Netchex Star Wars: The Rise of HR Technology

A long time ago in an office far, far away… 

There is great unrest within the company. Veteran employees are unengaged and the new recruits are inferior. Paperwork has piled up and nothing is in compliance. Without help, the office will fall under the irredeemable influence of the dark side.

But there is hope. In a hidden, dimly lit office, an HR professional has made an important discovery that will forever change the way the company manages its employees. Empowered with integrated HR technology, a savior has emerged to save the company from collapse and restore productivity to the workforce… 

“Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.” — Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

Like The Force, there is a light and a dark side of HR technology. More stressful than helpful, the dark side is a hodgepodge of disconnected systems. HR technology without integration will not solve your company’s issues, it will just make new problems, stagnate productivity, and waste your time. 

60% of companies use 5 or more different HR systems, while 20% use 10 or more different HR systems. On the whole, HR pros spent more than 512 hours a year maintaining multiple systems. This is not only more time consuming, but it also opens the door for costly errors as HR is forced to manually input data across multiple systems that typically do not communicate well with one another. If you want your HR team to succeed, this cannot be the way.

“It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.” — Obi-Wan Kenobi, A New Hope

Like The Force, as Obi-Wan originally explained, integrated HR technology surrounds everything and binds your company together. It connects the entire employee lifecycle ensuring information, changes, and data are shared across every aspect—from time & attendance and payroll to benefits and hiring & onboarding. Simply put, it saves time and money while making HR’s job easier and more manageable.

An overwhelming majority of workers (87%) believe integrating new HR tools into workplace technology is a key priority, while (64%) believe their organization will fall behind if HR technology is not fully integrated.

“An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” — Obi-Wan Kenobi, A New Hope

As technology becomes more integral in the modern workforce, an integrated HR management system is your key to success—truly, an elegant weapon for a more civilized age. Here are 7 ways integrated HR technology will improve your HR team and your company as a whole:

Save Time

“Strap yourselves in; I’m going to make the jump to lightspeed.” — Han Solo, A New Hope

Whether pod racing or making the jump to lightspeed, time is one of any company’s most valuable assets. For HR professionals, an integrated system eliminates much of the manual work associated with the job, including data entry, updating employee information, and mountains of paperwork; therefore, saving you time and effort that is better dedicated to helping employees in all the ways that HR does.

Improved data accuracy

“In a dark place we find ourselves, and a little more knowledge lights our way.” — Yoda, Revenge of the Sith

Everyone knows data is important, but many are hesitant to fully trust it. Information duplicated across or coming from several different and unconnected systems inevitably leads to data that is lacking, inaccurate, and/or out-of-date. A single-source solution ensures your data is accurate and timely while minimizing human error, thus leaving you with data (knowledge) you can trust to light your way.

Make smarter decisions

“Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin. They’ll betray you.” — Obi-Wan Kenobi, Attack of the Clones

Having all that information in one, easy-to-access platform enables HR and management to make better decisions quicker. Backed with better data, you can identify and resolve problems as they happen, observe data over time to make more informed decisions, and help create a strategy for improving your company.

Empower your workforce

“For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.” — Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

HR technology is not just for the HR department and management; it can be used for the betterment of the entire company. Self-service technology empowers employees to take control of their payroll, benefits, and overall employee experience. Update contact information, access W-2s, check timesheets, confirm benefits, review employee handbooks, and more—HR information and policies should no longer be a disconnected mystery to your employees. 

Increase productivity

“Do or do not. There is no try.” — Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

Greater productivity is every company’s goal, and a true single-source solution can help you get closer than ever before. Done correctly, HR, managers, and employees alike will benefit from using software that is powerful enough to run your company, but also easy for everyone to use. Use automation and workflows to work faster, use accurate data and analytics to make better decisions, and enable your workforce to work more efficiently with HR and management.  

Minimize compliance risk

“You are unwise to lower your defenses.” — Darth Vader, Return of the Jedi

Regulations and compliance are increasingly occupying more and more of HR’s time. Now is not the time to lower your defenses, but rather you need to reinforce them. An integrated system automatically monitors, tracks, and alerts HR to important compliance-related issues such as compensation, overtime, taxes, benefits eligibility, COBRA, and more. This not only helps save time, but possibly saves money on penalties if your company were to fall into non-compliance.  

Better Communication

“Ggwwrraarrwwrararrrrrrrrr!.” — Chewbacca

The best way to ensure success company-wide is through clear and consistent communication. Thankfully, integrated HR technology makes that easier too. Send emails or text alerts to employees about new documents and files, benefits enrollment, and keep employees updated on everything HR-related.