Your human resources team is often the unsung hero of your company's success. You may not even be fully aware of all the tasks and responsibilities HR staff juggle every single day. One simple commitment you can make to them is to look for ways to make their job easier.

Making workflows more efficient doesn't need to be as daunting a task as you might think. There are simple ways to improve HR processes so your team isn't routinely overloaded. Plus, it just makes sense to free them up to focus on the most important tasks. Here are six ideas you can implement to help give your HR team a boost:

1. Automate Processes

Far too many HR positions still include mounds of mind-numbing paperwork. These include balancing the payroll, organizing training manuals, and taking the lead on the long and often arduous process of recruitment. In many cases, these workflows can be automated, allowing them to be completed quickly and with far less need for manual labor.

For example, the input and transfer of information are common chores that are prone to error. Using an automated workflow, information from new hires can be automatically transferred to payroll sheets so they don't miss their first paycheck. If you're an international company, consider a global payroll solution so you can automate payroll for employees all over the world. Training resources and documentation can also be digitized, eliminating even more paper.

2. Leverage Social Media

The hiring process spearheaded by HR teams can be long and time-intensive. Your company could drastically shorten the amount of time required to seek applicants by leveraging social media. Companies that use social media for recruiting improve their hiring time by 2.5 times compared to companies that don't.

For starters, social media expands the scope of your search. Job postings reach more applicants than you'd find through traditional methods alone. On top of that, social media referrals are quite common. A particular social media user might not be interested but can lead candidates to you as they share your post with friends and family.

3. Focus on Retention

Lower employee turnover means fewer complications for HR teams, as less time will be spent on the recruitment process. Conversely, a high rate of turnover can single-handedly overwhelm an HR department if positions constantly need to be backfilled. Higher retention also reduces the need for new employee training, which can be just as expensive and time-consuming.

How can your company boost retention? Start by identifying your most glaring weaknesses by holding exit interviews with departing employees. Non-competitive wages in a competitive field will have employees packing for greener pastures as soon as possible. Poor management is one of the leading causes of high turnover, and one of the more difficult ones to fix. Balance the cost of keeping a bad manager on your payroll against the costs of routinely replacing fed-up staff in their department.

4. Improve Your Onboarding

The process of acclimating new hires to their environment is an important part of employee retention. Proper onboarding helps new hires adjust more quickly so they can hit the ground running and be comfortable in their new surroundings.

One way to simultaneously improve onboarding and make your HR work more efficient is to start a mentorship program. An HCI survey shows that 87% of organizations saw a boost in new hire proficiency when using a buddy program. These programs leverage the expertise of tenured employees to help with training and direction. Questions are diverted away from the HR department unless necessary, and camaraderie is established from day one.

Whether you use a mentoring system or not, an onboarding timeline will help guide your efforts. Set goals for when new employees should complete paperwork and training, perhaps even starting the process before their first official day. A simple organizational plan shared with new hires does wonders for overall efficiency and helps to deflect many calls and emails to HR.

5. Turn to Data

Numbers are often your best friend when it comes to detecting organizational shortcomings and HR weaknesses that need to be addressed. Using empirical data as opposed to gut instincts can effectively pinpoint where efficiency can be improved and offer insight on where to focus first.

We've already mentioned that high turnover rates in one department might be a red flag for poor management. Comparing the departmental turnover rate to that of other units allows you to approach a potentially awkward situation unemotionally.

Surveys and question tracking are both good tools for collecting raw data. For example, surveying new employees about their experience with training can help the HR team spot weaknesses in the curriculum. One or two new employees asking about timesheets after orientation might be an anomaly, whereas 25 or more indicates a need for retooling.

Other useful metrics that can help your HR team function smoothly might include:

●      Average time to hire

●      Cost per hire

●      Applicants per source (social media, career fair, etc.)

●      Training duration

●      Turnover rate

Each of these metrics will be useful in direct proportion to its accuracy. By consistently tracking the right data, you empower others to make well-informed decisions.

6. Maintain a Positive Work Environment

The best way to make your HR team operate more efficiently is through an ongoing commitment to maintaining a positive work environment. HR teams are responsible for most internal conflict resolution and disciplinary measures. Doing what you can to keep employee gripes and squabbles to a minimum will win you many friends in the HR department.

Of course, even the best companies will experience occasions when it's necessary to resolve conflict. To keep messy situations to a minimum, HR teams can take preventative measures such as regular company-wide communication and conflict resolution training for all employees. While these require a little extra effort, they pay off big time when large-scale problems are kept at bay.

Once the changes you make are given some time to settle, touch base with your HR team to see how things are going. Embrace their feedback and continue to make adjustments as necessary. By optimizing the HR function, you'll be providing tangible benefits to your entire organization.