We’ve all heard how a stranger at a party, in under a minute, can form a first impression of your character and personality. That first 60-seconds is almost indelible.
Impressions, though, don’t just happen at parties. A meticulous onboarding process is really your first impression for a new hire. So many of us have heard horror stories about the first few days of work. Spending most of their first day completing tedious paperwork and reading the employee handbook. Then this new person is left with a tremendous number of tasks with no one to turn to for assistance. Next comes the stress that makes the person think about whether they have made the right decision or not.
Why Are Digital HR Management And Onboarding Processes An Essential Aspect Of The Employee Experience?
Thoughtful, proper onboarding can lead to lower turnover and greater employee satisfaction. This is where small businesses can capitalize on new technologies and thoroughly mapped processes to craft a stellar experience for their new employees. So why should you go digital?
Efficiency equals speed. If time is money, then removing time-consuming tasks can save in several ways. Digital tools centralize and personalize paperwork to reduce the amount of time needed to locate and complete them. Online resources are also available 24-7, making them more accessible when and where they are required. It also allows onboarding documentation to begin before the new employee even sets foot in the door. These documents are also accessible as long as the employee is with the company. Nothing is misplaced, lost, or forgotten.
Enforce process controls and accuracy. People are fallible. They forget things, and they are prone to mistakes. With an online platform, monitored checklists assure each step of the process is followed and checked for accuracy. Once documents are submitted, they are stored centrally, updated, and referred to at any time. Automated reminders request employees to update their information and eliminate the need to follow up on crucial paperwork.
Security reduces risk. Properly validated platforms are protected through the latest in security protocols, allowing for HIPPA and internal compliance to support audits and assure the safety of your employees. Integration with digital signature technologies is significantly more secure than paper or other electronic signatures by creating a virtual fingerprint unique to the individual and protects the information in digital messages or documents.
“EASE” Them Into Their Enrollment Paperwork
Even the smallest of businesses can move into the digital document management age with the help of a few key partners. This is where we can help. HBC has heavily invested in making sure clients have the same access to tools as enterprise companies. One of the platforms we have recently announced is the Ease Platform.
Eliminate the back and forth of incomplete enrollment forms and allow the new employee and HR team to complete the process of electronic documents from the comfort of their homes. The Ease platform helps clients by providing the speed, convenience, and safety of moving their employee benefits enrollment online.
With the new platform, you can collect new employee information digitally and eradicate the need to create and send employee offer letters, collect and store required documentation, such as W-4 and I-9 forms, e-sign legal documents and collect direct deposit information. The platform also syncs with your benefits programs, so employees only must enter their information once. The platform then streamlines healthcare enrollment by automatically generating forms and required fields from more than 5,000 healthcare insurance carriers. Everything is stored securely and easily accessible to those involved in the process.
Once onboard, you can manage your company with a robust suite of HR tools designed for convenience and efficiency. With Ease, you can allow employees to request PTO online, customize policies, conduct performance reviews, administer surveys, and more.
Read more about the Ease platform here.
Go Beyond Ease With Additional Efficiencies
Two other technologies that we provide to help our clients include digital contract signing and online underwriting.
Digital contract signing allows documents to be submitted electronically via a secure platform and then signed digitally. The digital signatures are coded and encrypted so that only the signee and the receiver together can make a complete, legally binding agreement. This binding digital footprint is protected and legally binding just as a standard “hand-written” signature would be.
Underwriting health insurance policies just became easier. Self-insuring is becoming a more feasible alternative for small and midsized businesses. With it comes the need for an online platform that can address the hassle of traditional paper-based health questionnaires. Removing this inefficiency means brokers and employers can genuinely pursue alternate funding strategies. HBC has invested in an online platform that ties into our benefits administration platform and offers a modern web experience that decreases the learning curve, reduces the hassle, and creates new avenues for employers.
The Digital Revolution Is Upon Us. HBC Can Get You There.
We are thrilled to offer these new tools to our clients. It provides us the opportunity to add more value to you while easing the burden of onboarding and HR management. Contact our offices if you would like a demonstration of any digital tools you have read or know more about how we can help streamline your employee experience.
