10 Core HR processes to focus on

A HR process is a series of actions organised into a workflow with a specific outcome in mind. HR processes cover daily core HR tasks like time tracking and absence management, as well as less frequent operations like hiring, onboarding, and strategic employee engagement. 

One example of a common HR process is onboarding. Most mid-sized organisations have a clear onboarding workflow that includes:

• Finalising contracts

• Submitting essential documents

• Ordering equipment

• Meeting the team

• Regular check-ins with a manager

Without a process, it’s easy to miss a step or give one employee a better onboarding experience than another. Processes introduce clarity, fairness, and predictability for everyone involved. 

The processes you use influence how effective, successful, and impactful your HR operations are. A structured, personalised onboarding process is likely to result in a happy, more engaged employee, and a clear process for requesting training can positively influence employee retention. 

Ultimately, all of your HR processes are interconnected. Therefore, you need to think of them holistically and how you can bring them together in one place.

End-to-end HR processes cover the employee journey from start to finish. Teams with end-to-end processes in place support employees through hiring, onboarding, and performance management, through to their eventual exits. 

When done well, end-to-end processes allow you to keep a high performer around for longer (by managing their performance in a clear and productive way). This approach also makes it easier to identify where the situation isn’t working, and gives you the chance to proactively manage the situation or handle offboarding more effectively. 

Small businesses can get away with simple instructions, but medium-sized businesses need documented and repeatable HR processes that work at scale. There should be a clear, repeatable process in place for common tasks, and it should always be documented.

The main benefit of HR processes is to bring structure to HR operations, but the influence goes far beyond this. Having right processes in place also helps HR teams to: 

• Attract the best talent: The best employees have plenty of choice — clear processes and a good reputation can help you stand out.

• Reduce time to hire: Research from SmartRecruiters shows that the average time to hire in the UK is 40 days, but the right processes (and tools) can save you valuable time and improve the candidate experience.

• Reduce employee turnover: Smart strategies and automatic alerts based on data allow you to identify employees at risk of leaving and take actions to prevent it.

• Support performance management: Regular performance reviews, goal setting processes, and access to feedback all support employee growth.

• Encourage innovation: When employees know how to give feedback and share ideas freely, it’s easier to identify opportunities and act on them.

• Upskill employees: Clear pathways to training and development enables employees to stay at the organisation longer and become more valuable in the long-term.

• Support company culture: Transparent processes for complaints, feedback, and access to help make employees feel secure, confident, and supported.

• Resolve conflicts: Knowing that conflict is resolved quickly and effectively in line with a process makes employees feel safer.

• Manage compliance: Simple guidance on what to do and a process to follow makes individuals feel more confident in navigating compliance.

• Position HR as a strategic voice: Easy access to data, automatic reports, and directions on how to handle situations in line with strategic goals positions HR as more than a reactive problem-solving department.

HR processes matter because they help lay the groundwork for employees to succeed in their roles, and for the business to thrive as a result.

Every aspect of human resources benefits from well-designed processes, but there are some areas where the impact is more noticeable than others — like onboarding, performance management, and compliance.

These categories cover every stage of the employee lifecycle, and building effective processes within them enables you to support employees, managers, and the needs of the business at every step.

Here are the core HR areas to focus on, examples of HR processes within them, and how HR software can help:

Effective recruitment and hiring relies on proactive teams, an attractive offer, and clear processes. In a small organisation you might have one simple process for recruitment, but in larger teams it’s common to have detailed pathways for writing and posting a job ad, managing referrals, shortlisting and interviewing candidates, and making an offer. 

Look for ways to bring automation into the recruiting process — especially when it comes to scheduling.Top performers don't want to spend time going back and forth on interview scheduling when they have other options.

HR process examples:

• Preparing a job advert: Manager identifies a need → HR and manager work together on the job description and ad → HR publishes the ad automatically to connected job boards

• Application screening: AI-powered software completes initial screening → HR manager reviews shortlist and completes manual sorting → Manager reviews final shortlist

• Scheduling candidate interviews: Manager confirms shortlist and availability → HR software automatically invites candidates and handles interview scheduling

How HR software can help: HR systems with built-in recruiting and hiring features (like Personio) make it easy to keep all data in one place, automate steps in the recruiting journey, automatically post jobs to relevant boards, and handle interview screening. Standalone applicant tracking systems (ATSs) are also available.

Employees should feel welcome and supported straight away, before they even start work on their first day. Make that happen with an onboarding process that takes care of all the necessary paperwork with ease and introduces your new employee to the organisation the right way.  

Pay the same attention to what happens when an employee leaves, and build an offboarding workflow that captures why the employee is leaving, what you could improve, and leaves them with a positive impression of your business.

