How to use digital HR tools to implement your COVID-compliant strategy

Here’s the breakdown:

• Look into the nature of your compliance requirements to figure out your business’s unique needs.
• Digital HR tools can be used for fast, effective communication.
• Onboarding and training can be rife with confusion and noncompliance — read on to learn how digital HR tools can streamline these processes.
• 70-80% of business mishaps come down to human error. Digital HR tools can improve your data integrity.

The unprecedented events of 2020 have increased the average SMEs HR responsibilities drastically. Not only has HR had to re-strategise to coordinate a workforce that has gone completely remote, but they are also responsible for ensuring the wellbeing of all employees in a time of rising anxiety and isolation. Implementing digital HR tools may be the solution your business needs.

Compliance propels success, strengthens progression and elevates operational efficiency. HR has always been responsible for compliance activities, however, with a global pandemic, weak economy and remote workforce it’s become easier to be noncompliant, and the consequences are higher than ever.

If a company is found to be noncompliant they will face thousands of dollars in fines from external authoritative figures (such as boards, council or government), or worse, employees may be at risk of transmitting and contracting COVID-19. 

With the state of the global economy, businesses must be incredibly careful to ensure they are conducting themselves in a compliant manner otherwise they risk decreased profitability and productivity, which is the last thing any business fighting to stay afloat needs.

With that being said, let’s break down compliance. 

Internal vs external compliance

There are two layers to compliance: internal and external. Internal compliance relates to regulations and rules put in place by the company — for example, operational processes and procedures. This is to avoid internal conflict and ensure efficiency and productivity.

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External compliance relates to regulations put in place by figures such as the government or board in your operating industry. These are put in place to ensure the company is aware of their responsibilities as a business, and operates in an ethical and sustainable manner that considers; the environment, employees and stakeholders. 

So, in order to be COVID-compliant it’s important you become aware of the resources available to you. A remote workforce, whilst a shock at first, in actuality enables digital efficiencies that alleviate human labour. 

There are many tools that enforce compliance but in order to effectively implement a compliance strategy you must analyse the root of compliance activities. Where does it stem from? Where will protocols and procedures be most effective? Where is the major risk? 

It all stems from recruitment — ensuring  new and existing employees are informed. Your recruitment software is your biggest asset. How? All of your employees are stored in one location. You have access to your entire workforce in one platform. 

Communication

Within your recruitment software you can segment your employees based on tags. For example: “#NSW, #HR, #Marketing”. 

You can add as many tags as you wish to any employees profile. This grouping means you can easily communicate with your employees based on custom built segments. 

Melbourne has been in lock down for five weeks, and with cases rapidly reducing, companies will start to move their workforce back to the office. 

For a situation like this, you may need to send a bulk message to your VIC workforce for a quick update. Your message may look like this:

“All departments are moving back to the office starting xx/xx/xx” Send to “#VIC”. All those that are in the VIC group will be sent the same text or email (which they can reply to). 

Lets say, fingers crossed it doesn’t happen, but let’s pretend a third wave hits Melbourne. You need to go remote again, stat!

“All departments will be working from home starting XX/XX/XX” Sent to “#VIC”. 

This bulk communication channel simplifies HR keeping their employees informed of current rules and regulations, and simplifies quick outcomes. Especially with COVID, as restrictions are increasing and decreasing over night, this digital tool is essential in keeping all employees updated with the latest news and requirements. 

This makes it easier for HR to act in a compliant manner and quickly enforce changing regulations.

Doubling your recruitment software as your two-way communication channel results in your company being compliant with social responsibilities, specifically in regards to COVID regulations around social distancing and hygiene. 

Training

When a new employee is being onboarded you want to ensure they receive the same training and current information as all other employees. If not, you increase the risk of miscommunication and misalignment within the business. And — noncompliant operational activities. 

In order to combat this, you should create standardised training videos and information sheets, and continue to update them based on the current environmental and workplace situation. 

Once a new hire has been onboarded you can segment them based on their department or position within your recruitment software, which then auto-triggers the appropriate training material to be sent to them. This integration with LMS ensures uniformity in knowledge and upkeep of skills and procedures. 

Since the beginning of COVID, your business operations would have changed (such as hygiene and social distancing practices). To educate your employees of the continuously changing practices, you must stay on top of continuously training your employees. 

Why? The government is consistently releasing new information of tips and tricks that avoid transmission, meaning your training material should also be constantly updating. Through constantly training your employees you ensure you maintain your workplace and safety compliance. 

All completed (and incomplete) material is marked against the employees profile. It’s visible who has viewed the material and signed it, and who hasn’t. This information is retrievable from one location, meaning if HR needs to review the status of an employee’s training the information is easily accessible to them. 

Data integrity

With information relevant to employees and their training this becomes an issue if data input by admin is incorrect or incomplete. Human error is a common issue of business operations, in fact businesses globally have acknowledged 70-80% of mishaps are due to human error. 

Your recruitment software removes this element of human error. How? It saves, stores and collects the data input in e-forms, resulting in data integrity and accuracy. 

The training material and e-forms completed by candidates are accessible at any time, and any incomplete training or e-forms are flagged within your platform so they aren’t left incomplete. This ensures the company has valid and reliable evidence if any policing of regulations or disputes in details occurs. 

This ensures compliance by operating within legal means as your data is accurate, easily accessible and digestible. If there were to be any allegations opposing this, you’d have the necessary information at hand.

Although your COVID-compliance strategy will vary depending on your business and your industry, the underlying solution is this: In order to operate in a compliant manner you must analyse your business, analyse your industry and use digital tools that ensure productivity, and enhance operational efficiencies.

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