Managed.IT - issue 53

14 MANAGED.IT COVER STORY 01732 759725 Human Resources (HR) departments face an ever growing workload, driven by changing working practices and more stringent data security rules following the introduction of GDPR one year ago on May 25, 2018. As well as compiling and processing a great deal of often highly confidential employee records, which they must secure and manage in compliance with GDPR, HR departments face stricter rules relating to Subject Access Requests (SARs). These include the requirement to disclose requested information more quickly (within 30 days) and to provide it in a commonly used electronic format. Throw in the fact that companies can no longer charge for supplying that information (except in a few specific circumstances), plus greater awareness of employee rights and employer responsibilities in relation to SARs, and it is understandable why this aspect of GDPR might give HR managers cause for concern. Workplace trends The combination of stricter data security rules and the need to respond more quickly to unpredictable requests for information, including SARs, places a significant burden on HR resources and systems already under strain from other trends. These include: n Changing working practices , such as the growth of short-time work, contract work and employees with multiple jobs, which add considerably to the HR workload; n Brexit and the impact it could have on existing employees and future recruitment; n Skills shortages and the challenge of attracting and retaining key staff; n Persistent low worker productivity , which HR departments can help tackle amongst their own employees and the wider organisation; and n the growing problem of ‘digital clutter’ – information, often unmanaged and uncontrolled, stored on employee computers, smartphones, USB drives and personal devices. Almost one year after the introduction of GDPR, 72% of office workers questioned by Kaspersky Lab admitted that some of their digital clutter contained personally identifiable or sensitive data 1 . Seizing the opportunity Given the cumulative effect of these challenges, it is not surprising that many organisations have embraced GDPR as an opportunity to re-assess their business processes and document management. In a survey of public sector organisations by KYOCERA Document Solutions, 87% said they welcomed the new regulations as an opportunity to review their existing storage systems 2 . This is essentially the position adopted by the Neopost HR department, which took advantage of GDPR and an office move to modernise how it organises, manages and secures employee records, replacing a fragmented, paper-based system with a single, centralised electronic repository supplied by DCS, a Neopost company. After scanning existing paper documents and combining them with files from across HR functions to create one centralised record for each employee, it uploaded these records (and all new records going forwards) to FileStore, a web-based document management system that enables HR staff to search for and retrieve scanned documents, faxes, email and MS Office files using keywords. Concurrent licensing allows several HR team members to view and add to the document store simultaneously, while electronic segregation of information within records and variable data access rights help maintain data security and confidentiality. The use of digital records and a web-based document management system is a significant improvement to the HR department’s previous filing arrangements. Benefits include: n A big reduction in the space needed to store hard copy documents; n A single system for all employee data, including confidential content; n Better security , by controlling and monitoring who can access employee records; n The ability to search for files in multiple ways; n Access to records from multiple locations ; n Simultaneous access to records by more than one team member; n Time and date-stamping of documents for end-to-end auditing ; Antony Paul, Neopost UK Head of Enterprise Marketing, explains how FileStore EDM can help HR departments secure confidential data and respond more quickly to information requests Automate Employee Records for Security and Efficiency FileStore ECM has helped to remove bottlenecks in HR processes 1. ‘Sorting out digital clutter in business’, Kaspersky Lab, 2019 2. ‘State of Dark Data’, Splunk, 2019