HR process examples:

• Personalised onboarding flow: New hire logs into their portal → Automated onboarding workflow begins → Employee uploads essential documents and completes guided flow → HR software tracks whether all documents are received and monitors completion rate

• Introducing a buddy: HR software allocates a buddy or mentor based on pre-set criteria → New employee and buddy receive a welcome message → Buddy reaches out to invite the employee to a virtual or in-person coffee meeting

• Offboarding flow: Manager updates HR system to confirm employee’s end date → System automatically schedules a leaver interview based on availability → Manager and employee meet and capture feedback → Manager follows pre-determined checklist to request final payslip and P45 → System monitors for completion and flags any incomplete actions before final end date

How HR software can help: Build an automated onboarding process which can be personalised for every individual, use checklists and reminders to ensure every task is completed, give employees their own home base or portal, and keep track of IT and hardware requests from one place.

Workforce and succession planning requires access to the right data and the ability to make decisions based on it. Organisations with processes in place for workforce planning can act quickly when there’s a talent shortage and strategically over time to nurture top employees ready for future roles. 

Stay proactive by completing a regular skills gap analysis and have plans in place for what happens if someone in a senior role hands in their notice. Align your HR operations with wider business goals so you’re always aware of what’s on the horizon.

HR process examples: 

• Skills gap analysis: Identify required skills → Collect data on existing skills → Identify gaps → Create a report on what to prioritise and how to take action

• Understanding workforce demographics: Ask HR software to run report based on selected demographics → Review results and identify opportunities to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion

• Workforce demand analysis: Choose forecasting method → Ask HR software to run report → Analyse data to determine whether current number of FTEs meets forecasted requirements or not → Take action based on results of report

How HR software can help: Run reports based on employees’ skills, demographics, and other data points, then use built-in AI assistance to analyse the results and make decisions based on actual data. 

Employee training is essential for keeping skills up to date and supporting future growth. Compliance and some financial training is mandatory depending on the role, but organisations should also have pathways for employees to access training based on career goals or interests.

Work with senior leaders to agree on an approach to personalised training, learning budgets, and access to opportunities, then develop processes that allow you to manage employee training successfully at scale.

HR process examples: 

• Introductory training for new hires: Manager enters new hire on the system → LMS automatically assigns new hire to introductory training flow → Manager gets updates on progress and completion

• Agreeing a personal training plan: Employee submits training request → Manager approves plan and requests budget from finance team → HR system automatically builds plan with goals, targets, and timeline → Manager meets with employee to confirm the plan’s start date and milestones

• Rolling out mandatory compliance training: HR team identifies need for mandatory training → LMS automatically assigns all users to the course and notifies them → LMS sends reminders about due dates → HR team monitors LMS for completion rates

How HR software can help: Track engagement with essential training courses and certifications within your HR system. Use a built-in or standalone learning management system (LMS) to manage training, monitor completion rates, and introduce relevant courses to teams.

Employee relations includes dealing with concerns, managing conflict, and promoting healthy relationships at work. All of this requires transparency in the form of clear policies and processes across the organisation. 

Set out organisational priorities and standards through policies, then use processes to apply rules fairly, handle feedback, and take action appropriately when it’s required. Employees should be able to trust that complaints and concerns are taken seriously, and having processes in place allows you to confidently take the right actions.

HR process examples: 

• Dealing with a complaint about a manager: Employee submits complaint → HR reviews the complaint and schedules a meeting with the employee to gather more information → HR schedules a meeting with the manager to gather information → HR inputs all information to the HR system → HR takes action based on the complaints procedure

• Actioning feedback: HR team reviews feedback on a monthly basis → Senior leadership team agree priorities and make plans to act → HR team publishes an update on what’s happening based on recent feedback

• Dealing with repeated concerns about behaviour: HR system alerts HR team that an employee has reached a complaints threshold → HR meets with manager to discuss → HR and manager meet with employee to discuss → Manager and HR take action based on outcome of meeting and behaviour policy

How HR software can help: Store policies within your HR system so they’re easily accessible by employees, managers, and the rest of your team. Set up automated workflows and alerts for data points relating to behaviour, complaints, and feedback. Make decisions based on real data held within your HR system, and use audit logs as evidence when required. 

Compensation and reward is a hot topic for many organisations — especially when you’re managing employees across multiple countries or entities. HR teams need a system that stores all HR and compensation data in one place, and clear processes for managing salary benchmarking, compensation, reward, and benefits fairly.

