How much time does your HR team waste on tedious manual tasks? From managing the recruitment process to organizing onboarding, hiring managers have a lot on their plates.

With so many tasks to juggle, HR teams end up spending their valuable time on admin instead of nurturing their employees. So what’s the best way to improve employee experience whilst still keeping on top of the necessary HR activities?

, hiring leaders can easily automate those time-consuming tasks and streamline processes.  

automation can save workers up to six hours a week

 Not only can companies save money that can be reinvested elsewhere, but they can also reallocate their time to meaningful activities.

This means putting the "human" back into "human resources" and giving employees the time and support they need to feel valued at your company. 

Whether managing a small locally based team of 50 or a globally distributed and remote team of thousands, HR leaders are often burdened with a multitude of tasks that can quickly become overwhelming.

HR automated solutions like FireStart can help take the hassle out of HR tasks:

 businesses can streamline manual processes and implement workflows that boost productivity and efficiency.

By introducing clever new workflows, HR teams can automate repetitive tasks and free up time for meaningful activities that improve the employee experience.

Today’s savvy hiring managers are leveraging HR automation solutions like FireStart to put the "human" back into "human resources."

If you’re unsure of where to start with 

, why not try out these cornerstone processes? 

Automating your HR onboarding process can help reduce the resource drain on your internal HR team while also supporting them to work more collaboratively with other departments.

In fact, automation in HR onboarding is a great way to:

When a new member of staff joins the company, the 

can be quite tedious whether that’s dealing with on-site or with remote staff.

Empower employees to easily transition into their new roles with 

FireStart's automated onboarding template

Gathering all the necessary data such as email addresses and social security numbers is essential so that every new hire can start on time.

Often, collecting employee data takes up hours of an HR manager's time, especially when long email chains are involved.

A complete employee data sourcing form can automate this previously manual task without laborious follow-ups.

The drag and drop form builder in FireStart makes it easy to design and customize the form for all the information your HR teams require.

The form can then be sent automatically to each new hire's inbox for streamlined communication.

When the employee returns the form, the HR manager can easily keep track of all the employee's responses and forward them to the relevant departments.

Arranging IT equipment for a new starter can be a tedious, time-consuming task that is often delayed by because of the back and forth with IT. 

Automation actually helps HR managers to get new joiners' equipment delivered to them even before their first day.

HR managers can ensure that all new starters get their equipment on day one by setting up an automatic task. FireStart sends the form to the new employee so they can request all the equipment they need, then the IT department receives the task to approve and collect the equipment.

Lastly, the new employee is notified via email to pick up their equipment on a certain date. You can even set up automatic notifications if the equipment is delayed to keep everybody in the loop.

With FireStart, it's easy to start putting 

by self-servicing the employee onboarding experience.

collect all the information you need to easily onboard your next new hire without laborious email chains, pesky post-it notes, or annoying calendar reminders!

3. Introduce new employees to the company

A great way to encourage collaboration is to automatically update internal staff members when a new team member joins with an introductory internal newsletter. Send out an automated email to the new joiner to collect quotes, anecdotes, and pictures for the newsletter.

With FireStart's customizable forms, HR managers can drag and drop the correct fields in for the newsletter information needed by the marketing team.

Once set up, the form will instantly be sent out to every new joiner via email. In only a few moments, HR and marketing teams can work seamlessly together to ensure that every new employee feels welcomed.

It's important for any company to remain compliant when hiring new members of staff.

Employees must be registered with the appropriate government bodies before they can start their first day of work. Any incorrect details could mean delays or legal consequences for the business.

FireStart's customizable forms and automatic tasks make registering employees easy.

HR managers can utilize the data filled in previously by the employee, which is then automatically sent off to accounting.

FireStart moves the data through the forms in the process, meaning no more copy and paste errors for a seamless registration experience.

Employee offboarding is a sensitive process that has to be dealt with in the right way to benefit both the business and the departing employee.

 is left to the last minute, or worse still not implemented, leading to knowledge transfer gaps, compromised security, or a negative last impression.

