Since the beginning of the pandemic, enterprise automation has grown significantly in all departments and processes, and human resources is no exception.
However, it is impossible to observe technology without considering how it directly affects workers, from streamlining processes to promoting more teamwork.
Upon examining how hundreds of clients have adapted to a new workplace, we discovered that HR teams are automating at a higher rate than before. Furthermore, this rise is evident across all of the major processes—offboarding, onboarding, and recruitment included.
In terms of HR technology, these developments translate into all-encompassing software, dashboards, and gadgets designed to improve the working environment for employees.
Why are businesses automating these tasks at an increasing rate? How are these automations going to function in real life? You’ll find the answers to both questions as you continue reading.
What is HR Automation?
HR automation systematizes and streamlines manual workforce management operations, such as employee onboarding, offboarding, and development, using software and cloud-based solutions.
HR automation’s primary objectives are to:
• Lower expenses through improved process efficiency.
• Get rid of repeated mistakes, such as those made when processing payroll.
• Encourage a self-sufficient and independent culture.
• Establish a visible and well-organized workflow.
• Promote the growth and training of staff members.
• Encourage professional relationship-building and networking.
There are numerous tools available that support every HR procedure.
Yet, the most important thing to remember is to give top priority to excellent employee experiences.
Top HR Automation Trends
Following are the top HR automation trends of 2024:
1. Better Employee Experiences
The corporate obsession with inflexible, meeting-focused, admin-centric work patterns is going to finish. If they want their staff to stay, then it must come to an end. Employee engagement is becoming as important to a company’s existence as delighted customers are to the business world.
These days, businesses are investing heavily in people operations initiatives, engaging onboarding processes, and dashboards that are easy to use. HR departments must give top priority to any employee issues that might have an impact on their tenure with the company while concentrating on developing fulfilling work environments.
For instance, streamlining leaves and absences, pre-boarding, and onboarding can be among the most nerve-wracking times for new hires. So, assist employees and increase their production instead of letting them handle their stress on their own.
Another instance of an activity that might cause stress is performance reviews. Prioritizing employee experiences benefits not just you as HR professionals, but also the workforce as a whole. Since the majority of their monotonous work has been consolidated into a single system, you are free to concentrate on offering long-term, high-value recruitment and retention methods.
2. Automated Managerial Tasks
HR managers are playing a more important role than ever as remote and hybrid employment become more common. Supervisors have the power to make or break employee satisfaction and are the first to respond to any issues that may come up.
Many administrative duties, including setting up meetings, authorizing leave requests and reimbursements, keeping track of production, and conducting performance evaluations, are monotonous and readily automated.
According to research by HBR, sixty-five percent of managerial jobs could be automated by 2025. Future managers will no longer be defined by this progress. They will require training in everything from task and deliverable management to employee experience management. This change in perspective will produce more resilient leaders who see technology as a tool for fostering closer bonds between people, which will greatly increase employee value.
Furthermore, reducing the number of managers hired might also save businesses money over the long run. Rather than designating a separate manager for each team or department, managers may be better trained to prioritize generating a positive work-life balance for staff members.
3. Improved Remote Jobs
Receiving unfair or biased performance assessment ratings is one of the main reservations for remote workers. Supervisors continue to have misconceptions about the productivity of remote work.
In a Gartner survey, 64% of managers claimed that staff working in-person outperform those working remotely. Furthermore, 76% of respondents said that office workers had a higher chance of getting promoted.
Therefore, utilizing remote work technologies to assess and improve performance helps to mitigate this bias. But when it comes to performance monitoring, there are still several practices that are highly argumentative.
For example, some workers don’t mind using time trackers. Even though, the majority will object to automatic screen captures or arbitrary image shooting by laptop cameras.
Therefore, companies must make a distinction between privacy infractions and performance tracking.
4. Automated Wellness Initiatives
When the world first went into lockdown, businesses concentrated on gauging the productivity of their remote employees. These days, the measure has changed to evaluate the financial, emotional, and physical well-being of the workforce.
Companies are currently fighting to retain top personnel as a result of the Great Resignation, which was mostly caused by toxic work cultures and exhaustion.
According to HR leaders surveyed by Gartner in 2020, 94% of businesses began making significant investments in wellness initiatives. Roughly 85% more benefits for mental health (including teleconsultations) and 50% more support for physical well-being.
According to HBR’s projection, more businesses will implement new metrics in 2022 to measure the general well-being of their workforce. However, a significant obstacle is motivating staff to use their paid time off and wellness benefits, particularly because fewer than 40% of workers utilize mental health services.
Therefore, companies are attempting to fix this, though, by putting in place automated systems that link staff members—and even their families—to virtual therapists while maintaining privacy.
Additionally, general data from wellness management systems can be used to identify vulnerable profiles and implement preventive care. Engaging in activities like coffee roulettes might help remote workers become more motivated and better assimilated into the workplace culture.
5. Virtual Training Programs
It is now essential to use learning management systems (LMS) to upskill remote workers. Online training is far more flexible than in-person courses, not to mention that it helps businesses save a ton of money.
Traditional training is often criticized for contributing to employee tiredness because of its inflexible, time-based arrangements. The employee and their manager can design software that specifically addresses their tasks, schedules, and skill needs with automated training solutions.
The fact that e-learning guarantees a uniform experience for everyone is an additional advantage. These courses provide uniform evaluations and other data that are easily analyzed by a centralized system.
Furthermore, AI can improve the educational experience of your employees by curating and recommending relevant courses using machine learning algorithms.
A staff with strong technological skills can be extremely beneficial as the nature of work gets more and more digital. Although the majority of businesses use online academies through partnership agreements, many also choose to create their internal training initiatives. This is especially helpful for business-specific regulatory and compliance training.
6. Hybrid Work Processes
The most popular work mode these days is the hybrid configuration. A Capgemini study found that 45% of workers anticipate working three days a week or more from remote locations in the future. This demonstrates the rapidly emerging trend of the hybrid and collaborative workplace.
According to the same survey, 72% of workers now anticipate that their employers will supply them with devices (such as laptops and cellphones) so they can work remotely or on-site as needed.
For workers who prefer to work from home most of the time but still want the opportunity to interact and communicate with coworkers in person, the hybrid configuration is perfect.
To accommodate employee preferences, HR departments must incorporate more virtual training, team-building exercises, and equipment. Businesses are implementing new methods of communication and cooperation in a hybrid setting by using teleconferencing equipment or project management software.
Final Thoughts
As we move through 2024, HR automation trends are restyling the idea of human resources. These trends reflect a profound shift toward using technology to enhance efficiency and engagement within the workforce.
Improved remote job facilitation and hybrid work processes support the growing demand for flexible working conditions, providing employees with the autonomy to balance their professional and personal lives more effectively. Automated wellness initiatives and virtual training programs further exemplify the role of technology in promoting employee well-being and continuous development, crucial for sustaining morale and performance in a rapidly changing work environment.
Together, these trends signify a key evolution in HR practices, positioning organizations to better attract, retain, and empower their workforce.