Most HR departments spend most of their day juggling various software applications. It could be more efficient and lead to costly data errors.
APIs offer a solution to this problem. Much like a consumer buying an e-commerce product, API marketplaces allow easy integration of best-of-breed tools that fit your business needs.
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Real-time data
An API, short for application programming interface, serves as a digital gateway that facilitates the exchange of information between various systems. It’s akin to a digital handshake that allows for seamless communication. It’s the same technology behind online shopping, peer-to-peer banking, and travel booking. It replaces the outdated, slow, and cumbersome EDI data transfer. Weekly EDI file feeds to payroll, benefits, and carrier systems are replaced with seamless integrations that happen in real-time.
The result is a faster, more straightforward, and more accurate experience for employees and HR professionals. Employees can see their benefits information, compare plan details, and make informed decisions that meet their financial needs better. HR can manage processes more efficiently and focus on strategic work to help grow the business.
For example, employers can utilize APIs to connect best-of-breed solutions in a single unified platform. It gives them the freedom of choice without relying on single-source vendors. It also means a better overall experience for employees and reduces the risk of costly errors caused by juggling dispersed tools.
Streamlined processes
Many HR departments spend much time on administrative and manual tasks that can be easily automated with an HR API. It allows them to focus more on the work, such as boosting staff retention and helping employees find meaningful ways to contribute to the company’s goals.
For example, integrating your employee benefit solutions with an API can save your team time and effort by streamlining the joiner-mover-leaver process. It can reduce the average time for plan set-up from 46 hours over 6-12 weeks to just 10 minutes. It also reduces manual errors and data entry by eliminating the need to re-enter information across multiple systems manually.
API technology ensures that even small organizations feel supported when finding practical tools to meet their budget requirements. API marketplaces allow businesses to browse best-of-breed applications to find the perfect solution. This freedom to choose what works best means your organization can be more agile, adapting new tech trends as they emerge.
Improved visibility
The HR department can be overwhelmed by buzzwords like integration and API, but these are essential components for any team trying to stay competitive in a tech-dependent world. Having all of your tools work together means that you can focus more on the high-value, strategic tasks that need the human touch.
HR APIs create a unified data hub that ties information from your different software platforms together, which can streamline workflows. For example, an integrated HR platform that connects to your background check system could automatically upload new candidate records, ensuring the accuracy of your hiring process.
Additionally, integrating an HR technology solution with your payroll system can reduce time-consuming manual data entry and eliminate the risk of human error. It is an especially critical feature for remote workers and teams scattered across the country or globe.
Boosted productivity
Rather than manually entering information from one system to another, an API can pull data directly into your HR software. It eliminates the need to switch back and forth between systems, and it allows you to focus on more strategic tasks.
Using an API can also help speed up processes. For example, an AI-powered platform can screen applicants a fraction of the time a human can.
In addition, a well-designed API solution can help you consolidate your HR tools onto a single, unified software. Unlike older technologies such as electronic data interchange (EDI), which requires that a business manually transfer information between systems, software integration happens in real-time. It ensures that any changes made in one program are reflected in other systems as they happen. In addition, software integration can help you avoid multiple programs requiring separate maintenance and updates. Instead of juggling different software applications, an API-powered solution can provide a single platform that combines your HR, recruitment, payroll, and learning management programs.
Enhanced employee engagement
Modern employees, particularly millennials, thrive on creativity and the feeling that they’re making a difference in their workplace. By automating routine data entry and administrative tasks, HR departments can free up their time to engage employees in more meaningful work.
Using API technology, information can automatically sync between systems like an HRMS and your 401(k) or LMS software. It eliminates manual processes that can be error-prone and saves you money. For example, if an employee’s address changes in your HRMS, it will also update in your other systems.
API-powered solutions’ growing popularity is revolutionizing how we work and how HR manages people and payroll. Companies looking to build a digital ecosystem with seamless connectivity should consider adopting an API-based solution. If you’re in the process of selecting an HR tech vendor, ask them about their strategy around APIs. Knowing if a solution is built with the future in mind is essential so you can be confident it will work with other solutions.
