HR Acuity is updating its employee relations and case management platform to be more accessible for small businesses and team managers. The HR software company also is adding a benchmarking dashboard that allows employers to see how their workforce issues compare to competitors.
The software, which is used by employers including LinkedIn, pizza chain Domino’s and The University of Alabama, was released in 2012 and is meant to help HR document and investigate workplace misconduct. HR Acuity CEO Deborah Muller says the platform helps HR departments manage everything from poor performance to sexual harassment. It also provides employers with companywide data on the kinds of issues that are occurring.
“Organizations really need to look proactively at things that could cause harm later or impact the employee experience,” she says.
The updates include a less expensive version of the platform for smaller businesses and a manager access portal that allows bosses to document minor issues — like tardiness or poor performance. The new benchmark dashboard allows employers to view issues within their office and compare to companies of a similar size. Muller says HR Acuity looks at companywide employee data on performance, retaliation, accommodation, harassment and attendance. All of the updates are currently available to HR Acuity clients, but will be officially launched in the first quarter.
“All of those issues indicate something more going on with the organization,” she says. “Organizations really need to look proactively at that.”
HR Acuity is not the only software available to help employers report misconduct. HR is increasingly relying on technology to help them address issues in the workplace. Dovetail Employee Engagement Suite also offers employee case management capabilities.
This kind of HR tech is becoming even more prevalent in the wake of the #MeToo movement. A number of platforms and smartphone apps have been released that claim to make reporting easier for employers. For example,
But some companies don’t even have a reporting plan in place, Muller says. A few even use IT ticket systems to document workplace issues. The same system that is used to report a broken computer mouse is also being used to document sexual harassment, she adds.
Muller, whose background is in HR, says that it’s imperative to understand HR processes when developing a platform for reporting misconduct. HR Acuity is tailored specifically for HR departments and their needs.
“It’s so important to understand employee relations,” she says. “Employees bring a lot of differences to work, and when you do employee relations, no issue is going to be like any others. You have to have a system that understands that.”
