"We’re stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works. How do you recognise something that is still technology? A good clue is if it comes with a manual."
– Douglas Adams
Obviously, the take-away here is ‘burn all manuals.’ Just kidding. If a human resources department could implement HR technology that minimises tedious processes and unnecessary complexity, then they’ll jump at the chance, manual or no manual. And, if the fit is right, it won’t be long before that technology becomes ‘just stuff that works.’
Signs of a broken HR department
The real question to ask here is: does your department need modernising? Let’s check some boxes:
- You still use paper. A LOT.
- You’re forever trying to interpret someone’s handwriting.
- You spend too much time on repetitive tasks.
- Processing time off or expense requests can take weeks.
- People fill in purchase orders incorrectly.
- There’s no centralised, automated information system.
- You have to chase management approvals, constantly.
- You have poor visibility on who has time off and when.
- Your employee records are out-of-date.
- You don’t know whether people are being productive or just saying they are.
- Things get done efficiently or properly, but never both.
- Your recruitment and onboarding process is a complete nightmare.
- Chaos, stress, pressure and an over-reliance on coffee.
The HR technology list
We don’t want you to choose OUR HR technology just because we say it’s the best. We want you to see all the options and then figure out what fits your needs. With that said, though…
1. Why Turbine is so great
Welcome to why you should try Turbine, written by the people who sell it. We’d be remiss if we didn’t kick off this list with our own contribution to the party. There’s a reason we believe in Turbine – it’s because we built it for ourselves first. Nothing else on the market quite did what we needed it to. It was only after much internal beta testing that we started offering it to the wider world. It works for us, and we’re certain it works for other modern businesses as well.
"With Turbine, we now do all our purchase orders and expense reimbursements electronically. Teachers are able to access this from anywhere at any time. This has greatly reduced paperwork and frustration."
– Tim Gott, Palmetto Scholars Academy
Turbine is your one-stop-shop for centralised, digitised HR processes. Organise your expenses, purchase orders, time off requests and HR records all in one portal. With the little things taken care of, you can focus on more complex HR issues and spend time on creative ideas to benefit your workplace. Try Turbine.
… OK, now for the rest of the list
Whether you need HR technology to help with recruitment, improve team collaboration, automate repetitive tasks, analyse business data, or even to be more environmentally friendly, we’ve got the tech for you.
- Use self-service portals, automated emails and templates, and even AI technology, to streamline recruitment. Try Entelo.
- Build and share employee rotas for improved visibility and efficiency. Try Deputy.
- Stay up-to-date on recent UK employment law changes and avoid misunderstandings and frustrations with this iPhone App. Try the Employment Law Cloud.
- Manage HR projects and communicate with your team-mates. Try Basecamp.
- The environment needs our help. Don’t use paper. Use Paper. Try Dropbox Paper.
- Got remote workers in your HR department? Keep the office banter going. Try Slack.
- Use strategic analytic insights to better understand your workforce and any issues where HR might need to intervene. Try Betterworks.
- Make sorting out employee payroll an easy and smooth experience for all. Try Dominion.
- Access information with a vast HR library to help you deal with complex HR problems and provide motivating benefits to employees. Try Zenefits.
- Whittle down candidates during your recruitment process and keep track of all your candidate communications in one place. Try Workable.
- Track where the time goes. Get granular data on productivity without becoming a micromanager. Try OntheClock.
- Keep ahead of the curve with safe misconduct reporting, resolve issues and empower employees. Try Vault.
- Conduct interviews with video software, including live interviews and candidate recorded answers, with in-built reviewing and sharing. Try SparkHire.
- Get to grips with e-learning software for independent and flexible professional development on a budget. Try Me Learning.
- Build your own enterprise-level learning platform tailored to your department or organisation’s needs. Try efront.
- Use employee referrals to build a network of candidates for your next recruitment drive, then analyse the results. Try Boon.
- Expense reports cause a headache. Get rid of them and use this company payment card system. It even collects receipts and reminds employees when these are missing. Try Pleo.
- Avoid the accounting nightmare and save yourself time on chasing unpaid invoices. Try Xero.
- Share and communicate about potential hires in-house, and automatically connect new job postings to key advertising sites. Try BreezyHR.
- Once you’ve got a new hire, you need a sleek, comprehensive onboarding process so they get the best first impression of your business. Try Talmundo.
- Give whistleblowers a chance to anonymously and safely report an incident using their preferred method. Try GotEthics’ Whistleblower App.
- Get HR tools to track attendance and provide benefits suited to your industry, whether that’s manufacturing, public sector or third sector. Try ADP.
- Promote employee wellness and mental health with an application both you and your business can benefit from. Try Calm.
It’s up to you to determine the right fit for your business and HR department. Nowadays, there’s a plethora of choice, so don’t get bamboozled by hype. Find the stuff that works and choose wisely.
