Document management is vital for HR data security
Your company's HR department likely handles a ton of sensitive information on a daily basis, more so than almost every other part of your organization. From sensitive information about employees like their Social Security numbers to health data and more, HR professionals need to keep a lot of files simultaneously easy-to-reach and properly secured.
With that in mind, using a comprehensive document management system – complete with appropriate permissions and automated workflows – is critical to ensuring your HR pros do as much as they can to protect your company and employees from problematic situations, according to Dr. Michael Berger of the Forbes Technology Council. It's not just malicious hacking attempts you need to be wary of, organizationally; even accidental data breaches from the HR department can cause a lot of problems.
Getting it right
With document management, organizations' HR operations not only get an additional layer of security – they gain the ability to monitor changelogs and who has accessed which files, and when, the report said. With that extra information, it becomes easier to determine the source of problems – intentional or not – and start correcting the issues that arise as a result. In some cases, you could be legally required to handle all these issues according to certain parameters and requirements, and the right document management platform could help you do just that.
The simple fact is that HR departments handle a ton of documents – both digital and physical – and that means it's not always easy to keep track of everything unless there's a comprehensive plan to do so in place, according to the HR Exchange Network. By adequately addressing those needs at an institutional level, and making sure everything is properly communicated to anyone with access to the data, all involved will be in a position to maintain a strong security posture.
What's the upshot?
When the HR department, and the company at large, has all the tools and knowledge needed to more effectively manage documents with sensitive information – thanks to added security and automation – there are numerous benefits. These include not only the reduced risk of data being exposed, but also freeing up hours that would have otherwise been spent manually handling this information for more productive tasks.
