With today’s cable television options numbering into the hundreds, Bruce Springsteen’s 1992 dismissal of the medium as “57 Channels (and Nothin’ On)” looks positively quaint. Clearly, hungry viewers reaching for the remote control are bound to find something that appeals directly to them, if not several somethings.
Many channels fulfill a highly specified niche, aiming to placate any given person’s particular area of interest ’round the clock, whether that be tennis matches, action movies or retro cartoons … well, provided the viewer has purchased a plan beyond the bare minimum of so-called “basic cable.”
After all, while basic cable improves ye olde television experience, it’s in these add-ons that the package expands to reach its fullest potential.
Technology for the industry of human capital management is similar. For example, any business choosing to utilize Paycom’s proprietary software for payroll will see immediate improvements in its automation of processes, beginning with the elimination of the data drudgery known (and dreaded) as “manual entry.” Because Paycom’s cloud-based solution is also a single-database solution, entries into the system instantly populate to all its parts, erasing the need for repetition and, therefore, greatly reducing the risk of human error.
You Choose, You Use
Now, what if that same technology were applied to other processes in the HR realm?
“If” schmif – it already is! Paycom supports the complete employment life cycle, and clients can choose only those tools they need, à la carte-style. These powerful pieces of software address and automate:
- time and attendance,
- COBRA administration,
- applicant tracking,
- background checks,
- tax credit services,
- employee surveys
- and so on, from recruitment to retirement.
This is where the advantage of operating from a single database shows its true mettle, as Paycom’s products “speak” with one another. For example, a supervisor who approves an employee’s request for reimbursement within the Expense Management tool need not worry about submitting that approval to the Payroll product; it’s automatic. The supervisor also need not worry about informing the employee of the request’s fulfillment; an autogenerated email takes care of that. The employee even can view its status – not to mention the credit on his or her check stub – within the Employee Self-Service portal.
The more products you activate, the more maximized your workforce.
A Simple Plan
To continue our TV analogy, would you bother subscribing to cable if you had to use a different remote control for each channel? Of course not! And yet, several online providers of payroll and HR technology make their usage needlessly difficult by requiring individual logins and passwords of customers as they move from one tool to another.
Why the complexity? Primarily because of two reasons:
- Unlike Paycom, which built its software from the ground up, our competitors often acquire their technology from third parties. Therefore, Company A’s garnishment-administration product isn’t necessarily going to jibe with a repackaged compensation-budgeting program purchased from Company B. Not only does this structure require redundant data entry, but with more players having access to sensitive information, the greater the security risk.
- Unlike Paycom, which utilizes a single database, our competitors rely on multiple databases, resulting in a patchwork system that requires entry of the same information over and over. On-board a new hire with Paycom, and his or her details automatically populate to every nook and cranny of our software; try the same with another provider, and don’t be surprised when you find yourself forced to redo what you’ve already done … yet again.
In both instances, problems can arise in accuracy of your reports, and in customer service as calls get passed from department to department. Just as Paycom thrives upon a single-database solution, our client support thrives upon the single-specialist model, in which each enjoys the convenience and consistency of having one person assigned to your account.
We began this post by refuting The Boss, so as we close, we’ll come full circle by disproving another music act heard on many a classic-rock station (digital and terrestrial). Contrary to what Three Dog Night sang, one isn’t always the loneliest number; in fact, with Paycom’s singular approach to human capital management, it’s the digit that drives it all.
