Empowering HR:
Beyond Data Entry to Human Engagement
HR – the heart and soul of any organization, tasked with the monumental job of keeping the ship afloat. You know, ensuring everyone’s happy, onboarded properly, and, for lack of a better word, not plotting their dramatic exit.
But here’s the kicker: instead of leading initiatives for positive workplace culture or strategizing on their next big employee engagement initiative, our HR heroes find themselves overwhelmed with administrative burden. It’s like asking a Michelin-star chef to peel potatoes all day. Sure, it’s a part of the job, but oh, the wasted potential!
Now, don’t get me wrong. Data is crucial. It’s the backbone of informed decision-making. But when did we sign off on turning our brightest, most emotionally intelligent humans, into glorified data entry clerks?
The Overlooked Challenge: HR's Battle with Data Entry
Picture this: a HR professional, coffee in one hand, ambition in the other, ready to tackle the day and make a real difference. Fast forward a few hours, and what do we find? The same professional, now with a glazed look in their eyes, mindlessly transferring data from one system to another.
HR could be & should be the driving force behind a thriving workplace culture but it’s being subjected to a never-ending data entry marathon. Yet, in a digital age where technology supposedly reigns supreme, fragmentation is rampant across functional department systems and HR gets stuck being the data clerks, spinning the plates to keep data live & up to date.
The reality is as stark as it is frustrating. HR, guardians of our workforce’s well-being, are frankly caught in a cycle of administrative burden.
They’re the keepers of the single source of truth for employee data, yet they’re caught in a tug-of-war between IT and accounting, manually shuffling information back and forth like it’s a hot potato.
And let’s not even get started on the complexities HR’s encounters in your typical defense contractor company. ADP or BambooHR might handle these intricacies, but at what cost for the HR guardian? As the sheer volume of data noise HR has to navigate is akin to finding a ‘needle in a haystack’ – if the haystack were also on fire.
How do we reclaim HR’s rightful place as architects of corporate culture, rather than reluctant data custodians? Because it’s high time HR got back to what it does best – helping people.
The Heart of HR: Focusing on People, Not Paperwork
Imagine a world where HR get to do what they’re truly passionate about – the heart-to-heart chats, the life-changing career advice, the crafting of a workplace culture that feels more like a family and less like a factory. That’s the dream, isn’t it? But instead, we have forms, files, and forever updating spreadsheets.
When did the ‘H’ in HR stand for ‘Hordes of Redundant’ paperwork? Ironic, we’ve tasked the very souls charged with fostering human connections and building vibrant cultures with the most soul-sucking tasks imaginable. Like asking Van Gogh to paint by numbers.
Picture an HR professional, who spends their day engaging with staff, strategizing on wellness initiatives, and yes, actually having the time to listen to what employees need.
Human Resources [H-R] * NOUN: (N.)
We’re not just about making life easier for HR (though, let’s be honest, that’s a pretty big win). It’s about unlocking the true essence of what HR can and should be – the beating heart of an organization, not its paperwork processing plant.
The Keeper of the Keys: HR's Role in Managing Employee Data
You can't spell Hero without...
HR’s central role as the keeper of employee data isn’t just about keeping tabs on who’s who in the zoo. It’s about ensuring that this data is accurate, accessible, and, most importantly, secure.
They’re the bridge between multiple departments, each with its own insatiable appetite for data – IT, accounting, you name it. And in the labyrinthine structures of modern corporations, especially those with a penchant for collecting subsidiaries like they’re going out of style, HR finds itself in an unenviable position.
Managing this deluge of data, even with the latest HRIS, is a Herculean task that no mere mortal should be saddled with. It’s time we liberated them from the chains of manual data management and allowed them to soar. Because when HR is free to focus on people, the entire organization flourishes.
Bridging the Gap: Synchronizing Identity and Reducing Redundancy
Enter the hero of our story – identity synchronization.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Synchronization? Isn’t that something IT should handle?” Well, yes and no. See, HR sits at the epicenter of an organization’s employee’s identity data. They’re the first to know when Bill Billions from accounting gets a promotion or when Henry Higgins decides to jet off to London. But ensuring this data flows seamlessly across systems without HR having to play telephone with IT and accounting is where cidarity comes into play.
At cidarity, we believe data is to be entered once, and then auto-magically (that’s us) updates Identities across all systems, spanning all functional departments. No more double entries, no more data discrepancies, and, most importantly, no more HR folks feeling like they’re stuck in a moment of “50 First Dates.” Reducing redundancy isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have.
The IT Conundrum: HR's Unwanted Role in Tech Support
Walk with me, there’s an HR professional, let’s call her Linda. Linda signed up to support and nurture the company’s workforce. Instead, Linda finds herself moonlighting as an IT technician, fielding calls about password resets and system access issues. Not really what Linda envisioned when completing her SHRM-CP and SPHR certifications.
In the end, it’s about recognizing that while HRIS and IT systems are distinct, the critical identity data is not. By bridging this gap, we take the first steps in not only alleviate HR’s tech burden but also pave the way for a more integrated, efficient, and happy workplace. HR can step back from the tech support ledge and return to what they do best – helping people be better humans.
The Path Forward: Simplifying systems a step towards HR Empowerment
Alright, we’ve painted a pretty vivid picture of the current state of affairs – HR’s bogged down in a quagmire of data entry, acting as reluctant IT liaisons, and basically, managing everything but their actual job. So, what’s the escape route from this administrative labyrinth?
The path forward, my friends, is about simplification and empowerment. It’s about building bridges where there are currently chasms – between functional departments, between data entry and strategic engagement. Building a world where HR moves employee identity data between systems while they sleep and spends their days actually interacting with humans.
Let’s simplify the complex, automate the tedious, and synchronize the disjointed. By doing so, we’re not just optimizing a department; we’re transforming the way organizations engage with their most valuable asset – their people.
And we believe, this starts with Identity data, this is cidarity