Human resources departments are among the most important – and most overlooked – aspects of any organization. They set the tone for the entire company, outlining professional standards and expectations for everyone in the organization. Human resources professionals oversee staffing, employee compensation and benefits, as well as the defining and designing work itself. While no one would argue the importance of the average HR team, their work is often undervalued. Budget cuts and staffing limitations put undue stress on many such teams, which is why HR professionals are frequently turning to answering services for support.
What is the Human Resources (HR) Department?
Just what is human resources, you might ask? It’s the department in charge of recruiting, interviewing, hiring and onboarding new employees. Odds are good that you’ve spoken with a human resources department more than once in your career. These professionals serve as the face of their companies, initiating new staff members and guiding them through the entire hiring and orientation process.
Of course, the HR team doesn’t just focus on hiring. HR professionals also oversee employee salaries and benefits, ensuring that everyone is paid on time and accurately. When you need help signing up for health insurance or want assistance with your 401k, HR can provide insight and guidance. HR professionals also frequently offer training and employee development opportunities. Some HR departments even foster employee wellness programs in their organizations. There’s truly no limit to the things a well-qualified HR team can do for your business!
Unique Challenges Faced by HR Professionals
Human resources professionals are facing a number of unique challenges today. More of America’s workforce is remote than ever before. Managing employee phone calls and questions is a full time job in itself. On top of typical human resources challenges, professionals must also work to create engaging social and team building activities for remote workers. HR workers are often tasked with finding and creating mental health support resources for their colleagues, too.
Managing remote workers and their wellbeing is just one aspect of the job, though. HR professionals are also frequently in charge of important diversity initiatives and efficiency improvements. They’re the ones implementing new workplace policies and ushering in new, better ways of doing things. With so many hats to wear, it’s no wonder so many HR professionals are turning to answering services for help managing it all.
Why HR Departments Use Answering Services
Human resources challenges are often incredibly complex. Professionals must weigh the needs of both individual employees and the organization at large. Finding simple ways to streamline processes and share information quickly is essential. For this reason and many others, HR teams are frequently turning to answering services for support.
Large corporations often rely on human resource management call centers to support employee needs. Callers can dial in with questions about their benefits, pay and other HR issues and get answers fast. Answering service professionals can also track and document such conversations for future reference. Since such services can be staffed 24 hours a day, there’s no need for employees to schedule appointments or wait for traditional business hours to find the answers they need.
Employee support doesn’t end there, though. With routine questions out of their way, in-house HR professionals gain more free time to dedicate to employee management and development. Using data collected by an answering service, professionals can identify common HR challenges and work to communicate and educate their team more effectively.
Need an example? Let’s say employees are frequently calling their company’s HR answering service for guidance on how to use their work-subsidized fitness benefits. After noticing an uptick in calls on the subject, HR professionals may be motivated to schedule a question and answer session for their colleagues. They might recruit a representative from a local gym to come by the office to sign people up for memberships or simply offer a flyer with FAQs about employee benefits. The options abound once you’ve got an answering service at your disposal.
How Answering Services Work
Answering services leverage call forwarding technology to connect callers with highly-trained customer service representatives. When employees dial their human resources department, their call will be automatically forwarded to answering service professionals. Callers will be treated to prompt, polite service and given answers to their most immediate questions. Because receptionists are trained to know the ins and outs of your specific organization, they can offer support when employees need it most. If a receptionist doesn’t know the answer to a question, they can connect the caller with someone who can advise them more specifically.
Answering services can be staffed 24 hours a day, ensuring that there’s always a helpful voice on the end of the line. Whether your employees are calling from the office, from home, or from a far flung vacation destination, they’ll always be greeted by a knowledgeable professional who is eager to help answer their questions and address their concerns.
Don’t need 24 hour coverage for your HR team? That’s okay, too. Answering services can be tailored to your organization’s precise needs. Many charge by the minute or by the phone call, ensuring that you’re only paying for the time that receptionists are actively speaking with callers. This flexibility is yet another reason why so many human resources departments are turning to answering services for support.
Important Benefits of Answering Services
Supporting employees and ensuring they feel heard is one of the greatest human resources challenges. While the HR team might have the best intentions, they’re often overwhelmed with duties and don’t always have the time they need to support employees as needed. In turn, their colleagues may feel left in the lurch with no one else to turn to for help. That’s where an answering service can really help. By having a dedicated phone number that employees can call any time they have an HR question, organizations send a clear message that they care about their staff.
Answering services are a huge boon to productivity, too. Imagine how much more your HR team could get done in a day if they weren’t constantly being interrupted with questions and concerns from their colleagues. HR specialists can finally get the time they need to dedicate themselves to the more complex work they do.
In terms of employee support, more is always better. The labor shortage has turned recruitment on its head. Potential employees will be on the lookout for how your HR team handles the hiring process. If your organization comes across as overworked or disorganized, candidates may decide to take other offers. Conversely, if you have a 24/7 HR answering service they can call at their convenience, you’re certain to win over promising candidates.
How Answering Services Help with Employee Call-Outs
Employee call-outs are inevitable. People get sick, cars break down, and emergencies happen all the time. If your HR team is in charge of keeping track of call-outs, an answering service may transform the way you handle such conversations. Such a service can offer a toll-free phone line for employees to call in their unexpected absence prior to their scheduled shift. Since answering services are staffed 24 hours a day, there’s never an excuse not to call. Tracking work attendance has never been easier – nor has reaching someone to log absences in an appropriate, timely manner.
Business owners can request specific information be taken by answering service employees. Details like employee name, ID number, reason for absence, and how long they plan to be absent for can all be collected by receptionists. This helps to streamline the call-out process and ensure that all the necessary departments are informed of the absence in question. More accurate tracking and recording of employee absences can help free up the human resources department and increase overall productivity.
Try Our HR Answering Service Today for Free
An answering service is what every HR department needs to be successful. Such a resource can transform the way your organization works. Employee management isn’t always easy, but with a 24/7 answering service at your disposal, you’ll be able to meet each person’s needs in a timely, efficient way. In turn, your employees will feel more supported and more inclined to stick around for years to come. Your HR department will also benefit – imagine how much more they might get done in a day without constant interruptions.
If you’re eager to see how an answering service might impact your organization, sign up for our free week trial. It’s a great way to preview our offerings with no obligation to continue using our answering service after the week is over. There’s no pressure and no credit card required to sign up. Our services can be tailored to your exact needs, policies, and procedures. Allow us to show you how transformative an HR answering service can be!
