RPA in human resources: 10 use cases, examples & best tools

RPA in human resources: 10 use cases, examples & best tools

March 22, 2023

Kate Aleksandrovich
by Kate Aleksandrovich, Head of RPA Center of Excellence

HR departments play a vital role in every business, taking care of each phase of an employee's life cycle, from headhunting to exit management. But what if we could delegate standardized, repetitive HR tasks to machines and let humans focus on decision-making, interpersonal relations, and employee well-being? Fortunatly, RPA service providers can help companies solve these problems by adopting intelligent bots.

RPA in human resources involves the deployment of software robots that perform monotonous and high-volume candidate sorting, hiring, and employment data management faster and more accurately than human workers, reducing labor costs and increasing HR efficiency.

Table of contents

RPA in human resources: market statistics

Scheme title: Potential for automation in HR. Proportion of tasks within the sub-function
Data source: mckinsey.com — How bots, algorithms, and AI are reshaping the future of corporate support functions

78%

of companies hope to automate their onboarding process

Kofax

65%

of companies have implemented RPA for HR

The Hackett Group

10 RPA use cases in human resources

HR departments can leverage robotic process automation to streamline various business processes in their daily workflow. Here is an overview of the most prominent RPA use cases in HR.

Recruiting and hiring

Multiple recruitment and hiring tasks can be automated with RPA. For example, once candidate selection criteria are defined, a bot quickly scans hundreds of resumes for the most suitable candidates, filtering out potentially interesting profiles.

RPA can be integrated with applicant tracking systems (ATS) to follow rejected candidates who can prove more suitable for future job positions. Bots can also work in synergy with OCR tools to verify digital copies of documents attached to the application letters. Moreover, a more advanced integration with predictive analytics for human resources management can also come in handy since such software will automatically browse the internet for candidates that suit your organization.

Finally, RPA software can assist in scheduling job interviews and drafting custom messages for applicants using pre-written forms.

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4 real-life examples of RPA in human resources

Candidate management

Itransition

We developed an RPA bot to automate the addition of new candidates to our HRM system, which accelerated candidate processing four times and significantly improved our HR department’s efficiency.

less human interaction

Video title: RPA for talent acquisition: automated CV processing

Leading RPA platforms for human resources

According to the Gartner Magic Quadrant for RPA 2022, four leading RPA platforms could be suitable for HR departments.


Chart title: Gartner Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation 2022
Data source: gartner.com – Gartner Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation

Completeness of visionAbility to executeChallengersWorkFusionNiche playersSamsung SDSNintexCyclone RoboticsLaiyeIBMLeadersUiPathAutomation AnywhereSS&C BluePrismNICEMicrosoftVisionariesSAPAppianSalesforce (MuleSoft)Pegasystems

UiPath is a scalable RPA platform that can be integrated equally well with the existing infrastructures of SMBs and large international enterprises. The platform’s key feature is the drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to easily create and set up their automated processes.

Video title: Demos. RPA for Human Resources: skills extraction for faster job matching

Key features
  • Flexible deployment as cloud-native SaaS or a self-hosted solution
  • Process mining, test automation, cloud delivery, and API integration
  • Macro recorder, drag-and-drop interface, and pre-built templates
  • Built-in AI technologies (OCR, NLP, ML)
  • Suitable for a broad range of users across the process automation lifecycle
  • A powerful community with multiple training and networking options
  • 60-day free trial
Limitations
  • Customer service’s slow response times

Best practices for implementing RPA in human resources

Companies can increase the capacity and productivity of their HR teams from the get-go if they roll out RPA solutions correctly. We enumerate the best implementation strategies to maximize the effectiveness of RPA bots for HR.

Start small

Companies should start their HR RPA program by deploying one or two bots for the most optimal low-complexity and low-risk processes. The initial low-scale automation will help measure the success of the RPA application and lay the foundation for more complex RPA solutions down the line.

Types of HR processes best suited for RPARepetitiveError-proneRule-basedRelying on digital dataTime-sensitive and seasonal

Optimize existing processes

Consider RPA adoption as an opportunity to revise your current workflows. Instead of building bots right away on top of convoluted processes, first, implement changes to make inefficient workflows logical and rule-based. Then, ensure that each HR team member is well acquainted with the new procedures before proceeding to automation.

