Human Resource Information Systems

If you work in Human Resources, chances are that your organization is looking for a way to streamline the way that you work in order to make processes more efficient and employees more productive.  Well, that solution is here with the advent of Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS ), also commonly referred to in the industry as HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems).

There are a seemingly infinite number of providers (see online tools such as CompareHRIS ) who offer comprehensive HRIS packages, all of which can take over the function of payroll, Human Resources, updating employee records, staff recruitment, performance management, health and dental benefits administration, pension plan administration and your financial or accounting function.

Curious about what the benefits of HRIS might be?  Well, first and foremost a drastic reduction in overhead costs is the first tangible benefit.  Not having to dedicate a full-time staff member to something as simple as pulling records or calculating tax deductions is money that is well spent elsewhere.  You could have that employee focus on recruitment for instance instead of crunching numbers.  HRIS is an independent solution that affords your organization freedom and great efficiency (when implemented correctly.)

When it comes to the integration of an HRIS system, project planning is a best practice that is generally passed by, as people sprint right to the finish.  It is imperative that when introducing any new system into the work environment that clear, established goals are drawn out and that all involved parties are made aware of what their part will be.

It is best if you break up the HRIS integration into several smaller, more manageable parts.  This will ensure that you (and your staff) do not quickly become overwhelmed and have an opportunity to stay abreast of developments.  Generally speaking, small measurable goals are always preferable to a large, harder to accomplish goal.   Smaller goals are good progress indicators as well and will help ease staff into the transition instead of taking too much on at once.

Just as important is the selection of your project team.  If you do not have the advantage of having a technical project manager on site, you need to take a good hard look at the staff compliment that you have, and match that with both their skill set and availability.  It is a common mistake to select a staffer who has the least amount of work on their plate.  The trouble is, this doesn’t necessarily denote their qualifications to execute the project.  Select your project implantation team carefully for the best results.

The most recent trend in HRIS is the movement to a cloud based application, which allows information to be sent, updated and retrieved all from the cloud.  The distinct advantage associated with the cloud is that you aren’t required to dedicate multiple systems to the database, but can store the information in the cloud.

There is definitely a movement towards HRIS applications, with more and more companies making the switch.  When you take into consideration the cost savings, improved workflow and the decrease in resources that are consumed by way of HRIS, it should definitely be on your project list.