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Top Uses of an Employee Self Service Portal

Posted On: 12/13/2024 / Payroll Services
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A Self Service Portal For A Company's Employees Has Many Uses

Creating systems that allow your employees to manage some of their own human resources tasks is always a great idea. That’s likely why many businesses make use of an employee self service portal and why so many others are looking into the technology. While using such a portal requires an initial investment, it can be an excellent way to empower your employees and to reduce the workload on your HR department. Figuring out the best benefits of employee self service portals, though, is an important part of getting the buy-in you’ll need from all impacted parties.

Practical uses of an employee self service portal

If you’ve ever asked what an employee self service is, you might not be aware of all the practical uses of the portal. If you’ve ever taken a look at what your HR department does and realized that some of those tasks could be automated, you’re already taking a few steps along the path to realizing how important these portals can be. Below are some of the more important features of these portals you might want to consider.


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Related: Set Yourself Up For Success WIth Workforce Management

What is employee self service?

As you might expect from the title, employee self service is an umbrella term for a set of tools that allow employees to handle some administrative tasks on their own. These are not tasks that require managerial oversight or that necessarily even need to involve a human resources professional, but they can be incredibly time-consuming when individuals in those positions have to take on those tasks. Self service, then, is a way by which employees can be trusted to take certain actions on their own through the automation of the basic procedures that tend to use up too many HR hours.

What are the features of an employee self service portal?

While there are many different types of portals in use across multiple industries, there are a few features that most have in common. Even the most bare-bones portals will allow an employee to access the information listed below, while some of the more advanced software might allow them to add and change information on their own. What’s key to each process is that it automates a process that would otherwise require the expenditure of resources that your human resources department may not be able to spare.

    Benefits Information


    One of the most common features you will see in an employee self service portal is access to benefits information. Employees will usually be able to see exactly what benefits they have through the company, along with some of the finer details of coverage. Some portals may also allow employees to make changes to their benefits during certain enrollment periods, and others might also provide specific contact information for those who have more detailed questions.

    Financial and timesheet information


    An increasingly large number of portals give employees access to their timesheet and financial data. Employees will be able to view data that include the number of hours that they have worked, any earned time off, and even the number of overtime hours they have. Some portals also allow employees to:

    • View their upcoming schedules
    • Schedule time off, and
    • Calculate what their future paychecks might be

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    These can be valuable tools for employees who are trying to budget or who might need financial data in order to make major life decisions.


    Employee information


    Perhaps the most common thing to see in a portal is basic employee information. Employees are able to go in and change basic data like their phone numbers or addresses, which should only take a moment. While it’s rare that most employees will need access to this information on their own, some may choose to use the portal in order to keep their contact information updated as their lives change.


What are the benefits of employee self service portals?

These portals bring with them some very major benefits. While every employee and business owner looks at portals differently, there are a few things on which most agree. Below are some of the more common benefits found by portal users.

    Reduces administrative tasks


    One of the biggest benefits of using a portal is reducing the number of basic administrative tasks required by your staff. When you hire HR personnel, you’re hiring them to make use of their specific skills. Unfortunately, too many of these employees find their skills wasted either through having to make minor data updates or by having to explain information that could easily be found online. Portals alleviate this burden and allow these employees to accomplish more specialized tasks.


    Empowers employees


    Another major benefit of using a portal is that it empowers employees. Most employees will gladly keep track of their own data and submit paperwork on their own when possible, only relying on others because of systems in place. When an employee is given the ability to access their own data and stay up to date, they will feel like they have more control over their future in the company.


    Saves on time


    Importantly, self service also saves time across the board. There’s no more wandering down to HR to find out basic information and no more time spent having to repeat benefits information to dozens of employees every time a change is made. These portals allow everyone in the workplace to be a bit more efficient.


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Closing thoughts

Making use of an employee portal is only one way to help make your business more efficient. If you’re looking to make major improvements to the way your company works, it pays to have the help of the professionals. PayTech can help your company by providing everything from time-tracking software to full HR solutions, allowing you to focus on your own talents, safe in the knowledge that we are focusing on theirs. If you’re ready to take your company to the next level, make sure to take a look at our pricing and packages page to learn more.