Beam explores how regional and remote workplaces can benefit from improvements in employee onboarding processes by using technologies like Super Fund Onboarding (SFO).

Challenges of onboarding remote employees

A new employee’s first day can be a time of excitement and growth for businesses. Employees can look forward to the standard first day in the workplace; receiving uniforms, meet and greets around the office, the inevitable safety briefing about the nearest fire exit and of course, paperwork. All of this seems standard for most workplaces, but how does this work if there is no physical workplace?

Making day one simpler for new employees while meeting your employer obligations is understandably more complex in remote workplaces. Before discussing the solution, let’s investigate a large challenge facing remote businesses; Stapled Super funds.

Super obligations for employers

When hiring a new employee there are a set of obligations that come with the Super Guarantee Act¹. Employers must give new employees the opportunity to choose their own fund or bring their existing fund with them. Employers may find themselves in breach of this regulation if they don’t meet choice of fund obligations, such as:

• Providing new employees with the Standard choice form within the set time frame
• Confirming an employee’s stapled fund with the ATO if they don’t nominate a preferred fund
• Making payments into an employee’s chosen fund. With various penalties enforced by the ATO, employers already have a steep compliance mountain to climb at onboarding new employees on day one. That’s why Beam created Super Fund Onboarding (SFO) to help employers onboard new employees easily.

Onboarding everywhere, anywhere, all at once

Tech hubs of Australia’s major cities surely don’t struggle with stapling, right? Buzzing offices with company resources to quickly print, sign and file paperwork are becoming a thing of the past. Post pandemic has seen many businesses turn to alternative working arrangements. Co-working spaces, hybrid or full-time remote workers and offices with flexible working arrangements; so many ways to work without a central office. Can flexible working arrangements have an impact on employees during onboarding?

Small and medium business have a big part to play in answering this question. There has been a big jump in easily accessible and low-cost software aimed at making remote working easier. SFO is Beam’s way of helping businesses make light work of onboarding new employees and their super payments obligations. While this might not be a regular occurrence for small business owners with only a few employees, but no matter the business size and especially at times of growth and expansion, it’s important to get the employee onboarding process right.

Australian businesses are going hybrid. A recent white paper on reinventing the workplace reported that nearly 50% of Australian workplaces offer a hybrid arrangement². Unfortunately, there isn’t a special allowance for hybrid or remote workplaces in the Super Guarantee Act. No matter the working environment, new employees must be given the chance to choose their own super fund or have their employer request from the ATO the details of their stapled super fund.

Beam makes light work of onboarding

The logistics of getting new starters onboarded efficiently is continuing to be a challenge. Previous research conducted shows that better onboarding leads to better employee retention and overall engagement³. What does day one look like for a new employee at a small business, and how can SFO make it better? Beam’s SFO is a seamless onboarding solution to support employers remain compliant with super payments and their obligations. With Beam’s SFO employers can make light work of onboarding.

• Manage employees’ super payments – SFO allows you to securely collect your employees’ TFNs and superannuation choice of fund in real-time so you can set up super payments accurately and quickly.
• Records employees’ super fund choice decisions – SFO allows new hires and existing employees to choose their super fund which ultimately eliminates you having to confirm an employee’s existing super fund with the ATO – saving employers time and effort.
• Minimise risks and errors – SFO allows you to manage your employees’ records, tax and super fund information (TFN, super choice) digitally and securely in one place. This removes the need to input data multiple times – reducing data inaccuracies.
• Paperless super fund onboarding process – As a mobile responsive digital onboarding tool, SFO allows your employees to provide their TFN declaration and super fund choice online.
• Automated and responsive onboarding notifications – With SFO you can send personalised SMS and email notifications to your employees to invite them to complete their onboarding journey online.

Beam is issued by Precision Administration Services Pty Ltd (Precision) (ABN 47 098 977 667, AFSL No. 246 604).

¹Super Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992.
²Digital Etiquette: Reinventing Work Report, 2022, Adaptavist
³Employee Onboarding is Evolving, 2023, Beam

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