Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably heard about Marie Kondo, an organizing guru who’s developed a method of simplifying your life called the KonMari method. She wrote a book called, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” that inspired a Netflix show in which she visits American homes and helps families cut the clutter and reclaim their space one category at time.
When a client uses her method and is determining what to keep and what to toss she has them ask themselves, “Does this [item] spark joy?” If it doesn’t, it’s thrown out or donated leaving behind only the useful, joy-sparking books, socks, and kitchen utensils, which are then organized. The goal is to free yourself from the stress that comes with maintaining a bunch of stuff.
Stop and ask yourself—is all of the HR paperwork you have piled on your desk or stored in cabinets sparking joy?
Are you hoarding years worth of paperwork because you’re worried about throwing any documentation out? There are—after all—laws upon laws about retaining certain information for years (we get it). But beyond the essential paper that you have to retain, can you find what you need, when you need it?
For the the final installment in our HR best practices series, we’re tackling why going paperless can become a gamechanger for managing your back-office tasks. Less clutter in your office and organized files are just a couple of the benefits of switching to an automated payroll and HCM system.
Here are 10 reasons why less is more when it comes to paper:
- Needle in a haystack. Whether it’s for a surprise audit or a last-minute request from your CFO, sometimes you need to be able to find files quickly. This can become stress city if you have multiple file cabinets containing hundreds of folders. Fast forward two precious hours and thirty papercuts later, and you find the document complete with coffee stain in your “I’ll get to it next month” drawer. (Had you had all of your data stored electronically a simple search could have located your document in seconds.)
- Space savings. There’s something to be said for cleaning house and in an office, less paper means fewer file cabinets. Fewer file cabinets mean more space. And more space means a spot for that office foosball table. (Or something like that!)
- All-access pass. In today’s world the reality is “I’m not in the office today” is no longer a viable excuse not to have access to important information. When your data is in the Cloud you or your employees can obtain it remotely whether you’re at a conference or on vacation (on an emergency-only basis, of course!)
- Easy sharing. When information is digital sharing that information with teams across the city, or even the globe, is a breeze. Collaboration increases and reduces the need for time-consuming scanning or faxing.
- Cha-ching. Direct deposit saves money on paper check processing, replacement checks, printers, copies, and ink. Who doesn’t like to save money? (If you don’t or don’t know how to maybe you need to talk to our friends at Patrick Accounting.)
- Save time. According to a survey by Archive Systems, HR managers who said their HR files were more than 50% digital spend 35% of their time on administrative paperwork compared with non-digital peers who spend 60% of their time on the same activities. All of the documentation required for a new hire is a perfect example of why paper-free is the way to be.
- Paper is so last century. The same Archive Systems survey revealed that among HR professionals surveyed, a combined 77% said they were either half digital or mostly digital already. This is an industry standard at this point. Why be any later to the party?
- Accidents happen. From fires to floods, expect the unexpected. If you’re relying on paper to keep all of your important information safe and sound it’s time to rethink your strategy.
- Safe and sound. Electronic employee records are often stored on servers with multiple layers of security making it easy to keep confidential information safe, while only giving access to the appropriate people.
- Isms. (Specifically environmentalism and minimalism.) They’re trendy for a reason. Cutting down on your paper use is good for the world and good for your bottom line.
Old Habits Die Hard
If you still are bogged down by paper in your office, chances are you want to be automated but might feel a bit overwhelmed in making the transition. It’s admittedly a bit of a manual process to make the conversion but it’s a smart investment for countless reasons—and our team can help you each step of the way.
In Your Corner
We’d love to help you purge your paperwork and get all of the information you need at your fingertips. We believe when it comes to payroll and HCM tasks, having more time, more money, and fewer papercuts sparks joy. Let’s set up a time to tidy up your processes!
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