Why Do Employees & HRs Love Smart Document Management Systems - Top Reasons Explained

You urgently need your last three payslips for a loan application. You open your inbox and realise that, while clearing email storage space a few weeks ago, you deleted most of your read emails, including the email with the payslip attachment. So, except for the most recent payslip, the older ones are gone.

You decide to email HR, but you soon realise that you can't expect an immediate reply. The usual turnaround time is 24 to 48 hours, but you can't wait that long—the deadline to file the loan application is today. Does this scenario sound familiar? Employees face these types of challenges all the time. It can be quite frustrating.

But what if we told you it's possible to make all HR documents instantly accessible to your employees, right from their phones, through a document management system app? There is no need for the employees to send emails to HR and wait. Whenever they need an HR document, they simply tap on their mobile app, search for the document, and tap download. And there it is!

In this blog, we'll explore why both employees and HR appreciate instant access to HR documents, and how document management system software, whether accessed via mobile or a portal, can benefit them.

What is Meant by Instant HR Document Access?

The main purpose of a document management system is to speed up the process of retrieving HR documents. Essentially, it's about making document access instant. A cloud-based system is even better because it can organise storage for users to access files from anywhere. It's generally more secure than local storage, as it eliminates the risk of data loss or deletion due to system failure.

Types of Files Stored in Document Management System Software

How Does a Document Management System Work - The Technology Behind It

Modern HR document management software is powered by a secure cloud-based infrastructure that combines elements like:

• Digital document management systems for organising and storing files.
• Role-based access control for ensuring employees only see their own documents
• Encryption and security protocols for protecting the sensitive nature of the data being stored/transmitted.
• Mobile-responsive and user-friendly interfaces that can work smoothly on any device that employees or HR personnel use
• Integration with existing HR systems - attendance management, leave management, payroll systems, etc., to automatically update documents

Benefits Breakdown: What's in it for Employees?

When a company uses HR document management software, employees will find their work lives much easier. They can spend more time on the important parts of their jobs, like creative projects, without getting bogged down in paperwork and other HR-related documentation. Here is a breakdown of the benefits for employees.

Convenience and Time Savings:

Let's revisit the initial example we mentioned—the urgent need for three months' payslips for a loan application while you're at the bank. Instead of emailing HR and anxiously checking your inbox for a reply, with a document management system software on your phone, you simply pull it out by tapping a few buttons.

The same ease extends to when you are in need of filing taxes—for instance, when you want to review your previous year's tax documents or receipts, or when you need to compare your performance reports from the last three sessions. You are able to access everything you need from the document management system.

Empowerment and Self-Service:

One key benefit of modern document management system software is its self-service options, which give employees instant access to their personal documents, benefits information, and career records. This direct control over their information eliminates wait times and reduces dependency on HR for routine document requests.

Employees gain greater independence in managing their HR documentation and take charge of their professional journey. Secure access to personal records and instant updates create a sense of ownership and enhance workplace satisfaction.

Transparency and Clarity:

In organisations that use a document management system, there's more transparency and clarity between employers and employees about how things should be done. Employees can easily look up the company policies, rules, performance reviews and procedures, so they know what's expected of them without having to ask someone else.

Likewise, being able to see past performance reviews and feedback anytime at their convenience helps them improve on a much better scale. They can reflect on their achievements, identify areas for growth, and work on getting better without waiting for their next review.

Improved Employee Experience:

We talk a lot these days about improving the employee experience. It's not one single thing, but many things working together. Document management systems play a huge role in this. With self-service platforms and instant access to their important documents whenever they need them, employees don't have to rely on HR for every little thing. They can access, manage, and track their records on their own terms.

Employer Benefits Breakdown

Document management system software offers many conveniences and benefits to employees, but it's also advantageous for employers, team leaders, and HR teams. Here's a breakdown of the benefits it provides them.

Minimises Admin Workload:

Can you believe that a simple upgrade to HR document management software could significantly reduce administrative workload? The statistics prove it. The best way to measure this impact is by tracking the volume of HR requests received daily, from current and former employees, and the time spent processing them.

Onboarding, offboarding, employee relations, and appraisals all revolve around HR documents. By automating the flow of these documents through a powerful HR document management system, the workload becomes much lighter.

Improved Compliance and Security:

For any company, two of the biggest challenges are ensuring statutory compliance and data security. Both of these are directly or indirectly related to the document management system, its storage, methods, and many underlying factors.

Properly managed employee, HR, and company documents are essential for maintaining regulatory compliance. To achieve this, companies need to enforce standardised processes and retention schedules, which can be simplified by using an advanced document management system. Such a system also provides robust security features that protect sensitive information from unauthorised access, data breaches, and potential legal liabilities, while simultaneously creating a clear audit trail of all document activities and modifications.

Enhanced Employee Relations:

Keeping solid records of every interaction with the employees is important for creating a sense of accountability and also to improve the employee experience and relations. For example, if someone says they turned in their bills of travel expenses from a business trip but you can't find them, a good document management system with audit trails will show exactly what happened. Hence, there's no arguing about whether it was done or not.

Concluding Thoughts

A workplace relies on documents to function efficiently. Employee records, company policies, operational guides, you name it. Quick access to these when you need them is crucial for both the employers and the employees. For sorting, organising, storing, and retrieving documents effortlessly, you need a document management system—and every stakeholder loves having one.

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