How to Maintain Accurate HR Data
April 25, 2018
by Kimberly Tucker, Director, Marketing
The Human Resources department is more than just for pushing paper and handing out pay checks. Since a business cannot function without employees, the HR department has a vital role in managing and maintaining a database of everyone who works for the company.
The business is often reliant on the HR department for a lot of reasons pertaining to the workforce. It is true that all information related to the workforce of an organization can be found in the HR department. And to maintain that database, every company uses some sort of Human Resource Information System (HRIS).
Regardless of the HRIS used to collect and maintain data, the accuracy of the data is crucial for the company to get a proper return on investment and for the HR department to be seen as an important part of the management team. But how does an organization achieve clean reliable data at all times? Accurate HR data takes time and effort, but following a few simple tips can make the task much easier.
Here are three ways to ensure only accurate data is entered on an HRIS.
Create Specific Documentation
The documentation that the HRIS comes with is usually pretty vague and generic. In the beginning, companies refer to it, but as time goes by, its need ceases because it serves no purpose anymore. That’s the reason why specific documentation must be created by the company for the HR department.
This user guide or internal training manual must be specific to the company and include screen shots, detailed descriptions on how to use the system, and a list of other tasks to be performed in conjunction with the use of the system.
Train new members in person
Careful updating and maintenance of the HRIS data is extremely important. Therefore, a new user must be granted access to input data in the HRIS only after they have gone through a face to face training. Training conducted in person helps the HR department get to know the new employee better. The data in the HRIS is valuable, and must not be given over to anyone without finding out how capable the person is.
Keep track of data being entered
It goes without saying that a number of people have permission to enter data into the HRIS, and there is often no track of the people who have access to the system.
For the accuracy of data, it is important to keep track of what data is being entered by whom. With so many methods to enter and update data into the HRIS, there must be a proper system to help ensure consistency of the data is maintained.