1

owers Watson projects that HR technology will be an $8.1 billion industry in 2015. The HR Tech conference enjoyed record-breaking

attendance last fall, and HR tech startups abound. Josh Bersin of Deloitte by Bersin predicts that technology will play a much larger role in HR in 2013 and cites the rapid growth in HR vendors as evidence. Providers are reinventing the applicant tracking system (ATS) to accommodate social media integration, and mergers & acquisitions continue at a rapid pace as vendors seek well-rounded solutions to help HR do its demanding, multi-faceted job.

The HR department has moved well beyond its traditional role of compliance to embrace a more strategic role within the organization. HR heads are garnering more respect as the C-suite recognizes that without the right talent in place, a company can’t hope to achieve its business goals. With this newfound respect comes a greater responsibility, however. HR is expected to strategically acquire, engage and retain the best employees out there.

The SHRM Research Spotlight: Future HR Challenges and Talent Management Tactics lists “creating smooth and efficient HR processes that ensure a good employee experience” among the top challenges HR executives will face in the decade ahead. Poorly thought-out or poorly executed processes create a negative impression and can hurt engagement and retention levels. In today’s talent-scarce job market, that’s a risk you can’t afford to take.

T

HR pros must manage multiple points of contact with current and future employees regarding a variety of important issues. Human Resources has an entire industry devoted to serving its many needs and functions.

Which solutions are worthwhile? We will explore four tools and technologies that empower HR to create positive interactions that lead to greater engagement while enhancing workflow processes.

Best Practices in HR Technology: Creating a Better Experience While Improving Efficiency

2

With the profusion of technology solutions available today, HR professionals don’t have to take that risk. Thanks to enterprising minds, it’s easier than ever to streamline workflows, increase efficiencies and help employees help themselves to a better work experience. This article will highlight four of the best tools and technologies designed to improve the necessary transactions of today’s work life.

Social media-enabled applicant tracking systems

HR technology thought leader and analyst Jessica Miller-Merrill recently discussed the evolution of applicant tracking systems from compliance and database tools to search and engagement tools for job seekers and for building talent networks. Whereas these systems were originally conceived to automate recruiting processes, some now have the capability to manage candidate relationships and facilitate collaborative hiring. These technology advances are a much-needed boon to both sides of the hiring process, as candidate interaction has historically left much to be desired. The new breed of ATS also seamlessly interfaces with the organization’s Human Resources Management System (HRMS), creating a well-organized communication and tracking platform throughout the employee lifecycle.

According to the Jobvite 2012 Social Recruiting Survey, 70% of companies now use social networking or social media to support their recruiting efforts. Without a social media-enabled ATS, you face untold complexity and headaches as you post jobs across multiple social networks and manage candidate communication from separate systems. Fortunately, many systems, often cloud-based, now exist to streamline expanded talent sourcing and create an engaged talent community.

A social media-enabled ATS allows users to automatically broadcast open jobs to multiple social networks and candidates. Some providers offer matching technology that suggests candidates for a given job based on their social profile information, and some offer mobile access to a company’s career portal. That is a feature not to be discounted, as Comscore research reveals that 77% of jobseekers use mobile job search apps.

Employee referral remains the number one source of new hires, and a social media-enabled ATS enables workers to easily and quickly push job

Without a social media-enabled ATS, you face untold complexity and headaches...

3

postings out to their networks. The system automatically tracks social recruiting referrals and recognizes employee contributions. This creates a collaborative atmosphere in which employees feel vested in the recruiting process—and, therefore, in the organization—and are rewarded for their participation.

Video interviewing

Many companies now use virtual interviewing, both live and recorded, as part of their recruiting process. Sarah White & Associates, in their 2012 Video Interviewing Usage Survey, revealed that more than 38% of respondents used video at some stage of the hiring process. This percentage is expected to rise over the next three years as usage moves into the Early Majority phase. A 2012 video usage trends study by vendor GreenJobInterview noted that for larger companies, that figure goes from 58% (1,001–5,000 employees) video usage to 80% (more than 10,000).

Companies both large and small—and the candidates they engage with—can benefit from the convenience and cost reductions of video interviews. Candidates appreciate the any time, anywhere nature of video interviewing. It means they don’t have to take time off work to travel across town (or across the country) to interview for a new position. They can now look into new job possibilities during their lunch break, or after work. With just a webcam and an Internet connection, candidates can meet prospective employers face-to-face or record answers to interview questions. Some vendors even offer mobile interview apps.

Candidates also appreciate the “green” aspect of video interviewing. This technology cuts out travel, at least in the earlier stages of the hiring process, which reduces a company’s carbon footprint. In a culture increasingly aware of the impact human choices have on the environment, any tool that fosters a green image is valuable to an employer’s brand.

Organizations that use virtual interviewing technology not only provide a positive candidate experience, but they enjoy cost savings, faster time-to-hire, and a larger candidate pool to draw from. Additionally, some video interview platforms can be used for virtual meetings as well. This makes remote workers feel included and considered, since you’ve made a way for them to participate without having to travel.

Candidates appreciate the any time, anywhere nature of video interviewing.

