Monotonous, repetitive tasks have long made people feel like they're nothing but cogs in a machine. Advances in AI and machine learning are allowing companies to streamline their workflows and processes in a quest for continuous improvement. Firms now realize that by automating most workflows, employees can finally start to make long-lasting contributions to the business' success. Thus, HR workflow automation is more than just a buzzword making the rounds of some professional circles. In fact, automation and the "future of work" are intimately related concepts.

In a post-pandemic environment where people have re-evaluated how they want to live and work, it is now crucial for companies to make employees feel valued and engaged. A recent survey by consultancy firm McKinsey found out that up to 55 percent of employees value non-financial recognition over outright salary increases. 

Thus, businesses should not strive to exclusively enhance their systems but the entire employee experience. You can enable your employees to perform their roles better through automated HR workflows that are more relevant, engaging, and empowering.

⚙️What is workflow automation?

What is HR automation? 

HR automation comprises delegating common processes and tasks to software. Some of the common examples include:

• Centralized dashboards where employees can check their compensation, leaves, and performance development
• Robotic process automation (RPA) for tax filing
• Pre-boarding, onboarding, and offboarding processing
• Payroll management and salary distribution
• Customizing training programs per department or team.

The huge developments within HR automation have facilitated remote and hybrid work. The benefits of freeing employees and HR professionals to do high-value work with minimal errors have led to the expansion of the human resources technology market. Research firm Statista predicts the industry to grow from USD 47.5 billion in 2019 to USD 90 billion by 2025.

What is a workflow?

A workflow is a series of detailed tasks necessary to complete a process or an output. They are often repetitive and high-volume. Moreover, depending on the department or line of work, they tend to have minimal updates. 

Pro Tip: Because of their predictability and structured nature, workflows are ideal for automation. 

Most people think workflow automation refers only to low-value tasks, but it can also apply to corporate strategy and management.

When workflows are automated, the software tool of choice follows procedures using rules-based algorithms, which allow for everyday tasks to be programmed. Some examples of tasks are: copying and pasting, filling out forms, and sending messages to specific emails. Because these workflows are now standardized, they have nearly zero percent error rates unless there are infrastructure breakdowns or cyber-attacks.

📊Benefits of HR workflow automation

Our article on 30 HR Automation Statistics To Know in 2022 lists multiple benefits of HR automation. But what about HR workflow automation, in particular?

The advantages of HR workflow automation can go beyond merely crossing out tasks for the day and moving on to the next list. Workflow automation can improve overall employee experience and corporate gains. 

1. HR Workflow automation helps prioritize social engagement over machine interactions. A good workflow can guide employees to become more efficient in their work day. This frees them to brainstorm, collaborate with colleagues over more complex projects, and develop meaningful relationships. This is particularly important because quality relationships help create employees' sense of belonging and reduce turnover.
2. HR Workflow automation can give companies as much as 400 percent return on investments (ROI). You read that right, 400 percent, according to a study by AI/ML news company VentureBeat. Some examples they cited were insurance companies automating the client quotation workflow so that proposals were auto-generated to give prospects a comprehensive side-by-side comparison of different providers. Another noteworthy example is tech firm Bosch which saved half a million dollars annually when they automated their supplier network management workflows.

3. HR Workflow automation can lead to more accountability, transparency, and increased process improvements. Because automation dashboards can collect and analyze real-time data, management can have valuable information to help them plan their next automation strategies. This can mean improving the existing workflows or applying similar enhancements to other manual processes. It can also pinpoint areas of improvement, including people who need upskilling.

👀What does HR workflow automation look like in practice? 3 examples

Workflow automation in HR usually comprises standard processes that affect nearly all employees. The most crucial are onboarding, manager training, and employee development. 

✈️Onboarding 

The first few months of integrating into a company are essential and can be nerve-wracking for the new employee. According to a study by software provider BambooHR, as much as 17 percent of employees leave within the first six months, particularly among entry-level workers. When asked about their "first-week wishlist," employees mentioned on-the-job training, company policies review, equipment setup, and mentorship.

What these preferences indicate is that employees want to have clear guidelines on what they should do next. In addition, they want a friendly face, not a completely autonomous HR system. The best way companies can achieve this is to build a holistic employee onboarding workflow that will make employees feel welcomed, confident, and integrated into the company culture.

An automated onboarding workflow can look like this:

• On the first day: allocate a comprehensive, interactive checklist to guide new joiners, keep them organized, and orient them on company background and vision.

• The first month or 30 days (the Learning Stage): assign goals that will orient them on the purpose of their role or teams and the different equipment, tools, and systems. This can include:

1. links to internal materials
2. a list of their system accounts and how to activate them
3. scheduled meetings with key managers and key collaborators.

• The second month (Days 31-60, the Training Stage): guide employees as they start to get into the thick of things and understand how their roles fit the company's overall goals. Some specific activities include:

1. scheduled participation in live meetings
2. in-depth training on the company's suite of products and services
3. scheduled one-to-one feedback sessions with their managers for timely updates.

