Three of the best arguments for integrating HR software

All too often, payroll and HR functions operate as standalone systems. This is part of the legacy of a time when nearly every HR function would require discrete, specialised software, services and skills to manage – but this is no longer the case.

In today’s increasingly open world APIs [application programming interfaces] are being designed so that you don’t have to miss out on the benefits of more seamless integration.

Here are three of the best arguments for pursuing a more integrated approach throughout your HR suite:

1. It helps with data security and analysis

One of the main anxieties about more openness in HR software comes from concerns about security. But, in fact, a more integrated system can be far more secure than a siloed system.

Because integrated systems result in there being fewer applications and data sets to secure, the risk of data breaches is significantly reduced. Information is also more accurate as it is updated automatically, meaning that errors, which are all too often introduced during manual data entry processes, are eliminated.

With integration, you can access a ‘single source of truth’ from across the organisation. This is essential for the most effective data analytics tools to understand workforce trends, patterns and unlock insights.

Your analytics are only as powerful as your data, and an integrated system can make that data more secure and more effective.

2. It improves employee experience

In the past few years, the number of people accessing HR tools and services online has ballooned. Whether it’s booking leave, checking payslips or browsing benefits or vouchers offered through their employer, the digital interface, and user friendliness, has become a bigger and more important part of the employee experience.

As anyone who has used online tools in their personal lives knows, it’s frustrating to have to remember an endless series of logins and details – especially when you are accessing services or help from the same provider. An integrated HR system can create a better, more fluid HR portal for everyone. Single Sign On (SSO) tools, for example, allow users to move from service to service without having to log in over and over again. With more app and browser based systems becoming interoperable with other systems, there’s never been a better opportunity for employers to give their people the consumer-grade experiences they’ve come to expect.  

3. It will save you time

Above all else, an integrated system is one that saves time across every level of your organisation.

Once key employee data is created, or modified in your core HR applications, an integrated HR platform will ensure those changes show up automatically anywhere else you need it applied. If someone is promoted and becomes eligible for new benefits, there is no stopgap required for data to be re-entered, or for consistencies to be checked, and re-checked throughout the ecosystem.

The time savings increase exponentially as more systems are integrated and connected. The data that HR tools run on is constantly changing, as the roles and circumstances of employees evolves.

Whatever your organisation’s size, an approach that helps maintain consistency and removes the burdensome task of data-validation and re-entry is one that will free your HR teams up for more strategic and beneficial tasks.

To learn more about how Zellis has put integration into the heart of our solution design, please get in touch today.