HR Technology and Its Impact

HR Technology Uses

• HR technology aids in attracting, hiring, and retaining talent, as well as optimizing workforce management.
• Technology streamlines information gathering, collation, and communication with employees.
• HR technology allows HR to focus on more impactful activities, such as providing decision-making tools to improve effectiveness in HR-related decisions.

Impact of Technology on HR

• Decreased Transactional Activities: Technology reduces administrative burden, enabling HR to complete daily tasks more efficiently, and lowering overall costs.

Increased Client and Customer Focus

• Employee and customer expectations are rising, demanding faster and more effective responses from HR.
• Technology helps HR understand and act on customer requests rapidly, fulfilling their needs effectively.

Increased Delivery of Strategic Services

• Technology facilitates strategic decision-making for companies by utilizing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis.
• Technology makes it easier for HR to help implement strategies.

HRIS - Human Resources Information System

• An integrated system for gathering, storing, and analyzing information about human resources in an organization.
• Utilizes software applications connected to electronic databases to strengthen workforce efficiency and effectiveness.
• Facilitates effective decision-making processes using data warehousing and optimized data.
• Provides accurate, timely, and relevant information to improve the decision-making process for managers.

Major Components of HRIS

• Employment Equity: HRIS stores data related to this, generating reports as needed.
• Performance Evaluation: HRIS enables documenting employee performance using employee feedback and ratings.
• Compensation and Benefits: This component keeps track of pay and benefit plan details.
• Organizational Management: This component handles job descriptions and links them to particular employees.
• Personnel Replacement: HRIS systems document employee performance and eligibility to fill critical roles.
• Health and Safety: HRIS assists in managing and monitoring health and safety standards.

HRIS Aids in

• Hiring Managers tracking metrics: Systems track employee referrals.
• Time & Attendance/Tracking: Managing employee time, vacation days, and terminations.
• Training: HRIS streamlines training delivery and management. Online access to learning portals and training needs assessment are common components.
• Pension Administration: This feature supports administration of retirement plans and collects required retirement data.
• Evidence-based Safety: This component stores and assists in analyzing injury rates, worker's compensation costs, etc.
• Labor Relations: HRIS helps manage union membership, seniority, and grievances.
• Payroll Interfaces: HRIS systems manage employee work status, wage rates, benefits, and taxes.

Selecting & Implementing an HRIS

• Phase 1: Determining the Need: Assessment of company background, management needs, technology capabilities, and HR requirements are essential.
• Phase 2: Implementation: A project team or external consultant guides system setup and testing to ensure effective data integration into the new system. Privacy, security, and data access are key considerations.
• Phase 3: Integration: Training staff on the new system. This includes making users comfortable with the system and addressing any identified needs during the transition period.

Employee Self-Service (ESS)

• Employee access to HR-related information and tasks.
• This provides updated information about employees' information and also enables access to and management of personal information.