Everything You Need to Know about Employee Self-Service (2025)

However, each part has its doubts: Does this mean the employee has to do the manager’s job as well? Does this mean the employer loses control? And how this ESS really works? Read this article to find out everything you need to know about ESS.

Employee self-services represent a category of software that allows employees to manage their work-related data. Many of them use cloud technology and provide easy and secure access from mobile devices. Technology makes ESS simple, efficient, and safe.

Usually, ESS covers many of the HR Department’s repetitive and time-consuming tasks such as attendance tracking, leave management, and personal data updates. ESS apps provide employees with tools for updating their personal data and withholding information, requesting paid time off, tracking working hours and overtime, and managing remaining leave days. They also have access to their personal documents and see all the history of their records.

On the other hand, the HR Department has up to date information, sees requests in real-time, and can respond immediately, receives comprehensive reports, and updates the company’s policies for all employees at once. ESS relieves the HR Department of creating statistics by hand and updating one employee at a time.

Here are the most common features of an ESS:

• Allows the employees to update, see, and retrieve their work-related data;
• Keeps the HR Department informed with alerts and periodical reports;
• Offers communication channels;
• Allows the employees to manage working hours, paid time off, and all types of leave;
• Provides secure connections and cloud storage;
• Provides tools for batch processing;
• Operates periodic back-ups and statistics;
• It’s customizable for your company’s needs.

If you’re interested in implementing employee self-services in your company, check out the following benefits and see if they match your goals.

Maybe the most important benefit for employers is cost reduction. ESS software reduces administrative costs, which is one of the main concerns of small and medium businesses. Also, it helps employers to reduce costs for office supplies and releases the HR team of many repetitive and prone to error tasks. The HR Department can focus on reducing absenteeism, increasing productivity, and growing a healthy team.

In a nutshell, the benefits for employers can be summarized as follows:

• The HR Department is free of repetitive tasks and much more efficient on other complex tasks;
• The communication between employees and management is transparent;
• All important documents are safe, regularly archived, and in perfect order;
• The cost of office supplies decreases and the company can become a paperless one;
• Planning activities become easier and more efficient, which leads to increased productivity.

Although it may seem they’ll have more work to do, an ESS is helpful for employees too not only because your staff will have access to an employee portal, but much more. They’ll be in charge of their personal data and can adjust them on the spot, saving time, and seeing changes applied from the next payroll. Employees can access an online ESS from home and communicate a sick leave or an unexpected absence without leaving their house. They’ll have access to their paid time off situation, payroll history, and all important documents they need. Their applications will be answered much quicker and job satisfaction will improve. This contributes to the overall productivity and effectiveness of your organization.

Here are the 5 key benefits for employees:

• Employees benefit from fast services and a very responsive HR Department.
• They can keep track of their working hours, paid time off, and remaining leave days.
• Employees can change their personal data and withholding information and the changes automatically reflect in their next payroll.
• Employees have easy access to their important documents, payroll history, contracts, and certificates.
• They can access their data online through a secure connection.

1. The first step in implementing an ESS in your business is to buy the right ESS software. Choose one that provides a complete employee portal with tools for attendance tracking, leave management, and easy communication. You need a secure login system, cloud storage, and easy access from any device.
2. The second step is to set up the Employee Self Service Software. It has to adapt to your company’s policies and employees’ needs. If the software doesn’t include the right knowledge base for your business, you need to find another one. Also, make sure it provides all the built-in data analytics you need to observe the team’s flow.
3. The last and most important step is to train your employees on how to use the software. Make sure the training is fun and informative. You want the employees to be on board with this change and embrace it with enthusiasm. Show them the benefits, how easy the software is, and how quickly you’ll answer to their requests.

In conclusion
According to Sierra-Cedar 2019–2020 HR Systems Survey, 81% of organizations already use ESS, and a 7% increase is expected for the next year. Service Delivery applications area, which includes ESS, Manager Self-Service (MSS), HR Help Desk, Portals (for employees, managers, and/or HR), and communication tools, are an indicator of HR Department’s maturity and capability.

“We have closely tracked the evolution of this application area for the last 20 years because it provides a clear indication of the maturity and strategic capabilities of the HR function within an organization.” — Sierra-Cedar 2019–2020 HR Systems Survey

So if you want to move forward and use technology in your favor, implementing employee self-services in your company should be among your priorities. Don’t forget your goals!

If you would like to give it a try to LeaveBoard HR Software, and benefit of simple employee leave management solutions, start an account today free of charge, for companies up to 9 employees. For bigger business, we recommend booking an interactive tour and discuss how this app will serve your HR and employee needs.