HCM Features

Typically, at each stage of the HCM cycle, different people will be involved. This also depends on the size of your business, as smaller businesses may have one person performing multiple roles

The ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is often handled by a recruitment agency, but if done in-house, HR and the hiring manager are usually responsible. In some cases, recruitment also requires sign-off from finance. This means three people and three departments are often involved in recruitment.

This is likely the stage that involves the greatest number of departments. There’s a significant compliance element, and onboarding is a pivotal moment for creating an employee’s first impression of the company. We’ll discuss the importance of this in detail later, but onboarding involves a wide range of information, training requirements, processes, documents, and personnel.

It could include IT for equipment, training teams for courses, management for introductions, payroll for documentation, owners for welcome meetings, and health and safety for checks. It’s essential to evaluate your process and consider how software could enhance onboarding.

Ask yourself: Are we satisfied with our current process? Who needs to be involved?
Have these answers ready before engaging with a software vendor.

Benefits are typically managed by HR and payroll, often via an opt-in form that can be integrated into the onboarding process. Employees need to be registered in payroll for deductions and with the benefits schemes they’ve opted into.

Goals, competencies, and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) should align with the company’s objectives and reflect how the employee’s role contributes to these goals, as outlined in their job description. Performance reviews should therefore tie into the manager’s team objectives and the organisation’s overall aims, making this process primarily led by the manager.

Many companies already use an LMS (Learning Management System), managed by HR and management and often governed by health and safety. Training is highly dependent on the industry’s requirements and compliance standards, ensuring workers remain up-to-date. HR and management typically drive this process.

Rotas can originate from various areas, and this is often a common pitfall. Scheduling and T&A (Time and Attendance) are intertwined, yet they’re sometimes considered separately.

It’s crucial to involve the right stakeholders before engaging with a software provider. This is particularly important in industries such as care homes, manufacturing, hospitality, events, and retail, where scheduling is often complex.
Typically, shift managers, factory managers, and other operational managers play a role here.

This area requires input from multiple departments, as it encompasses hardware, scheduling, leave, holidays, and payroll. Stakeholders might include management, shift managers, HR, payroll, IT, and finance.

Often referred to as the silent cog, payroll is a back-office function but by far the most critical part of the HCM cycle. Payroll professionals are invaluable, which is why payroll is often outsourced, finding skilled payroll personnel with expertise in software, logistics, and compliance can be challenging. At this stage, payroll staff, accountants, finance personnel, and occasionally executives or directors are involved.

Promoting employees and driving improvement are key to a business’s success. Management and HR use performance management tools to identify high-potential talent pools, focusing on employees who can develop and grow into new roles.