If routine employee inquiries take up the majority of your Human Resources department’s time and attention, you may benefit from investing in an HR self-service solution. A reliable human resources software platform will typically have human resources self-service features. These features can enable your employees to manage certain HR-related tasks on their own, saving themselves and the HR staff a lot of time.

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What is employee self-service (ESS)

Employee self-service is a portal that is commonly included in Global System of Record or HRIS (Human Resources Information System) software. It gives employees access to changing their basic information without having to go through a third party. ESS may also provide employees with the ability to review their benefits, payroll details, schedules, absences, and more.

How does employee self-service work?

Employees can generally access employee self-service through their company's intranet or portal. These online ESS platforms offer a wealth of knowledge and interactive web applications that are easy to navigate. They also come equipped with advanced user support options, making it easier for employees to get the help they need. Additionally, some employee portals feature forums or social media-style discussion platforms that enable employees to connect and collaborate on various issues and brainstorm solutions together. These platforms can be highly beneficial for employee engagement.

Features of employee self-service

Features of employee self-service may vary based on the type of HR software being used. Here is a list of common features found in ESS software:

  1. Employee onboarding: Employee self-service programs allow new hires to access onboarding documents and submit them as they are completed. This enables the HR department to keep track of who has completed what information, and they can update their records accordingly.
  2. Personal information: Employees can quickly and easily change and update their personal information, including contact details, mailing address, and bank account information. This reduces paperwork and the risk of paper documents getting lost. In some cases, HR approval may be required to finalize certain changes.
  3. Payroll: Employee self-service allows employees to access payroll information such as pay statements and tax details.
  4. Benefits: Certain self-service software may allow employees to view their current benefits along with self-enrollment functionality in those same benefits.
  5. Time and attendance tracking: Some employee self-service systems are designed to work in tandem with time clocks, which enable employees to track their time and attendance and monitor their work hours and days. This feature is particularly beneficial for team members who clock in and out each day. This ESS feature may also keep track of sick leave, vacation days, and other kinds of leave.
  6. Scheduling: ESS may also help with the tedious scheduling process. Once employees update their availability, the ESS software can use that information to create a schedule that works for everyone. Employees and their supervisors may also be able to communicate directly on this platform, allowing for a smooth and streamlined scheduling process.
  7. PTO requests: An employee self-service system may have the capability to allow employees to put in requests for time off, vacation, or other types of leave. This makes attendance management simple for management and supervisory staff as they can easily approve or deny requests through the system. Employees can also check the status of their requests with ease.
  8. Training programs: Companies can integrate their online or on-demand training with their ESS system. This would allow users to easily access coursework and submit post-training assessments, while HR departments can monitor completion.
  9. Voice of employee surveys: These surveys are generally organized and managed by HR. Voice of Employee (VoE) program by ADP uses a mechanism for feedback collection that HR can use to gather and analyze key employee insights to increase engagement.
  10. Performance management: Employee self-service systems can also streamline the performance review process. Instead of going back and forth to find the right documents every quarter, employees can upload forms directly to the system, and these would be available for their supervisors to view during the review period.

What are the benefits of employee self-service?

HR self-service solutions offer a host of features that benefit every type of business. These are advantageous to both business owners and their employees.

Efficiency

Having an ESS reduces errors, gives employees 24/7 access to their own data, makes the user experience more streamlined, and takes work off the desk of HR staff that would otherwise be entering this data manually.

HR may also find itself getting bogged down in navigating and trying to streamline employee schedules and manually submitting time-off requests on behalf of employees. For organizations that do not have a payroll management system, payroll staff may also face issues when they manually sort through pay stubs and tax documents for employees.

Accessibility

Another major advantage of an ESS system is its accessibility. As most ESS software is cloud-based, employees can access their employee self-service portal from any device if they have an internet connection. This is particularly useful for companies with multiple office locations, as well as for employees who frequently travel or work from home. They can view and update relevant information at any time without having to log on through the company computer.

Employee empowerment

Employee self-service plays an essential role in empowering your team. With the right system in place, your employees can have more control over their information and can access it at their convenience.

ESS portals can also store employee information related to performance appraisals. A transparent system makes it easy for employees to refer back to their reviews, understand what areas need improvement, and strive to perform better. ESS portals that post information regarding employee training opportunities allow employees to take advantage of training that suits their career trajectory.

Employee empowerment creates an environment for them where they will thrive and perform at their best potential.

What are the drawbacks of employee self-service?

