It's a very interesting time to hire and look for a job. With tons of layoffs occurring globally, some of the rules may have changed. Creating the optimal conditions for new talent to stay, learn, and grow with your company is more important than ever. This requires a streamlined Employee Onboarding process beyond paperwork and cursory introductions. There are many options with new tools on the market, like automation, AI, and other digital empowerment platforms. Let's hone in on automation and AI in employee onboarding.

Automation has opened up new doors to eliminate tedious tasks from HR processes but also ensures that every new hire has the same process. It can guarantee that tasks like submitting personal details, forms, signatures, etc., are done immediately. It can allow quick access to training material and other information you'll need in your first few days. A hybrid approach, like at Wrk, ensures that the human element is woven through the entire process.

Let’s learn more about how automation can help HR teams develop and improve their Employee Onboarding processes!

Future-proofing your hiring process

They say there's no time like the present, which is undoubtedly true for HR departments looking to improve their Employee Onboarding processes long-term.

HR teams now have the chance to move away from outdated Employee Onboarding processes that are becoming increasingly obsolete. A successful Employee Onboarding process of the future has the agility to accommodate new workplace realities seamlessly while making new hires feel welcome. Automating key aspects of the process also frees up time for HR teams to strengthen rapport with new hires, build stronger teams, and keep on top of developing safe and effective workplace policies.

Hybrid Automation platforms like Wrk can help busy HR teams stay on top of their game and avoid letting any aspect of the onboarding process fall through the cracks. Instead, they can concentrate on managing changing workplace restrictions and identifying ways to navigate the online work environment best.

"Automating key aspects of the process frees up time for HR teams to strengthen rapport with new hires, build stronger teams, and keep on top of developing safe and effective workplace policies."

In addition to creating new policies, HR departments also need to ensure that their employees (both new and existing) physical and mental well-being are being taken care of. A survey found that HR professionals had already presented new policies and expectations about workload for remote workers. Similarly, HR departments feel that shifting to remote work culture and maintaining employee morale are the two greatest obstacles since the pandemic started. In short, teams want to rediscover the “human” in “Human Resources”.

When left unaddressed, even minor problems can snowball into larger issues. Low employee morale and increased turnover rates create more work for an overwhelmed HR team. One of the perks of automation is that it can add efficiency to pre-existing Employee Onboarding processes.

Why Employee Onboarding Matters More Today

Many HR teams may have already had their hands full trying to develop new workplace policies before the pandemic hit. Since then, they also have had to deal with the transition to COVID-19 regulations, re-hiring employees that had been let go earlier in the year, and, in some cases, onboarding new employees.

Moreover, the demoralizing levels of loneliness and isolation that can arise from an unsuccessful transition to a work-from-home reality can often lead to decreased productivity. In addition, higher levels of stress and dissatisfaction and increased turnover are more likely as new team members acclimate to their new virtual work culture. But it doesn’t have to be like that.

Employee Onboarding, when done right, can decrease turnover in challenging economic times, improve employee happiness, and lessen the overall workload of HR teams. A study conducted by Harvard Business Review found that 20% of employee turnover occurs within the first 45 days of hire. Carving out some time to build trust with new hires can significantly improve long-term employee retention—but how can this be achieved when an HR team is overwhelmed with many other responsibilities that seem to keep piling up (let alone anything they’re dealing with in their personal lives)?

Simple. Automation solutions like Wrk’s Hybrid Automation platform can help HR departments use their current resources to tackle future obstacles better. The simplicity of Wrk’s drag-drop Wrkflows allows users to add and remove automated tasks to their workflow easily.

Enhance your Employee Onboarding Processes with Hybrid Automation

The question of whether or not to begin automating Employee Onboarding processes may not have been of urgent importance before the pandemic—at least HR departments had the benefit of being familiar with the obstacles they were facing—but the dynamic nature of the post-pandemic workplace makes automation an invaluable addition to the Employee Onboarding process. Managing the ups and downs of onboarding requires a level of adaptability that Wrk’s Hybrid Automation can offer its users. Its variable cost structure provides additional flexibility in times of economic uncertainty.

"Automating these steps helps remove human error from the equation: new employees receive what they need, when they need it, and are better prepared to succeed in their roles."

Let’s look at how automation can enhance your HR department. When automating several key aspects of your Employee Onboarding process, you can generate employee files and contracts, welcome emails, employee purchase requests, and IT setup of work email and account access. Many tasks can easily be delegated to automatic steps.

Generating employee files, contracts, and welcome emails

The Employee Onboarding process starts as early as the job offer, and you send the welcome emails. Wrk’s innovative Wrkflows allow your HR department to customize their Employee Onboarding process so that every new employee has an employee file and contract created for them as soon as they decide to hire them. Automated introductory emails help ensure the necessary documents reach new talent without delay. This means HR teams will have the time to support the development of critical working relationships between new and existing employees. Providing better long-term employee retention.

Work emails, account access, and purchase requests

Setting up work emails, granting account access, and processing purchase requests are also easily automated aspects of the Employee Onboarding process. Automating these steps helps remove human error from the equation: new employees receive what they need when needed, and you can prepare them better to succeed in their roles. Ensuring the tools for success are available builds trust in the company and higher employee morale and productivity. Seamless integration of new talent means less pressure on HR departments to fix complications.

Automating tasks in the onboarding process has the potential to save your HR team much-needed energy that you can better spend tackling more high-value tasks. High-value tasks that very much require the human touch. What could you do with all the time you save? Probably more tasks. But the ones you now have time you can now do with your full attention.

New Year, New Processes

Changes to businesses have left HR departments with a lot on their plate. The simplest way for HR experts to improve efficiency is by looking at what they can pass on to automation. Effective automation gives HR teams all the benefits of a streamlined Employee Onboarding process. Adopting automation will allow them to avoid pitfalls that could harm the hiring process. This saves them time and energy in the long run. It also makes it easier for them to move forward with problems that require human sensitivity.

Interested in the ways the Wrk Platform can benefit your HR team? Check out our HR Wrkflows page for more solutions!