HR offboarding workflows make it easy to:

When an employee decides to leave a company and informs HR, it can be a difficult process to navigate.

To squash rumors and ensure everyone in the company is on the same page, it's important to notify internal teams and stakeholders of the departure. With integrations, HR managers can send out quick notifications of an employee's departure as it arises. 

Integrate FireStart with messaging platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack and create custom messages to notify the company. The message will be sent out as soon as the process starts running, so HR teams don't have to worry about forgetting to update other employees amongst the other offboarding tasks on their to-do list.

2. Gather feedback before the exit interview

Before an employee leaves your company, it's important to gather feedback about their employment journey.

Knowing exactly why your talent is deciding to leave can help the business improve retention in the future, helping to conserve resources and 

create a better all-around company culture.

Sending out an instant exit survey can help HR managers gather all relevant feedback from exiting employees.

With the employee able to give feedback in a constructive way, departing employees are less likely to feel disgruntled and pose less of a risk to the business.

Before the exit interview, HR managers can send out a survey to gain some insight into the situation. More preparation means exit interviews can go smoothly, with all pieces of information on hand.

Whatsmore, employee feedback about their role and the nature of the business can help HR teams pinpoint where company culture can be improved, to avoid workplaces becoming toxic.

Returning all IT equipment before a departing employee leaves the company for good is essential. Businesses need to ensure that all equipment that is loaned out is accounted for to discourage possible cases of theft.

With a customizable form, FireStart makes it easy to keep track of who has returned their equipment, and which pieces are still outstanding.

In the offboarding workflow, HR managers can drag and drop in the fields they need to keep track of equipment returns.

The information inputted into the form is then sent out as an automatic email to the departing employee. This way, both parties have a checklist of everything that needs to be returned by their final working day.

4. Always remember to send out recommendation letters

Sending out recommendation letters to the departing employee is a nice way to keep the relationship mutual before the end of the contract.

While it is a nice touch, oftentimes sending a recommendation letter can be the very last item on the offboarding to-do list because it takes some time to coordinate with managers and other responsible people for input.

In FireStart, sending an automated recommendation letter is done automatically in the workflow, so HR teams don't have to remember to coordinate it. Simply set up your ideal form and automatically send it out to the relevant managers or supervisors.

A list of the employee's main tasks and feedback from the supervisor is sent straight to the HR manager's inbox, so now all they have to do is write the letter.

Once the letter is finalized, it can be sent straight to the employee via an automatic email before the last working day.

Ensuring a smooth exit is even more imperative if you work with sensitive information.

Avoid risking digital vandalism, knowledge theft, and negative reputation by adding actions in the workflow to remove permissions from departing employees.

FireStart provides a customizable reregistration form in the offboarding workflow that makes it easy for HR professionals to securely deregister employees from payroll without taking hours of resources.

The form is pre-filled with existing data provided at the start of the process. All the HR manager has to do is check the information and send it off to payroll to ensure that all outstanding issues like unused holidays or overtime payment is taken care of.

HR teams can now rely on business process management tools that all departments can feed into to ensure exiting employees can complete their notice period seamlessly.

With process automation software from FireStart, it's never been easier for HR leaders to simplify their task management and implement intuitive workflows to boost productivity.

HR teams can avoid wasting their time on tedious admin tasks and instead give individual employees the dedicated time and support each one needs to feel empowered.

employees benefit from better working experiences

 and the whole workforce can enjoy a more enriched company culture. 

Improve your employee experience with HR automation software

Start automating key HR processes to improve the employee experience.

Wasting time on manual tasks? Reclaim your time and save money with HR automation. Streamline processes with workflows from FireStart Cloud, which boosts productivity.

Knowing where to start with HR automation can be confusing. In this guide, you'll learn some quick and simple ways to start automating repetitive HR processes in minutes.

