I am currently working as an HR specialist and payroll accountant in a small accounting firm. My responsibilities include guiding clients on matters related to human resources management and calculating payroll. Additionally, I handle our internal human resources tasks and manage the maintenance of our social media channels and website.
In my current role, I use a limited number of digital tools. On a daily basis, I primarily use two accounting programs: Netvisor and Fivaldi. These are accounting software tools that I use for payroll processing and other closely related tasks, such as paying taxes and reporting. In Netvisor, I also manage working hours and process expense claims. Furthermore, I oversee some of our clients’ employee benefit management, using programs or websites provided by Edenred, ePassi, and Smartum.
Communication with clients is mostly conducted via phone or email. However, for some clients, we use a secure communication service called Lockread. There are also a few programs that I use about once a month at the request of different clients. Most of these programs are related to the fact that our clients use these systems and want us to retrieve information related to payroll, such as absence records or medical certificates, from them.
For example once a month, I use a service called Docue. Docue is a platform where documents can be securely stored and shared with relevant individuals. Another electronic service I occasionally use is VismaSign. This service allows secure electronic signing of documents, enabling both the delivery and receipt of documents for signing in a secure manner. I also use enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems at work, where we typically retrieve information such as employees’ worked hours, vacations, sick leaves, or even annual leave days. One example of this type of system is Severa, which is essentially an ERP system that our client uses for various functions, including time tracking. Every month, we retrieve the time tracking data from Severa into Netvisor. This system integrates with Netvisor in such a way that we can transfer the data directly from Severa to Netvisor’s payroll. Similar systems from which we obtain payroll data either through integration or by manually retrieving the information include Planday, Workday, and Harvest.
Within our work community, we communicate using email, WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams. We have established a practice where all critical messages are sent via email, but most of our daily communication takes place through Teams. This method works well for us as it ensures quick reachability. We use Microsoft Teams for both group and individual communication. In addition, we use WhatsApp for lighter communication. On WhatsApp, we share informal updates, such as during social gatherings or to share good news outside of work hours. We have agreed to keep WhatsApp communication moderate and stress free. We have agreed that no one have to check it outside of working hours. I know that some people have muted our WhatsApp group outside of working hours.
On a weekly basis, I also use Instagram and Facebook for work. Our website updates, however, are less frequent, and I use WordPress approximately once a month for this purpose. Occasionally, we also use Skype or similar platforms like Google Meets, if our client doesn’t want or cannot use Microsoft Teamsiä. For social media updates, I sometimes use Canva to assist with creating visuals.
I believe that a successful user experience with digital tools requires them to be user-friendly, meaning they should be easy to use and intuitive.
In my work, I could see the potential of using ChatGPT as a helpful tool in certain situations. For example, in cases requiring extensive research, ChatGPT could assist in narrowing down sources or possibly finding answers more quickly. However, it is important to remember that the information provided by ChatGPT should not be fully relied upon, as it may not always differentiate between reliable and unreliable sources. Therefore, any information obtained should be verified through additional sources if ChatGPT is used in a professional context.
ChatGPT could also be useful in drafting communications, such as client letters and information posts that we post on our website. For instance, I could list the topics I want to include in a client letters and ask ChatGPT to create a draft. It might also help summarize lengthy and complex regulations and policies, making it easier for clients to get an overview of the topic. ChatGPT could act as a brainstorming partner in specific situations, particularly when I’d like to discuss options with someone. I feel that in the current remote work era, it can be challenging to brainstorm spontaneously with colleagues, so conversing with ChatGPT might help, as it eliminates the hesitation of reaching out to a colleague. Another advantage is that brainstorming with ChatGPT doesn’t require scheduling and allows for quick problem-solving and progression in work.
Additionally, ChatGPT could be useful for proofreading and translation tasks. However, I cannot say for sure how well it would perform in practice, as I don’t have much experience using it yet. Beyond this, I could also use mobile authentication in my work, as it enables access to many of the programs and services I use. Personally, I have found using online banking credentials easier, though mobile authentication remains an efficient alternative. Maybe we could also use ChatGPT in the future to analyze customer satisfaction survey results. I’m not very familiar with ChatGPT yet, so I’m not entirely sure what all it could be used for, but I’ll definitely start experimenting with it more in the future. I also plan to initiate a discussion within my work community about the potential ways we could utilize it in the future.
Summary and self evaluation
In conclusion, my role as an HR specialist and payroll accountant involves a variety of responsibilities, ranging from payroll processing to social media management. While my current use of digital tools is somewhat limited, I see significant potential in exploring tools like ChatGPT and mobile authentication to enhance productivity and streamline tasks. Whether it’s drafting communications, summarizing regulations, or enabling secure access to services, these tools offer valuable opportunities to support and improve my work processes.
Through this task, I realized that we actually use quite a few different programs on a monthly basis. This task also allowed me to reflect on and explore the potential of ChatGPT from the perspective of my own work. Although the exploration was just a superficial overview, it was still a start.