Running a business isn’t easy. There are so many responsibilities that employers and their HR teams must address with little time.
The need for simpler administrative solutions is why more businesses are turning to employee self-service technology. This technology gives businesses the means to improve administrative efficiency. Keep reading to learn more about employee self-service software and how it can benefit your business.
What Is Employee Self-Service (ESS)?
The simplest way to define employee self-service technology is that it gives employees added accessibility to access key information and handle multiple HR responsibilities on their own. This technology gives users access to an online portal or company intranet login. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) uses the following employee self-service definition to describe this process.
- “Employee self-service (ESS) portals are web-based tools through which employees can access relevant information and conduct certain transactions from a central online site or gateway.”
This level of autonomy is designed to give employees more freedom to access their information. Online portals allow workers to adjust or review details when they want to from wherever they have an internet connection. Meanwhile, using an ESS system helps businesses save time and improve administrative efficiency by giving their employees greater access.
What Can Employees Do With Self-Service Systems?
ESS portals provide workers with several features that make life easier for themselves and their employers. These features include giving employees the ability to handle the following administrative tasks online without having to directly involve management:
- Records management and employee data – Update personal information including change of address, marital status, and other data that can impact tax management and other HR functions.
- Payroll capabilities – View pay stubs, change withholding and deductions, and log time and attendance if necessary.
- Benefits enrollment and assistance – Review important benefits information, complete open enrollment, and track coverage, participation, and other important details online.
- Retirement plan adjustments – Make changes to existing plans, such as modifying 401(k) contributions.
- Time off management – Track PTO hours, submit time-off requests, and find out who is available to cover shifts.
- Expense management – Submit business-related purchases for future repayment through the company’s expense management system.
- Company document library – Access important documents such as the company handbook, training documents, operating policies, and more in a single, cloud-based source.
What Are The Benefits Of Employee Self-Service Systems?
Giving employees access to ESS technology leads to several advantages for both employers and employees. These improvements include the following ESS benefits:
Save on time and administrative work
When you run a business, it takes a lot of time to complete regular administrative tasks. ESS portals take some of that work out of your hands by either reducing how long it takes or eliminating certain jobs altogether.
ESS portals give employees the ability to access key documents on their own. Instead of spending time and energy delivering payroll stubs, employers can allow workers to access paystubs all year round and download W-2s for tax season. Employees can also update personal information online instead of forcing management to hunt down and input that data. Simply put, ESS technology reduces paperwork and administrative efforts by allowing employee access.
Improve information sharing and tracking
ESS technology can integrate with human resource information systems (HRIS) to help employers tie new information into their payroll management, benefits administration, and any other critical processes. Whenever an employee updates their information, these systems will have access to that information.
Employers can also utilize the ESS technology to keep track of certain employee submissions. For example, managers can review expense claims and PTO requests to make sure they fall in line with company standards and either approve or reject them. This process helps streamline submissions while keeping the appropriate personnel involved in the process.
Eliminate questions
Self-service is meant to be a system where employees don’t need to involve others. One of the benefits of offering an ESS system is that it drastically reduces how often employees need to ask for help.
By giving employees the means to access different information and tools, they can feel empowered to find out information on their own. In turn, managers won’t have to deal with as many questions or serve as a middle man in trying to solve simple HR tasks.
Improve employee morale
According to studies by Gartner, 77% of employees want to have easier, more digitized options for completing routine tasks and accessing information. ESS software gives them exactly what they want.
Offering employees a simple way to check personal information and complete tasks will only make their lives easier. These workers are just as happy to cut out extra paperwork and redundant processes. Presenting self-service options enables employees to take care of what they want on their own, all while saving both them and HR professionals extra headaches. That’s a major win-win for any small business.
Simplify Your Business With Employee Self-Service Technology
There are plenty of responsibilities as a business owner. ESS systems allow you to free up some of that administrative workload while empowering your employees at the same time.
Ready to drive organizational efficiencies through technology and expert HR support? GMS gives companies access to our dedicated HR professionals and special tools like GMS Connect so that they can focus on growing their business. Contact GMS today to see how we can make your business simpler, safer, and stronger through expert HR management.