Get Started with FireStart for HR Teams

Business Process Automation (BPA) is software that allows complex business processes to run automatically. Each step in the process, where possible, is automated meaning that the tasks are completed by the computer instead of a person.

Tasks that are commonly automated include tasks that include copying and pasting, sending data internally or externally, and gathering data from internal or external sources.

Instead of risking errors, data loss, or spending hours aligning with internal and external stakeholders, automation takes the brunt of this work to free up employees.

Intelligent process automation (IPA) uses some form of artificial intelligence when automating the tasks in the process. RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is commonly used to add this layer of intelligence. However, other forms of artificial intelligence (AI) can also be used including Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Natural Language Processing (NLP), computer vision, cognitive automation, and machine learning.

The combination of these different technologies helps human employees not be overburdened with menial tasks while being able to rely on the problem-solving abilities of the machine. IPA can, for example, read through complex documents and organize the data so humans don't have to spend hours sifting through multiple pages. 

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, Business Process Automation (BPA) and an intelligent automation solution like RPA 

Business process automation software works like a machine to automate entire processes for maximum efficiency. RPA on the other hand emulates tasks like a human would and can only automate very specific tasks,

 like creating documents or sending emails.

 RPA can learn over time by completing more tasks and can be incorporated into an automated business process.

The biggest benefit of BPA is its future-forward benefits. Process automation solutions can help your company build processes that will last years into the future, not just for today. While RPA can be deployed quickly to automate single tasks, BPA looks at the bigger process picture to make the whole workflow more efficient.

Although RPA can be integrated into a business process, there is no replacement for a business process that is optimized for efficiency. It required more upfront effort, but in the long run, automated processes pay off.

Automation is a great way to lift tedious and repetitive tasks from your team's shoulders. Automation isn't necessarily complicated, it all depends on the process and the type of platform you want to use.

There are multiple platforms, software, and technology available for automating your manual processes.

FireStart is a no-code and low-code process automation tool, so the choice is yours as to how detailed you want to be. Automating in our cloud platform is done by the program itself. Once you've 

) FireStart will automate this process as soon as you hit "Run Workflow."

Knowing when to automate a process can be tricky, however, there are some key signs to look out for in the daily grind that will show you which tasks you can start automating.

One key factor is to notice when you or your team are doing repetitive or manual processes frequently. Any process that follows set steps each and every time can be automated, even if you think the process is complex. Even the most complex processes can be automated, only bringing in humans when it's absolutely necessary, like signing off on an important decision.

Another, arguably more important factor, is to automate the tasks that you don't want to do. There are plenty of tasks that are frustrating, time-consuming, and annoying to do. They zap joy from your workday, so there's no reason why you have to continue along this path. 

Automating boring tasks leaves more time for the tasks you enjoy doing that are critical to your role, encouraging job growth and skill refinement. Let's face it, no one enjoys spending the majority of the workday copying and pasting data from one spreadsheet to another.

It's important not to automate processes that are inefficient and 

To avoid automating broken business processes, first, consider combing through your existing processes and refining them first. Talk to stakeholders and colleagues and collaboratively work towards a standard process that involves all the right people, with a clear purpose and clearly defined steps.

In the long run, process automation software will not only boost the company's bottom line but also encourage collaboration between departments, roles, and teams. Efficient processes help provide clarity around your own role in the process and how your efforts can be best utilized, so nothing is going to waste.

Create your process and FireStart will automate the rest.

Start automating your workflows with FireStart

Process automation allows complex processes to run automatically, empowering teams in many ways.

Business Process Automation (BPA) is software that allows complex business processes to run automatically. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, Business Process Automation (BPA) and an intelligent automation solution like RPA are different.

Process automation is commonly misunderstood and sometimes overshadowed by other automation technologies. Digital process automation has many applications and can be used to effectively automate complex processes. The end result is processes that run seamlessly, freeing up employee hours for work they would rather do.

What Is Process Automation?

