Anyone running a small business knows there is almost always work to be done. However, much of the time may be spent on tasks that were not foreseen before opening shop. Indeed, up to 25 percent of a business owner’s time can be consumed by human resources and benefits administration, according to the Small Business Administration.
Luckily for those who built a business to follow their passions, not to do paperwork, new mobile technology can help save employers’ time, make employees’ lives easier and attract great staff.
For example, when Michael Kerins, founder of Robust Wealth, a New Jersey-based provider of financial management software and services, began offering health benefits to his staff, he didn’t anticipate the amount of time required to process paperwork and answer questions from employees.
“Too much of my time was tied up filling out paperwork, updating records and helping employees find information,” says Kerins, who switched to using Zenefits, an online, all-in-one platform that includes HR, benefits administration and payroll.
One benefit Kerins quickly realized was time-savings, as employees had access to all of their HR and benefits information in one place — online and through mobile apps.
“Employees can now fill out their own paperwork online, upload necessary documents, and make their own updates when things change. It makes onboarding and benefits administration ridiculously easy and paperless.
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I never see the forms, but I can see when they have been completed,” says Kerins. He also quickly noticed that his employees appreciate more control over their personal information and the ability to access all of their HR and benefits information in one place, including through their mobile phones.
According to Jim Lundy, principal analyst with Aragon Research, using mobile technology to run a business is not just a convenience; it’s becoming something of a necessity.
“Mobile is now critical in the workplace, as this is how the younger generations expect to work,” Lundy says, “Companies need to adapt or risk missing out on key talent.”
Other mobile apps offer employers and their staff opportunities to streamline project management, email marketing campaigns and more.
“Mobile apps should not only help people access information, but allow them to take actions and move things forward,” Lundy added. “Over the next few years, we predict mobile devices will become the primary computing device for a significant percentage of workers.”
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