Companies now, more than ever, are shifting to a paperless work environment. As I look at my own desk, bulging with piles of paper, it’s not hard to justify the ROI on making such a move. I must admit, I am a little “old school” about holding on to my files and printing copies of everything that I also file electronically. But I’m finally at the breaking point as my workspace becomes smaller and smaller and my piles become higher and higher. I’m ready to embrace an e-friendly paperless environment!

In general, the first benefit that most companies expect when moving to a paperless environment is the reduction in the space needed to store the paperwork, printing costs, and the reduced work time involved in producing and filing the paperwork.

However, one of the most important benefits is efficiency. Let’s use the hiring process as an example. How much time and effort on the part of the HR department is spent on a manual, paper-based hiring process? In general, most companies have the following paper forms that must be completed during the pre-hire and post-hire process:

• Employment Application
• FCRA Authorization Form
• Background Checks
• Drug Testing Scheduling
• Fingerprinting
• Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality Agreement
• I-9/E-Verify Form
• W-4
• Direct Deposit Form
• EEOC Self Disclosure Form
• New Employee Handbook
• Company Policies
• Benefits Enrollment Form
• Exit Interview

That’s a lot of paperwork! Manually filling these out takes a lot of time and leaves a lot of room for error and inefficiencies, which will ultimately delay the new hire process. My comapny, CARCO Group, Inc, developed a fast-track Onboarding Solution that makes it easy to streamline the new hire process by eliminating manual, paper-based processes in favor of legal and complaint e-signature protocols. Simply put, CARCO’s Onboarding Solution allows your applicants to enter their information and credentials directly into an online application or kiosk, thus eliminating the data entry – and ultimately the cost of labor and inefficiencies that you would typically incur. Additionally, audits are a piece of cake and compliance is a lay-up! There is also an increased level of security as the applicant is responsible for the accuracy of the information. It’s a win-win process for everyone involved!

For more information, contact me at dkoronios@carcogroup.com.