By: Jennyfer Ann Valencia
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) often face significant pressure to adapt and remain relevant in competitive markets. While these enterprises typically lack the vast resources of large corporations, they are increasingly recognizing the importance of efficient human resource (HR) management to facilitate advancement and expansion. Folks, an HR software solution, aims to address the distinct challenges SMBs face through data-driven decision-making.
Centralized Workforce Management
Folks provides an integrated platform that consolidates many critical staffing and development functions. From personnel management to recruitment, onboarding, and performance tracking, the software helps ensure businesses have a single access point for talent management operations. For SMBs, this centralization can translate into more coordinated workflows and reduced administrative burdens.
Key features include a digital employee file system, which may enable businesses to store and retrieve employee data promptly. Additionally, real-time updates and customizable workflows can allow HR teams to respond more effectively to changing organizational requirements, potentially reducing the delays associated with manual processes.
Recruitment and Onboarding Simplified
Recruitment remains one of the most resource-intensive activities for SMBs. Folks offers an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that aims to automate various stages of recruitment, from posting job openings to tracking candidates. This may help SMBs attract and engage premier talent without incurring the overhead of traditional hiring methods.
Beyond recruitment, the platform’s onboarding tools are designed to help new hires integrate seamlessly into the organization. Automated checklists, clear documentation, and scheduled follow-ups can help ensure that employees and HR teams stay on track during onboarding.
Performance Management With Precision
One of the most common complaints employees have about management is the evaluation process, which can sometimes be subjective and inconsistent. Folks seeks to address this issue with its performance management tools, enabling businesses to establish clear metrics and track employee achievements over time. Regular performance reviews, supported by actionable insights, can help ensure that employees remain aligned with organizational goals.
The software also facilitates continuous feedback, which may enable managers and employees to engage in meaningful discussions about growth and development. This approach has the potential to boost morale and enhance productivity by addressing issues before they escalate.
Scalability and Accessibility
Designed with flexibility in mind, Folks caters to businesses of varying sizes and industries. Its modular structure allows companies to adopt the features they need most while leaving room for future expansion. This scalability may help ensure that the software remains relevant as organizations grow and their workforce management needs shift.
Accessibility is another notable feature of the platform. HR teams can often manage operations from anywhere, as most features are mobile-compatible and use cloud-based infrastructure. This can be particularly beneficial for SMBs with distributed teams or those adopting hybrid work models.
Data Security and SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance
Handling sensitive employee data is a critical responsibility for SMBs. In fact, employers are legally obligated to obtain their employees’ consent to use information outside the purpose for which it was collected. Any breach of this confidentiality could potentially have repercussions for the employers. Folks prioritizes data security to address this, striving to ensure all information is stored and transmitted securely. The platform’s compliance tools may also help businesses adhere to local and international labor regulations, potentially minimizing the risk of legal complications.
As a platform that complies with the Service Organization Control Type 2 (SOC 2 Type 2), a cybersecurity compliance framework established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Folks positions this feature as indispensable for SMBs operating in regions with strict data privacy laws. By automating compliance tracking and reporting, Folks aims to alleviate the administrative burden of regulatory adherence.
Insights for Strategic Decision-Making
One of Folks’s most promising aspects is its analytics capability. The platform aggregates and analyzes employee data and provides actionable insights for strategic decision-making. From identifying hiring trends to assessing employee performance, these insights can help SMBs allocate resources more effectively.
For example, the software might highlight patterns in employee turnover, potentially enabling businesses to implement targeted retention strategies. Similarly, recruitment analytics could reveal which channels yield the highest-quality candidates, helping to optimize future hiring efforts.
Empowering SMBs Through Technology
Folks represents a potential shift in how SMBs approach HR management. By using technology to automate routine tasks and provide data-driven insights, the platform aims to help businesses focus on strategic priorities. This is especially critical for SMBs, which often operate with lean teams and limited budgets.
While larger enterprises have long benefited from sophisticated HR tools, Folks seeks to democratize access to these capabilities. By designing its features for the specific needs of SMBs, the platform aims to bridge the gap between operational efficiency and strategic impact.
Published by Stephanie M.