A scalable business is essential for survival. The essence of scaleability is having 

a company structure and strategy that can be replicated

, but companies often don’t consider expanding this mentality to their processes until later. However, 

is a major part of a company’s success. If a business is able to replicate a process, again and again, getting the best results and conversions possible, then the chance of speed bumps down the road (like bottlenecks, wasted time, and mounting costs) will cease to be an issue.

Many businesses in the past have chosen BPM solutions that are customized to the company. Around 80% of software providers continue to offer an on-prem solution 

 Going into 2022, the clientele for process solutions is shifting to be predominantly cloud-based. 61% of companies are choosing to deploy cloud platforms as opposed to 39% deploying on-prem. For the future, this means cloud and hybrid are the new way to go.

Why is this the case? Cloud software is predominantly no and low code and increasingly, these options are providing a close-to-custom fit. For companies around the world, this is ideal because it now means employees don't need to know programming languages to build scalable processes.

Users are empowered with no-code platforms

The rise of citizen developers in the business world has changed the software landscape. Now, instead of requiring a team of software developers, companies can empower their own employees to create processes without coding knowledge.

With features like drag and drop, citizen developers can quickly whip up processes customized to their needs. No more lost-in-translation between business experts and developers, and less overall time spent on figuring out difficult tools.

Innovation and improving processes are often be shifted to the backburner. Before, it wasn’t that accessible to analyze where a process is becoming stuck and how it can be improved. Now with no code systems, it’s much easier to identify bottlenecks to speed up process cycles because there’s greater visibility within the process itself.

Instead of dealing with problems as they occur, no code software empowers users to fix bottlenecks before they have the opportunity to slow down a whole workflow.

Deploy processes quicker with no-code tools

One of the main pain points companies have with processes is the lengthy time it takes between process conception and process deployment. Teams and managers take the time to map out their ideal process, but transferring this into a BPM platform takes time. If the tool isn’t so intuitive, this process may not be able to be updated in real-time to account for the gap between an ideal process and a process in reality.

With no code systems, businesses can now map and deploy their processes in record timing, with real-time amendments made in seconds. No code development empowers citizen developers to map and model their processes step by step according to what the business process is like in reality. Teams can now collaborate together to ensure that the process works in a real-world situation. The result is end-to-end orchestration that increases collaboration between departments.

Small businesses to large enterprise organizations need governance and transparency for a business to scale. Early fraud detection and lowered risk are just some of the benefits. From a process point of view, better governance also means that the purpose and value of each process are understood, leading to a positive shift in management or allocation of extra resources.

No code tools empower businesses by revealing exactly what is happening in the business. Additionally,

 needed dramatically speeds up the processing time, meaning people are spending less time on menial tasks and more time on strategic ones.

Software developers are empowering the next age of developers; citizen developers. 

 the future of coding is no coding at all. It means that for the average business, in-depth knowledge of scripts simply won’t be needed as more and more software providers are churning out no-code software to empower the average worker.

This is all great news for companies that want to scale and grow by building future-proofed processes. Business processes are the lifeblood of companies, and so it makes sense to ensure that every employee can easily create, automate and orchestrate their own processes for better collaboration and increased revenue.

Implement easy to use no-code technology in your company.

Deploy no-code for your business

Businesses want to scale in a digitized world, and no code platforms are the way there.

No code development is taking the world by a storm. In the post pandemic world, companies are turning to cloud based, no code software to empower their employees worldwide. 

Building a scaleable, future-proof business is now more important than ever. Companies are increasingly turning to no code platforms to secure a scaleable future.

How No Code Can Help Your Company Scale

Digital transformation is needed more and more in the post-pandemic world. 

 still face barriers to transformation which hinders innovation. Although, there are strategies to overcome the hurdles all businesses face towards the digital revolution.

The pandemic has challenged businesses across the world with multiple disruptions. 

, COVID-19 has led to a massive uptake of new technologies across industries and companies. Due to pandemic restrictions, 

 meant that businesses needed new tech infrastructure, and technology companies have responded by innovating faster than ever.

