The HR department is one of the crucial divisions of every organization, big or small. With it lies the task of hiring, engaging, and managing the entire workforce, among various others.
A lot of data is involved in day to day functioning of a company. Not to mention, HR is not devoid of it. In fact, the HR professionals come across mountains of data regularly. Talk about screening candidates, recruitment, compensation, training, benefits, performance reviews – all contain data that needs to be collected, stored, and accessed as and when required.
While we have moved to a digital era and data is rarely being stored in the physical form, security still stays a concern today. With a large amount of information flowing in and out of a company at every point in time, ensuring security can be a challenging task. And data being the biggest asset a company can have, there is very little margin for error. Add to this the risk of natural calamities like fire or flood.
This is where the need for an efficient ECM (Enterprise Content Management) platform arises.
What is ECM?
ECM platforms present a system for capturing, preserving, and managing unstructured content and documents. An ECM can collect information from multiple sources and store it in a centralized database. The data can be then accessed by any authorized person from anywhere across the world at any time. Not to forget, the data transfer happens with utmost precision and security.
OnBase ECM, Laserfiche ECM, Alfresco ECM, Xerox ECM, IBM ECM, SAP ECM, etc., are some of the major players in the league out there.
Read More: What is HR Automation?
Here Is How ECM Can Contribute to a Smoother Functioning HR Department
- Improves Productivity – When data is available anytime, anywhere, the HR team need not be present in certain locations to access information and respond to queries. This enables the team to be free from geographical barriers, yet being able to collaborate swiftly. The HR team can thus be more responsive, hence increasing productivity.
- Enhanced Security and Compliance Measures – ECM helps HR control and protect sensitive data. The software vendors make sure the latest industry-standard security and compliance measures are in place to protect valuable company data and employee data.
- Audit and Disaster-ready – Audits require data to be available in a systematic manner. Enterprise Content Management system ensures data is presented in a timely and organized manner when audits happen. This also means that the normal functioning of an organization is not hampered during these times. In addition, since the data is available on the cloud, there is no effect on the company’s precious data even in cases of natural disasters.
- Reduces Costs – Not only does ECM help in managing employee data, but it can also be implemented across multiple business applications and systems. It electronically stores and manages content in all forms, thus lowering overall costs for a number of critical business functions.
The primary function of HR in an organization should be to hire the right people, nurture and manage them. With the help of an ECM platform, the HR professionals can focus more on these productive tasks than sifting through uncategorized piles of documents. It helps improve the employee experience while making the whole process much easier, safer, and compliant.
Read More: Role of Cloud in HR Management