From Paper to the Cloud: The Evolution of our HR System

We started with brown paper folders.

At ten employees, having paper folders with hard copy employment letters and employee information worked. It also didn’t take up very much storage space. Then, when the company grew to twenty employees, physical files were becoming harder to manage and share amongst team members, so we switched to electronic files. Electronic files for HR records freed us of any physical files we kept and definitely streamlined things for us. Being in the technology industry, using software and applications to create efficiency is vital, but securing employees’ information is also a priority. At forty employees, we realized several things: employees do not have access to their own employment documents, we’re unable to track the consistency of information collected at commencement, and files could be downloaded to local machines.

With these concerns in mind, implementing a comprehensive HR software was the natural next step. We were searching for a platform that is easy for employees to use, can create custom rules that align with the business, and has a variety of HR functions readily available or at least be easy enough to integrate with other software.

We chose a leading cloud based system and it exceeded our expectations.

By implementing this software, we’ve seen many benefits that have allowed our operations to run more efficiently. For us, key benefits include:

• Creating a central administration with roles and permissions.
• Enforcing security and information confidentiality.
• Allowing employee access, including a mobile app.
• Promoting our people-focused culture.
• Encouraging employee engagement through feedback and communication.

When you’re working for a growing company that thrives on culture, it is important to have practices in place that represent and advocate it. Our new system allows us to create a custom on-boarding process that sets our new hires up for success. On-boarding is the first official interaction a new hire has with a company. Through the HR system, we send an email that includes the new hire package and a custom questionnaire with questions that tell us a bit more about the new hires (i.e. What was the last technology gadget you received or bought?). The answers to these questions are then sent to all employees on the new hire’s first day in an introduction email. This function helps create a bond between existing employees and new hires despite never having met previously.

As a growing company, we’ve found that it’s always the small things that creates the most impact. Through simple actions, such as Announcements, Goal Setting, and Celebrations, employees feel more engaged and involved. And it’s our HR system that keeps us organized and up to date with all of these events. We post company-wide announcements, which are sent to every employee and is visible through the HR system homepage when the employee logs in. We found that having frequent and clear communication through different platforms has been instrumental in promoting the growth of our employees.

This was our first step but I believe, no matter what software you use, enhancing your HR system should be considered a milestone to any growing company. In my role, it is exciting to implement meaningful improvements and to see how they are benefitting our employees now, and how it will support them in the long run.