When you hear about the digital revolution, the Human Resources domain is not the first thing that comes to mind. However, it is this sector that tends to benefit the most from the most modern services, while the other departments in a company are still trying to adapt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of HR going paperless<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re new in this domain you probably have little idea of how things used to work in the HR and how completely different they are today. Gone are the days when the HR offices were full of metal cabinets, with files and tons of papers everywhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, they still need to keep files, but they do it on a computer. In fact, pretty much everything they do is now paperless. If you\u2019re thinking just about one HR department, the change might not seem significant, but if you consider all the companies in Australia, or all over the world for that matter, you will have a better picture of what the HR going paperless means to the environment. And it all happened in the past 10-20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you hear about the digital revolution, the Human Resources domain is not the first thing that comes to mind. However, it is this sector that tends to benefit the most from the most modern services, while the other departments in a company are still trying to adapt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Online background checks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the past few years, more and more Australian businesses have made police checks standard practice in their pre-employment screening. That doesn\u2019t mean more papers to file in cabinets, that\u2019s actually less papers, or better said no papers at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nowadays, Australian businesses use online character check agencies like ANCC<\/a> when they need to do a background check on a job applicant. The employee no longer needs to drive to the local police station, wasting gas and time in the process. You can apply for a criminal history check online, on a computer or a mobile phone. It\u2019s not only quick and easy, but it\u2019s also completely paperless. You only need to fill in a few information, like name and address, and yes, you will also need a photo. Nothing easier. Just grab the phone, take a selfie and upload it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the police clearance comes in, it is sent back to the company by email. The HR employee can attach the email to the employee\u2019s file and store it in the company\u2019s database or in a cloud, which is even safer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Checking educational and work credentials online<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of their pre-employment background checks, recruiting agents routinely check the educational credentials listed in the candidate\u2019s CV. This can also be done online, as all you have to do is access a college\u2019s website and go through their database. No harm done to the environment and no paper documents to file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same goes for checking the candidate\u2019s employment record. You cannot and should not assume that everything they write in a CV is true. You need to check and get references from past employers. No need to write them an official letter and wait for their written answer. Just go online, get the email address of their HR manager, write them a quick message and you\u2019ll have a reply in a few hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, not a single sheet of paper was used in this necessary part of the pre-employment screening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pre-employment screening is mandatory in many job sectors and it only makes sense if it is achieved in a cost effective manner that is also environmentally friendly. Recently, a taxi service in Queanbeyan<\/a> (Queanbeyan is a small town in NSW, Australia) also announced that all of their cab drivers would be screened using paperless screening methods to help the environment. Whilst they help the environment, the service claims it has also attracted a larger customer base who are environmentally conscious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s good for the environment, and it\u2019s good for all those working in HR as they don\u2019t need to be buried under mountains of files anymore.<\/p>\nRelated Posts:<\/h3>