There’s no denying that HR integrations help reduce duplicate data entry and streamline the experience for HR professionals. HR technology integration also supports data compliance efforts and expands reporting capabilities.
Siloed HR systems present a challenge for companies because data needs to be manually entered into multiple programs each time something like an employee’s address changes. Data integrations eliminate this problem by automatically sharing information between apps.
Streamlined Processes
One of the most challenging tasks for HR professionals is managing information across multiple applications. Manually sharing data between systems is expensive and prone to errors, which can have severe consequences for your organization.
When you invest in an integration tool, the automation it offers can save time and money for your team members by cutting out manual steps like transferring data from screen to screen. For example, if an employee has to sign up for benefits in their onboarding system, the data can be automatically sent to payroll management to process their payments. This can reduce the hours HR has to spend on manual double-data entry, which can add up to over a month or even several full-time HR staffers worth of work.
Streamlining processes with Gusto integrations also frees your team to spend more time on strategic activities that grow your business. With less focus on platform maintenance, data-chasing, cross-referencing, and manual reporting, your HR department can concentrate on hiring the right talent, developing internal leaders, and improving employee wellness.
A critical factor in the success of an HR integration is the quality of the data being shared. With an integrated workflow, you can create a single source of truth that will eliminate the need to compare inconsistent data sets or wait for records to be entered into different systems before compiling reports.
Boosted Employee Engagement
Human resources integrations allow employees to use the HR systems they prefer and are comfortable with. This reduces the time they spend switching between programs and eliminates the chance of human error.
HR system integrations allow data to be synchronized between the different applications so it is always up-to-date. HR administrators can be confident that their data is accurate and up-to-date when they run reports.
For example, if an employee is marked as terminated in your HR system of record and your IT service management (ITSM) tool, both tools will create off-boarding tickets, which the IT team can manage. This helps to ensure that HR and IT teams work together.
Using an integration platform connecting two technologies is much easier. The platform’s prebuilt connectors pull the data from the source app, while a middleware solution maps and transforms it using unlimited business rules before pushing it into the target application. This makes complex data integrations that once took six months now take just a few weeks.
When the HR systems of record and point solutions are integrated, it eliminates silos and allows employees to access all the information they need in one place. This improves their experience with the HR system and helps them to be more productive and engaged.
Increased Productivity
HR integrations make sending data between multiple programs possible, automatically improving accuracy, enabling automation, and eliminating the need for manual double-data entry. It also saves time and frees HR teams to spend energy on strategic work that grows the business. This is especially valuable in today’s coronavirus-challenged world, where HR professionals may work remotely or from home and have even less time to waste on manual processes.
In addition to reducing costs, an HR integration can improve employee morale by minimizing tedious tasks that don’t contribute to the bottom line. It’s essential to remember that not all systems need to be integrated to enjoy the benefits of automated processes and streamlined reporting. The key is understanding which areas of your organization can benefit most from HR integration and finding the right solution that meets your needs.
For example, suppose your HR system of record (HRIS) does not include benefits management features. In that case, you must integrate with a point solution or risk handling employee benefits enrollments, changes, and cancellations manually. Similarly, you must integrate with those systems if your HRIS does not include background checks or pre-employment testing software. Modern HR app data integration is typically performed via APIs and can be scheduled to run at set intervals.
Boosted Business Intelligence
HR teams seek integration because it makes data easier to access, resulting in more reliable and accurate reporting. HR integration can also help eliminate data silos and improve productivity and efficiency, allowing HR teams to focus more on employee engagement and other strategic functions.
HR integrations typically use application programming interfaces (API) to transfer data between systems. This type of integration allows for near real-time data sharing and isn’t affected by changes to the user interfaces of applications. This type of integration is the most robust and secure option but requires an expert team to maintain.
Most modern HR software solutions offer APIs for integrating their data with other apps. HR managers can integrate their software with existing solutions and other point solutions, such as background checks or pre-employment screening tools. This can streamline the hiring process by eliminating many manual steps and cutting down on duplicate data entry.
If your current system of record and other HR software doesn’t have an innate integration, you can still achieve an integrated solution using a third-party iPaaS. This solution can connect your different HR apps and transfer data to a single, shared database accessible by all employees. This can make it easier for employees to self-serve, track things like pay, leave requests, and training, and reduce the amount of support that HR teams need to provide.
