Could HR tech be the answer to improving your work/life balance?

In the digital world, ensuring that you have a healthy work/life balance has never been so important. However, in this ‘always-on’ environment, it can prove difficult to step away from the world of work and to take that all-important break from your seemingly never-ending to do list. Some HR and payroll professionals see the introduction of HR tech as another cause of stress, with many fearing that it will threaten the future of the industry. However, the introduction of automation and other technologies could be the answer to empowering the HR professional and maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

Automation:

Automation can truly unlock the potential of your payroll department. Carrying out admin tasks is often seen as just another part of the job, but they can be a huge distraction from focusing on the other, truly important tasks. These manual processes and back office tasks can be automated with HR technology to free up payroll teams to focus on the ‘human’ element of HR and those tasks that can’t be done by technology. HR is about human empathy, and HR tech can allow humans to do more of what they do best.

Minimising these manual processes can increase the efficiency of the department, reducing human error and increasing the security of operations. SD Worx research indicates that 57% of HR Professionals see AI as an opportunity for the industry: rather than taking over, HR technology can free up more time for HR professionals to focus on improving their work/life balance. Technology reduces the time that they spend worrying about inaccuracies with data, rectifying human error or stressing over the departmental admin alongside running the payroll at the end of the month.

Digital Assistants:

With multiple tasks to do all at once, it sometimes feels like you need two brains to get everything done, and it can be very difficult to switch off at the end of the day if your to do list isn’t complete. SD Worx is embracing technology to provide that second brain in the form of our “Digital Assistant”. Technology can help payroll professionals focus on what really matters, making their work more efficient and freeing up their time to switch off. Utilising digital assistants to set up out-of-office messages, reschedule meetings or even book at all needed holiday with minimal effort makes it easier than ever to even out your work/life balance to a healthier level. Technology can make what would ordinarily be a long and time consuming to do list into a quick and easy task and allow HR professionals to truly make the most of their downtime.

HR tech does not take over from humans – you can’t the ‘H’ out of ‘HR’! In fact, using technology such as automation and digital assistants can help re-affirm the place of the human in human resources without overstretching the department. Allowing technology to do what it does best, means that humans can focus on what they do best – and do it even better. With less time spent on admin and time-consuming and mundane tasks, work becomes more rewarding and time off can truly be time off without having to worry about an incomplete to do list back at the office.

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