Digital leave application

Digital leave application, implemented quickly and easily

This probably sounds familiar: Your employee is planning an eagerly anticipated holiday. But then he remembers that he still has to fill out a leave application (PTO = Paid time off) and send it to you for approval – on paper no less! This means: print out the form, fill in and sign the application, scan it and send it to you.

You receive the application and then ask yourself questions such as: Are the remaining days of leave correct? Has the employee filled in the values correctly? Who will cover for the employee in his absence?
This complexity automatically leads to subsequent coordination efforts and to errors being made. And that’s not all – the application may have to be printed out again, signed, scanned and sent back to the employee. You are rightly annoyed by the paper chaos and the employee is certainly not very happy when applying for leave 😉.

In this blog article, you will learn how the process of applying for leave can be quickly and easily digitized in any company.

Status Quo: Digitisation of HR processes

The digitalization of business processes in companies has proceeded apace in recent years and this also includes processes in human resource management. However, the degree of digitalisation of processes in HR often depends on the degree of digitalisation of the company. In a study by aconso and the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, 50.5% of respondents stated that there are still no automated administrative processes in the company. Conversely, this means that digital processes are already running at 49.5% of the respondents. But which processes are automated the most? The top 3 processes that have already been automated in companies are work time recording (68.9%), vacation leave (55.6%) and paperless payroll (51.1%). We have already taken a closer look at the topic of digital payroll delivery in the blog article “classic vs. digital payroll – is there a difference”?

But what about long-term planning? When will full automation be implemented in HR departments? The largest group with 21.5% estimates that it will take another 3-4 years and a good 20% even say that the topic of full automation has no relevance at all for the HR department and will therefore not be pursued in the long term.

Advantages derived through process automation

Why do so many companies resist when the advantages are patently obvious?

The biggest advantage of digitalising HR processes is the cost and time savings. Furthermore, work processes are simplified in the course of digitalisation. Employees now have time to devote to other topics that require more human understanding and know-how. In addition, another study states that the digitalisation of processes increases employee satisfaction and thus also the attractiveness of an employer. [1]

• Cost and time savings
• Work processes are simplified
• More time for issues that require human understanding and know-how
• Increased employee satisfaction and attractiveness as an employer
• Designing simple processes digitally

But do you have to leap to full automation directly? No!

Design simple processes digitally: The leave application

You can also start with small steps and automate simple (partial) processes first. For example, let’s look at the submission of the leave application from the initial scenario. With the d.velop cloud-based document management system “d.velop documents”, you can digitise the entry of the leave request by means of a simple form and design the process in such a way that it is submitted digitally to the supervisor or the HR department. The person gets an overview of the details and can approve the leave request directly.
In the video below, I show how the digital leave request can be set up in just a few minutes:

All in one: The leave application digitally via app

Would you like (even) more functionality in the context of leave applications? Then we recommend the leave application app from d.velop App Builder alphaflow. With this app, you can not only digitally map the approval process, but also receive a clear dashboard with which you can, for example, easily view open tasks, your own applications, as well as the number of leave days taken and outstanding. Furthermore, you can administer leave accounts, special holidays and public holidays and thus have a complete solution at the push of a button that optimally adapts to your individual needs.

You have now gained insight into two solutions and can decide for yourself the degree to which you want to digitalise your leave application (PTO) process in your company. The technology is ready for you. Get started and nothing will stand in the way of your holiday… not even a paper application for leave !