So, you've finally decided to get rid of the old leave application process for your employees. Asking them to write leave requests on paper (just as they used to do in schools) or sending formal email requests is now a thing of the past. It's high time such outdated practices are phased out, as leave management systems are the way forward.

However, when switching to a new system, don't assume it will be a smooth ride for your employees, even if you hope it will be. Some staff members will quickly adopt the new system and use it as intended, while others may resist the change and prefer the old practices. Having a great leave management system in place is quite different from having every employee use it as intended.

What can be done to ensure a smooth transition? This is where the importance of training employees on the new leave management system comes into play. In this blog post, we'll explore effective strategies for implementing a modern leave management system in your organization.

The Importance of Acknowledging Training Needs

Studies conducted by our research and development team have revealed some interesting findings about employee leave management system usage and the challenges users face. According to our research, 30% of employees report experiencing friction points that need to be addressed or eliminated. Despite having a leave management system in place, many organizations aren't seeing any positive changes in terms of streamlining their employees' leave journey – whether for casual leave, maternity leave, or other types of leave.

What could be the reason for this disconnect? Part of the reason is that employees haven't yet fully discovered how to utilize the system or understand the benefits it offers. This gap in understanding prevents organizations from realizing the full potential of their leave management solutions. Hence, when introducing a leave management system, it is equally important to acknowledge the training needs, as such initiatives can make the adoption process much easier and align it exactly with the intended goals.

Key Mistakes from Lack of Training on a Leave Management System

When you have a leave management system but your employees don't know how to use it correctly, you are likely to notice a series of issues surfacing one after another, only to make you wonder, "Wasn't the system supposed to improve the leave process and not complicate it?" Well, these are some of the issues we are dealing with.

Leave Request Errors:

For the leave approval workflow to be smooth, leave requests need to be correct. For instance, an employee may want to apply for an optional holiday. Your company’s leave policy allows for five optional holidays per year, but instead of selecting the correct option, the employee chooses casual leave.

Other errors might include choosing the wrong date or selecting the wrong approver. While such minor issues happening occasionally may not be a challenge, if they occur frequently and with multiple employees, they can compromise the system’s efficiency.

Misinterpretation of Leave Policies:

Ensuring that leaves are taken as per the pre-defined organizational leave policies is another big challenge that several HRs find themselves in. The employees, even if informed about the leave policies, may not know how that can be correctly applied to the online leave management system.

For instance, an employee may unknowingly request paid leave for a situation that only qualifies for unpaid leave, such as parental leave, because they are unaware of the specific leave policy regarding it. This could result in policy violations or disputes.

Delayed Approvals and Processing:

When leave requests are sent to the incorrect departmental head for approval, it inevitably delays the process. Furthermore, if approvers are unfamiliar with the leave management system's approval workflow, it can also result in delayed processing.

Falling Back to Manual Systems:

It's not uncommon for companies to revert to their previous leave management system after discovering that most employees are dissatisfied with the new one. The issue often lies not with the system itself, but rather with employees' unfamiliarity with it.

Mismatched Leave Balances

Some of the HRs we talked to said ‘we've been receiving frequent complaints from employees regarding discrepancies in their leave balances.’ Possibly, the issue stems from incorrect leave type selection when applying for leaves. For example, employees might be choosing casual leave when they could be utilizing their optional holiday balances instead.

Best Practices for Training Employees on New Leave Management System

Now, coming to the core theme of our blog—getting all your employees on the same page regarding HR leave management system usage—here are some effective best practices.

Identify the training needs:

To begin, it’s important to understand how familiar your employees are with the technology used for the leave management system, whether it’s a mobile app or a web portal. The training should be tailored based on the specific features employees are most likely to use.

For example, regular employees may only need to access features like leave application, tracking, balance, and reports, whereas team leaders will need to learn about the approval workflow and reporting to upper management. The training should be designed to meet these different needs. Conducting surveys or interviews can help identify gaps and specific requirements for each group.

Set Clear Objectives and Training Plan:

Define what successful training looks like (e.g., proficiency in using key features of the leave management system) and establish timelines for achieving your training goals. A hands-on assessment, where employees can utilize all the features proficiently while adhering to the leave policies by the end of the training session, would be an excellent starting point.

Develop user manuals, quick reference guides, and video tutorials that showcase real-life scenarios involving common tasks and challenges.

Choosing the Right Training Format:

Don’t limit your training to just PowerPoint presentations or lectures. At the end of the day, this will leave employees with nothing to take home. The goal should be to impart hands-on experience, for which interactive training methods are essential.

For instance, employees might be allowed to apply for mock leaves and receive real-time notifications about approval or rejection status when the designated approver takes the next step. Similarly, they should understand how taking a certain type of leave adheres to or goes against the predefined organizational leave policy and the training must properly address such scenarios.

Schedule and Execute Training Sessions:

Schedule a time that accommodates all your employees for the training session. The training can be deemed effective only if at least 90% of your employees are successfully using it as intended. To achieve this goal, plan and conduct the training when the maximum number of employees can attend.

Evaluate Employee Proficiency:

Once the training is imparted, don’t abandon the process there. Give a buffer period to evaluate employees’ engagement with the leave management system. During this time, encourage employees to ask questions and seek help if they encounter issues. Regular check-ins can help identify any challenges they face. Additionally, ensure that they feel supported as they adapt to the new system.

Wrapping up

Leave management is an integral part of employee management. Utilizing modern innovations for it provides benefits that go beyond the immediate; it shows a forward-thinking mindset.

However, how much you benefit from your leave management system depends on how effectively you implement it, as well as how you educate and encourage your employees and other stakeholders to adapt to it.

We hope you now understand what can happen if employees are not trained to use it and how to execute a successful training program.

Mewurk is an advanced HR management software that features a promising integrated leave management system. Beyond empowering your employees and HR team with leave applications, tracking, and management, the system syncs all data with other essential HR systems, such as payroll, for a comprehensive advantage. Find out more about Mewurk's best leave management software here.