An introduction to HRMS document management

A topic that goes hand-in-hand with HRMS is the management of documentation. Often HR transactions require supporting documentation such as a government ID for a name change or a business case for an off-cycle pay increase. If you have a documentation management system, the natural extension is to integrate it with your HRMS. But is this a good idea? What can you gain from HRMS document management and what are the challenges you will face?

Humble Beginnings

Document management systems (DMS) often arose from humble beginnings; the early systems were merely electronic file cabinets that enabled paperwork to be accessed remotely. Current technology has been greatly enhanced on this front. Today’s systems allow for the coding of forms to better access the document that you need, as well as in-depth security processes to control user access.

Recommended Reading: HRMS Software Guide - Find an HRMS able to handle document management

Many transactions remain within the HRMS and are not in need of an online or offline document, an example being when an employee requests training online and a manager approves. However, there are other instances where a document is required, such as an employee needing to provide a degree certificate or evidence of a class taken elsewhere as a pre-requisite to requesting a training class. These documents are a prime candidate to store using HRMS document management rather than a paper file, especially when you’d like to refer back to them at a later date.

Integration & Security

Integrating your HRMS with a DMS can be accomplished through various means; some HRMS can directly link to a DMS so that when a document is uploaded in conjunction with a transaction, it is automatically tagged and stored and can later be retrieved and updated through the HRMS. Other HRMS may be more of a one-way link, with documents loaded to the HRMS to later be accessed separately in a DMS.

There needs to be a careful planning process which covers who should have access to HR documents, and how this access will be audited.

With all of this automation, however, security becomes a concern, in particular due to the sensitivity of some of the data within our HR documentation. There needs to be a careful planning process which covers who should have access to HR documents, and how this access will be audited. A robust categorization of documentation will support this effort, as well as provide consistency for any automation efforts.