HR Automation Guide 2024: Best Practices, Examples, More! 

Every time someone brings up the discussion of HR automation, or automation in any department, one of the most common knee-jerk reactions often ends up being: “They’re coming for our jobs!” In fact, we are not so innocent when it comes to this discussion.

Fear-mongering about robots boosting unemployment rates aside, HR automation is truly a fascinating and nuanced topic.

The right application of automation in human resources is not only a surefire way of increasing the efficiency of HR departments around the world, but also a great way to boost employee engagement and cut down on costs.

That is why, in this article, we will be covering the basics of HR automation, as well as how you can implement automation in your human resources department while avoiding some of the most common mistakes.

What Is HR Automation?

At its core, HR automation is all about streamlining and simplifying HR processes through the use of technological tools available.

From recruitment and onboarding to performance management and payroll, HR automation as a concept casts a wide net.

As a process, it encompasses practices such as leveraging software, artificial intelligence, and digital systems to automate repetitive tasks, improve efficiency, enhance accuracy, and create a delightful employee experience.

A common misconception about HR automation is that it involves replacing humans. HR automation isn’t about replacing humans with robots or losing the personal connection that makes HR so special. It’s about finding the perfect balance between technology and humanity.

It’s about empowering HR professionals to be more strategic, empathetic, and impactful in their roles. While using AI in HR may appear a bit intimidating at first it does come with a wide array of benefits.

What Are The Benefits Of HR Automation?

1. Streamlining cumbersome processes

Instead of sifting through stacks of paper or drowning in a sea of spreadsheets, you have a digital assistant handling all the heavy lifting.

HR automation streamlines processes, eliminating manual errors and boosting efficiency. You can bid farewell to mind-numbing paperwork and hello to improved productivity.

2. Improved accuracy and reduced errors

We’re all human. Can we just admit that we make mistakes from time to time? How does that saying go?

To err is human; To automize is AI.

The Robotoic Bible of 2082

But when it comes to HR, even the smallest errors can have significant consequences. HR automation helps minimize the risk of slip-ups by automating repetitive tasks and ensuring data accuracy.

3. Improved employee morale

One of the most common mistakes when discussing automation in the workplace is to only look at it from the perspective of: “Is it going to steal my job!?”.

Instead, we should be focusing on just how easy any form of automation is going to make your day-to-day operations.

More often than not, the workload HR automation takes away from employees are the mundane and boring tasks that they would rather not be doing anyway.

If practiced right, HR automation can help your team kiss those tedious tasks that they are overqualified for, goodbye!

4. Saving you time and money

By automating routine HR tasks, you’ll be saving valuable time and, consequently, reducing costs. Instead of spending hours manually inputting data or shuffling paperwork, you can allocate your time and resources to strategic initiatives that drive business growth. Plus, with fewer manual errors and streamlined processes, you’ll avoid unnecessary expenses down the road.

How To Implement HR Automation? A Step-By-Step Guide For 2024

1. Identify repetitive tasks that need automation

This might seem rather obvious but we have to come out and say it regardless. Before you start talking about automation in HR, first we will have to decide which HR process we will be automating.

Take a good look at your HR processes and identify those pesky tasks that drain your time and energy.

Whether it’s manual data entry, form approvals, or scheduling nightmares, pinpointing these time thieves is the first step towards automation liberation.

So, do you find yourself asking “Which HR processes can be automated?”, here is a brief list of tasks and responsibilities that yield themselves perfectly well to HR process automation:

Sample HR Processes To Automate:

• Employee onboarding and offboarding: Streamline the onboarding process by automating tasks such as document collection, form filling, and access provisioning. When employees leave the organization, automation can handle tasks like exit interviews too. There are some incredible employee onboarding software available that can help automate your onboarding process.

• Payroll processing: HR automation can simplify payroll by automating calculations, tax deductions, and direct deposit transfers.

• Recruitment and applicant tracking: Automate the recruitment process by utilizing applicant tracking systems that streamline job postings, resume screening, candidate communication, and interview scheduling.

• Employee surveys: Conducting employee engagement surveys is another area where HR automation tools can benefit organizations greatly. Just automate your employee survey templates at any interval of your choice.

