn more or for a free demo.
