Three signs your organization needs an HRMS audit

Audits are often seen as a necessary evil, something that finds faults and assigns blame. An HRMS audit can be a valuable opportunity to identify process improvements and confirm that processes are functioning as designed, while ensuring that sensitive HR data is handled securely.

How do you know when you can benefit from an audit? Here are three signs that an HRMS audit can provide value to your company:

1. Rapid organizational and staff changes have created an open-door situation

Segregation of roles and restricting access to only the necessary data are usually the first steps in any HRMS security strategy. As employees move between departments and take on new roles, access permissions often remain active even when they are no longer needed.

Do you bring in temps or consultants who use the HRMS? An audit can confirm the strength of your process or highlight areas for improvement. After a reorganization or divestiture is the perfect time to ensure your HRMS aligns with your security strategy.

2. Workarounds have evolved into standard operating procedures

Do you have documented process flows and work instructions? How accurately do these documents reflect the day-to-day operational situation?

As HR staff come and go, processes and procedures are sometimes influenced by the end users. Even worse is when someone convolutes a process that is in place for a reason, such as requiring a manager’s manager to approve a job requisition due to cost, and an HR person decides to regularly use an HRMS back door to self-approve, as the system allows for emergency approval.

3. Data inconsistencies are demanding more time and effort

Does your HRMS team spend countless hours running monthly or weekly reports to chase after missing or inconsistent data? While running exception reports is an important practice to confirm key data elements—such as ensuring standard weekly hours align with full-time equivalent (FTE) status, this process should only be an exception, not the norm

If you're struggling to keep up with data errors, it is a strong indicator that your HRMS needs an audit to understand what is causing the problems, be it user education, loose system configuration rules, or misunderstandings about the data definition.