Sponsored by HRdirect Smart Apps

As a nonprofit professional, you may want (or need) to spend more time and resources on fundraising, outreach and other programs. What if there was a way to free up more time in your day to focus on those things, ultimately bettering the communities you serve? Well, get ready to do your happy dance! There is a way to save time—and increase productivity—by ditching manual paperwork when it comes to your HR and employee-management tasks.

When you think about the other areas of your business that have transitioned to an online or automated system over the years, you recognize the benefits. Now you can do the same with employee management by using affordable, cloud-based HR software. This will help you clear away the paper clutter and bring added efficiency to your day-to-day employee management tasks.

You may think it sounds too good to be true, and it’s possible that your doubts are based on inaccurate information. Let’s shed some light on the facts by tackling four major myths about moving to the cloud.

Myth #1: Storing sensitive information in the cloud isn’t secure

It’s not surprising that security is one of the biggest concerns for many nonprofits considering cloud services. You’ve seen the headlines and heard the stories about online data breaches, so now you’re worried that your business data could be hacked.

If you’re thinking that your data is safer on your office computer than in the cloud, think again. Most software providers use state-of-the-art security features to keep your data safe, but it’s important that you know which security features to look for. Choose a provider that uses impenetrable firewalls, password protection and encryption to secure your account information from outside threats. This level of security would be costly for a small business to implement on its own, but now you can get it built right in to your service.

Myth #2: It’s expensive to work in the cloud

There’s a popular misconception that cloud-based HR software is expensive, but that just isn’t the case. Moving your nonprofit’s HR to the cloud has never been more affordable.

If you’ve used larger HR software systems, you know they bundle several functions into one program for a hefty price. And sometimes you don’t even need most of those functions. With cloud-based HR software, you can get individual apps for singular tasks such as hiring, employee recordkeeping and attendance tracking. Instead of paying an arm and a leg for pricey “all-in-one” systems, you can purchase only what you need for your nonprofit.

When you weigh the potential savings from increased efficiency, you’ll see that online software offers a solid return on your investment. Completing and maintaining essential records and forms online saves you time and the costs associated with paper, printing, filing and storage.

Myth #3: If I move part of my operations to the cloud, I’ll have to move everything

Handling your HR tasks online doesn’t mean you’re roped into managing all your business activities that way. It’s not all or nothing—you can maintain HR records in the cloud and oversee other areas of your nonprofit as you always have.

Cloud-based HR software and traditional systems can coexist without any problems. And though other aspects of your operations can ultimately benefit from online solutions, it’s more realistic and appropriate to make the transition incrementally.

Myth #4: Moving to the cloud is too complicated

You’d be amazed how easily you can transition your nonprofit from paper to online HR management. It can be fast and pain-free if you choose a provider that lets you engage at your own pace and doesn’t force features and functionality on you that you don’t need.

So what’s the best way to start the process? A wise approach to switching to online recordkeeping is to develop a step-by-step plan. Your first step should be gathering and assessing your current employee records. Setting up your employees in an online database is next, followed by granting self-service access to your employees. Self-service allows your employees to submit key information about themselves and share the responsibility of shifting to an online system.

Today’s HR software provides a simple and intuitive user experience, so you and your employees won’t require extensive training. Plus, if you run into any problems or have questions, most providers will put you in touch with dedicated customer service professionals to assist you.

Time to make the move?

Now that we’ve dispelled the more common myths, it should be clear why moving your manual, paper-based HR system to the cloud is a smart choice for your nonprofit.

HRdirect, a leading provider of HR solutions, has made it easy to move your employee management responsibilities online by developing new HR software called HRdirect Smart Apps.

For a limited time, small, U.S.-based nonprofit organizations can receive select HRdirect Smart Apps free for one year. Learn more.