Managing documents related to human resources (HR) is high-stakes work. HR documents often contain sensitive information or data that needs to be kept confidential, such as employee Social Security numbers, salaries, demographics, and more. All this information must be kept as secure as possible for companies to stay compliant.
Additionally, the success of new hires and onboarding processes depends on the HR department’s organization. From training materials to payroll to company manuals and hiring paperwork, every file must be retrievable and in its most recent form. The risk rises when managing all these documents in paper form and/or manually. Paper can be lost, damaged, or easily go out of date. And all of these risks are greater if an organization manages remote or hybrid-remote employees.
HR document management solutions address these challenges. In this blog, we dive into effective HR document management and best practices to help you modernize your HR systems.
Understanding HR Document Management
HR document management typically refers to a system that leverages software to manage unstructured content for employees. The software runs as a content platform that centralizes every file related to an employee. The software helps HR professionals streamline workflows that involve documentation and support case management like onboarding or incidents. HR document management software also automates many tasks and enables automatic document retention, archiving, or destruction to ensure compliance.
Documents managed by this system include:
- Tax information
- Contact information
- Resumes and cover letters
- Offer letters
- Salary information
- Negotiation communication records
- Employee personal records
- Signed company policies
- Completed training materials
- Complaint-related information
- Termination information
- Legal and compliance documents
The Importance of Effective HR Document Management
HR can support the modern work environment only with streamlined document management solutions. All these needs require easily retrievable, secure documentation, from hiring to onboarding to payroll to training. When HR professionals can access files quickly and expedite them through workflows using HR document management software, they are more effective and productive. They also don’t have to worry about staying compliant as software ensures paper trails, access permissions, and metadata security.
Six Best Practices in HR Document Management
Use these best practices to keep your HR documents organized, accessible, and secure while your business stays compliant.
Centralize Documents in a Single Repository
Software is the key here. HR document management software acts as this centralized repository so HR professionals can securely access files from a system that keeps them organized and automatically moving through workflows.
Digitize Your Records
If you want to modernize your organization and scale for the future, you must leave paper behind. Digitizing your HR records enables you to inject more efficiency and productivity into your HR operations. You also reduce the risk of lost or damaged files associated with paper-based processes.
Ensure Security
An HR document management solution enables you to set access controls so only authorized personnel can access appropriate data. Sensitive documents stay private to the right eyes, and you can prove the security of your HR documentation in case of an audit.
Conduct Regular Compliance Audits
Software makes it easy to conduct regular checks to ensure your organization stays compliant. It’s a best practice to establish a cadence of document review to keep files up to date in case of an audit.
Create a Disaster Recovery Plan
Every organization should prepare for data loss. Even if you have HR document management software as part of your operations, you could still experience a data breach or ransomware attack that could compromise your data. Create a contingency plan and protocol employees can use to minimize data loss in case of such an event.
Enable Self-Service
One of the benefits of using software to manage HR documents is the ability to give employees access to their documentation without requiring a human to provide that access. They can update their own tax and contact information, process themselves through certain levels of training, and get questions answered without involving an HR professional.
Modernize HR Document Management Today
With an HR document management system, your HR department experiences greater efficiency and productivity while your organization as a whole stays rest assured of compliance. This system also improves dozens of HR-related workflows that impact your organization’s success, including hiring, onboarding, and training. If you have questions about managing HR documents or how software can help, reach out to All Star today.
