Did you know, that 78% of companies already rely on employee self-service (ESS)?
What makes them rush for such an option?
ESS tools are among the top beneficial human resources systems that deliver the most time savings for busy HR teams. Yet, their nucleus of usefulness is in employee engagement, in particular. As a bonus, of course, HR managers get a breather, too!
Let’s review how exactly and see how ESS can help you engage your workers more effectively.
In simple words, employee self-service gives employees the reins to manage job-related info without approaching their HR manager about every little thing, physically or virtually.
They can easily do that via:
Knowledge bases
Virtual help desks
ESS apps with features for attendance tracking, payroll, self-evaluation, etc.
Q&A chatbots
ESS kiosks in the office
Online portals
In fact, organizations implementing ESS see a 25% boost in employee engagement. But how does it work?
1) Empowerment
ESS hands employees the keys to wide-open the door as a solution to human resources and IT realms. They don’t have to wait for an HR specialist or IT admin to address their concern or fix the issue. It can instead be done independently whenever they wish.
After all, nothing feels more empowering than finding a solution yourself, especially if it’s quicker than you can say, “Where’s HR?”
2) Interactivity
Similar to interacting with content in social media networks, employees can:
Tap
Click
Or swipe their way to get what they need in an ESS application.
Employee self-service solutions turn routine inquiries, typically accompanied by dull and tiresome paper-flipping, into user-friendly and captivating interactions. Besides, workplace gamification elements (take badges or awards) are often inherent in such systems, making them even more interactive and engaging.
Note: Gamified activities enhance employee engagement by 48% and improve productivity in nine out of ten workers.
3) Personalization
Who wouldn’t like to have a dedicated assistant ready to help out in any situation?!
Think of a sales representative in a retail store who picks up suitable items based on customers’ unique needs and tastes.
Likewise, employee self-service tools personalize employee experiences by providing individual support and guidance. They give them exactly what they come for, whether to access their digital documents, download pay stubs, or check the remaining paid time off days.
And the crown jewel—ESS platforms usually offer customizable interfaces for an even more personalized touch.
Right from the “You’re hired!” phrase, you can simplify employee onboarding and engage new hires more effectively with self-service solutions.
If you’d like to try it on your team, consider an employee self-onboarding solution from HR Cloud.
For example:
The Behavioral Progression team reduced new hire questions by 60% and increased employee engagement by 20% with automatic onboarding forms, tasks, and notifications via HR Cloud.
Your onboarding checklist may include the following elements:
Complete Form I-9 (Form W-4 or others)
E-sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
Read about the company’s culture, mission, and values
Take a walking (or virtual) tour around the office
Meet with colleagues during a coffee break (again, physical or virtual)
This is just for a kick-start. Scroll through onboarding checklists and templates and opt for the right variant for your team.
ESS tools may also function as navigators for professional growth through self-guided employee learning and development (L&D). They can nudge your workers to the right career path, engage them in training sessions and skill assessments, and navigate them further.
The greatest potential of employee self-service platforms reveals itself through learning for employee engagement. In several clicks through their ESS portal, employees can tap into L&D courses or job promotions they had no idea about. Yet, the ultimate game-changing moment is that they have a chance to learn and grow at their own pace and choose interest-based resources.
Indeed, 58% of employees say they’d rather learn at their own speed.
Suppose you run a team of healthcare professionals. You may launch a corporate training hub packed to the brim with educational files on electronic health records management, patient care, or any other topic available 24/7 for your staffers to study at their convenience.
For example:
One of the employee self-service options at Liberty Heath is a Healthcare Academy, an online learning portal for Liberty’s workers.
Who said employee self-service should be boring?
Add small but meaningful extras to make ESS more engaging and joyful and recognize employees simultaneously:
Leaderboards
Personal or professional shout-outs (birthday, project milestone, work anniversary)
Kudos
On-the-spot awards
Badges
At this point, Grant Aldrich, founder of Online Degree, recommends developing a digital badge system for self-led employee training specifically. “There’s nothing more motivational than a reward in employee learning and development, even if self-curated. You can automatically distribute digital badges via your ESS system to recognize your workers’ educational efforts and make it a super-rewarding experience for them.”
For example:
Let’s take a software technology company. Software AG employees earn virtual badges for their L&D achievements, such as an “IoT and Analytics Solution Professional Badge” or, most recently, the “Software AG Immersion 2024 Program” badge.
However, it shouldn’t necessarily boil down to workplace learning only. Customize employee rewards for different tasks, let your workers accumulate points, and offer them to redeem those as personalized gifts.
For example:
See how it works in HR Cloud’s employee recognition program, where different gift cards are available by category of interest: “Arts & Activities,” “Electronics & Digital Entertainment,” etc.
a) For in-person teams
Let’s say you plan to install self-service kiosks for employees in your workplace. Yet, without proper protective measures, they can transform into accidental spots for gossip or mockery.
So, what’s the solution, then?
Cubicle- or booth-style areas for employee self-service in the office can provide just enough privacy and psychological safety with no peeking eyes around. They prevent workers from feeling as if they were on stage.
To level up the privacy factor, also consider automatic logouts and other digital tech precautions (find them all below).
b) For remote teams
Now, how can you guarantee employee privacy and data security in virtual ESS?
Online security measures are a must to keep cyber attackers or scammers out of your employee self-service system. Also, when choosing a proper ESS tool, clarify whether it complies with data protection laws like GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, and others.
Having said that here are the most significant aspects of keeping your workers’ information digitally safe:
Encrypted connections
Access controls
Stronger passwords and multi-factor authentication
Privacy breach response planning
Regular security audits
For example:
Take a glimpse of Taco Bell’s ESS protection in the fast food restaurant industry. The dedicated Security Approver defines access control at the organization.
Imagine your team members cruising in a “self-driving car” called ESS, feeling independent, engaged, and in full control. But then suddenly, life throws potholes. As a consequence, your workers require a human touch.
Relying solely on the tech side of employee self-service can become a terrible HR mistake. When workplace problems arise, HR managers should show empathy, support, and the ‘we’ll handle this together’ vibe, always ready to substantiate the humanized side for better engagement and a more positive employee experience.
For example:
Let’s assume it’s a workplace injury. In this situation, an employee needs emotional support and guidance to get compensation through a personal injury claim. Or let’s take another case when an HR professional steps in to resolve a conflict between co-workers so that everyone feels heard, valued, and cared for when it truly matters.
So, HR’s task is to come to the rescue whenever the employee self-service road becomes rocky or uneven.
It’s time to maximize the benefits of employee self-service with HR Cloud.
It is seamless teamwork: HR Cloud tackles the documentation part, engages employees in polls and surveys, and socializes and unites them via Workmates, a company social network, while you, as an HR manager, deal with more challenging problems (if any).
Try Workmates for free and keep your team always engaged. And no more questions like, “How many vacation days do I have?” for the 100th time!
Author:
This article is written by Ryan Walton. He is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in scaling online businesses, optimizing customer experiences, and driving growth through innovative strategies.