AskHR provides the answers at Norwich Union : Online tool frees time to deal with more complex and sensitive issues

Purpose – This paper aims to describe AskHR, an online tool for responding to HR‐focused employee queries, which has been introduced at UK insurer Norwich Union. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explains how Ask HR operates and the advantages it has brought. Findings – The paper reveals that AskHR is kept up‐to‐date by capturing answers to new staff questions asked through Norwich Union's intranet and e‐mail. It includes a self‐organizing, self‐service knowledge base. Moreover, HR employees can easily add new information at any time. Practical implications – The paper argues that AskHR frees up the HR Employee Services team's time to concentrate on resolving more complex issues, which ultimately helps the company to increase employee satisfaction. Originality/value – The paper shows that calls to HR Employee Services fell by more than 16 percent in four months after AskHR was introduced. Employee satisfaction with the tool is high.