Employers have been using defined contribution plans to attract and retain top talentsince the launch of 401(k)s in 1978. These plans transferred most of the risk involved with defined-benefit plans from the employers to the employees. The only problem? Managing a 401(k) comes with high administrative costs that most small businesses can’t afford. As a result, only 53% of workers at private companies with fewer than 100 employees have access to employer-sponsored retirement plans.

People continue to quit their jobs at a mind-boggling rate as the Great Resignation continues. More than 4.4 million people left their jobs in 2022 so far. Employees are being more selective about the employers, company cultures, and the nature of the work.

The market for HR technology is always changing, especially software solutions and how they’re packaged by vendors. The lines between the terms used for different HR software have become increasingly blurry. Perhaps the two terms that are most often confused are human resource information system (HRIS) and human capital management (HCM).

It’s common for people to confuse these types of software because they overlap in terms of their functionalities. However, these solutions have historically differed in terms of their scopes. Whereas an HRIS typically only deals with core HR responsibilities, an HCM system offers everything an HRIS does, along with features for talent management and advanced analytics.

You’ll likely come across these terms when researching tools to digitize HR. Having clarity on HCM vs. HRIS will help you select a suitable solution that fits your needs.

When a business reaches a certain number of eligible participants for their 401(k) plan, federal law requires an independent audit of that retirement plan. Larger companies are more accustomed to this annual requirement. However, owners and managers of growing businesses may never have experienced a 401(k) audit or don't know enough about it.

You probably have a lot of questions if you’re about to undergo an audit for the first time. At what point is an employer required to complete a 401(k) audit? What is an "eligible participant," and why is this important? Who performs the audit, and what documents do they need?

A little homework will help you determine whether or not a 401(k) audit is required. Plus, it’ll help you better prepare for one.

The world is currently going through the fourth industrial revolution. Human productivity has reached an all-time high thanks to developments in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotic process automation (RPA). Today, technology has penetrated all areas of business, including human resource management. A digital HR strategy is no longer just a nice to have if a business wants to remain productive and competitive.

A digital HR strategy is a roadmap that guides the digital transformation of manual HR processes. The general goal of such a strategy is to digitize and automate — and, thereby, improve — key HR functions, such as recruitment, onboarding, and workforce management.

Digitizing your HR processes takes time, but it can lead to improved productivity, reduced costs, and even higher employee engagement. That said, it warrants carefully planning out a strategy that takes your company’s requirements and future HR needs into account to avoid wasting resources in the wrong places.

No matter your role or function in a business, there never seems to be sufficient time and resources to accomplish everything you’d like to while operating at the highest possible level. But there are tools that can help. 

Human resources processes require significant thought, strategy, and time, whether you have five, 50, or 5,000 employees. And in today’s climate of companies competing for limited talent, you want your human resources practices to be smooth and effective, not only for you but for your team members, as well. Fortunately, many options are available for you to get the support you need to manage your workforce.

Streamlining processes, improving file management, avoiding duplication, empowering employees, and helping recruit new employees more efficiently sounds like an easy YES! But, before you sign up for human capital management software, consider your transition strategy. We’ve helped thousands of companies successfully implement payroll/HR platforms, and we’ve seen it all. Avoid these five mistakes for a smooth transition!

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that 15 percent of employees who quit a job within the first six months cite lack of proper onboarding as the primary reason they left the new position.

Other reasons these employees gave: no clear outline of responsibilities, insufficient training, lack of a friendly face to help out in their early days on the job, not enough attention from their manager or coworkers, and lack of recognition for their contributions.

All of these issues can be addressed through a well-developed and consistently executed onboarding process. Proper onboarding sets the stage for better employee engagement, which leads to lower turnover, which leads to lower recruiting and training expenses.

Here are a few must-have elements to a modern onboarding process that will help set your relationships with your new employees off on the right foot every time.

A 2015 study by the Society for Human Resource Management reveals that most employees are seeking a meaningful work experience. In an effort to supply it, employers are increasingly moving their HR processes to the cloud. In fact, the Information Services Group (ISG) states that the desire to provide a positive user experience is a chief reason employers shift to cloud HR solutions. 

How popular is cloud HR technology? Stratospheric. ISG’s 2015 survey shows that over 70 percent of respondents have implemented or intend to use cloud HR technology within the next two years. Besides reducing time spent on HR-related tasks, an effective cloud HR system takes an integrative approach to improving employee experience – from the job applicant stage all the way to off-boarding. An ideal integrated solution can transform the employee experience.