This push towards digital-first meant that now many businesses are being forced to digitally transform in order to stay competitive. 

 shows that 69% of boards report accelerating digital business initiatives in response to COVID-19.

For SMBs, this can be a daunting leap, especially when small businesses don’t have the scale and resources of large enterprises. Thankfully, the marketplace is now full of cloud technology 

, meaning you don’t need a developer to get the most out of it.

So what else stands in the way of digital transformation? Companies of all sizes face challenges when digitizing their business, but with determination and the right tools, these challenges can be overcome.

Hierarchies and siloes limit how far your company can digitally transform, according to 

 relies on collaboration, working across departments, and sharing ideas. Shifting company culture to a digital-first culture is best done in small steps.

Start by implementing one tool that can become 

 Especially in the age of COVID-19, digital initiatives that keep everyone on the same page are key to future success.

Defining who owns what in your organization is essential to success post-pandemic. When your business is clear on process ownership, it has a flow-down effect to create transparency inside the organization along with a willingness to share and collaborate. Companies that keep a stranglehold on information and are unwilling to share and collaborate end up with bottlenecks and hurdles to working efficiently.

Involving many people at once can become difficult if the information isn’t stored within a central place. Tools that encourage defining who does what will help foster an environment of collaboration without information overwhelm.

There’s a lot of hype around becoming digital-first, but the reality is digital transformation can take a lot of strategic planning. Having a realistic overview of skills and resources within your team will help you identify where you can already start implementing digital tools, and where you might need to set goals for down the road.

 suggests defining larger goals for the business and then creating strategic plans around those. For example, you might want to start digitizing your processes for your entire business. To make steps towards this, start by digitizing the processes of one department, like Human Resources, and then make plans for the other departments.

Digital transformation is a blend of skilled people, processes and technology to build new business models and services. The collaborative nature of working digitally means that all employees will need to adopt new skills. According to 

, employees need skills focused on innovation, change, and creativity, along with the new technology being used.

Upskilling is the name of the game. Providing your employees with time to acquaint themselves with the new technology, as well as skill sharing between departments, can drastically help a business digitally transform. Part of this change also may include changing some employees' roles to accommodate for their new skillset, leading to a richer work environment.

5. The current practices don't support the talent

If you have the right talent and have provided them with the right skills, then you need to make sure that they have the right environment to work in. Complex hierarchies siloed working, and slow processes don’t work for digital. Instead, focus on how to 

Companies can prime themselves for agile working by taking a look at their processes; the heart of the business itself. Orchestrated processes provide managers and employees with an overview of where your processes are at, and how they can be improved over time. Iterating your workflows and processes can drastically help cut back time and improve overall efficiency.

As humans, we’re not primed to handle change so well. Our world has faced many changes and challenges in the past few years, and so making changes to the business in such a short time frame can cause stress and anxiety for everyone involved.

While SMBs and SMEs face many challenges in the wake of the pandemic, it’s also worth noting that making these changes now can help avoid challenges and pitfalls in the long term. In fact, moving towards digital transformation now can help your business change as the market does, providing more room for innovation.

Processes are part of digital transformation

. While many people head straight to finding a digital solution for their project management, finding a solution for your digital processes should be equally as important.

Processes are really the heart of your business. Processes and workflows show you how long a project takes from start to finish, who is involved in all steps of the project, and most importantly, how the project can be improved in the future.

While a project may be done once and expire on the due date, 

 can be used time and time again, helping your business to reach new heights and become more efficient than ever.

No more paperwork, less time on manual tasks, and more time to do work that matters to you. 

Start orchestrating your processes

The pandemic has pushed companies to digitize, yet there are still barriers to be overcome.

See how your business can begin to digitally transform despite the roadblocks that might be in your way.

Digital transformation is needed more and more in the post-pandemic world. This push towards digital-first meant that now many businesses are being forced to digitally transform in order to stay competitive. 

