Automation is often sold as a fix for slow, inconsistent HR processes. It is not. It is an amplifier.
Configure a workflow around a process that has three unnecessary approvals and you have just made those approvals permanent — and considerably more expensive to remove.
Map before you buy
Document the process end to end as it actually runs, not as the policy says it runs. The gap between the two is usually where the delay lives.
Remove the waste while it is still cheap
Rework, duplicate data entry and approvals that nobody reads are far easier to delete from a flowchart than from a configured system.
Then automate, in order of volume
Start with the highest-volume, lowest-judgement processes. They give the fastest return and the least resistance, which buys the credibility to tackle the harder ones.