What is an employee portal?

An employee portal is a self-service HR application accessed via a web page or mobile device. It contains basic HR data for each employee, including payroll, benefits and onboarding information. For example, it’s common for employee self-service software to store bank accounts and routing numbers for direct deposit purposes.

Some portal apps allow HR teams to communicate directly with employees. If your HR team needs to issue a policy update or distribute open enrollment information, they can send an electronic message instead of printing paper copies.

Employee portal software examples

With many options available, consider the specific needs of your HR team before selecting an employee portal software. Here are some options that may help your staff:

• Zendesk
• Zoho People
• BambooHR
• Simpplr
• Paycom
• Paylocity

Benefits of having employee portal apps

The benefits of having employee self-service software include:

• Ease of access for employees: Most employee portals are user-friendly, making it easy for employees to view or update their information. Some portals are optimized for multiple devices so employees can access information when they’re away from work. For example, if your sales team regularly travels to other cities to meet with customers, members can use the mobile version of your portal to access HR data while they’re traveling. Employees can also use human resources portals to request time off or perform other tasks remotely.
• Reduced need for paper: Adding employee information to the dashboard allows you to digitize most of your files. Maintaining digital files reduces the amount of paper your company uses, contributing to increased sustainability. Using an internal portal for employees may also help you reduce your storage costs.
• Fewer errors: Employee portals automate many functions, leading to increased accuracy. Most portals automatically input and calculate information for you, ultimately decreasing the risk of errors.
• More time to focus on strategic priorities: Since the portal handles most of their basic data-entry tasks, HR managers have more time to focus on strategic items and implement new initiatives, which may enhance the performance and productivity of the entire office.
• Increased control for employees: Giving employees access to portal apps helps them feel more in control. Most portals allow team members to easily see and edit their personal information, request paid time off (PTO) and view their available vacation days.
• Higher levels of employee satisfaction: These portals have many features designed to help HR professionals respond quickly to employee requests. Your portal may even allow employees to update their own information. Reducing the time it takes to approve time-off requests, update direct deposit information and perform other tasks may make employees feel more satisfied with your company.
• Reduced labor costs: These portals automate many tasks, reducing the number of team members needed to manage employee data. Some portals come with third-party technical support, eliminating the need to hire additional IT professionals. As a result, implementing a portal may help you reduce your labor costs.

Common features available on employee portals

Employee portals typically have the following features.

1. Employee information management

Employee portals allow you to create, store and retrieve employee records. If you choose a portal with self-service features, you can give employees access to their records. When employees can enter their information, it’s easier to keep HR records up to date.

2. Company policies and procedures

You can also use self-service portals to give employees access to policy documents. For example, distributing digital copies of your employee handbook on the portal ensures all employees have real-time access. If you create a new policy or modify an existing one, you should be able to alert employees to the change and ask them to acknowledge receipt of the information.

Many employee portals also allow you to collect e-signatures on contracts and other business documents. Requesting a digital signature makes it easier for new hires to complete their onboarding documents, reducing the amount of time it takes to finalize their paperwork.

If you allow employees to work from home, using digital signatures eliminates the need to print documents, mail them and wait for the signed versions to come back to you.

3. Internal communication

Many portals have communication channels that allow you to message an employee directly. You can also share company announcements with all employees or members of specific departments. This helps maintain team collaboration and makes it easier to share time-sensitive information with employees.

Employees may also be able to send a quick message letting others know they’re unable to come to work that day, allowing their manager to quickly find someone to cover their shift.

4. Payroll and time-off requests

Some self-service portals allow employees to clock in and out or track their own hours. This makes it easy for managers to oversee and approve their shifts.

Absences can also be reported in the system, making it possible for employees to view how much PTO they’ve used. When employees use the portal to clock in and out, the software may automatically calculate the number of hours worked during the pay period, leaving your payroll team with one less task to complete.

Employees can also request time off and receive immediate confirmation once their request is approved or denied.

5. Benefits

Employees can view their available benefits options, enroll in company insurance plans or opt out of certain benefits altogether. Some portals even allow employees to add or remove dependents and make other changes.