Remove These 6 Barriers to Digital Transformation

HR professionals are no strangers to reexamining workforce planning. The pandemic has caused businesses worldwide to pause and consider what is working and what isn’t, in order to improve employee retention and attract more talent to fill roles.

 stepped in to save the day. Once a technology only available to enterprise companies, 

 now become commonplace for all sizes of business due to the demands of the pandemic.

Now, the future of HR jobs depends on businesses being able to successfully 

implement a digital process automation solution

, and employees being able to successfully use the platforms.

How can HR teams help plan for the future of work?

Work of the future now looks drastically different than it did a few years ago. Workforce planning by 

 found that leading HR teams must actively help their organizations prepare for the future of work. What exactly is the future of work? Gartner cites “technology-driven workflows” as a crucial part of the new normal for businesses going forward.

The decentralization of process automation solutions means that this isn’t just advice for large enterprises anymore, even small and medium businesses can take advantage of this technology.

 is to anticipate the future needs of talent by integrating automation technology early. Starting early will help ease the transition for existing employees, while also attracting in-demand new talent.

Automation might not feel like a need at first, 

 automation will be pretty much commonplace. Future talent will be looking for a company that empowers them to do the creative, decision-making work they were hired to do. If a role consists of too many small tasks that could easily be automated, it’s an instant turn-off.

, rather than at the last minute, ensures that your organization can iron out the creases to set up for future success.

Change can be difficult, so when faced with a decision of whether to implement the change or not, it’s best to look at the benefit to the employee and the business.

Employees gain in-demand skills when they are able to use automation platforms comfortably. Upskilling in this way expands their skill set for the future. Employees will also be surprisingly onboard since automation helps to reduce overwork by automating the tasks they don’t want to do.

automation technology helps the company as a whole

 to function better. Platforms that offer workflow management and automation in one mean that overviews of workflow status’ are never lost. Automation also ensures that resources are spent wisely, especially with remote workers. With added transparency, it’s easy to reallocate resources to make the most of the workforce you have.

As for attracting talent, the best talent wants to work in an environment that functions smoothly and has access to the most up-to-date tools. Future employees will actively look for this infrastructure, so if your company has already implemented and run an automation solution successfully, then you have a leg-up over competitors.

Working from home might not feel like a need for a business, but it’s a different story for the employee. 

, 76% of workers polled said that in the near future, they expect to be able to prioritize lifestyle over proximity to work. Employees are now looking for roles where remote work is normalized so they can have a positive work-life balance.

Digitizing workflows in the cloud is the missing puzzle piece that will help your organization to 

. Working outside the office-bound 9-5 model can seem difficult for businesses to implement, especially when you consider gig work, but ultimately hybrid work can be achieved with digital infrastructure. Putting your workflows, processes, and tasks in the cloud will not only help your company digitally transform but 

 and rethinking how they plan and communicate across every department. Cloud-based workflow management systems, for example, help businesses make permanent remote working a reality. Employees will also appreciate the ability to do the same quality work with just as much ease from home, rather than having to commute.

Restructuring and becoming digital-first can be a tough process, but with the right tools, change can be a frictionless process. FireStart makes it possible to 

orchestrate and automate your processes in the cloud

When processes, workflows, tasks, and responsibilities are digitized in the cloud, it gives your organization far more flexibility. Employees can remotely check which task they need to complete next, easily see where the current workflow is at, and communicate with their colleagues in-platform. This greatly reduces the number of video calls and emails sent, 

making digital collaboration more streamlined.

See how your organization can implement automation with our HR use cases.

Transform your HR department

 Equip your workplace to handle future work changes to retain and attract the best talent.

Automation might not feel like a need at first, but by 2025 automation will be pretty much common place. HR professionals can prepare for the drastic changes ahead by starting their digital transformation now.

The world of HR is about being tuned in to the needs of talent and employees. In our changing world today, that means successfully integrating disruptive HR practices. Disruptive HR trends encompass implementing new programs and processes to solve ongoing problems. Essentially, new solutions for old problems.

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