What is ESS? [Employee self-service]

 
Employee self-service, or ESS, is a feature that is available with most modern HRMS. ESS allows employees to take care of many different human resources-related and job-related tasks that would otherwise need to be completed by human resources personnel or management. Employee self-service can help many companies to save labor hours and increase efficiency, but the option may not be right for every company.
Common Features of ESS
Most employee self-service systems allow employees to change personal information such as address, contact information, and banking information – though approval may be needed. Some ESS systems also allow employees to view scheduling and payroll information. Even the most rudimentary self service systems generally allow employees to submit time off requests and allow managers to approve these requests.
If there are issues that employees are not authorized to directly change using ESS, some HRMS allow employees to correspond electronically with the human resources department. This allows employees to send messages outside of regular office hours and saves time and hassle for both employees and human resources professionals.
Benefits Open Enrollment
Some companies are finding benefit in using ESS to allow employees to make changes to benefit information during open enrollment or when life changes have occurred. Many employees prefer this method, as it allows them to control their own information and research different options without the time pressures that may be present when working with human resource professionals to select benefits.
Human resources professionals, managers, and employers typically enjoy open enrollment self service options. Labor time is saved for all parties and the disruption that open enrollment brings to many companies is avoided. Depending on the HRMS and the insurance company, the process of applying may also be simpler and the information provided may be more thorough due to the interactive format.
Determining Whether to Adopt ESS
Large companies in virtually any industry can benefit from employee self service. Small and medium companies in certain industries may also benefit from ESS. Before investing in the software to enable self-service options, however, companies should weigh the pros and cons and do both internal and external research.
Benefits of ESS
When ESS has been successfully implemented, a company may see immediate increases in productivity and efficiency. Managers and human resources personnel may save labor hours and frustration daily when not faced with working through scheduling issues, time-off requests, and open enrollment questions. Employees may be able to access scheduling and other information from home, which saves employees time and can boost feelings of empowerment.
Additionally, entry errors and other mistakes may be avoided by allowing employees to enter their own information. If recruiting and on boarding are available through the HRMS and tie in directly to the self-service portal, entry errors can be prevented as early as the application phase. By eliminating the need for double entry and allowing employees to evaluate their own information, the chances of inaccuracy in information may be greatly decreased.
Drawbacks of ESS
The biggest drawback to investing in ESS options is that time must be taken to ensure that each employee understands how to use the system. The rollout process can cost a company huge amounts of time and money, taking these resources away from regular operations. ESS must also be used frequently by employees in order for a company to see a benefit from adopting the system.
If employees do not completely understand how to use ESS options, it can cause communication gaps and be a hindrance to processes as some employees attempt to use the new system and some attempt to use older systems and manual processes as workarounds. If a company decides to utilize self service options for common HR tasks, it is important to make sure that all personnel is on the same page and is ready for the transition before moving forward.
Internal Research
Before purchasing and implementing ESS, employers should find out how frequently employees anticipate using the system. While there may be a certain amount of reluctance to conform to new systems in any workplace, certain factors may hinder employees’ ability to use the system and therefore affect the amount of ROI that the company can expect to see. Doing internal research may also help a company to determine which HRMS would be best.
If most employees do not have internet access at home, purchasing an HRMS that has an emphasis on mobile access can be a waste. It may be possible to purchase kiosks to allow employees to access the system in-house, but this will dramatically change the expectations for the system and the way that it must be rolled out. If the company is not in the technical field and most employees do not identify as tech-savvy, ESS may not be right for the company.