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How a Self-Service Portal Empowers Employees

Written by Blair McQuillen | Sep 1, 2021 6:00:00 PM

Employee satisfaction is driven by many moving parts. Recognizing workers’ needs while simultaneously giving them tools to manage their own information can be very powerful within businesses of all shapes and sizes. You always want them to feel like they have a say in how things are being done.

A self-service portal is a website where employees log in and take on a variety of tasks related to their employment. This could be managing their benefits, uploading documents, reporting expenses, viewing company policies, looking at paystubs, and more. These portals allow them to handle their information without having to go to Human Resources for help, and that’s one reason they’ve become a big part of the digital transformation in many businesses. 

A recent survey showed that 84% of HR leaders think employee self-service options are important to company success. This guide will cover when you may need a self-service portal and five benefits of implementing this tool.

When You May Need a Self-Service Portal

Most businesses can benefit from a self-service portal for employees in some capacity. There are a few reasons that many decide to take the plunge, including these common scenarios:

Your Business Has Grown

You need new solutions when your business scales. Maybe you have recently hired lots of new employees and are looking for a way to assist them in learning the ropes or performing onboarding tasks.

You Are Focusing on Employee Satisfaction

Taking on employee satisfaction and engagement initiatives may involve using a self-service portal. These portals make workers feel like they have control over their information and work life, which is an important element in creating a happier workplace.

Digital Transformation

Businesses are transitioning to digital models in many different areas, and HR is a major one. Moving to the cloud means companies and their workers can do many HR tasks through a portal. This shift can be a crucial part of your overall digital transformation.

You Don’t Have In-House HR

Not having an in-house team to support your employees means you need to provide these services in unique ways. A self-service portal can be just that, helping workers get all the help they need and their questions answered in one place.

It’s not always easy to know when you’re ready to take on such a big project, but if you’re going through changes as a business, it could be a great time to implement a self-service portal. Remember that there may be lots of questions from employees as they learn, so be patient and flexible.

5 Benefits of Self-Service Portals for Employees

Self-service portals open up lots of new opportunities for both the business and employees. Taking on any new technology can be daunting, so let’s walk through the key benefits of self-service portals for your workers:

1. Personalized Experiences

Self-service portals allow employees to browse information, use tools, upload documents, manage information, and more, all on their own time and in their own ways. They can personalize the experience and don’t have to depend on someone else to give them answers.

2. Proactive Solutions

Problems can be solved more proactively with a portal. An employee can log in and look up a business policy or procedure, so they have more awareness about guidelines or rules they need to follow, for example. This means issues can be avoided or prevented.

3. Employee Empowerment

Employees are more satisfied and engaged when they feel empowered in their roles. They want the freedom to browse and learn at their own pace. They want to be able to update their personal or work information themselves or take a look at their current benefits plans. A self-service portal allows them to take on these tasks without intervention from anyone in HR.

4. Time Savings

A big reason companies are transitioning to digital spaces is to save time on tasks with tools like AI and automation. Self-service portals are no different. These websites allow HR staff to free up time they usually spend fielding questions or going through lots of files to find the information they need. Employees can also locate the answers they’re looking for a lot faster when everything is stored in one accessible place.

5. Cost Efficiency

An employee self-service portal can also save your business money. They streamline and improve workflows, so you and your HR team can focus on growing the business and developing new strategies. Using an online portal saves lots of resources that the team would normally spend money on when onboarding new hires, managing forms and documents, and distributing information about benefits and policies.

Make sure that once you implement your self-service portal, you empower employees to use it. This means offering trainings and webinars, being flexible about the time it takes for everyone to fully master the tool and letting them know where they can go with questions if they run into roadblocks with the portal. 

Everyone should be on the same page for the self-service portal to bring as many advantages as possible. Focus on how the portal will improve their work lives and make sure it’s clear why the company is offering it. Your employees will appreciate the new level of empowerment.

Ignite HCM Can Help With Implementation

You may have the best intentions with your new self-service portal for employees, but you’re not sure how to implement everything the right way. The team at Ignite HCM Consulting had deep experience in implementing ADP’s powerful self-service portal and their other solutions. 

We have a four-step implementation strategy to help you go live with new ADP software faster, following all best practices. We also help businesses with on-demand ADP consulting, optimization, and support.

Empower your employees with a self-service portal by making sure you take every necessary step. Our team will help you get everything just right. Contact Ignite HCM for help with your payroll management and HR optimization needs.