Agree an organisation-wide approach to compensation and reward, including whether you’ll pay at or above market rate, and which benefits you offer. Update your recruitment pages, input all relevant information to your HR system, and build processes that make managing compensation easier.

HR process examples: 

• Agreeing a compensation package for a new role: Agree a total rewards budget for the role → Benchmark expected salary against market rates → Confirm which benefits, stock options, and equity options are available for the role → Publish compensation on the job ad (including the ability for employees to tailor the plan)

• Handling a request for a raise: Employee submits raise request through HR system → HR system flags whether the raise requested is suitable or not based on budget and criteria → Manager uses data and insights to approve or deny request → HR system automatically updates pay and benefits based on decision

• Deciding whether to continue offering an existing benefit: Ask HR system for a report on the usage of a specific benefit over time → HR team makes decision based on usage and impact of removing the benefit

How HR software can help: HR software with a compensation management module (like Personio) can automate and monitor pay cycles, handle complex compensation data (including exchange rates), enable managers to make data-backed decisions, and reduce bias with optional transparency around salary bands and performance ratings.

Absence management is an area that relies on solid processes and reporting, as annual leave requirements and working time are legislated in the UK. Employees should have clarity over how much statutory leave they’ve taken, how much of their annual leave entitlement they have left, and how to submit an absence or leave request. The process should be just as simple for team leaders to manage and monitor. 

Make sure your absence management policies reflect what’s required of you by UK (and/or European) law, then use them to create clear processes for employees, managers, and HR team members to follow. 

HR process examples: 

• Submitting an annual leave request: Employee logs into portal and submits time-off request → HR system alerts manager that there’s a request awaiting a response → Manager approves or denies request

• Supporting an employee returning to work: HR system notifies manager that employee is due back on specific date → HR system automatically schedules back-to-work meeting → Manager uses template to conduct return meeting → Manager offers support to employee based on their needs and requests

• Dealing with unauthorised absence: Manager enters absence into HR system as unauthorised → HR system automatically flags the absence and monitors for patterns or thresholds reached → Manager handles unauthorised absence in line with policy

How HR software can help: Track time off (including statutory leave and annual leave), display leave balances to employees and managers, and give managers a clear overview of absence across their team. Make it as easy as possible to request and approve time off, with employee self-service (ESS). Enable automatic alerts for threshold triggers so managers and HR can proactively manage situations. 

Performance management is essential for medium-sized businesses — especially if the priority is talent development and growth. A performance management strategy and processes underneath it give managers a structured way to set and track goals, support employees, and monitor performance over time.

Set performance management cycles based on business goals, and introduce a standard set of questions for managers to ask. Introduce ways for managers and coworkers to give feedback for a more holistic view, and lean on processes to guide you on the next steps based on results.

HR process examples: 

• Scheduling performance reviews: HR team sets schedule for performance reviews → Software automatically sends out invites, surveys, and requests to employees and managers according to timeline

• Collecting 360-degree feedback: System sends request out to team members → Employees complete feedback survey → System automatically collects and combines feedback into report → Manager reviews feedback report

• Putting an employee on a performance improvement plan (PIP): System alerts manager that threshold for PIP has been reached → Manager initiates PIP workflow → System schedules meeting, sends documentation to manager, and updates records

How HR software can help: Automate performance review cycles so you never miss an opportunity or deadline. Introduce accountability with automatic reminders and feedback requests. Customise performance review templates based on organisation-wide or team requirements. Set clear workflows to follow based on goal attainment, feedback, and review outcomes.

Being proactive with employee retention strategies allows organisations to understand why retention is an issue, then put measures in place to reduce employee turnover. 

Agree incentives which can be offered to employees that are thinking of leaving, so you’re prepared in case the scenario happens. Use the data within your HR software to identify employees who are at risk of turnover for targeted support, as well as more general initiatives aimed at overall employee happiness and satisfaction.

HR process examples: 

• Understanding employee sentiment: HR team agrees a cadence for employee surveys → HR system automatically sends relevant survey based on schedule → Employees complete surveys → HR system analyses data and creates a report → HR team reviews reports quarterly

• Supporting employees at risk of leaving: Ask HR system for a report on employees who report below average scores on recent happiness surveys → Manager schedules a check-in with at-risk employee → Manager shares feedback on culture, pay and reward, and job satisfaction with HR for information → Manager and HR agree an action plan to improve the employee’s experience

• Agreeing improved compensation to support retention: Employee expresses unhappiness to manager → Manager schedules a check-in meeting → Manager and employee agree a way forward → Manager inputs new details into HR system → HR system automatically updates all records

How HR software can help: Create, send, and analyse the results of employee surveys to learn more about happiness, job satisfaction, sentiment, and engagement. Automatically send meeting invitations based on calendar availability and working patterns. Update records automatically across the system to reflect changes in pay, reward, benefits, working hours, and more.

