Today’s labor market has become increasingly tight, with nearly half (44%) of business owners reporting they had job openings they couldn’t fill earlier this year – which means businesses need to be as competitive as possible to attract the best and brightest talent. This is also true of the tools that business owners use to manage their employees – since complicated, disparate, outdated solutions can lead to employee frustration.
In a move aimed at making HR tasks and team management more streamlined and hassle-free, Intuit QuickBooks is enhancing and expanding features inside QuickBooks Payroll that can transform how businesses manage and compensate their employees. These new updates were announced at this year’s QuickBooks Connect, Intuit’s premier event exclusively for accounting professionals, where a range of innovations designed to improve the lives of accountants and their small business clients were highlighted.
With QuickBooks Payroll, businesses are now equipped with a solution that will incorporate human capital management (HCM) features to help meet the needs of a growing workforce by streamlining time-consuming and complex administrative tasks.
A Hub to Manage Employee Data
From enhancing the onboarding experience, consolidating employee data, improving employee engagement, and reducing manual workflows, QuickBooks will be a hub that includes integrated HR Information System (HRIS) functionalities in one place.
Small businesses using QuickBooks Payroll will be able to upload and share documents with their employees through QuickBooks Workforce, a hub for employees to access their pay stubs, manage their time, and more. Document sharing allows employers to share a variety of documents with an employee, including critical HR-related documents. In addition, eligible QuickBooks Payroll employers and employees will soon be able to leverage a new I-9 feature that enables employees and employers to complete Form I-9 during employee onboarding and verify employment eligibility. Upcoming new employee profile, team directory and organizational chart functionalities will further enhance the ability for QuickBooks Payroll to act as a single source of truth for up-to-date, complete employee records.
QuickBooks + Allstate Health Solutions Partnership = Enhanced Benefits
Also during QuickBooks Connect, a new partnership was announced with Allstate Health Solutions, which enables QuickBooks Online Payroll customers to provide their employees with enhanced insurance options. This includes greater access to a wider range of health insurance options, making it easier to purchase and manage health benefits through a single platform.
“Choosing the right employee health care plan is an important decision,” said Laurent Sellier, senior vice president, Intuit QuickBooks Payroll Solutions. “With our Allstate Health Solutions partnership, we’re helping employers access tools and expertise to find the right plans and then set up and run those plans with little to no work on their part, fully integrated with their QuickBooks account and payroll service.”
Businesses will be able to search and pay for insurance plans that best fit their needs, regardless of whether they have hundreds of employees or just a few. They’ll be able to choose tailored high-deductible plans, including options for health savings accounts and health reimbursement accounts.
Beyond basic health, dental, and vision plans, Allstate Health Solutions will offer QuickBooks Online Payroll customers access to supplemental and optional benefits such as short-term and long-term disability, long-term care, accident, hospital, and critical illness. With this new partnership, QuickBooks Online Payroll customers can connect with an Allstate Health Solutions benefits advisor to assist in creating the right plan for their business and employees.
Customers can also contact an Allstate Health Solutions call center where a team of more than 300 agents will be ready to offer guidance, recommendations, or additional insights they’ll need to help them best navigate the complexities of the different health insurance coverage options to find the best fit.
Finding Success with Smart Tools
Businesses want to get the most tailored and personalized experience that will help them simplify their day-to-day operations. In an ever-evolving business landscape, the need for efficient payroll and team management solutions is paramount.
QuickBooks has recognized the challenges and has responded with a suite of features that cater to businesses with a growing workforce. These new enhancements empower businesses with the tools they need to better manage their teams, demonstrating QuickBooks’ commitment to simplifying the challenges small businesses face when managing employees.