Automating HR: The Solution to Manageable Working Hours
In the last few decades, the world of work has changed. More and more people are working from home or in a flexible environment, and this trend is unlikely to change anytime soon. With that being said, it’s important for HR departments to adapt their systems as well – which is where automation comes into play. Automating HR can help reduce time spent on administrative work by managers and employees alike so you can spend your time doing what really matters: providing quality services to your customers. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how you can use automation software tools to manage the hours of all staff members with ease!
What is Office 365 and SharePoint and how do they work together?
Office 365 is a cloud-based subscription service that provides users with access to Microsoft Office applications, as well as other features such as storage space and email. SharePoint is a web application that allows team members to share files, collaborate on projects, and create websites. When used together, Office 365 and SharePoint can help automate HR tasks by making it easy for managers to track employee hours worked and by providing employees with an online space to submit their timecards.
There are many different ways in which you can use Office 365 and SharePoint together to automate HR tasks. Here are just a few examples:
-You can use Excel spreadsheets to store employee data such as contact information, job titles, pay rates, etc., and then upload that data into SharePoint.
-You can use Word to create templates for timecards and insert fields such as start and end times, overtime hours, etc., which will automatically get filled in by employees after they’ve submitted their timesheets. You can even configure the template so it only allows managers to approve or reject submissions; this way you won’t have any accidental changes made by your team members!
-You can also store important documents like employee contracts and insurance information on Office 365 servers so everyone has access to them at all times – no matter where they are working from. This means when a new staff member joins the company, he/she doesn’t need to wait around for paperwork – everything’s already done! And if you need to access a file from home, simply sign in and it will be right at your fingertips!
-You can use the Outlook email client to send out announcements and reminders about upcoming events – which are automatically stored on SharePoint for everyone’s convenience. And if any employee wants more information regarding an event or needs additional details, he/she has direct access via SharePoint pages.
Why should HR professionals care about Office 365 & SharePoint?
Office 365 and SharePoint are a match made in heaven for HR professionals. As we’ve already mentioned, they allow employees to access important information from anywhere at any time so when it comes to working hours – no one is ever out of the loop! But Office 365 has many other benefits as well:
-It provides users with all Microsoft office applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel etc., which can be used together or separately depending on your needs; this way you’re never short on ideas when it comes to automating processes.
-You only need one subscription per household (up to six family members) which means that whether you have two staff members or ten – everyone will get unlimited storage space and email addresses. Plus if you’re a non-profit organization, you can get Office 365 for as little as $69.99 per year!
-Office 365 products allow users to seamlessly collaborate on projects from any device at anytime – which means that employees will always have access to the most up to date information and won’t need to wait around until they return back in the office. This also helps HR professionals avoid mistakes since everyone is submitting their work simultaneously instead of waiting ’til Monday morning when there’s more time available; this way no one gets overlooked or left out! And if someone does have an issue accessing data because he/she isn’t working from a laptop with all relevant programs installed, then just give him/her remote access through Office 365 Home Premium!
-Office 365 comes with a great calendar app, which has the ability to sync across all devices so that employees can always have direct access from their smartphones or tablets – no matter where they are. This means if an employee is working from home and needs information on upcoming events it’s just one click away! And since these apps are available offline as well, he/she will be able to take important data with them even when there’s no internet connection available.
How can you use these tools to automate your HR processes?
We have already mentioned a few ways you can use Office 365 to automate various HR processes, but here are some more examples:
-If your organization is involved in organizing company events or conferences for clients – Office 365 provides you with all the tools necessary to manage these important meetings. For example, since it has document sharing capabilities built right into its calendar app you’ll never have any issues finding documentation when needed! And if that’s not enough then just give employees access to Microsoft SharePoint where they will be able to view meeting agendas and other relevant info on upcoming assignments/meetings which will make sure no one misses out!
-You can also monitor team activity by using OneDrive cloud storage options; this way even if an employee leaves his/her laptop at home or office, you will still be able to access important information and track his/her progress! You can also use OneDrive as a backup tool which is especially useful if your company doesn’t have an internal cloud storage system.
-By using Office 365 email filters and archiving options, HR professionals can create automated mail groups that include all relevant employees for easier communication; this way everyone stays on the same page instead of constantly having to contact people who may already know about certain assignments – like interns for example. This not only saves time but helps avoid possible errors as well since team members always receive notifications when new announcements are posted etc., so they never miss out on anything again!
-Office 365 has built in Skype capabilities which can be used to conduct interviews with potential employees. This is especially helpful if the company is looking to hire remotely or from a different location since it eliminates the need for travel! You can also use Skype for team meetings and brainstorming sessions, making sure that everyone has an equal voice when it comes to important decisions.
-Last but not least, you can use Office 365’s reporting tools to keep track of employee performance over time. This way you’ll have all the data at your fingertips and will be able to identify any areas in which further training may be necessary. And if an employee leaves the company, then you’ll have a record of his/her accomplishments (and failures) which will help when writing reference letters etc.
What are the benefits of using these tools for HR processes?
-Since Office 365 is secure and cloud-based, this means you can access your files/documents everywhere as long as there’s an internet connection available. This also gives you the ability to monitor team activity in real time since everything is centralized; if one person edits a document then everyone else will be able to see those changes within seconds!
-Office 365 eliminates most of the administrative work required when it comes to organizing meetings or interviews with potential employees, so HR professionals have more free time on their hands which they can use for other important projects instead. And with OneDrive capabilities built into its calendar app, companies never have any issues finding data again!
-Using these tools makes company communication much easier since all employees are automatically added to the relevant groups, so it’s easy for everyone to stay on the same page without having to constantly contact each other. And with Skype capabilities included in Office 365 you’ll have no problems conducting interviews or meetings from a different location!
-Office 365 reporting tools can be used by HR managers as an accurate way of monitoring employee performance over time since all data is stored within one system. This makes keeping track of people leaving/joining much easier and also helps when writing reference letters etc., so if someone has been working there for three years then his/her manager will be able to provide more detailed information than usual which makes finding new employment that much easier.