Non-profit HR professionals are the unsung heroes of the non-profit space. Human resource professionals at non-profit organisations are constantly faced with one challenge after the next. And often they are juggling full-time staff, part-time staff, and short-term grant funded positions.

Time-poor, cash-strapped teams

In fact, in a recent study non-profit human resource professionals reported over 65 per cent of them felt there were not enough staff resources dedicated to HR, with 56 per cent reporting a lack of financial resources.

With HR departments spread thin, it can contribute to higher error rates on employee information, or worse, leave organisations vulnerable to employee fraud. Whether it is an overload of work, a lack of time or insufficient funding – it’s clear that HR needs all the support it can get.

For many HR professionals, this is where automation and HR technology come in.

Whether it is an overload of work, a lack of time or insufficient funding – it’s clear that HR needs all the support it can get

The good news is there are HR software solutions that can help automate and streamline efficiency for you to consider. It takes time to assess your organisation’s needs and to research software on the market. It’s best to start with the basics. To help guide that decision making process for you, below are some good basics to start you on your way. 

Here are some key considerations you can start with on your search.

Start with a needs analysis

One of the best practices when considering an integrated in-house HR system is to first perform a needs analysis. Gather your finance team together and talk about what your technology needs are, and what you need to improve and speed up your current HR processes.

By doing this, you will be able to understand what key factors will influence your purchase of a solution. You will also want to ensure that you evaluate different solutions and then determine which one will be the best fit for your organization. Compare what you have on your needs analysis with the features of the solutions you are considering.

Looking at a trusted solution review site, for example, Trust Radius is a strategic way to evaluate the pros and cons of any HR solution you are considering. It is also valuable to reach out to fellow non-profit professionals and see what solutions they have benefited from.

Create a budget

Set up a budget, seek out potential information on potential solutions and ask for detailed information from potential HR solution partners that will meet your unique needs the best. Perform due diligence and evaluate your return on investment and implementation of the new system. Keep in mind to ask about training, customer support and long-term ability to add to the solution as your non-profit or organisation grows.

One of the challenges of implementing a new HR solution or bringing HR solution in-house is to ensure your team can easily learn and use the system and the new system will be able to integrate all the HR data you’ve previously had in another program.

Reach out to fellow non-profit professionals and see what solutions they have benefited from

Consider fraud prevention capabilities

Another key question to ask of any potential solution vendor is how the HR solution prevents or reduces fraud risk. Does it have built-in features that enable you to know if there is duplicate employee information for instance?

Can your system prevent ghost employees, for instance, where employees on payroll are being paid but not really working at your company. Will your solution let you see someone for instance, who has few or no deductions from his or her pay? Does your system enable you to have a clear audit trail for any single employee? Can you schedule HR actions for future dates such as pay raises and review dates?

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Convenience is key

Another benefit of an in-house HR solution is to be able to provide employees 24/7 access to benefits, payroll and policies. Employees want ease of access to their time-off, medical claims, 401K information and insurance benefits information. Efficient and expedient access for employees reduces time HR staff has to spend on status updates needed by employees.

Having a user-intuitive and easily accessible HR information system ensures employee transparency and improved communication. Look for systems that have one-click automation for employee benefits. Automation with the right software can help you automatically apply benefit calculations to all employees with one click.  Users can easily populate tax form information and e-Filing functionality.

The money you spend on a more robust system will enable your HR staff to spend more time on recruiting, training, and supporting employees

Ensure that your system will significantly reduce hours spent on payroll processing or managing multiple Excel-based spreadsheets. Keep in mind as well, that in the long-run the money you spend on a more robust system will enable your HR staff to spend more time on recruiting, training, and supporting employees.

Automation saves time

HR automation enables you to quickly download data and reporting for employees. Efficiently track employee records and data certifications, education, degrees and increase data integrity with a single-entry source for key personnel information. Additionally, HR professionals can see timesaving in reporting to auditors, grantors and donors, where payroll reports and analytics can be pulled in minutes instead of hours.

Using a true fund accounting software system reduces the time spent each month updating and transferring data between HR systems. It also ensures the more HR data you can merge, the better you are able to prepare for growth initiatives and measure your need each year for staff.

Selecting an HR solution may seem daunting but the long-term benefits for your organisation are valuable

Even though selecting an HR solution may seem daunting, the long-term benefits for your organisation are valuable. By investing in your non-profit’s HR technology, your team is receiving the support it needs to keep things running smoothly at your organisation – leaving more capacity to grow your mission.

Non-profit human resource professionals dedicate their time to supporting employees and the mission. The impact of automation will be a long-term benefit to HR and employees. And human resources professionals will be able to spend more dedicated time on recruitment, workplace safety, employee relations, compensation planning, and training initiatives. That’s a bonus for all!