Collaborate with HR managers and stakeholders

Companies should secure HR leaders' and stakeholders' buy-in for an optimal RPA implementation outcome. Before designing an RPA solution, companies should also gather feedback from employees directly affected by the automation in their day-to-day work to identify possible issues and adjust their RPA strategy accordingly.

Introduce RPA capabilities to HR staff

To guarantee your HR managers and employees get the most out of RPA, you should teach them how to properly use the technology. All stakeholders should have a clear vision of RPA capabilities and limitations and understand their own involvement in the RPA-powered processes. Proper training and availability of self-service tools can also help HR professionals adapt quicker and work better.

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RPA in human resources: implementation costs

The cost of RPA solutions depends on multiple parameters and can vary greatly depending on the level and complexity of automation and the solution vendor’s pricing. Generally, a single bot costs from $5,000 to $15,000+, and the automation of several processes can be valued at up to $300,000.

Key benefits of RPA in human resources

Cost-effectiveness

RPA automates key labor-intensive processes, streamlining HR operations and reducing costs.

Accuracy

Bots never get tired, which eliminates the risk of human error and ensures high data accuracy.

Faster HR operations

Using bots, HR departments can significantly accelerate their key operations with up to 85% faster processing, according to UiPath.

High scalability

RPA solutions are easy to scale, so HR departments can increase the bots’ operational capacity in line with their needs.

Increased productivity

RPA can take on tedious administrative tasks, allowing HR staff to focus on employee engagement.

Improved job satisfaction

By freeing up HR managers from repetitive tasks, RPA helps increase their job satisfaction and reduce staff turnover.

Improved compliance

With consistent and accurate data handling, RPA software can help highly regulated HR departments comply with regulations.

Better talent

RPA solutions facilitate the search and acquisition of best-fitting talent and make hiring more effective.

Challenges of RPA in human resources

Challenge

Solution

Resistance to change

Challenge

Despite the benefits of RPA for HR staff, it’s not uncommon for employees to oppose its implementation, with the most common concerns on their part being job displacement or salary cuts.

Challenge

Solution

The success of an RPA initiative largely depends on the human factor. Therefore, C-suite executives should use a human-centric change management approach that takes into account employee emotions and fears. Companies should prepare strategies for managing employee resistance to RPA at the project’s planning stage and communicate the details of the upcoming RPA-related changes to the HR team.

Limited capabilities of RPA

Challenge

Companies can confuse RPA with artificial intelligence or machine learning and expect RPA software to perform actions they are not designed for. As a result, it can come as a surprise that bots cannot make predictions or decisions.

Challenge

Solution

The best strategy for implementing any innovation, including RPA, is to learn as much as possible about it before the rollout. Even without the intelligent component, RPA can automate many manual processes, standardize common tasks, and streamline day-to-day operations in the HR department. Also, the technology’s capabilities can be expanded due to simple integration with computer vision, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Hard-to-automate HR processes

Challenge

Many HR tasks typically require human intervention, such as strategy creation, planning, and employee relations. Unfortunately, these types of workflows can be convoluted or outdated and, therefore, hard to automate with RPA.

Challenge

Solution

Instead of trying to automate every possible HR task, companies should identify the processes whose automation will result in significant efficiency improvement. The human element remains fundamental in HR operations and cannot be replaced by RPA software. However, by taking on menial processes, RPA can give HR professionals more time for human interactions and help improve employee engagement. Additionally, RPA adopters can enable process orchestration, coordinating tasks between bots and human workforce within one process and enabling a seamless collaboration of technology and HR managers.

Make HR more human-centric with RPA

Make HR more human-centric with RPA

The ability to handle repetitive, high-volume tasks with low exception rates has made RPA an ideal tool for human resources management, which traditionally handles huge amounts of paperwork. However, RPA cannot replicate human actions when strategic or analytical thinking is required or delicate matters are handled. Therefore, the goal of RPA implementation in HR is to help managers better take care of interpersonal relationships and employee well-being while delegating tedious tasks to the machines. If you are planning to afford your HR department more time to take care of your employees, contact Itransition’s experts to help you with your project.
Make HR more human-centric with RPA

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FAQs about RPA in human resources

Can bots work 24/7/365?

Is employee data secure when handled by RPA bots?

Should organizations replace their legacy HR software to implement RPA?

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