SOFTNINE HRM
HRM System To Connect
Client
Soft Nine
Role
Branding, UI/UX
Team
ux designer, Product Designers
Year
Jan 2022-Dec 2022
Project Introduction
Softnine HRM is an advanced (HRM) software that enables organizations to streamline and automate their HR processes. Designed with great attention to detail and user experience, Softnine HRM offers a comprehensive suite of features to manage various aspects of HR, from recruitment and onboarding to employee performance and payroll. Softnine HRM also offers employee self-service features, providing employees with a convenient and user-friendly portal to access their personal and employment information, apply for leaves, update personal details, and view payslips.
Problem
The solution for the inefficiencies and limitations of traditional HR processes lies in implementing a modern Human Resource Management System (HRMS). HRMS automates administrative tasks, centralizes data, provides advanced analytics tools, and ensures compliance with regulations. By leveraging technology, HRMS streamlines operations, enhances data accessibility and accuracy, improves decision-making, and enables HR departments to effectively manage personnel, optimize workforce productivity, and align HR strategies with organizational goals.
Solution
The solution for the inefficiencies and limitations of traditional HR processes lies in implementing a modern Human Resource Management System (HRMS). HRMS automates administrative tasks, centralizes data, provides advanced analytics tools, and ensures compliance with regulations. By leveraging technology, HRMS streamlines operations, enhances data accessibility and accuracy, improves decision-making, and enables HR departments to effectively manage personnel, optimize workforce productivity, and align HR strategies with organizational goals.
Project Goals
Secure data management
Implement robust encryption, access controls, and regular audits to ensure secure data management in HRM systems, protecting sensitive employee information and maintaining compliance with data privacy regulations.
Accurate Payroll Management
Accurate payroll management ensures timely and correct employee payments, minimizes errors, complies with regulations, and boosts employee satisfaction.
User-friendly interaction
A user-friendly HRM system simplifies navigation with an intuitive dashboard, provides clear, guided workflows for tasks, and offers accessible help resources. It minimizes errors and reduces the time needed to complete HR processes, enhancing overall efficiency and user satisfaction
Centralized Employee Management
HRM centralizes employee data, streamlining tasks like record updates, leave requests, payroll, and performance evaluations, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and ease of access for HR professionals and employees.
Design Process
Project Timeline
Research
Interview with stakeholders
Conduct brief interviews with HR managers, assistants, and employees to gather insights on system usability, pain points, and desired improvements. Focus on their experiences, challenges, and suggestions to enhance the HRM system’s efficiency and user-friendliness.
Survey plan
Conduct a survey to evaluate user satisfaction and identify usability issues in the HRM system. Target HR managers, assistants, and employees. Collect feedback on ease of use, task efficiency, and overall satisfaction. Analyze responses to inform system improvements and enhance user experience.
interview with potential users
We interviewed potential HRM system users to understand their needs and challenges. HR managers emphasized the need for streamlined processes and accurate reporting, while HR assistants highlighted the importance of user-friendly interfaces and support resources for efficient task management.
competitor Research
Competitor research for HRM systems focuses on evaluating features, user experience, pricing, and customer support of leading solutions like Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, and BambooHR to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for differentiation and improvement.
User Persona
For our HRM system project, we developed two user personas to guide our design and development process. These personas represent typical users of the system and help ensure our solutions meet their needs effectively.
Sujan Pradhan
22 yrs. Student.
Background
Sujan Pradhan, a 22-year-old student, is currently pursuing his studies with a keen interest in data science. Although his practical experience in HR systems is limited, he is eager to apply his growing knowledge in data science to HR-related projects and technologies.
Needs & Goal
- Streamline Administrative Tasks: Simplify daily tasks such as updating employee information and managing leave requests for greater efficiency.
- Improve Accuracy: Reduce errors in data entry and ensure all employee records and reports are accurate and up-to-date.
- Enhance Usability: Utilize a system that is easy to navigate and reduces the need for constant assistance from colleagues.
Pain Points
- Frequent Errors: Encounters issues with frequent data entry errors, causing inaccuracies in records and reports.
- Time-Consuming Processes: Finds manual tasks and workflows time-consuming and cumbersome, impacting overall productivity.
- Time-Consuming Processes: Finds manual tasks and workflows time-consuming and cumbersome, impacting overall productivity.
- Limited Practical Experience: Lacks hands-on experience with HR systems, making it challenging to apply theoretical knowledge effectively.
