What is HR software?

Here’s everything you need to know about HR software. You can…

  • Combine all HR functions into one suite
  • Free up management time, stay informed
  • Empower employees to self-serve, reduce errors
  • Stay on the right side of employment laws
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What does HR software mean?

HR software, also known as HRMS (Human Resource Management System), is a digital solution that helps businesses manage their human resources efficiently through a single, integrated platform. It combines key functions like employee data management, rota creation, time tracking, and performance management into one system.

How do businesses benefit?

By automating routine tasks and centralising sensitive information, HR software improves accuracy of data and reporting, supports compliance with UK employment law, and reduces administrative workload. It enables businesses of all sizes to manage their teams effectively and cost-efficiently, without needing a full HR department.

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What HR software helps you manage

HR tools should let your employees clock in and out of work, track their breaks and submit timesheets. Systems should offer this functionality remotely to reduce HR management burdens.

As a bonus, the best HR software provider should also offer a system for rota scheduling that allows you to create rotas, track attendance and fill open shifts. You’ll be able to identify habitual lateness as well as your most consistent and reliable employees.

HR tools should give your employees the power to request time off from work remotely (including from home) and managers should be able to sign them off.This means that the best HR software provider should offer some form of absence management tool that provides tracking to see how much time employees are taking off.

Plus, the software should come with holiday planning tools to prevent scheduling conflicts.

As well as covering the day-to-day basics, your HR efforts will span beyond making sure employees clock in—you want to build them up to be at their very best. Advanced HR software solutions will also incorporate a way to set clear goals for employee development, noting and managing skillsets, setting time-bound goals and tracking these goals in a non-intrusive manner.

Access ready-to-go review documents, get high level overviews of employee performance metrics and align their development to your business objectives.

The best HR software includes storage facilities to keep sensitive information secure, as well as providing a dedicated section to keep CVs, contracts, and staff handbook information readily available.

This data should be accessible anywhere to anyone with the proper login credentials, and correct levels of access. This will keep you agile, informed and reduce the time spent searching for important information. Double check that your chosen provider is GDPR compliant.

The best human resource software providers will also offer legally compliant document templates, from your standard employee contracts to sickness policies. Easily navigate UK employment legislation without exposing your business to unnecessary risk.

HR advice on demand

A premium service that a select few HR software vendors will offer is a 24/7 advice line. Frequent consultations with lawyers over employment law claims can be expensive and inaccessible to small businesses; but HR software can provide unlimited advice from UK-based employment law advisors.

Benefits of HR Software

Employee self-service

Your staff should be able to access their personal information and edit pre-authorized fields (such as their contact information). Workers should also have access to basic employment information, such as holiday allowance, employee handbook, and workplace policies, with tools to request HR changes if details are incorrect.

Employees book their own time off, with an overview of how many days entitlement they have left. This will be ready for approval from managers, who get a snapshot view of any conflicts and can approve or deny leave requests with a single click.

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Suitable for businesses of all sizes

One of the biggest advantages of HR software is that it can be useful to businesses of any size. Did you know that even if you have just 1 employee, you're required to be compliant with employment laws?

While software can be leveraged to manage large teams at a high level, it can be especially useful to small businesses; no need to hire a dedicated HR manager, with full control over all aspects of your HR.

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Looking for an all-in-one solution?

BrightHR provides businesses of all kinds with a comprehensive solution that goes beyond HR compliance. Discover our all-in-one solution for HR and people management today.