Importance & Benefits of HRIS for Government Agencies

by Alexandrea Davis on February 28, 2023

Learn about the several benefits of HRIS solutions for public sector agencies, including saving time and money and supporting employee retention. 

Article Highlights: 

It's difficult for government agencies to keep up with ever-changing employee data management and compliance standards, which are often housed across multiple HR systems. Your organization is already low on time and resources, and you don’t want to inhibit your employees' work or your services to the community.

That’s why government HR teams need an efficient, integrated solution for employee information management, including tracking employees’ personal information and salaries, payroll and benefits, and time and attendance. Fortunately, there is a valuable asset government agencies can turn to: a human resources information system (HRIS).

HRIS software solutions (also known as a human resources management system, or HRMS) organize and streamline employee data management, such as contact information, salaries, benefits elections, time tracking and PTO requests. Many HRIS solutions are cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS), making them accessible on any device, whether a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.

Ready to answer the question, “What can an HRIS do for an organization?” This article will explain the importance and benefits of having HRIS within an organization and how to find an HRIS to support your organization.

The Benefits of HRIS for Your Government Agency

There are several benefits of HRIS solutions that can help your HR department function much more effectively, save time and money, and improve the employee HR experience.

Automated processes

Agencies can use HRIS solutions to trigger HR approval workflows when an employee changes their personal data, sending the request to HR or supervisors for approval. You can also automate annual processes like employee benefits selection, distribution, and insurance carrier notifications to save time and stay on top of important deadlines.

Reduced manual workload

Using HRIS software enables your agency to manage multiple HR functions in a single interface. Rather than having several separate HR software systems and switching from application to application, HRIS software combines all your HR functions into a single solution. This reduces errors and saves a lot of tedious, time-consuming re-entry of the same data.

By eliminating tedious and manual administrative tasks,  an HRIS also boosts employees' efficiency and productivity. For example, the system automatically updates time-off banks when an employee's PTO request is approved, so there's no need for your HR team to update the system manually.

Real-time updates

Using an HRIS will help your organization improve the accuracy of employee data by providing real-time information and updates across all your HR functions. Your HR team doesn’t need to make the same change to an employee’s data multiple times. This reduces data entry errors and eliminates back-and-forth emails between HR and employees to fix them – and helps keep your HR processing  accurate and on time.

Improved employee experience

Another benefit of HRIS solutions is that they improve the employee experience with important HR tasks. Self-service functions empower employees to manage their own HR processes – such as benefits selection, time-off requests, changing tax information, and updating payroll information – by enabling them to update their information on their own. 

Employees can easily view all their information, and they don’t have to go through HR to make changes. This reduces stress and saves time and energy among both HR staff and employees, letting them focus on more important tasks. An improved experience and better productivity also increases overall employee engagement and job satisfaction, which drives higher retention at your agency.

The Importance of HRIS in the Public Sector

Human resources departments manage vast amounts of information for all your employees. No matter how complex, it’s critical that your HR team keeps this data organized and up-to-date to ensure compliance – which highlights the importance of HRIS. 

Leveraging an HRIS saves time and money for your organization by integrating all your HR functions into a single system. This reduces costs associated with renewing licenses and upgrading software, and reduces the number of staff hours spent on repetitive manual tasks.

An HRIS also helps public sector agencies comply with complex pay and time requirements, like the Fair Labor Standards Act. With better organized, more accurate employee data records, you can better support regulatory compliance across your organization.

Discover an HRIS to Support Your Organization

The several benefits of HRIS can help government agencies better serve their communities by allowing HR teams and employees to focus on more important work rather than time-consuming manual tasks.

NEOGOV HRIS is an all-in-one, integrated solution designed for the needs of public sector HR. This system combines core HR, payroll, benefits administration, and time and attendance into a single, user-friendly interface. 

HRIS stores all of your employee data in one cloud-based database, making it easy for your HR team to manage all employee data. Plus, The system provides an employee self-service portal and mobile app to ensure your employees can  find and update their critical information easily and efficiently. 

If you want to know more about what can an HRIS do for an organization like yours, visit NEOGOV's HRIS Learning Center to explore how our government-focused HRIS solution can solve your greatest employee data management challenges.

HRIS Learning Center

Alexandrea Davis

Alexandrea Davis is a Content Marketing Specialist at NEOGOV, supporting content strategy and development. With a love for storytelling and commitment to making an impact, she aims to create meaningful content that builds trust and erodes challenges for public service professionals.

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