Sabin Dhakal
23 yrs. Mobile app developer
Background
Sabin Dhakal is a 23-year-old student majoring in Computer Science with a focus on mobile app development. He has hands-on experience developing various mobile applications, which has honed his skills in both Android and iOS platforms. As he balances his studies with practical development projects,
Needs & Goal
- User-Centric Design: Create HRM system features with a focus on intuitive and user-friendly interfaces to enhance the overall user experience.
- Support Scalability: Create solutions that can scale effectively with increased user loads and evolving business needs.
- Efficient Workflows: Develop features that automate and streamline tasks within the HRM system to reduce manual effort and increase productivity.
Pain Points
- Feature Integration: Encounters issues with integrating new features into existing HRM system components, leading to compatibility and performance challenges.
- Platform Compatibility: Faces challenges ensuring that features work consistently across different mobile platforms and devices.
- Interface Complexity: Struggles with designing interfaces that are both functional and easy to navigate, potentially causing user confusion.
- Facilitate Smooth Integration: Implement solutions that integrate new features seamlessly with existing system components.
Ideate & Prototype
How might we exercise
How might we improve the candidate experience during the application process?
How might we ensure that employees feel valued and appreciated
How might we use technology to deliver effective training programs
How might we use technology to deliver effective training programs
How might we improve the transparency of payroll for employees?
How might we create a performance dashboard that includes attendance data?
How might we provide transparency in attendance records for employees?
How might we create a culture of collaboration and teamwork
How might we use technology to deliver effective training programs
How might we ensure that training is relevant and up-to-date?
How might we automate payroll calculations to minimize manual input?
How might we automate the attendance tracking process?
Color & Typography
Fulvous
primary-70
#E48700
Blue
Secondary-60
#5B93FF
Blue
Tertiary-80
#08368E
Cultured
Tertiary-80
#F3F6F9
Steel Blue
primary-70
#3B74AB
Sunray
Secondary-60
#EEAE53
Vermillion
Tertiary-80
#DC4E4E
Dark
Tertiary-80
#1C212D
Poppins
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Aa
Regular
Aa
Medium
Aa
Semi-Bold
Aa
Bold
Headlines
H1
Headline
size: 18 / l-height: 24 / weight: 139
H2
Headline
size: 16 / l-height: 24 / weight: 126
H3
Headline
size: 14 / l-height: 24 / weight: 108
H4
Headline
size: 12 / l-height: 24 / weight: 93
Text
Subtitle 1
Subtitle
size: 18 / l-height: 24 / weight: 168
Subtitle 2
Subtitle
size: 16 / l-height: 24 / weight: 107
body 1
Subtitle
size: 14 / l-height: 24 / weight: 91
Buttons
Large
Large Button
size: 16 / l-height: 24 / weight: 104
Medium
Medium Button
size: 14 / l-height: 24 / weight: 124
Small
Small Button
size: 14 / l-height: 24 / weight: 76
Grid
Sketching & Wireframes
Usability testing
Study overview
Objective
The primary objective of this usability testing study is to evaluate the user-friendliness, efficiency, and overall experience of the Human Resource Management (HRM) system. The study aims to identify any usability issues, gather user feedback, and provide actionable insights to improve the system's design and functionality.
Study facilitators
The usability testing study was facilitated by a team of experienced usability professionals. Lead facilitator Suzan Pradhan, an expert in UX design with over 5 years of experience, will oversee the study.
Date and location
The usability testing study for the HRM system wasconducted from August 12-14, 2022, at Soft nine office , located at New baneshwor, Kathmandu
Participants
For this usability testing study, we will recruit eight participants: two HR managers, two HR assistants, and four regular employees, ensuring a balanced mix of experience levels and technical proficiency. Participants will perform essential HR tasks, including logging in, navigating the dashboard, updating employee information, processing leave requests, managing payroll, and conducting performance evaluations. We will collect data through observations, think-aloud protocols, surveys, and interviews.
Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)
Task success rate
Task success rate measures the percentage of tasks that users complete successfully without any assistance or errors. It is a key indicator of the system's usability and effectiveness.
Task: Approving a Leave Request
Procedure:
1. Scenario: The participant is given a scenario where an employee has submitted a leave request, and the participant needs to review and approve or reject it using the HRM system.
2. Steps:
- Log in to the HRM system.
- Navigate to the leave requests section.
- Select the leave request to review.
- Approve or reject the leave request.
- Log out of the system.
