What is HR service delivery (HRSD)?

HR service delivery (HRSD) refers to the processes and systems that HR teams use to provide services to employees. These can include anything from answering payroll questions and updating personal information to managing onboarding, benefits, or leave requests. 

The goal is to organize how HR support is offered to employees across the organization so that it’s timely, consistent, and scalable.

HRSD acts as a framework for delivering these services using defined workflows, tools, and service models. Many organizations use digital platforms or HR service delivery software to make this more efficient, especially as the workforce grows or becomes distributed.

Why do organizations need HRSD?

When HR operations aren’t structured, it becomes harder to provide consistent support. Employees may rely on direct emails, hallway conversations, or scattered spreadsheets to get answers or solve issues. That can delay resolutions, introduce errors, or overwhelm HR teams with repetitive questions.

A study with HR professionals and chief executives found that 34% of HR professionals spend more than one day per month extracting data, and over 10% spend up to a week each month on repetitive HR reporting tasks. 

HR service delivery offers a more organized and repeatable approach. With clear processes, defined channels, and role-based responsibilities, HR teams can manage requests more effectively.

5 benefits of the HR service delivery model

A structured HR service delivery model helps organizations:

• Improve the consistency and speed of responses to employee requests.
• Reduce manual work through HR automation and self-service portals.
• Improve visibility into request volume, common issues, and response times.
• Align HR roles more clearly with specific responsibilities.
• Increase employee satisfaction by making HR support easier to access.

How does HR service delivery work?

HRSD typically follows a tiered support structure that mirrors what many IT support teams use. It organizes HR services into levels:

• Tier 0: Self-service resources such as knowledge bases, FAQs, and HR portals.
• Tier 1: General HR representatives who handle common questions and requests.
• Tier 2: Specialists who manage more complex or policy-based issues.
• Tier 3: HR leadership or legal, called in when decision-making authority or risk is involved.

Using this structure helps route each issue to the right team or person, avoiding unnecessary escalations and delays. Most HR service delivery software includes workflows to support this model and reporting to analyze service effectiveness.

The HR service delivery plan

To implement HR service delivery, you need a plan that connects services, responsibilities, tools, and feedback loops into a single operating model.

Here’s a step-by-step approach.

1. Define services and access channels

Start by listing the services your HR team provides. These might include onboarding, time-off requests, benefits enrollment, internal job changes, and policy questions. Then decide how employees will access these services – whether it’s through a self-service portal, email, chatbot, or form submission.

2. Assign roles and responsibilities

Clarify who does what at each level of the support model. 

• Tier 0 is often handled entirely through documentation (like HR policies or FAQs).
• Tier 1 support typically includes generalists or HR service agents who respond to common requests. 
• Tier 2 and Tier 3 include subject matter experts or legal/leadership roles responsible for compliance or policy-heavy cases. 

Defining these roles helps avoid confusion and prevents delays in resolving issues.

3. Map workflows and approval chains

Each HR service should follow a defined process. For example, a job title change might require form submission, manager approval, system updates, and notification to payroll. 

Lay out the full path – from request to resolution – including who is responsible for each step and how the system should route or escalate the task. Mapping this visually can make it easier to identify unnecessary steps or delays.

4. Choose your tools

Once your services and workflows are mapped, select the software that will support them. HR service delivery software should allow for workflow automation, role-based access, and easy updates as policies change. 

Many organizations choose platforms that can support both HR and IT services, especially when aiming to centralize employee support.

5. Review performance and improve continuously

After implementation, regularly review how your services perform. Look at metrics like response times, resolution rates, satisfaction scores, and request volumes. Use this data to adjust workflows, improve documentation, and identify areas where training or clarification is needed.

"There's no point in having a great user experience if your employees are manually doing every task in the background. [...] With service design, the service touchpoints and every interaction are the things that will make a service satisfying to use or not."

Darren Rose - Service Management consultant

Episode 36 of Ticket Volume

HR service delivery examples

To make this more concrete, here are a few scenarios where HRSD plays a clear role:

• Onboarding - A centralized HR portal collects new hire paperwork, assigns tasks to IT and Facilities, and provides a timeline of what the new employee needs to complete before their start date. Questions about payroll, equipment, or training can be submitted through a form and routed automatically.
   
• Offboarding - When an employee resigns, the HRSD process kicks off a workflow that notifies IT, collects company equipment, schedules exit interviews, and initiates benefits termination. Each step has a defined owner.
   
• Leave of absence - Instead of emailing HR directly, employees submit requests through a form. The system routes the request to the appropriate specialist, tracks documentation, and provides updates. The process reduces back-and-forth and helps HR stay compliant.

Using InvGate Service Management as your HR service delivery software

InvGate Service Management helps HR teams structure and deliver internal services through a platform designed to simplify support.

A key feature is the dedicated self-service portal and knowledge base. Employees can access policies, forms, and how-to guides without needing to contact someone directly. They can also submit requests through the portal, which helps HR teams reduce repetitive inquiries and prioritize more complex matters.

InvGate Service Management includes a no-code workflow builder, which means you can design or modify processes through a visual interface. HR teams can set up request forms, approval steps, notifications, and task assignments without needing IT involvement. Everything is configured through dropdowns and drag-and-drop components, making updates easy even as policies evolve.

The platform also offers pre-built workflow templates for common HR processes like onboarding and offboarding. These templates can be tailored to fit your internal procedures. For example, you can adjust the onboarding flow to reflect different steps based on department or contract type.

To protect employee data, the platform offers segmented privileges. You can define exactly who can view or act on specific types of information. Only designated HR personnel can access confidential employee records, while other users are restricted to the information relevant to their roles.

With InvGate, you can approach HR Service Management consistently, gain visibility into workload trends, and adjust processes as the organization changes – all while keeping control of every step and process.

HR service delivery best practices

To get the most out of your HR service delivery efforts, consider these best practices:

1. Build around the employee experience: Structure HR services in a way that’s intuitive for employees. Make forms easy to complete, use plain language in documentation, and keep channels consistent so people know where to go.
    
2. Standardize processes with automation: Create clear workflows for common actions like onboarding, vacation requests, or policy updates. Automate repetitive steps so your team can focus on tasks that need human input.
    
3. Use data to refine your services: Track request types, resolution times, and user satisfaction. Look for trends – what’s getting delayed? What do people ask most? Use that data to improve the way services are offered.
    
4. Define roles and access boundaries: Make it clear who handles what types of requests. Restrict sensitive data based on job roles to protect personal information and stay compliant.
    
5. Keep documentation up to date: A knowledge base is only useful if it’s accurate. Regularly review and update your HR articles and templates so employees aren’t relying on outdated information.

HR service delivery experts to follow

If you’re looking to stay informed about HR trends and service delivery models, these professionals are worth following:

• Meghan M. Biro: Founder of TalentCulture and host of the podcast Work Trends, Biro explores how tech intersects with the employee experience. She offers a clear lens into how HR platforms can support both engagement and operational efficiency.
   
• Phyllis Drucker: A recognized voice in HR operations and service delivery, Drucker focuses on the intersection of Service Management and people processes. Her work emphasizes the value of structured service models, shared services, and scalable workflows within HR.
   
• Josh Bersin: A long-time analyst in the HR space, Bersin shares research-backed insights on HR tech, workforce planning, and service design. His work is widely used to guide digital HR strategies.