• Goal setting & tracking: There are many helpful HR automation software such as Teamflect that can help users automate goal check-ins to assist employees in updating and taking ownership of their goals.

2. Set goals. What do you want to achieve through automation?

HR automation, while a crucial concept in modern performance management systems, has the risk of evolving into one of those concepts that workplaces attempt to implement just because of its status as a buzzword.

With the emergence of mainstream AI productivity tools, everyone and their grandmothers are talking about automation in the workplace. While this is an important discussion to have, we need to keep in mind that:

Automation for the sake of automation can be counterproductive.

That is why you need to make sure you know what you wish to achieve by automating these tasks:

• Are you aiming to increase participation rates in engagement surveys?
• Attempting to reduce the time and effort spent on resume scanning?
• Boost employee engagement through a streamlined onboarding process?

Whatever it is you aim to achieve, you need to set goals related to it. As we will discuss in the next entry to this list, HR automation often requires some investment on your part in the shape of HR automation systems.

That is why you need to make sure you set measurable goals for what you are trying to achieve through HR automation.

3. Choose the right HR automation tools

If there is one thing we can say about the amount of tools for human resources automation it is that the market is certainly oversaturated.

While this might make picking the right HR automation platform a bit difficult, it also means consumers have a wide range of HR automation software to choose from. Here is what you should look for when picking an HR automation software:

Scalability and customization

Your organization is a dynamic entity, and so are your HR needs. Choose a tool that can scale and adapt along with your growth.

It should accommodate changing processes, new features, and evolving compliance requirements. Customization options are also a bonus, allowing you to tailor the tool to match your unique workflows.

Integration capabilities

One of the worst scenarios you can find yourself in is the following: You have one tool for recruitment, another for onboarding, and a separate one for meetings and communication.

No matter which HR process you wish to automate and which HR automation tool you go for, you should make sure that it is integrated into the rest of the software you use on a daily basis.

Doesn’t lose the human element

Another key concern with tools centered around automation in HR is losing the human element. While we will be diving into this further in the common mistakes people make with HR automation, we need to mention it here as well.

Automation tools, occasionally tend to cut human participation out of the equation and when you working in HR, that is one thing you can’t afford.

4. Regularly evaluate and update automation processes

HR automation isn’t a practice you will be able to nail on the first attempt. In order to make sure you are getting the most of your investments into human resources automation, you need to measure the efficiency of your automation tools.

Some of the best ways to evaluate your HR automation process is to simply ask the people using those automation tools. You can easily send out surveys to your team by taking advantage of employee pulse survey software.

The Best HR Automation Software

There are plenty of helpful HR automation software available to consumers today. As we stated above, the tool you go for should correlate with the needs of your organization.

What are the best HR automation tools? Here are some helpful HR automation tools you can leverage as you start the process of automating your human resources practices:

Teamflect: Best for onboarding, performance management, and reviews.

Teamflect, to put it simply, is the best HR automation tool for Microsoft Teams users. With complete Microsoft Teams integration, Teamflect offers an all-in-one performance management experience inside Microsoft Teams.

Teamflect is the premier performance management platform for leaders who wish to automate their onboarding process through automated onboarding tasks, as well as automated 30-60-90 day reviews and surveys.

Teamflect also has some impressive automation capabilities when it comes to goal-setting. Being one of the best OKR software for Teams, it lets users create automated goal check-ins for the goals they set.

Looking to automate entire performance review cycles? You can do just that with Teamflect and you wouldn’t even have to leave Microsoft Teams or Outlook.

Personio: Best for payroll automation

With Personio, a comprehensive HR software tool, small business owners can effortlessly handle payroll tasks while ensuring accuracy and efficiency.

One of the most important features of Personio is seamless salary information transfer. Personio simplifies the process of transferring employees’ salary information to its preliminary payroll solution.

Say goodbye to detailed lists and endless number-crunching on your end. Personio automates the transfer, saving you time and effort, and ensuring accuracy in salary calculations.

Bamboo HR: Best for engagement

Designed to streamline data entry, tracking, and information management for HR teams, Bamboo HR offers a robust set of features that empower you to take control of your HR operations.