Success Criteria: The participant completes all steps accurately and within a reasonable time frame without any help or errors.
Participant Results:
- Participant 1: Successfully completed the task.
- Participant 2: Successfully completed the task.
- Participant 3: Made an error (selected the wrong leave request initially) but corrected it without assistance.
- Participant 4: Successfully completed the task.
- Participant 5: Required assistance to find the leave requests section.
- Participant 6: Successfully completed the task.
- Participant 7: Made an error (approved the leave without reviewing details) and did not correct it.
- Participant 8: Successfully completed the task.
Calculation:
- Total Participants: 8
- Tasks Successfully Completed Without Assistance or Errors
Time on Task Example
Time on task measures the amount of time it takes for participants to complete a specific task. It provides insights into the efficiency of the system and can help identify tasks that may be too time-consuming or complicated.
Example:
Task: Updating Employee Information
- Scenario: The participant is asked to update the contact information for a specific employee in the HRM system.
- Steps:
- Log in to the HRM system.
- Navigate to the employee records section.
- Search for the specific employee.
- Update the contact information (e.g., phone number and address).
- Save the changes.
- Log out of the system.
Success Criteria: The participant completes all steps accurately.
Participant Results:
- Participant 1: 3 minutes 20 seconds
- Participant 2: 2 minutes 45 seconds
- Participant 3: 4 minutes 10 seconds
- Participant 4: 3 minutes 5 seconds
- Participant 5: 3 minutes 50 seconds
- Participant 6: 2 minutes 30 seconds
- Participant7: 4 minutes
- Participant 8: 3 minutes
Calculation:
- Total Participants: 8
- Individual Times: 200 seconds, 165 seconds, 250 seconds, 185 seconds, 230 seconds, 150 seconds, 240 seconds, 180 seconds
Outcome of the Usability Study for HRM System
Outcome of the Usability Study for HRM System
- Summary of Findings:
The usability study conducted from August 12-14, 2024, at XYZ Corporation Headquarters provided valuable insights into the HRM system’s performance. The study involved 8 participants, including HR managers, HR assistants, and regular employees. Key findings included:
- Dashboard Navigation: HR managers found the dashboard generally intuitive but reported delays when accessing specific features due to a cluttered layout. Participants struggled to quickly locate frequently used functions.
- Updating Employee Information:HR assistants encountered issues with navigation during the employee information update process. The system’s multi-step process was cumbersome, leading to delays and occasional errors.
- Processing Leave Requests: Both HR managers and assistants found the leave request process to be confusing. Unclear instructions and a non-intuitive approval workflow contributed to difficulties in task completion.
- Generating Payroll Reports:* Regular employees experienced challenges with the complex filtering options needed to generate payroll reports. They found the report generation process to be overly complicated and time-consuming.
- Performance Evaluations: Participants generally found the performance evaluation feature to be functional but noted that the form design could be more user-friendly, with better guidance on filling out evaluation criteria. - Key Metrics:
- Task Success Rate:80% of tasks were completed successfully, with some tasks requiring assistance.
- Time on Task: The average time to complete tasks was longer than expected, particularly for updating employee information and generating payroll reports.
- Error Rate:Errors were noted in 25% of the tasks, mainly due to navigation issues and complex workflows.
- System Usability Scale (SUS): The system received an average SUS score of 68, indicating moderate usability.
- User Satisfaction Scores:Overall satisfaction was mixed, with participants rating their experience as 3 out of 5 on average, indicating room for improvement. - Recommendations:
Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made:
- Dashboard Redesign: Simplify the dashboard layout to make frequently used features more accessible and reduce clutter.
- Streamline Employee Information Updates: Revise the update process to be more straightforward and reduce the number of steps required. Improve navigation to make it more intuitive.
- Improve Leave Request Workflow: Enhance instructions and redesign the approval workflow to make it clearer and more user-friendly.
- Simplify Report Generation:Redesign the report generation interface to make filtering options more intuitive and reduce complexity.
- Enhance Performance Evaluation Forms:Revise the form design to provide clearer guidance and make the evaluation process more user-friendly. - Follow-Up Actions:
- Review with Development Team:The findings and recommendations were discussed with the HRM system’s development team to prioritize and address the identified issues.
- Implementation of Changes: The development team began implementing the recommended changes, focusing on redesigning the dashboard, streamlining processes, and simplifying interfaces.
