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A human resource information system (HRIS) is more than a glorified filing cabinet. Whether you have 10 employees or 200, an HRIS can be a great business tool for many reasons. While there’s little doubt that an HRIS will help you efficiently manage and store human resource (HR) documents and employee information, these systems are also designed to help your business become leaner, more agile and remain compliant in the changing business landscape. Still not sure if an HRIS might be worth the investment? Below are three compelling reasons why you should consider implementing this technology.

1. Improve Oversight of HR Tasks

Forget the calendar reminders and sticky notes when juggling HR tasks. An HRIS can help you save countless hours when managing interviews, hiring and training new employees, and scheduling reviews. The system can be setup to provide reminders for documents that need completing, or directly alert employees about actions that need to be taken concerning onboarding, vacation requests, benefits or changes in position

An HRIS can also automatically delay hiring, promotions or terminations if all necessary requirements haven’t been met as per company policies. That’s because some HRIS technologies automatically monitor compliance, cross-checking information against company policies so that managers are alerted to irregularities or problems.

2. Reduce the Tedious Paperwork

We are living in a digital age. So, why are so many HR personnel and managers still doing paperwork? The amount of time it takes to complete, file, find, and update could be costing your company a lot of money. In fact, it has been reported that the average organization spends about $20 in labor to file each paper document, $120 in labor searching for each misfiled document, and $220 in labor to recreate the document.

With an HRIS system, there’s no more filling out forms that are difficult to maintain or worse, might get lost. The system allows for easy input of information, which can be accessed at any time. Reports can also be generated to help identify information gaps, or ensure better compliance.

3. Enhance Compliance and Customer Service

Filling out and signing the right forms isn’t enough these days. Information must be gathered within a certain time frame, filed with the right departments, and then made readily available for any government audits or legal requests. Not only can an HRIS help you streamline compliance processes, but it can also become a central repository for all of your corporate policies. This benefits employees who may want to learn about various policies without directly approaching a manager or HR team member.

An HRIS can also be used for strategic onboarding and continual training, giving employees a leg up in reaching their full potential at the organization. You can alert employees to new policies or processes using the HRIS and even track training activities. This ensures employees are always prepared to be the best at their jobs and to deliver excellent customer service.

Using an HRIS for Employee Benefits and More

These are just a few benefits that can help you build a business case for HRIS technology. However, once implemented, you’ll discover so many more advantages including better employee productivity, increased automation and even easier benefits plan management and administration. With fewer forms to file, less mistakes being made, and minimal compliance problems, an HRIS system gives HR staff, department managers and business owners more of what they truly need—time focused on building the business.