• The third month (Days 61-90, the Accountability Stage): At this stage, the employees can start to have more autonomy. They can:

1. indicate their desired training program, including attending conferences and webinars
2. start participating in big projects 
3. schedule meetings with managers to analyze their overall performance so far.

💪Manager training

Being promoted as a new manager can induce a lot of self-doubt and imposter syndrome. The best way that companies can empower their managers is to assign an automated workflow that will give them in-depth guidance to become more confident in their expanded roles. 

Additionally, an automated manager training workflow can help established managers stay updated on the latest leadership trends and management systems.

A strong leadership training program ensures that the next generation of managers will act in the spirit of the company's ethos and strategic goals. Leadership training also enables a comprehensive knowledge transfer that is crucial for employees across all levels. 

An automated manager training workflow can look like this:

• Weekly: real-time guidance. Mentors can send tips, tricks, and strategies to new managers before key events like addressing the team for the first time or giving a presentation to upper management.
• First month: formal leadership training. Enroll new managers automatically upon promotion.
• Monthly: dealing with challenges. This workflow can focus on delving into various complex scenarios, such as firing/suspending employees, salary negotiations or disputes, or counseling team members with mental health challenges. For example, with microlearning, the new manager will receive engaging course content delivered in such a way that it reinforces or adds to their knowledge. 

Pro Tip: HR can also incorporate other tasks into the workflow, such as a recurring lunch or dinner event with fellow managers to establish rapport and provide a venue for peer discussions and knowledge exchange.

🌱Employee development

According to a study by analytics company Gallup, 87 percent of Millennials consider professional development and career growth as the main drivers of their engagement at work. In addition, an overwhelming majority of employees (94 percent) would stay longer if their company invested in upskilling. As a result, many companies now have their own learning management systems, formal mentorship curriculum, and leadership training programs.

Most people see employee development as training, but that's just one component. Employee development is an umbrella program covering the entire career progression within the company. So not only does it encourage loyalty, but it's also a crucial element of succession planning.

An automated annual employee development workflow can look like this:

• First-quarter of the year: establish SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based) goals for the year, including the training needed to succeed and the measures to evaluate this success.

• Midyear: kickstart the mid-year evaluation program, including analyzing the progress your employee has made towards their goals: did they meet some in advance? Are there some goals lagging behind? Gathering feedback from stakeholders is also essential to developing leadership and stakeholder management skills.

• Year-end: schedule a meeting with employees to analyze their growth within the year, the areas of strength and improvement, and how the company can help them in their succeeding career goals.

It's also important to schedule a regular one-to-one feedback or mentorship session to encourage employees and continuously get their feedback, understand their unique challenges, and establish better programs to support them.

📈How HR workflow automation changes the role of People Operations (People Ops)

People operations is a subset of HR that focuses on employee engagement and productivity. This business function ensures that employees' needs and preferences are considered carefully and integrated into HR programs and systems. This means ensuring that all processes – from recruitment to onboarding to offboarding – are done with the employee's well-being in mind.

Workflow automation can help improve People Ops in three major ways:

• Data-driven decision-making. The availability of online dashboards and systems can provide unlimited, real-time data that accurately captures employee behavior and feedback. This information is crucial in designing better human-centric systems.

• Prioritizing human experience over manual tasks. Instead of HR teams stuck in an endless cycle of filing taxes, chasing after signatories, and scheduling meetings all day long, automated workflows allow them to check in on potential candidates and new employees. Thus, People Ops can focus on understanding the complex needs of the workforce and how the company can address those needs.

• Create a long-lasting company brand that attracts top talent. The influence of the Baby Boomer generation is waning, and the workforce is now predominantly composed of Millennials and Gen Z. These generations tend to look for new jobs every year or so and are very picky about choosing their employer. Companies can strike the right chord with progressive-minded workers by creating a holistic workflow system that affirms their values and goals.

✏️ How to choose the right HR workflow automation software

There are dozens of automation providers out there, and some have certain specialties. The question to primarily consider is: what does your company need? What is your goal for automating HR workflows? Is it to streamline admin tasks, or is it to automate your training programs?

Here are three additional questions to ask:

• What are your existing HR management systems (HRMS) tools? If you’re going to onboard a new provider, make sure that their software can seamlessly integrate into your technology ecosystem.
• How can you maximize ROI? Is the new software focusing on just training, in particular? Can the system be customized to incorporate additional features? How flexible is the service provider?
• Is the workflow automation system user-friendly? How much training is needed for your employees? Does the software provider give free annual training on new updates?

➡️ Automate your People Ops workflows with Zavvy

With our software solution, you can create customized and interactive workflows like onboarding, training, feedback, and development. Our workflow builder is so flexible that you can create any program, whether automated manager training for new leaders, coffee roulettes for new joiners, or detailed career tracking.

We have templates that can serve as your guide and inspiration as you build your own workflow. Our system can also integrate into your existing tools, such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Notion. Should you have any concerns or clarifications, our dedicated customer success managers and support team are on standby to assist you.

We'd love to help you out. Schedule a free demo today.