Bamboo HR understands the importance of employee engagement in building a thriving workplace. With its user-friendly interface and self-service capabilities, employees can access their information, request time off, and update personal details with ease.

This empowers employees to take control of their HR-related needs, enhancing engagement and freeing up HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

Common HR Automation Mistakes To Avoid

1. Over-automation and lack of human touch

It is in the name of the department, isn’t it? While automation can streamline processes, it’s crucial to strike the right balance.

Don’t sacrifice the human touch and personalized approach that employees crave. At the end of the day, HR is all about the people, so keep a healthy blend of automation and genuine human connection.

2. Ignoring employee feedback and experience

Your employees are the true experts when it comes to their day-to-day tasks and pain points. Ignoring their feedback and experience is like navigating blindfolded in a maze.

Actively seek employee feedback and involve them in the automation journey. Their insights can uncover valuable opportunities for improvement and optimization.

3. Assuming automation is the answer to everything

It’s essential to remember that automation isn’t always the one-stop-shop solution. Not every process or task is suitable for automation. Sometimes, human touch or judgment is necessary.

Analyze your processes carefully and evaluate whether automation truly adds value. Don’t automate just for the sake of it.

Keep in mind that there are situations where the human element is invaluable, like handling sensitive employee issues or providing personalized support.

Examples Of HR Automation

HR Automation Case: Employee Onboarding

Let us create a scenario in which a new employee, Sarah, joins a company. Upon accepting the job offer, Sarah receives an automated welcome email with a link to an online onboarding portal.

There, she finds all the necessary documents pre-filled with her information, ready for digital signatures.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the employee onboarding software used by the company updates employee records, notifies relevant departments, and generates a personalized onboarding checklist for Sarah’s manager. It’s a streamlined process that saves time, reduces errors, and sets Sarah up for a positive start.

HR Automation Case: Streamlined performance management and feedback

How can automation be applied to performance review and feedback scenarios? Let’s go back to Sarah. Using performance management software with goal-setting and tracking functionalities, Sarah’s manager, Lisa, can easily set goals and track progress throughout the year.

As Sarah achieves milestones or completes tasks, she receives automated notifications to provide updates in the performance management system.

During the review period, Lisa accesses the system and has a complete view of Sarah’s accomplishments, feedback from peers, and self-assessments.

The automation system facilitates a smooth review process, where Lisa can provide feedback, document performance discussions, and set new goals—all in one centralized platform.

HR Automation Case: Streamlining Recruitment and Resume Scanning

You’re an HR professional looking to fill a key position in your organization. With the right application of HR automation, the recruitment and resume scanning process becomes a breeze.

You effortlessly post job openings, as automation distributes them across various channels and captures applicant information in a centralized database.

Advanced algorithms scan resumes, match them against predefined criteria, and automatically shortlist qualified candidates.

Automation streamlines communication with applicants provides status updates, and simplifies candidate evaluation and interview scheduling.

In A Nutshell…

What is HR automation? Well, it is blending technology and humanity to ensure the optimal balance for organizational success.

HR automation stands as a powerful force that can transform human resource management. It debunks the myth of job-stealing robots by demonstrating the symbiotic relationship between technology and humanity.

The essence of human resources automation lies in its ability to streamline processes, improve accuracy, and create a more engaging employee experience.

Implementing HR automation best practices involves strategic thinking, and it starts with the identification of repetitive tasks that need automation and setting clear goals.

Finding the right HR automation tools is crucial and for this you need to consider factors like scalability, customization, integration capabilities, and the preservation of the human element.

The market offers a variety of HR automation software and each of them caters to specific organizational needs.

There are also common mistakes to avoid, such as over-automation without a human touch, ignoring employee feedback, and assuming automation is a universal remedy.

HR process automation should be a thoughtful and strategic adoption and it needs to recognize the situations where the human element remains indispensable.

As one of the best HR automation software for Microsoft Teams, Teamflect will transform your HR operations. So, why not enjoy the perks of HR automation of Teamflect and streamline your performance management?

To explore more, you can schedule a free demo by clicking the button below!