The ZenHR Blog

The Importance of Employee Self Service - ZenHR's Blog

Written by Cavall | 309/November/2017

Nowadays, it’s quite common for employees to gain access to their own personal information and update it accordingly. These mundane tasks would have normally been handled by the administrative staff.  Many companies are now enjoying Employee Self Service because it grants their employees the chance  to control their own information and make the necessary changes when needed.

What is Employee Self Service?

Employee Self Service (ESS) is a web based application where employees can access their own payroll details and personal information. This feature allows employees to change their own employment information which would have otherwise been taken care of by HR practitioners. With an increasingly competitive employee talent in the market, ESS can help create a positive work culture and make employees feel satisfied and valued. Top talent can be easily retained by simply giving employees direct control over their personal information. Moreover, ESS can greatly help an organization increase efficiency and reduce costs.

Common Features of Employee Self Service

Most ESS systems allow employees to alter information related to contact information, address, and banking information. Employees can also access information related to payroll, scheduling, and they can even request for time-off. The following are a few ESS features:

  • Approving or rejecting leaves online
  • Keeping track of staff absences
  • Viewing and printing payroll information
  • Checking profile data
  • Upgrading transactions history
  • Viewing all requested time-off transactions
  • Viewing company calendar events and announcements.
  • Downloading salary slips
  • Unlimited document center

Why is an ESS system Important for Employees and Employers?

Employees will feel a lot less frustrated when they are given more control and power. Therefore, content employees will be more satisfied with their jobs. Enabling your employees to manage their leaves, will make them feel more positive about the working environment, thus increasing efficiency and productivity. Self service also makes employees familiar with their entitlements, which will most definitely provide the employees with a historical record of their growth in their career paths. Last not least, when you keep your employees up to date with HR policies they will feel respected and appreciated to any changes that will be easily accessible to them.

Although an ESS system can do wonders for employees, employers benefit from this feature as well. First of all, it improves efficiency. When employees spend less time waiting for requests, they will be able to concentrate better on their jobs. It’s also cost effective in a sense that administrative costs will drop as self-service starts taking place. An ESS can also create a concentrated workforce especially since HR will have the time to focus on employee development activities rather than focus on admin tasks. Last but not least, ESS can greatly reduce errors especially since personal documents will always be updated and as a result eliminate the risk of having duplicate information.

Automate Your HR Processes Now

Request a Live Demo Now

Written By: Fatima Rassool