What is HR Automation? 13 Best Tools to Transform Your HR Processes

Automation is often viewed as a threat to jobs. However, a 2020 World Economic Forum report—published before AI chatbots went mainstream—predicted over 80 million jobs would be displaced by automation by 2025, while nearly 100 million new jobs would be created. For HR teams, automation isn’t a replacement—it’s a way to free up time for strategic work, such as identifying future roles or refining company culture.

The best part? HR automation is easier to implement than you might think.

What is HR Automation?

HR automation uses technology and digital systems to reduce manual work and streamline human resource management tasks. It automates processes like payroll, benefits enrollment, resume screening, and training schedules—saving time, minimizing errors, and allowing HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives.

Key Benefits of HR Process Automation

• Boosted Productivity: 69% of HR professionals report saving significant time on hiring and onboarding, with Slack research showing employees gain nearly a month per year through automation.
• Higher Employee Satisfaction: 90% of workers say automation improves their job satisfaction by reducing frustration and repetitive work.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Automation provides accurate HR metrics to optimize programs and measure business impact.
• Better Compliance: E-signature automation ensures GDPR and legal compliance, even for global hires.
• Fewer Errors: Reduces mistakes in data entry, calculations, and deadlines.

Which HR Processes Can Be Automated?

1. Tracking and Managing Requests

Automated systems make leave and time-off requests seamless for employees and managers, with instant approvals in some cases.

2. Hiring

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) deploy career sites, screen resumes, assist with job descriptions, and maintain candidate communication.

3. Onboarding

Automation ensures a consistent onboarding process, integrating with asset management to trigger IT requests for necessary equipment.

4. Data Management

Centralized databases store and update employee details—accessible anytime—improving accuracy and efficiency.

5. Employee Insights

Reporting tools track turnover, salary ranges, and diversity metrics, helping shape better HR strategies.

13 Best HR Automation Tools

1. Oriento – All-in-One HR Platform

Oriento automates core HR tasks like recruitment, time-off tracking, performance reviews, and onboarding. It centralizes employee data, offers an applicant tracking system, AI job description assistance, and supports 14 languages.

2. TimeClock Plus – Attendance Tracking

TimeClock Plus tracks attendance digitally, though standalone use may feel like micromanagement to employees.

3. Gusto – Payroll Management

Gusto simplifies payroll processing for both local and international teams.

4. Visier People – HR Reporting

Visier People provides in-depth workforce analytics for data-driven HR planning.

5. Kissflow HR Cloud – Leave Management

Kissflow HR Cloud automates leave approvals and integrates with payroll and benefits systems.

6. Experian – Background Checks

Experian offers compliant, secure candidate background verification.

7. RSign – E-Signatures

RSign streamlines contract signing with automated workflows.

8. Slack – Workflow Automation

Slack automates reminders and updates within team communication channels.

9. Zapier – Custom Integrations

Zapier connects HR tools with custom workflows, ideal for platforms with an API.

10. Textio – Bias-Free Hiring

Textio improves job descriptions by identifying and removing unconscious bias.

11. SeekOut – Passive Candidate Search

SeekOut finds top talent from platforms like LinkedIn and GitHub, with diversity filters and blind hiring options.

12. Monday.com – Project & HR Task Management

Monday.com manages recruitment pipelines, schedules, and team tasks in a customizable workspace.

13. SurveyMonkey – Candidate Feedback

SurveyMonkey collects feedback via customizable surveys to refine hiring processes.

Automate Your HR Processes with All-in-One Tools

Automation transforms HR from administrative-heavy work to strategic business growth. Oriento offers a single platform to manage your workforce, centralize data, and onboard employees seamlessly. Start for free and streamline your HR workflows today.