How does employee self service work?
Employee self service (ESS) is a tool that allows employees to access, view and manage information related to their employment. It simplifies a wide range of HR processes, such as booking annual leave, viewing payslips, and updating personal or financial information. As well as being a time-saving tool for managers and HR professionals, it gives employees ownership over these tasks.
Some more advanced employee self service portals use AI technology to automate routine tasks and provide predictive analytics. For example, AI can suggest optimal times for taking leave based on workload patterns, assist in career development by recommending relevant training courses, and predict potential issues like burnout by analysing employee engagement data.
5 benefits of employee self service
Let’s take a look at the 5 main benefits of employee self service for medium-sized businesses.
1. Increases accuracy
One of the key employee self service portal benefits is that it helps to make employee information more accurate. By storing data digitally rather than on paper, they can integrate with other HR systems and automate processes, ensuring that information is correct and consistent while reducing the risk of human error.
Similarly, as employees are able to input their own data, it’s more likely to be entered accurately. Processes that rely on line managers or administrative staff to copy information from a separate source are less efficient and more prone to errors, which can be costly for your organisation.
2. Makes it easier to manage annual leave
Another great benefit of a self service portal is that it makes it easier to manage employee annual leave. Employees can simply log in to input their leave request, check the approval status or cancel leave. ADD SOMETHING HERE
For line managers, self-service leave requests require very little admin, allowing them to focus on other critical tasks. All they need to do is approve or reject an employee’s leave request from their own dashboard, where they’ll be able to see all approved and requested time off in one place, making it easier to manage the workforce.
3. Saves money
Manual HR tasks often require additional resources to manage them, which can be costly in the long term. Employee self-service benefits the wider organisation by reducing the administrative burden for managers and HR professionals, so there’s no need to hire additional employees.
Using HR software automates tasks and avoids repetition within HR processes. This frees up staff for more strategic initiatives, such as improving employee morale and retention, which can in turn save money by helping to increase productivity and reduce turnover costs.
4. Increases productivity and engagement
An employee self service portal benefits the workforce by allowing them to easily update important information on their own. Manual or paper-based processes can be repetitive and inefficient, reducing productivity across multiple departments. For example, an employee may need to fill out a form, which is then passed on to a line manager or HR professional for them to enter onto a spreadsheet or other HR system.
The transparency of self service tools can also improve employee engagement, as it allows them to take ownership over tasks relating to their employment. This makes employees feel less reliant on others, increasing their sense of autonomy and responsibility, and allows them to be more productive.
5. Improves accessibility
Finally, employee self-service benefits the entire organisation by improving accessibility to essential processes. Using secure cloud-based software with access permissions allows employees in any department to log on and access a single source of data, making collaboration easier and more efficient.
Depending on the system and the company’s individual policy, employees can even manage their annual leave, view payslips and perform work-related tasks out of hours from home or on the go. As well as making these processes more convenient, employee self service portals are ideal for businesses that offer remote or flexible working.
Employee self service and remote working
One of the most important benefits of an employee self service portal for modern businesses is its ability to support those who are working remotely. They allow employees to log on anytime from anywhere, so they can view and manage their own HR information as needed. This flexibility is crucial for remote workers who may have different schedules and working environments from line managers and HR staff.
Communication can be a major concern with remote working. A self service system helps to address this issue by enabling employees to handle many tasks independently, such as requesting annual leave or updating personal details. This not only empowers employees but also saves time for their line managers, and is one of the many ways that HR software can streamline processes for remote working.
Streamline your operations with HR self service software
As we’ve explored in this article, there are many benefits of an employee self service portal, including:
- Increasing data accuracy
- Simplifying annual leave management
- Saving time and money
- Increasing productivity and employee engagement
- Improving accessibility to essential services
PeopleHR’s self service HR software offers enhanced AI capabilities, making it even easier for you to streamline processes and empower your employees.
If you’d like to take advantage of the benefits of employee self service for your business, request a free demo of our self service HR software to see it in action for yourself.
