How Can I Reduce the Number of Questions About My HRIS?

Rolling out a Human Resources Information System (HRIS) inevitably comes with a flood of user questions. This is not just due to the novelty of the system, but above all to a lack of appropriate, ongoing, and structured support. Too many questions lead to overloaded HR support teams, disengaged managers, input errors, and poor perception of the HRIS. However, this situation can be significantly improved if organisations address the structural causes of this overload.

In this guide:

Recurring questions that overwhelm HR and managers
FAQs that are too generic and underused
An underutilised and poorly identified key user network
Initial training disconnected from real usage
The need for ongoing, contextual, embedded assistance

1. Recurring Questions That Overwhelm HR and Managers

HR teams are flooded daily with similar, simple, but time-consuming questions: “How do I request time off?”, “Why can’t I see my appraisal on the portal?”, “Where do I update my bank details?”. These are rarely technical issues, they reveal a lack of user autonomy for basic tasks.

The same thing happens with managers, who become the first line of informal support. They’re often stopped in hallways or asked during meetings to answer questions far outside their expertise. This increases their mental load, causes constant interruptions, and places them in an unwanted intermediary role.

With the Shortways Assistant, you can automate answers to these recurring questions using help bubbles or prompts directly embedded into the relevant screens. This reduces pressure on HR support and relieves managers.

2. FAQs That Are Too Generic and Underused

Many HRIS systems include a FAQ, hosted on an intranet or provided as a PDF guide. While well-intentioned, these resources are rarely used. Why? Because they’re often hard to find, too general, and don’t address real, specific situations within daily workflows.

Moreover, if a FAQ is not aligned with the actual tool interface or isn’t regularly updated, it loses relevance. When faced with a pressing need, users don’t think to consult a static document, they turn to support or HR.

The Shortways Assistant integrates a contextual, dynamic FAQ directly tailored to the user’s profile and the screen they’re working on. This gives users precise answers without leaving their workspace.

3. An Underutilised and Poorly Identified Key User Network

Key users play a vital role in any HRIS project. Yet post-go-live, their visibility and recognition often fade. Employees don’t know who to contact, and key users themselves lack the right tools to deliver reliable and consistent information.

The result: their support potential is diluted, and users go back to HR or support teams, leading once again to system overload.

With the Shortways Assistant, you can highlight key users as visible, contextual contact points by displaying their roles or contact details in the FAQ. Key users should also be involved in creating Shortways help content whenever they identify repeated user requests that aren’t yet covered. They should also be kept up to date on new features relevant to their domain to ensure their knowledge stays current in the Run phase.

4. Initial Training Disconnected from Real Usage

In most HRIS projects, user training is condensed, theoretical, and delivered only once at go-live. But actual use of the system doesn’t always begin immediately. Employees forget what they learned, or haven’t yet encountered the processes covered in the training.

The time gap between training and real-life use leads to forgetfulness, hesitation, and inevitably… more questions. No matter how well designed, initial training alone cannot ensure smooth and lasting adoption.

The Shortways Assistant extends the training experience over time by providing interactive guidance at every key moment of use. Users can revisit steps without having to ask another person.

5. he Need for Ongoing, Contextual, Embedded Assistance

Today’s users expect immediate answers, in the moment, within the very environment they are working in. They don’t want to switch to a manual, call a colleague, or dig through technical documentation. They want intuitive, just-in-time help tailored to their specific need.

This is why embedded assistance is essential, it limits interruptions and supports progressive, autonomous HRIS adoption.

With the Shortways Assistant, you can provide step-by-step tutorials, guided messages, and contextual help, right on screen, at the exact point of action.

Conclusion

Reducing the number of questions about your HRIS isn’t just about making the tool clearer. It’s about building a comprehensive support ecosystem that combines ongoing guidance, human relays, dynamic tools, and embedded help.

By smartly using a contextual FAQ, an active network of key users, and embedded assistance like the Shortways Assistant, you can transform the user experience, while significantly reducing support workload over time.

👉 Want to see the Shortways Assistant in action? Contact us now for a demo.