As organizations pivoted to working remotely seemingly overnight earlier this year, HR leaders were tasked with responding just as quickly to provide necessary resources and ensure employee safety, wellness, and productivity.

One important piece of the puzzle was access to online portals via human resource management systems (HRMS). These HR software platforms provide employees with self-service access to benefits administration where they can get information on paystubs, retirement accounts, employment documents, and most importantly of all in a pandemic, medical coverage.

With face-to-face HR meetings not a viable option at this time, you may need to help some of your staff get up to speed on how to remotely access your company’s HR software. Training teams can help reduce the volume of emails and phone inquiries as suddenly more employees need access to pertinent health benefit information, or you need to provide blanket updates on remote work policies.

If your team is still struggling to navigate the self-service portal in your HR software, you might need to dig in a little further.

Is There a Reason Employees Don’t Use the Self-Service Features?

It’s first important to understand why employees aren’t using the self-service portal. Your own team’s answers may vary, and it is helpful to ask them directly why they continue to call the HR department when they now have access to the information directly. A few common reasons include:

• They don’t know the system: Although employees are comfortable accessing all sorts of information online today, they may not be comfortable navigating an HR software on their own. They may be uncertain about what they can view, or how to find information they need. They may also mistrust the accuracy of the information itself.
• They forget it exists: Change can be difficult to accept. People used to managing their benefits through simple phone calls or visits to the HR department may find it difficult to change to the automated system.
• It’s easier: For some, it’s easier to continue asking someone in HR for the information rather than finding it themselves.

To help employees become more self-service while working remotely (and beyond), try some of these options:

• Organize virtual training sessions or on-demand webinars to demonstrate the new self-service portal. Make sure the training session includes hands-on use and navigation of the system so employees learn by doing, not just listening to someone talk about the new system.
• Offer “open office” hours when employees can specifically call or message with questions about their benefits but limit these hours. Guide people to the self-service portal if they approach human resources during other times outside of the virtual “open office” hours.
• Guide employees to the self-service portal whenever possible. It takes tact and finesse to do this without being too brusque with them, but you may need to use some “tough love” to get people to follow procedures.

Is Your HR Software Doing What People Need It to Do?

If none of these tips help, it might be time to look at the HR software itself. Make sure the self-service portal does, in fact, do what it purports to do. All the information in the system should be complete and up to date. If employees find the information is incorrect, outdated, or not intuitive to navigate, they will lose faith in the system.

Develop a simple system for reporting any problems with the system. Create an online ticket so people can easily report problems and include all the pertinent information for troubleshooting.

Lastly, talk to your HR software vendor if you have any ongoing issues or problems. Your consultant or vendor can help you troubleshoot any vexing issues that may be separating your team from successful implementation and use of the self-service portal.

Support Remote Work With HR ERP Modules

HR software isn’t just limited to benefits access. Adding an HR module to your ERP software can also help gather information on employee productivity, which is helpful in determining where you can improve and how to pivot within remote work situations. Better metrics can create a more positive and productive workforce, which will benefit both your organization and your employees. ERP HR modules can also manage information about sick leave and time off, payroll, and time and attendance, all of which employees may need to learn to log through a self-service portal while working remotely.

Technology has certainly provided the bedrock for the possibility of successful remote work. While teams continue to adapt to the newest changes to their “normal,” having benefits and other important HR information available via a portal at their convenience helps everyone stay more informed about how to best move into the future.

Add an HR module onto your SYSPRO or Sage 300cloud ERP software or learn how to better leverage this service for your team. Talk to a software professional at PositiveVision now.