What is an HR database?

As a business, you’ll want to store your important human resources information in a secure and stable environment.

The good news is these days a top quality staffing database is readily available in digital form.

So, let’s take a look at what it is and how it can help your business store essential details about your staff.

What is an HR database?

You can view it as the central hub for all of your employee data. Human resources professionals use the software to store the information about staff.

In a database you’ll typically store information along the lines of:

• Employee details (such as name, address, contact details, emergency contact name and number).
• Information about your managers.
• Holiday details.
• Absenteeism rates.
• Your work rota schedule.
• Standard working hours.
• Clocking in and out times.
• Timesheets to keep track of your employees’ working hours.
• Business expenses.
• Any other information that assists with workforce management.

That’s it in simple form, but they can also record training or recruitment details—such as maintaining details of applicants who may be useful for your business at a later date.

There are many legal considerations to keep in mind when dealing with employee or customer data.

You should know how to store information under GDPR, plus how long you can keep it for current and former staff—and that includes job applicants.

How can it help your business?

Basically, database human resource management software helps to streamline your HR processes. It also personal data in a safe and secure environment.

But an HR database does provide your business with:

• Efficiency: After launching the software and getting your staff up to speed with it, it’ll streamline your overall HR team’s productivity, accuracy, and skill in completing tasks.
• Enhance the employee experience: The technology provides you with a chance to process employee data in line with existing laws, but also in a fast and effective way.
• Cost-effectiveness: In the long-term, the software will save your business money—you can put employees onto other projects as the HR database manages many duties.
• Increase accuracy: You’ll improve the clarity, meaning there will be fewer errors in HR.
• Improve regulatory compliance: You can store all the data in one place, so it’s easier to manage the likes of GDPR compliance.

Transferring records and other features

HR databases provide many convenient features that help your human resources department to function well. For example, there’s the process of transferring employee data from old records to the new software.

This may seem like an enormous task if you’re a large organisation, but you can request an HR transfer from business consultants. If you’re already a member, then this is sometimes free.

It removes all of the hassle of shifting every bit of information off the likes of spreadsheets into a computer system—that can be a laborious task!

That’ll help determine the storage size requirements for your business. In most cases, databases of employees have plenty of room—they’re adaptable if you need to expand on what you currently have, though.

Then once you’re up and running, you can start issuing reports and summaries as you need to. This can be across essential employee management areas such as:

• Absenteeism.
• Appraisals from line managers.
• Wages.
• Grievances or disciplinary actions.
• Business perks, such as a company car.
• Shift patterns.

Does your business need an HR database?

Large organisations certainly do, but is a small or medium sized business in genuine need for this software?

Asides from the benefits listed above, the simplicity of the software is also important to remember. Employee database designs are accessible—made to be easy to use so you don’t lose important time getting to grips with the software.

The whole idea is it helps you to keep track of your employees so you can focus on your daily running.

You can download employee databases in Excel, too, which helps you to store—or print—important information regarding a specific employee.

Or if you need to provide a departmental report on any HR activities—such as the total amount of sick leave—then that’s easy to manage.

And with an employee database app you can also keep track of important information while you’re on the go—whether on a trip or at home for the evening.

The point of it all is the ease of use—what in the past would have been reams of confusing spreadsheets and reports is compiled into one handy piece of software.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for something that’ll assist with your daily running then an employee database management system provides many advantages.

It isn’t essential for your daily running. But it’ll, quietly in the background, consolidate all your essential staffing information.

Remember, you can request a free demo to try out software that makes managing your staff all the easier.