HR is a challenging area to work in nowadays, and the rise of distributed workforces and remote-first companies is a key reason why. With companies competing in a global talent pool, hiring freelancers, contractors, and employees in a wide range of global locations, there is added responsibility for human resources, making it challenging to maintain cohesion and minimize hiccups in internal processes. However, the emergence of automation-driven solutions is reshaping HR, allowing for more streamlined and scalable systems that ease the burden on you as an HR professional. In this piece, we’ll go more in-depth on this, highlighting some key areas where automation can help to optimize HR processes when dealing with distributed workforces.
Optimized onboarding
Onboarding is one of the most critical processes in HR – after all, to ensure optimal productivity for a company, being able to get new hires up and running as efficiently as possible is essential. But while most companies understand the importance of onboarding in a general sense, many fail to see where the potential for optimization lies, relying on outdated resources, delivery methods, and recordkeeping systems for onboarding material.
Research shows that the median time-to-productivity for new hires is around 35 calendar days, but many organizations are pushing for 25 days, which means rising expectations for HR. With employees needing to hit peak performance more quickly than ever before, HR teams need to streamline every aspect of the onboarding process to ensure frictionless cycles that facilitate organizational growth rather than hinder it. This is where smart HR systems make all the difference.
Using AI-driven HR platforms, such as Bamboo or Gusto, you can create automated workflows. This can allow you to have welcome messages, orientation documents, online training materials, and digital forms all delivered at scheduled intervals, based on the starting date of new hires. This makes managing distributed workforces much simpler. These platforms can also provide a hub for communication between departments. For instance, management and IT can be automatically alerted when employees require new devices or software. This eliminates much of the administrative burden that you normally face in HR, while also providing a smoother, more intuitive experience for new staff.
Frictionless payroll
Payroll is always one of the most important aspects of what you do in HR, and it can also be one of the most time-consuming. This is especially true in instances where you’re dealing with a globally distributed workforce that includes international freelancers or contractors, as international payment processing can prove more complicated. With payroll automation, however, you can simplify this process dramatically.
Using a modern payroll platform like Payapa Global, for example, you can easily streamline all of your international payments. These kinds of payroll platforms integrate with time tracking and accounting systems to allow automated payment scheduling and processing. Moreover, they can automatically apply updates for currency conversions and tax rates.
Payroll automation can make things simpler for finance, too, as they can automate the creation of tax forms. This has traditionally been a process that requires considerable time and due diligence, particularly when using contractors. In the US, for example, finance departments are required to be aware of what is included in Form 1096, depending on their workforce, and to complete the relevant forms it summarizes, such as the 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, and 1099-INT forms. With automated payroll tools, however, these forms can be submitted automatically, reducing workload while ensuring tax compliance.
Engaged workers
Managing distributed workforces can be difficult in a variety of different ways, but perhaps the most challenging aspect of all is employee engagement. When employees work from different locations and potentially even separate countries on different continents, keeping them motivated and feeling connected to the organization is often more complicated. But again, automation can provide a solution – this time in the form of employee engagement platforms.
With an automation-driven engagement platform, such as Leapsome or Culture Amp, you can easily gauge workforce sentiment. These tools feature feedback features like pulse surveys that can be rapidly deployed and analyzed to give insights into engagement levels, morale, and potential issues in workplace dynamics that need to be addressed. This allows for better HR decision-making while reducing your manual workload.
Critically, the best engagement platforms also have employee recognition components. This can allow you to set up automated notifications when specific KPIs are achieved, prompting a formal acknowledgement of an employee’s hard work. Employees can also participate in rewards programs on these platforms, allowing them to access perks and additional compensation.
By implementing automated engagement platforms, you can ensure that distributed teams are more connected, motivated, and productive, all with minimal manual intervention.
Wrapping up
In the age of distributed workforces, HR is more challenging and complex than ever, but automation tools can help you navigate global employment effectively. By implementing AI-powered onboarding tools, automated payments platforms, and employee engagement platforms, you can eliminate manual burdens from your day-to-day. As a result, HR teams can achieve smoother workflows and a happier, more motivated, and productive workforce that collaborates effectively, regardless of location.
