Paperless Blog

Your HR department is still using a paper filing system to store your employee files? We know your frustration. Paper files are nearly impossible to keep organized. Then, when you need to find an important document, it can take the better part of your morning just to pull it up! Upgrading to electronic personnel files offers vast benefits for your organization with little required investment. Let's take a look at some of the advantages and what to think about when deciding to implement an electronic employee file system.

The benefits of electronic personnel files
Many companies have already made the switch to electronic personnel files. HR finds them favorable to paper format for the following reasons:

• Documents are never lost.
  Electronic employee file systems keep documents filed by metadata indexing. Indexing categorizes each document in the system with information like Document Type (I-9 Form, for example) and the date it was entered. Since every document is indexed, the system does the filing automatically. This is great news for employees because there are no naming conventions to remember - every document is filed the correct location every time.

• Documents can be accessed fast.
  Electronic employee files are easy to sort through because they are indexed. Instead of rummaging through an entire personnel folder, simply search for the document you need using an index search. For example, find John Doe's I-9 by just entering his Name and selecting I-9 as the Document Type. You can even run reports on specific Document Types on the fly. For example, run an I-9 audit in about 3 seconds using the same method, but leave Employee Name blank and limit the date range.

• Documents are easy to share.
  Electronic personnel files offer much flexibility when it comes to sharing documents. You can always email standard information as an email attachment, but protected information needs to delivered in a more secure fashion. Forget about over-nighting important information; electronic file systems allow HR to share employee documents in a safer way using encrypted document links or efax options. Document links are simply hyperlinks that point directly to the document you want to share. They can be password protected and even set to expire after a certain amount of time.

Choosing the best electronic employee file system
When it's time to make the transition to electronic personnel files, there are a lot of options to consider. Some systems will fit your company better than others, but there are a couple of things to remember that will benefit most departments.

• Cloud employee file system
  Cloud systems store your employee files on a server that is maintained by a service provider. Although your data is not stored within your physical office, cloud solutions are often the most secure way to manage employee files. For example, DynaFile backs up your data automatically and stores your files in a data center that gets audited regularly for compliance with rigorous security standards. In addition to the improved security of your employee files, cloud systems are great because your company does not have to maintain them. There is no hardware to buy, software to install or updates to make - ever! Simply log in to your employee file system from any web browser.

• Compliance features
  HR deals with a lot of protected information so it's important that the file system you choose has the right features to keep you compliant with HIPAA and other regulations. Some common compliance features include:

  • Audit Trail
    Keeps a record of all of the activity within your filing system.

  • Version Tracking
    Keeps a record of every version of each document in the system.

  • Document Links
    Protected information should be encrypted during transit. Document links also encrypt the pathway to your document and can be password protected.

• Paperless Onboarding
  ​If you're going electronic with your employee file system, why not make your workflow paperless as well? Cloud file systems allow HR to implement a paperless employee onboarding process. New employees will receive a secure link to their onboarding packet which contains all orientation information, tax forms, NDA's and other documents. They can review all of their information, complete all forms and documents and legally sign everything online before their first day of work. This reduces stress on new employees and lets HR focus on face to face onboarding techniques on the new hire's first day instead of rushing them through a paper storm. Look for esignature and online form integration when qualifying electronic employee file systems.

Learn more
DynaFile is a cloud employee file system. It offers scanning automation tools that let your department go paperless very quickly. If you're thinking about making the switch to electronic personnel files this year, contact us for a free consultation. We've been helping companies go paperless for over ten years and can help your department get organized and increase efficiency fast.