Compliance is a key consideration for many UK organisations, but having the right processes in place can ease concerns. A documented process makes it easier to update policies, record time off, and perform right to work checks confidently — and gives you a clear audit log for reporting purposes. 

Become familiar with the UK and EU legislation that applies to the business, and write or update HR policies based on these requirements. Introduce processes beneath the policy that guide team members on what to do to stay compliant.

HR process examples: 

• Performing a right to work check: Manager initiates workflow within HR system → Candidate is asked to securely share their code → Manager completes right to work check and records outcome on HR system → HR system automatically updates to allow manager to progress with onboarding

• Calculating an employee’s leave entitlement: Manager enters employee’s working hours and pattern into HR system → HR system automatically calculates entitlement → Manager confirms entitlement → HR system updates all records to reflect balance

• Keeping records for the permitted amount of time: HR team enters information about data retention periods into HR system → HR system automatically alerts HR team when data should be disposed of securely

How HR software can help: Configure HR platform to support compliance for chosen country or countries, and fill in required information. Receive alerts, reminders, and requests for information based on relevant legislation. Store data securely in line with UK GDPR. Provide an audit trail for accurate compliance reporting.

Intentional HR processes help you make sense of all the data, decision-making, and steps involved in any aspect of the employee journey. They create a foundation for your team to work from, but you can increase the chances of success with these best practices:

• Align HR goals with business-wide goals: Look for ways that HR work can support overall priorities, so you’re working towards a common goal and making it easier to reach business targets.

• Prioritise clarity: Write processes so that they’re easy to understand and follow — especially if a wide range of people need to complete the steps.

• Document your processes: Create standard operating procedures (SOPs) or documented guides on how to follow a process that can be stored centrally and shared with relevant team members.

• Use automation and AI: Lean on AI and automation to take care of repetitive tasks and complicated calculations, and lend your HR expertise to areas that need a human touch.

• Hold people accountable: Introduce tasks, reminders, deadlines, and notifications that keep employees and managers accountable for success.

• Personalise the process where it makes sense: Automate common processes like onboarding or offboarding, but leave room to personalise the experience according to role, preferences, and local nuances.

• Be aware of legislation changes: Stay up to date on changes in law that affect the country or countries you operate in, so you can update policies and processes as soon as new rules go into effect.

• Invite feedback: Give employees a way to share feedback, ideas, and concerns so that you can improve existing processes and workflows.

• Make decisions based on real data: Use data on engagement, completion rates, satisfaction, and other metrics to influence decisions on everything from the benefits you offer to how often you run performance reviews.

• Invest in the right HR software: Switch to HR software that makes it easier for you to automate processes, document workflows, reach compliance, and introduce improvements to the employee experience.

Manage all your HR processes from one place

Personio's all-in-one HR software is designed to help you recruit, onboard, manage, develop, pay and retain your employees. Speak with an expert today to see how our solution can help meet your organisation's unique needs.

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Running HR processes manually is an option, but to really make an impact you need HR software that’s built with the needs of a medium-sized business in mind — like customisable onboarding workflows, performance review cycles, hiring processes, and support for UK compliance. 

HR teams can use Personio to: 

• Store all HR data in one place, for easy analysis and reporting

• Automate everyday and complex HR processes with pre-built templates and a code-free workflow builder

• Track and report on working hours, statutory leave, and other data points required for compliance

• Simplify leave requests and approvals for employees and managers

• Monitor trends and build reports for strategic decision-making

• Combine the intelligence of Personio Assistant with human knowledge for analysis 

• Simplify processes that rely on other tools through a strong integrations ecosystem

For HR teams that want a system to support and improve their HR processes, Personio is an ideal choice.

When a company has proper processes in place, it can have an untold positive effect on company culture. When you have effective processes in place, it can help employees better understand your organisation’s vision, purpose, and the ways in which you promote performance, help people feel heard, and the initiatives you take to manage employees and their wellbeing. Culture needs to start from the top, but HR processes can help ensure that it is articulated and evidenced in every corner of the organisation. 

Well-designed processes and workflows can help with productivity, as they enable employees, managers, and HR managers to complete tasks quicker. There’s a set process to follow, so there’s no need to worry about what to do or seek out answers elsewhere. 

The easiest way to manage processes is to invest in an all-in-one HR software platform that can become a central home to all your workflows. It’s easier, faster, and more effective to follow workflows and complete tasks if you can manage absences, onboarding, recruiting, performance management, and other core HR tasks from one place.