By Jaime Lizotte
This post is sponsored by HRdirect Smart Apps, simple and smart HR software that fits your small business and your budget.
Let’s get right to the point: Your small business needs HR software. Technological advances provide tremendous efficiencies over tried and true (yet not always accurate and error-free) paper systems. Add the emergence of easy-to-use software applications and you have two pretty solid reasons to make the switch.
However, if your current title is Owner / HR Director / Trainer / Customer Service Manager / Bookkeeper, you’re probably thinking “The last thing I want is IT Director added to the list!”
Don’t worry! Your job will get easier, not harder, with today’s software solutions. By shifting away from old-school procedures, you’ll put more time in your day, create measurable cost-savings and, with the right software, more easily remain HR compliant.
Technology is Good For Business
If you’ve been reluctant to make the software shift, you’re not alone. Seventy percent of HR professionals use technology to manage payroll, yet utilization drops to an average of 24.5 percent for other key functions, such as employee performance management and retirement benefits enrollment, according to the 2017 Life Insurance and Market Research Association report Convenient and Connected: How Are Employers Using Technology Today?
In addition, ComplyRight’s 2017 National Small Business Compliance Pulse Survey found that 70 percent of small business employers use pen, paper, sticky notes, spreadsheets or general business software to manage HR tasks rather than software designed specifically for employee management.
While comprehensive software solutions are indeed intimidating for small business owners, a revolution in the HR software industry is shifting to simpler solutions that actually make your job easier.
Positives Far Outweigh Negatives
The greatest small business owner misconception: HR software is complex, not to mention can be expensive, and not worth the effort to learn. Well, that may have been the case five years ago, but the fact is more and more software solutions are tailored to small business owners just like you.
Here are a few good reasons to consider using cloud-based HR software for small business in your company:
- No more paperwork managed by one person – Everyone shares the responsibility of updating information in one centralized location that is accessible from anywhere you have an internet connection.
- Easy to use – No need for intensive employee training since the installation and operation is simple and self-explanatory.
- Continuously updated software – No more worrying about buying new software in order to get updates – with online software applications, you always have the latest and greatest version.
All of the above are mostly a given with any cloud-based HR software. However, there are a few unique HR software features that are exceptionally distinguishing:
- HR software built by HR experts – Compliance with labor laws are becoming increasingly complex. Keeping up with all the changes is practically a full-time job. Look for an HR software that is built and regularly updated by legal experts monitoring the latest labor law updates.
- Customized software to fit your needs – Today’s solutions are customized to specific needs instead of all-in-one packages; so, if you only need time clock, record-keeping or scheduling software, just purchase what you need.
- Affordably priced – Since you’re only buying what you need, there’s no need to purchase high-cost software with bells and whistles you’ll never use.
In addition to simplicity, improved accuracy and a lower price tag, a limited number of HR software applications also include real-time updates as labor laws change to ensure your business remains compliant.
The revolution has arrived, and it’s time for all small business owners to realize the value and benefits HR software provides. Free resources and practical tools are now available through HRdirect Smart Apps to help get your HR practices up to speed with the rest of your business. Click here to join the HR Recordkeeping [R]evolution.