HR is a data-driven profession, and so its practitioners need to stay on top of their information management duties if they want to keep the organizations they represent running smoothly.

There are some data management strategies that work better than others in this context, so let’s go through a few of the most effective tactics so that you can improve outcomes in your own department.

hr data in the workplace

Image Source: Pixabay

Consider your sources

It is more than likely that HR teams will receive data from a variety of different sources, and need to process, store and manage this in a way that involves minimal fragmentation or loss of value.

Ideally, you will be primarily in receipt of digital data from whatever software platforms are part and parcel of your business’ IT ecosystem.

If you are using an SQL database as your primary repository, then it is a good idea to get a handle on SSIS, since this is designed for extracting, loading, and transforming information from several sources, as SentryOne explains.

In short, funneling data from different sources and organizing it in a single endpoint is more efficient and straightforward, so this should be a priority.

Embrace specialist solutions

While homogenizing data can be helpful in HR, it is also important to recognize the role that distinct, specialized solutions can play in simplifying everyday duties.

For example, payroll is particularly well catered to by platforms designed to do everything from track employee information and salary data, automate deductions, streamline tax tasks and much more besides.

There are also products built for things like recruitment and onboarding, as well as employee engagement and recognition.

Regardless of the services you select to manage specific types of HR data in the workplace, it makes sense to consider whether or not they are interoperable and integratable with one another. Some solutions are better equipped to interact with other platforms than others, so check the small print, especially if you already have software that you are using and you don’t want to change this aspect when adopting anything new.

Monitor performance

Whatever data resources you procure, it is important to make sure that they are running as intended. Sluggish performance may stifle HR productivity and create consternation in other departments as a result.

Once again, there are a variety of tools that cater to this need, and your use of them will largely depend on whether you are handling data in-house, or outsourcing its storage and processing to a third party. In the latter case, you can expect the vendor to be on the ball when it comes to performance monitoring, but anything dealt with internally has to be your responsibility to keep functioning smoothly.

Adhere to regulations

Managing data is not just about considering the internal implications for your organization, but also recognizing the external expectations that are placed upon you by the rules and regulations governing this practice.

These can vary depending on the region you are based in, and if your business operates several locations in different jurisdictions, it pays to be up to speed with data privacy laws in the places where you operate.

This is not just a good idea for keeping employees happy, but will also give you a good grounding for the safe, legal handling of customer data as well, which is obviously a good thing.

Ask for feedback

Finally, if you want to make sure your data management strategies are having the desired impact, simply ask employees for their input and experiences.

This is a speedy way of weeding out previously undetected conundrums, and will help you tweak your tactics and systems as needed.