- Iterative Testing: Plans were made for additional usability testing to validate the improvements and ensure that the changes effectively addressed the issues identified. - Impact:
The usability study led to significant improvements in the HRM system, enhancing user satisfaction and efficiency. Users found the redesigned dashboard and simplified processes to be much more intuitive and time-efficient. The system updates resulted in smoother task completion and reduced errors, contributing to a more positive overall user experience. The iterative testing confirmed the effectiveness of the changes, leading to a higher SUS score and increased satisfaction ratings in follow-up assessments.
The study demonstrated the importance of user feedback in refining and optimizing HRM systems, ensuring they meet the needs of their users effectively.
Usability study plan
- Study Objectives:
- Evaluate User-Friendliness and Efficiency: Assess how easily users can navigate and use the HRM system to complete essential HR tasks.
- Identify Usability Issues: Detect any problems or obstacles users face while interacting with the system.
- Provide Recommendations: Offer actionable suggestions for improving the system based on user feedback and observed issues. - Scope:
The study focuses on key tasks that HR professionals and employees perform regularly, including:
- Logging into the HRM system.
- Updating employee contact and personal information.
- Processing and approving leave requests.
- Generating payroll reports.
- Conducting performance evaluations. - Methodology:
Participants:
- HR Managers: 2 experienced HR managers from XYZ Corporation.
- HR Assistants: 2 HR assistants who support day-to-day HR operations.
- Regular Employees: 4 employees from various departments who use the system for self-service tasks. - Participant Criteria:
HR Managers: Must have at least 5 years of experience in HR management.
-HR Assistants: Should have 1-3 years of experience in HR support roles.
-Regular Employees:Familiar with digital tools and basic HR tasks.
- Technical Proficiency: Participants will have varied levels of technical skills, from basic to intermediate.
-Availability: Participants must be available for scheduled sessions during the testing dates. - Metrics to Measure:
- Task Success Rate: Percentage of tasks completed accurately by participants.
- Time on Task:Amount of time taken to complete each task.
- Error Rate: Frequency and type of errors made during tasks.
- System Usability Scale (SUS): Overall score reflecting users’ perceptions of the system’s usability.
- User Satisfaction Scores: Ratings on the ease of completing tasks and overall experience. - Analysis:
- Quantitative Analysis: Evaluate data on task success rates, time spent on tasks, error rates, and survey scores.
- Qualitative Analysis: Analyze participant feedback to identify common issues, themes, and suggestions for improvement. - Reporting:
- Summary: Prepare a detailed report summarizing findings, supported by charts and graphs.
- Findings: Highlight key usability issues, areas of success, and specific aspects needing improvement.
- Recommendations: Provide actionable recommendations based on the analysis to enhance the HRM system’s usability and performance. - Follow-Up:
- Review: Discuss the findings with the HRM system’s development team.
- Implementation: Address identified issues and implement recommended changes.
- Iterative Testing: Plan for further usability testing to validate improvements and ensure continued effectiveness.
Insight from Usability Study
- Simplify and Streamline the User Interface
The HRM system’s dashboard previously featured numerous widgets and options that overwhelmed users. After simplifying the interface, the dashboard now highlights only the most frequently used features, such as employee records and leave requests, and groups secondary features under an expandable menu. - Enhance Clarity and Guidance in Multi-Step Processes
Example:
In the previous HRM system, updating employee information required users to navigate through several screens with minimal instructions. The redesigned process now includes a clear, step-by-step wizard that guides users through each stage of the update. - Optimize Task Workflows
The payroll report generation used to involve multiple steps and complex filtering options. The new design simplifies the workflow by consolidating filters into a single, user-friendly panel and allowing users to save frequently used filter settings. - Redesign Forms and Features for User-Friendliness
The performance evaluation form used to be lengthy and had minimal guidance, leading to confusion. The updated form now includes clear instructions, a progress bar, and a streamlined layout with pre-filled fields and dropdown menus. - Conduct Iterative Testing
After implementing the initial design improvements, the HRM system underwent additional usability testing to assess the effectiveness of the changes. Feedback from this round of testing revealed that users still had some issues with the report generation feature. - Address Role-Specific Needs
HR managers and HR assistants had different needs for the leave request process. The system was updated to include role-specific views: HR managers now have a consolidated approval dashboard for quick decision-making, while HR assistants have an improved interface for processing requests with fewer steps and better organization.
By applying these insights with specific examples, the HRM system becomes more user-friendly, efficient, and tailored to the needs of its diverse user base.
Side bar
Site map
User Flow
Log in and sign up flow
Dashboard
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