Paperless HR: Which Processes Can Be Digitalised and How It Benefits Your Business

According to Deloitte, HR professionals spend up to 57% of their time on administrative tasks that could be automated. Meanwhile, employees spend up to 40% of their time simply searching for information. When HR processes and documentation aren't digitalised, businesses lose both time and money.

A paperless HR department can solve this problem: no more lost requests, endless approvals for certificates, or mixed-up holiday forms and other paperwork headaches. All HR services — from onboarding to payslips and company news — are available in one user-friendly system, accessible to every employee. Maximum transparency and convenience — minimum paperwork and bureaucracy.

In this article, we explore which HR processes can be digitalised, the benefits this brings to your business, and real-life cases already implemented by large Ukrainian companies.

Which HR Processes Can Be Digitalised

SHRM predicts that by the end of 2025, 65% of HR tasks could be automated. This includes payroll, onboarding and adaptation, and performance management. Automating these tasks frees up HR resources for more meaningful work, such as talent development. In fact, automation can save an HR manager over 7 working hours a week.

Let’s take a closer look at the processes and tasks that can be optimised and moved to a paperless format:

Onboarding and Integrating New Team Members

During onboarding, new hires can automatically receive welcome emails, instructions, checklists, and training materials — allowing them to progress at their own pace through key onboarding stages and integrate smoothly into the team. HR managers can monitor and adjust the process in real-time. This not only reduces the load on HR staff but also gives newcomers a sense of care and a clearly structured corporate culture.

Document, Request and Certificate Management

Self-service tools empower employees to act independently: they can request the necessary certificate online, without visiting HR in person. And most importantly, there’s no need to wait days for approvals or signatures. The process is highly streamlined and takes just a few hours — the digital workflow automatically routes the request to the responsible person, who signs it using a digital signature. Within hours, the employee receives the required document — no manual paperwork needed.

Payslips

Employees get round-the-clock access to payslips including bonuses, allowances, and taxes. They can log into their personal accounts and check all calculations at any time. No queues, no emails to the finance team, no errors or security concerns — just clear, confidential, and convenient access.

Work Schedules, Holidays, Business Trips, Sick Leave

One of the most routine tasks in HR is managing working hours, leave requests, and travel arrangements. Digitalisation streamlines the entire process. Employees can submit requests in a single click; managers can approve or reject them just as easily.

Performance Evaluation

Proper performance evaluation relies on measurable metrics, progress tracking, and continuous feedback. Digitalisation helps ensure standardisation and full transparency: employees can see their goals and track their progress, while department heads can assess performance in real-time and make timely decisions — whether to redistribute workloads or create tailored development plans.

Corporate News and Internal Communications

Access to company news, communication tools with HR, colleagues, and leadership — all of these are key elements of corporate culture that improve staff satisfaction. And higher satisfaction leads to stronger trust and engagement. Digital tools create a unified internal information space where news, updates, achievements, and announcements are shared, helping build strong, collaborative teams.

How Ukrainian Businesses Are Digitalising HR Services

One of the largest HR digitalisation projects was implemented by DTEK Group with the support of MODUS X. It forms part of the wider DTEK One Click initiative aimed at creating a paperless office, improving employee experience, and ensuring broader access to corporate services.

For DTEK, digitalising HR services is particularly significant: many employees work in production environments and could previously only access services on paper, in-office, and during working hours. Transitioning to a paperless HR department addressed these challenges — making services accessible to all team members and improving the speed, flexibility, and transparency of service delivery.

As part of this transformation, MODUS X experts developed and upgraded several existing HR services from scratch on a mobile app and web platform. Now available 24/7 to 100% of employees — including those in production — more than 25,000 staff actively use these HR services via the mobile app.

5 Reasons to Start Digitalising Your HR Services Today

HR processes rely heavily on documentation. Managing all of this manually is slow, complex, and inefficient. Automating and digitalising HR functions speeds things up, reduces the administrative burden, and improves overall business performance.

Let’s look at the main benefits digitalisation brings to your business:

1. Faster Processes and Less HR Department Strain

Automating workflows like document management, requests and approvals, schedules and holidays, payslips, and performance reviews significantly reduces the time HR teams spend on routine tasks. Instead of piles of paperwork and drawn-out approval chains, employees access everything they need — anytime, anywhere. HR teams are no longer putting out fires — they’re focusing on strategic personnel work and talent development.

2. Improved Financial Efficiency

A paperless HR department dramatically cuts costs associated with paper-based processes. Requests, certificates, contracts, and payroll — all are created, sent, and stored electronically. HR specialists no longer spend their time on repetitive paperwork, freeing up resources for more strategic areas. This results in significant cost savings and a solid return on investment in modern tech solutions.

3. Higher Employee Satisfaction

According to Salesforce, 89% of employees report being more satisfied with their job thanks to automation. 91% say it saves time and improves their work-life balance. People have grown used to convenient digital services outside the office — and expect the same seamless experience at work. When corporate HR services are accessible on a smartphone from anywhere, and certificates can be requested and approved within hours — not days — satisfaction rises.

4. Better Decision-Making Through Analytics

To make sound decisions, managers need accurate and relevant data. Digitalising HR services gives department heads and executives full visibility into each employee’s journey — from KPIs to skill development. This forms a solid foundation for analysis, identifying growth opportunities, and planning development. According to McKinsey, companies using workforce analytics report an 80% improvement in recruitment efficiency, a 25% boost in productivity, and a 50% reduction in employee turnover.

5. Seamless Scaling

The faster a business grows, the harder it is to keep HR processes under control. Opening new offices, scaling teams, and managing remote staff adds pressure. Digitalisation helps standardise most operations — onboarding, training, evaluations, calculations, internal queries, holidays, travel, and more. Tasks that previously required HR’s personal attention now run independently via one convenient interface. This allows companies to scale without sacrificing quality — getting more done with fewer resources.

Conclusion

Digitalising HR services isn’t just about convenience and accessibility. It’s about improving business performance and creating a competitive edge for your employer brand. If you’re looking for a trusted partner to support your HR digital transformation, MODUS X experts can build a tailored solution designed specifically for your company’s needs and objectives.