How HR Process Standardization Saves Time and Improves Decision-Making

Human resources teams are in a continuous struggle between accuracy and efficiency. Employees expect instant responses to complex queries, while governing authorities are steadily increasing reporting and regulatory requirements. This administrative burden can make it difficult for HR teams to scale and improve operational efficiency.

HR process standardization is the practice of documenting processes and workflows to ensure predictability, reduce inefficiencies, and increase competitiveness.

Here’s how HR departments can use digitization and automation to empower team members and achieve HR process standardization across regions.

What Is HR Process Standardization?

HR process standardization is a form of business process management (BPM) in which you develop clear and consistent guidelines for recurring HR processes. For example, standard operating procedures (SOPs) are a type of process documentation in which you describe the components of an HR function step-by-step.

HR professionals can use process standardization to create new processes, optimize existing processes, and identify areas for process improvement. They might use tools like process maps and templates to document HR operations in a way that’s easy for existing employees and new hires to follow consistently.

Often, the process of standardization highlights redundancies and repetitive tasks that are ready for automation. You can use it to streamline leave of absence management, the onboarding process, performance management, and more.

Why HR Process Standardization Is So Important

Some HR practices require standard operating procedures from the get-go, while others develop organically and no one bothers to write them down. They may simply be baked into the accumulated knowledge of your organization — until it’s time to formalize them as part of a training program or knowledge management initiative.

Here are some ways HR process standardization contributes to organizational success.

Saves Time

Ad-hoc processes can result in bottlenecks and inefficiencies for your HR team. There’s nothing wrong with HR staff members taking the initiative to resolve a complex case — but standardizing processes saves time because they don’t have to reinvert the wheel each time. HR process efficiency leads to improved organizational performance.

Promotes Fairness and Compliance

As an employer, it’s important to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and other policies. Standardized recruiting and hiring practices, performance management processes, and other talent management processes help to maintain a positive work environment and prevent unequal treatment and discrimination.

Enhances Scalability

Standardized processes are easy to replicate, allowing you to scale up your output with new hires or automation. It also increases your adaptability, since you can update your SOPs at any time, responding to real-time operating issues or market conditions. As you grow, you can scale up without having to resort to HR outsourcing.

Improves Decision-Making

When you standardize HR processes, it’s easier to collect high-quality data and share it with stakeholders. Instead of comparing apples to oranges, you can track standardized metrics to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarks. Use HR data analytics to gain valuable insights and make better, data-driven decisions.

5 Ways to Achieve Standardized Processes

HR process standardization doesn’t require high-tech tools — you could just write out your standard operating procedures on paper. But with HR technology advancing by the day, there are more ways than ever to achieve process standardization. 

Here are five ways to make HR process standardization a key part of your HR digital transformation.

1. Forms and Templates

Forms and templates are no longer static documents. Employees can fill out and even sign forms online, removing one of the biggest bottlenecks in the HR department. With HR automation, you can pre-fill forms with the information you already have about an employee, reducing the risk of human error and redundancy.

When you use Pulpstream to generate onboarding documents for new hires, you save time and ensure compliance. Other key documents to standardize include Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) forms and performance review templates.

2. HR Automation

HR automation refers to the use of software to perform recurring or repetitive tasks that would otherwise need to be performed by someone on your HR team. You can use HR automation for form-filling, data entry, time-tracking payroll processing, and more, with automatic notifications any time an HR staff member needs to step in.

HR automation can improve employee satisfaction and increase employee retention by resolving issues faster, reducing busywork, and providing a positive feedback loop. Use Pulpstream’s HR software to automate everything from business insurance claims to the return-to-work process and ADA accommodations. 

To see how it works in practice, read our case study on how leave of absence process automations liberate HR administrators.

3. Digital Checklists

Checklists are some of the most important tools for HR process standardization. From onboarding checklists to ADA checklists, these tools allow employees to keep track of which tasks have been completed and for supervisors to step in if they need to help. They also allow multiple people to be involved in a single workflow.

Pulpstream’s logic-driven workflows support process standardization even when an HR process varies from state to state. For example, HR teams can use an FMLA eligibility checklist to confirm whether an employee qualifies for leave under federal law — while also assessing their eligibility under state leave requirements.

4. Employee Self-Service

Self-service portals allow for HR process standardization across your entire workforce, even outside of the HR department. Instead of having to contact your HR team every time something needs to be done, employees can simply log in to your HR platform from their desktop or mobile device and access a self-service portal.

In the same way that online banking provides users with a better customer experience, self-service HR platforms can increase employee satisfaction. Pulpstream’s self-service portal empowers employees to view their paid or unpaid leave balance, submit a leave of absence request, upload supporting documentation, and more.

Learn how digital forms and mobile access saved the world’s largest staffing company $1.4 million per year.

5. Reporting Dashboards

HR process standardization provides new opportunities when it comes to data analytics. Many HR platforms, including Pulpstream, have built-in reporting dashboards that allow HR teams to track key performance metrics in real time. They can use these analytics to gain valuable insights into work efficiency and organizational performance.

With standardized metrics and reporting benchmarks, HR teams can track workers’ comp claims, employee attendance issues, and other trends over time. In addition to data-driven decision-making, real-time reporting allows for faster feedback loops to support a culture of continuous improvement.

Standardize HR Processes Globally With Pulpstream

HR process standardization involves assessing your existing processes, documenting them, and training your team members on how to replicate them. Standard operating procedures, digital checklists, and workflow diagrams can all play a role in standardizing HR processes and creating a culture of continuous improvement.

Pulpstream enables HR process standardization with no-code workflow automation and business process management. Use it to standardize claims management, employee relations management, leave of absence management, and more — even when you operate in multiple locations or have employees around the globe.

Our intuitive, drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to customize workflows, resulting in more efficient processes and a better employee experience. Plus, you can review and refine your processes at any time so you’re never locked in to outdated workflows.

Request a demo to see how Pulpstream can help you standardize processes today!