4

Electronic signature transaction management

Every stereotype has its roots in reality, which is why HR professionals were seen for so long as merely “paper pushers.” The paper required just to fulfill legal requirements could fill a binder for each employee, and the burden seems to increase each year. That’s to say nothing of offer letters, onboarding packets, requests for vacation time, employee performance plans, and on and on. All this paperwork is a necessary part of doing business, but it’s time-consuming, detail-oriented and burdensome. And one missing signature or missing document could land you in legal hot water.

Legislation such as The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (The E-SIGN Act), signed in 2000, opened the door to processing HR’s many transactions digitally. An electronic signature carries the same weight and legal effect as a traditional paper document signed using pen and ink. A legally compliant eSignature service will include a complete audit trail and tamper-proof virtual seal of the signed documents, as well as through a secure and encrypted Web page.

In addition to being legally enforceable, eSignatures offer a host of efficiencies and cost savings. Gartner’s 2012 eSignature study revealed two key points:

• Enterprises’ and consumers’ recognition of the benefits gained from adopting eSignature software and services led to 48% growth in this market in 2011, with continued growth expected.

• The ease of implementation of the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery model will continue to drive adoption of eSignatures and will establish SaaS as the predominant global eSignature delivery model.

HR professionals will immediately grasp the benefits of using eSignature, which mirror those of online benefits enrollment. They include savings on paper, printing, and postage costs; faster and more efficient processes; and reduction in administrative burden. Which sections of a document need to be filled out and where users need to sign are tightly controlled, so documents are returned without errors. This reduces back-and-forth and enables faster turnaround. HR staff who have until now been tasked with “paper pushing” can be reassigned to more strategic tasks. Employees and

One missing signature or missing document could land you in legal hot water.

5

candidates can sign once and go on their way; a smoother paperwork process improves satisfaction levels.

eSignature is a great benefit to employees as well, who can also be overwhelmed with paperwork. For instance, the entire onboarding process, including I-9 and tax forms, non-disclosure agreements and more, can be delivered and signed electronically. This can even be done in advance of an employee’s first day, allowing the employee the time to thoroughly read all documents instead of feeling rushed in that first-day frenzy of activity. For current employees, periodic notices can be received via email or an online employee portal. It’s a process that shows respect for employees’ time with anywhere, any time access—and it fosters good communication. Solution providers, such as DocuSign (www.docusign.com), provide the electronic signature transaction management tools HR needs.

Online benefits open enrollment

The benefits open enrollment season is one that is met with both anticipation and dread—anticipation from employees who want new or improved benefits coverage, and dread from not only those same employees, who have to wade through seemingly endless jargon-filled paperwork, but also from the benefits administrators, who have to explain all that paperwork and then process it all. Health care coverage is indeed a benefit to employees, but this process can feel like an agonizing chore. Technology once again comes to the rescue, this time in the form of online benefits open enrollment. Electronic delivery turns enrollment into a paperless process, saving time, money and confusion. Employees can log in to their benefits system, compare their personalized benefit options and enroll with just a few clicks. The system can show them where their closest plan-approved providers and care facilities are, reducing the frustration of denied coverage. Instead of employees having to enroll on-site during business hours, they can discuss plan specifics with family members at home to determine what will work best. It’s even possible to upload documentation for dependent eligibility verification.

Online accessibility is good for benefit administrators as well. Gone are the papers to copy, fax, mail and file; the spreadsheets; the missing forms; and the errors due to semi-legible handwriting. Communicating with employees

Electronic delivery turns enrollment into a paperless process, saving time, money and confusion.

6

at multiple locations is easier—even automated in some cases. A financial investment is required, but it’s quickly offset by the money saved on paper, mailings and administrative effort. Benefit administrators become more available to answer questions and resolve issues one-on-one, which further enhances the employee experience.

HR Technology Serves Everyone in the Organization

CedarCrestone’s 2012-2013 HR Systems Survey examined 1,246 companies around the world and identified the 50 Top Performers. Among their differentiators, Top Performers have more technology in place than other organizations and “make an active effort to maximize the strategic value from each solution.” They ensure that “employees and managers are maximizing self service options, taking the burden from the HR department, but more importantly empowering employees.” This group is also far more financially successful than its peers.

The lesson of this study is that HR best practices include implementing tools and technologies that streamline workflows and create efficiencies. These efficiencies include significant cost savings and better candidate and employee interactions and experiences. Both of these results are strategic:

• Money saved on materials and administration can be redirected fromtransactional to strategic initiatives.

• HR is freed up to focus on keeping candidates and employees engagedand retained. Maintaining a talented workforce is a tremendous strategicadvantage that enables organizations to not only meet business goals butto innovate as well.

About DocuSign Inc.: DocuSign® is the global standard for eSignature. DocuSign helps customers accelerate transaction times to increase speed to revenue, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction with the easiest, fastest, most secure global network for sending, signing, tracking, and storing documents in the cloud. For more information, visit www.docusign.com or call 1.877.720.2040. Visit the DocuSign blog at www.docusign.com/blog and follow DocuSign on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Top Performers have more technology in place than other organizations.