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It's not easy keeping everything organized and secure in HR. There is a lot of documentation running through the department and a lot of compliance issues that have to be met while managing it all. Filing is a simple thing that has a huge impact on how efficiently your HR department - and entire company - can run. Here are some best practices for filing personnel documents in your Human Resources department that use inexpensive technology to help you transition away from paper and towards a more efficient electronic filing system.
Getting away from paper
The traditional filing method that a lot of HR departments still use is: paper documents, organized in a manila file folder, stored in a big bulky metal filing cabinet. Unfortunately, besides wasting tons of paper, the problems that arise with this kind of system are vast. Document control is a large issue as certain areas of an employee file need to be accessible by one group of people, while the rest of the file must be restricted. Some companies solve this problem by having multiple files in different filing cabinets for the same employee. This brings us to the next big problem: organization. With employee files spread across the company, how can you ever hope to keep everything organized? Finding what you're looking for can be a nightmare. Luckily, there is now scanning automation software that will index all of the documents in an employee file as it is converted to electronic format. You can scan the entire employee file at once and each document within it is automatically indexed and filed electronically with little human help.
Organizing personnel documents
The beauty of an electronic filing system is the organization it provides. Employee files can be organized by employee name or id and then the documents within them can be organized further by "document type" - performance review, W-4 form or I-9 for example. Each document in the system is indexed with metadata properties such as document type or other identifiers. When a new document is added to the system, you simply fill out one or 2 indexing fields and your document is automatically filed in the correct location. Now you can retrieve documents by simply searching for them by their indexing information - instead of thumbing through their entire employment record. Additionally, you can use the indexing information to restrict or allow access to certain types of files. This way, you can segment which parts of an employee file are accessible to specific groups of people, but the employee file itself is consolidated in one location.
Benefits of a cloud filing system
A cloud filing system is one where your documents are stored on a server that is located outside of your office. You access all of your documents using the internet. Cloud software providers are extremely popular these days due to increased security protocols that actually keep your files safer than if they were stored on-site. For example, DynaFile backs up your data 3 times in separate locations. If anything were to ever happen to one data center, the other 2 have you covered. Best of all, your company doesn't have to shell out big bucks for additionally IT staff, infrastructure, etc. All upgrades are done automatically and free of charge so you never have to deal with getting the latest and greatest hardware or software each year for a new release. Simply access your cloud filing system securely from your web browser. This is especially great for large companies with offices in multiple locations. Now you can consolidate information, collaborate more efficiently and focus on growing business - not the minutia of sending and receiving documentation.
Learn more about filing best practices for HR
DynaFile has been helping HR departments go paperless for over a decade. We understand the paper-to-electronic conversion process and provide a solution that not only helps your business transition fast, but also implement a secure, easy-to-use filing system that will be adopted by your employees. Contact us today for a free consultation and to learn more about going paperless in your organization.
