Five ways to go paperless in your HR department

Why go paperless?

Many years after the advent of computers, the paperless HR department still remains an elusive goal for many managers. And who could blame them? HR is a department teeming with processes, procedures, and all sorts of legal requirements – most of which are very much paper-based. To go paperless, HR managers have to consider all sorts of security, accuracy, accessibility, and compliance issues.

Good thing paperless technology has gone a long way from simply digitizing files through scanners. Reliable mobile onboarding technologies are available to solve lingering issues and speed up recruitment processes with indisputable cost and environmental benefits.

Paperless technology was one of the biggest trends in the HR world in 2020, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. And what’s not to love? Having the right mobile onboarding technology in place that can digitally capture, manage, and protect critical HR data has a huge impact on everyone’s productivity.

But while the paperless trend is gaining traction, there’s still much to achieve. Globally, just about 24 percent of organizations are working towards going paperless. If you’re a company owner contemplating on this big move but are quite daunted by the enormous tasks ahead, here are a few simple and practical steps to help you get started.

1. Implement environment-friendly systems that encourage less paper usage.

The average employee uses up to 45 sheets of paper every day. Document printing takes up about 10 percent of IT costs in most organizations. And then there are document storage and disposal costs, along with postage and courier expenses (if they need to be shipped). Reducing paper use does not only save on costs and space, but there are also massive gains in efficiency. These can be achieved by harnessing the power of the cloud. Transitioning to the cloud allows employees to create and access existing documents anytime, anywhere with any device. ROI on paperless technology such as cloud services often takes 18 months or less, according to AIIM.org.

2. Embrace digital signatures.

As an HR professional, we are all too familiar with the enormous amount of documents that need signatures. Employments contracts, performance appraisals, timesheets, checks, and on-boarding are just some that are typically signed the traditional paper-and-ink way. But the thing is, print and ink signatures take time and even delays. On average, traditional signatures take about 3 days to process. In a paperless environment, digital signatures just take a few hours to accomplish, depending on how fast an employee checks email. More importantly, digital signatures are secure and compliant with regulations in most industries.

3. Do away with printers and faxes.

Printed documents and faxes are expensive and inconvenient. All those printed documents need to be properly organized or stored, or you’ll never find what you’re looking for. You can’t access them when you’re not in the office; and you have to make multiple copies if you want some backup. The problem with most HR departments is that most employees are habitual paper consumers. Cultural resistance is one of the biggest stumbling blocks in establishing a paperless office. As an HR manager, and given the huge benefits of going paperless, isn’t it about time to challenge this thinking?

4. Educate employees on the benefits of going green.

The global environmental awareness movement has gained so much ground that going paperless in business processes will eventually be a requirement, not just an option towards corporate responsibility and sustainability. Many multinational companies have taken the lead in implementing greener business practices and it won’t be long before everyone follows suit. Educating your own employees on the benefits of going green and keeping up with global trends will help in easier adoption of paperless technology. HR studies also suggest that going green can even help with recruitment and employee engagement, as many in-demand candidates and high achieving employees are passionate about environmental causes.

5. Putting up systems for paperless HR

To fully implement these paperless office measures, proper support infrastructures should be put in place. Employee onboarding software, for instance, addresses most of the steps above by automating tedious work flows and virtually all costs related to hiring paperwork.

If you are a business that needs to onboard new employees fast, you know the administrative overheads can be very overwhelming. An effective mobile HR onboarding system drastically reduces the time it takes to collect and process form for these new hires.

A great mobile, paperless onboarding software allows:

• Employees to access the system using any device
• HR managers to review forms instantly, eliminating piles of paperwork that has come to be staples on desks.
• Enable employees to securely submit documents such as certifications or licenses
• Allows employees to sign forms digitally, using their fingertips

WorkBright addresses the pains of the hiring and onboarding process, especially that of the unobserved needs of companies that rely on part-time or seasonal employees. We help employers and new employees get to work without having to go through inefficient onboarding procedures. For more information about our HR paperless solutions and mobile capabilities, check out our remote onboarding page.

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HR Paperless Solutions

Going paperless in HR is becoming easier as technology has advanced. Having a strong plan and the right tools for transitioning to digital is the key to success for ensure security and maintaining a compliant digital trail. One thing is undeniable, the world has gone mobile and those last to get onboard will be left behind spending more time and money to compete while frustrating potential applicants who are quickly becoming accustomed to being able to complete paperwork digitally from their phone, tablet or computer. The good news is that going paperless with HR removes the need for many of the frustrating and time consuming tasks like reminding employees they need to fill something out or screening to see if any additional paperwork is needed or missing. Having a paperless HR solution means less headaches and more time doing what your passionate about, working with people not paper!

Additional Resources for paperless HR solutions and software:

• If your looking for an easy list of “must haves” for new hires when onboarding digitally, you can download our Remote Onboarding Checklist for HR Professionals as a quick reference so nothing is missed.
• For a more comprehensive understanding of what to look for in HR paperless software, be sure to check out this article written about remote onboarding best practices your team wish you knew that includes an EBook “Remote Onboarding Best Practices – How. to Pick the Best Software for Your Company.”