5 Processes HR Should Document

HR parties of one already have an abundance of tasks to keep up with. From hiring to managing performance to maintaining compliance, being an HR leader is no easy feat. 

But there’s no need to recreate the wheel every time. Having a well-documented set of processes can help you identify areas of improvement, streamline your responsibilities, and replicate them with ease. Additionally, when you’re ready to become an HR party of two or if you leave the organization, having well-documented processes can make HR department transitions more seamless. 

 

5 Processes HR Should Document

1. Recruitment/Hiring

Perfecting your hiring process ensures you remain fair, consistent, and compliant. The hiring process starts the moment a new role opens or a position becomes vacant.

Key Elements to Document:

• Job Analysis Methods
• Job description templates
• Recruitment platforms, strategies, and associated costs
• Interview methods: screenings, structured/unstructured, or panel interviews 
• Applicant tracking system processes
• Metrics such as average cost-to-hire and time-to-hire
• Budget allocation for recruitment

Having these details in place helps streamline hiring and ensures a consistent approach for all candidates. 

2. Onboarding and Offboarding

How you onboard employees sets the tone for their journey at your organization, while offboarding formalizes their separation. 

Onboarding Documentation Should Include:

• Orientation schedules 
• 30/60/90-day plans for new hires
• Employee benefits enrollment guide 
• Culture guide or employee handbook walkthrough
• I-9 and W-4 tracking through an applicant tracking system

Offboarding Checklist Elements: 

• Notice of separation templates
• Steps to collect company equipment
• Work responsibilities transfer process
• Farewell planning (if applicable)
• Secure account access revocation
• Post last-day tasks: HRIS and payroll updates

For detailed guidance, check out our Offboarding Checklist Template.

3. Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable

Accounts payable (AP) refers to money owed to vendors, while accounts receivable (AR) tracks money owed to your organization. Both are critical to financial health, especially for small and midsize businesses.

What to Include in Documentation: 

• Systems for organizing data: pen and paper or digital software
• Communication pathways with customers, vendors, and suppliers
• Client invoicing timelines and late payment consequences
• Regular AP/AR schedules 
• Accountant contact details
• Contracts with vendors and clients 

A clear AP and AR process helps you track cash flow and make informed financial decisions.

4. Open Enrollment 

Open enrollment is a high-stakes period for HR. Guiding employees through making health coverage elections is not your responsibility, but you do have a lot of work to do in preparation for open enrollment. 

Document Your Open Enrollment Process:

• Communication timelines and goals 
• Collaboration plans with your benefits broker
• Benefits reevaluation strategies based on employee participation rates 
• Summary plan descriptions and enrollment systems 
• Automation features in HRIS tools like BerniePortal's Benefits Administration 

An HRIS can help the HR administrator automate the open enrollment process. For example, using BerniePortal’s Benefits Administration feature, HR administrators can set an enrollment window where the portal alerts employees to the beginning of the open enrollment period. BerniePortal can also send reminders/notices for you and host plan documents, including summary plan descriptions, so employees can review the information of each plan offering. 

Read our blog on Smooth Open Enrollment for additional insights. 

5. Payroll Process

Payroll involves many moving pieces, but documenting the process can ensure smooth operations. 

Key Documentation Items:

• Pay period schedules and employee subgroups
• Time tracking and PTO integration 
• Procedures for removing former employees from payroll systems 
• Custom earning and deduction setups

Check out our Payroll Processing Checklist for a more in-depth look at the payroll process!

Keep in mind that processes are meant to change! The more time you spend running through a process– whether it’s accounts payable, payroll, or open enrollment– the more you will recognize areas of improvement. Practice makes perfect, and developing efficient and accurate HR processes is all about trial and error. 

Additional Resources

• BernieU—free online HR courses, approved for SHRM and HRCI recertification credit
• BerniePortal Blog—a one-stop shop for HR industry news
• HR Glossary—featuring the most common HR terms, acronyms, and compliance
• Resource Library—essential guides covering a comprehensive list of HR topics
• HR Party of One—our popular YouTube series and podcast, covering emerging HR trends and enduring HR topics
• Community—the HR Party of One Community forum, a place devoted to HR professionals to ask questions, learn more, and help others