ESS can be highly beneficial for any business but requires regular maintenance, monitoring, and governance to prevent misuse and errors.

It can be technologically challenging

ESS programs have the capability to integrate with other software and equipment. However, if data comes from multiple sources, it can become challenging to configure and maintain these systems. If employees lack technical expertise, there may be an increase in errors in personnel records, and with reduced human oversight, these errors may go unnoticed. To ease the technological burden of ESS, it can be helpful to opt for self-service software that offers customer support options.

System maintenance may be required

Although ESS can reduce administrative burden, it can also create technology issues if poorly maintained. Any technology can encounter problems, whether it’s login difficulties or system crashes; and when these problems arise, someone must ensure that employees can access their important information. Giving employees access to customer support can be a helpful resource to minimize this administrative burden.

In addition to using ESS, it is important to have an alternative plan in case of any system problems. This may involve keeping backups of important information and having direct channels to contact the HR department.

Initially requires an investment of your time

Implementing an employee self-service system can save time in the long run; however, it requires an initial investment of time and resources. Upgrading your employee self-service technology to support the system can be costly, and your staff will need to be trained on how to use it effectively. This is especially important if your team will not be using the system frequently, if you have a small number of employees, or if you have a limited time frame to set up ESS. However, if your team will use the system regularly and you can make the investment, ESS can revolutionize your human resources information system (HRIS) experience.

The importance of employee self-service technology

We have gauged that having an HR self-service system can benefit your organization in many ways. Let’s dive deeper and explore it how it does that:

  1. Increased productivity and efficiency
    Employee self-service systems are designed to optimize various HR processes, resulting in increased efficiency and time savings. These systems automate routine tasks such as leave requests, payroll and tax documents, updating employee information, and benefits management. This enables employees to carry out their activities accurately and quickly with minimal manual intervention. By reducing the time and effort required to complete these tasks, employees can focus their energy on more demanding tasks and increase overall productivity.
  2. Reduced administrative burden
    Traditional HR departments often have a lot on their plate. They are often overwhelmed with paperwork, data entry, and repetitive tasks. However, with the help of employee self-service technology, employees can take control of their HR-related responsibilities, such as managing their personal information, time tracking, and accessing important documents. This allows HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives and more complex HR matters that require real expertise. As a result, HR can better serve as strategic partners within the organization.
  3. High team morale
    Employee self-service systems can significantly improve the work environment by giving employees more control over their HR-related tasks. This empowerment enables them to take ownership of their work, leading to higher job satisfaction. When employees can easily access information, receive prompt responses to their requests, and have a seamless user experience, they are more likely to feel motivated and engaged in their roles.

Frequently asked questions

Why use employee self-service?

Employee self-service (ESS) is a solution beneficial to employers as well as their employees. This includes the HR staff and all other workers. It reduces the time HR staff spends on routine tasks so they can focus on strategic initiatives of the organization. For employees, it gives them greater visibility and autonomy as to how their data is managed. This is overall beneficial to the organization as it helps streamline the HR process and enhance employee experience – leading to a cost-effective and productive workforce.

How can businesses improve their ESS capabilities?

Investing in third-party ESS software is the most effective way for a business to improve its ESS capability. A vendor that specializes in HR software and solutions may be able to provide the tools, resources, and training to the client to ensure they get the most out of the ESS solution.

Can employees enrol in benefits via employee self-service?

With ADP’s all-in-one HR suite: ADP Workforce Now, employees can enroll in benefits that they qualify for within the system.

Is there a mobile application for employee self-service?

Yes, ADP Workforce Now is accessible to both employees and managers through any smart mobile device.

Can employees request time off via self-service

Yes, employees can submit requests for time off via ADP Workforce Now. Moreover, employers can easily approve or decline the requests through the system, with a simple click.

What self-service resources can employers make available to employees?

Within ADP Workforce Now, employees can view their paycheques, submit leave and time off requests, enrol in benefits, access learning and training courses, and much more.

Learn More

Are you looking for an HR solution that comes with employee self-service tools? You can benefit from ADP’s all-in-one HR solution: ADP Workforce Now.

Talk to us about the problems your HR is facing, and we’ll walk you through our solutions — including how companies like yours use them. Call 866-622-8153 or start a quote to get started.

This guide is intended to be used as a starting point in analyzing employee self-service (ESS) and is not a comprehensive resource of requirements. It offers practical information concerning the subject matter and is provided with the understanding that ADP is not rendering legal or tax advice or other professional services.