Human Resource Information System

INTRODUCTION:
Information Systems (IS) is an academic/professional discipline bridging the business field and the well-defined computer science field that is evolving toward a new scientific area of study. Information systems are implemented within an organization for the purpose of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of that organization. Capabilities of the information system and characteristics of the organization, its work systems, its people, and its development and implementation methodologies together determine the extent to which that purpose is achieved. Many well-known examples of the use of information systems for competitive advantage involve systems that link an organization to suppliers, distribution channels, or customers. In general, these systems use information or processing capabilities in one organization to improve the performance of another or to improve relationships among organizations. Nowadays, HR is evolving to play a more strategic role in supporting fundamental business objectives, but the systems being used by HR functions are not keeping up. Talent management and other strategic initiatives are being recognized as essential functions by ambitious companies that want to retain and recruit the best people, but organizations need to arm their HR directors with the tools and technology needed to support this strategy. The right HR technology is a critical element of any HR strategy moving forward. An information system especially developed for human resource management is referred to as HRIS Human Resource Information System.

Department of Civil Engineering 1

Rajarshi Shahu College Of Engineering

Human Resource Information System

DEFINITION & CONCEPT OF HRIS:

Human Resources Information System (HRIS) is a system that lets you keep track of all your employees and information about them. It is usually done in a database or, more often, in a series of inter-related databases. HRIS is a key management tool which collects, maintains, analyses and reports information on people and jobs. It is a system because it integrates all the relevant data, which otherwise might have been lying in a fragmented and scattered way at various points in the larger system , is converted into meaningful conclusions or information and makes it accessible to the persons who need it for their decisions. These systems include some of the following points, 1. Employee name 2. Contact information 3. Department 4. Job title 5. Grade 6. Salary 7. History 8. Training completed 9. Special qualifications 10. Skills 11. Weaknesses 12. Disabilities 13. Punishments and more. This integration of data can be at the macro level of a nation or at the micro level that is at the level of an organization. Macro level HRIS is generally focused towards manpower planning and includes statistical information on population, technology and economy. At the micro level, the information requirements includes modules or recruitment, personal data, skills, training and development, performance, rewards, punishments etc. This information is used for understanding the patterns of HR policies, actions, employees behaviors as well as for identifying gaps in the HR systems and the effectiveness of the HR system.

Department of Civil Engineering 2

Rajarshi Shahu College Of Engineering

Human Resource Information System

NEED OF HRIS:
The need of HRIS can be explained as follows.

1. At the macro level, HRIS is critical for effective planning and budgeting of national resources. Based on HRIS the Government and other agencies are involved in manpower planning and manpower productivity, such as Central and State Governments and many construction industries and educational institutions etc.

2. At the micro level or enterprise level, HRIS has become critical for decision making and policy formulation as well as for ensuring fairness and equity in HR policies and practices. HRIS is major asset from this point of view.

3. He growing need for transparency among the employees and the society is another factor that is compelling organizations towards proper managements of information in all areas including HR.

4. As the economies are becoming more knowledge driven and thereby, moving towards more qualified and educated workforce, it is being increasingly realized that better information makes employees more involved, connected and productive. HRIS is a tool to achieve this objective.

5. In Human Management, perceptions of equity and justice are extremely important for managerial credibility and employees satisfaction. Consequently, HRIS helps in identifying policy effects as well as the pattern of policy implementation at various locations, by different people at different points of time, helps in detecting infringements of equity.

Department of Civil Engineering 3

Rajarshi Shahu College Of Engineering

Human Resource Information System

BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF HRIS:

The Basic requirements of HRIS can be summarized as follows.

1. Desktop PCs for accessing and inputting information locally. Standard browsers are used to access information (e.g. Netscape or Internet Explorer).

2. Organization-wide server. In a small company this need be nothing more than a PC as well. The server must have an intranet server software package installed (Microsoft Internet Information Server, or Netscape Communications Server are examples.)

3. Server-side software such as HTML, Java, JavaScript, Perl.

4. Intranet communications protocol running on both PCs and the server.

5. Relational database/Information processing software for records, payroll, etc. If data is to be accessed then the procedure is made slightly more complicated with the need for CGI scripts and database server software on the server. 6. Basic documents such as policy manuals typically loaded in HTML but formats such as Adobe Acrobat PDF are also an alternative.

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Human Resource Information System

PRE-REQUISITES FOR INTRODUCING HRIS:

Generally three types of conditions must prevail to allow the use of HRIS as a tool for empowerment which are 1. The Corporate Climate 2. An Enlightened Human Resource Function 3. The Technology Platform

1. The Corporate Climate

The corporate culture must be conductive to empowerment and, thereby, to flatter organization structure. Introduction of transformational HRIS in large bureaucratic organizations require some degree of change towards downsizing, team work, procedural review and reduction.

2. An Enlightened Human Resource

The human resource function must be enlightened and ready to serve, Where HR functionaries view themselves as controllers and auditors rather than as service providers and enablers, HRIS cannot be introduced as an empowering tool. The fear of marginalization will trigger resistance from the HR function itself and if thrust upon, will lead to alienation among functionaries.

3. The Technology Platform

The technology platform available or planned for, must be capable of allowing the required connectivity. This includes the networks to move the data as well as employee PCs and kiosks for data input and access. To be effective, the system has to continuously reach every employee through multiple channels.

All three must be in place or just around the corner when the new HRIS is being introduced.

Department of Civil Engineering 5

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Human Resource Information System

EFFECTIVENESS OF HRIS: The key to the effective planning of manpower and improvement of people productivity is an effective HRIS. However in order to be effective, an information system must take into account the following.

1. Relevance
This requirement implies that there are clear links between the performance standards for a particular job and an organizations goals between the critical job elements identified through a job analysis and the dimensions to be rated on an appraisal form.

2. Sensitivity
This requirement implies that a performance appraisal system is capable of distinguishing effective from ineffective performers. If it is not, and the best employees are rated no differently from the worst employees. The appraisal system cannot be used for any administrative purpose.

3. Reliability
A third requirement of sound appraisal systems is reliability. In this context, reliability refers to consistency of judgment. For any given employee, appraisals made by raters working independently of one another should agree closely. In practice, ratings made by supervisors tend to be more reliable than those made by peers. Certainly raters with different perspectives (e.g., supervisors, peers, subordinates)may see the same individuals job performance very differently. To provide reliable data, each rater must have an adequate opportunity to observe what the employee has done and the conditions under which he or she has done it. Otherwise, unreliability may be confused with unfamiliarity.

Department of Civil Engineering 6

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Human Resource Information System

4. Acceptability
In practice, acceptability is the most important requirement of all, for it is true that human resource programs must have the support of those who will use them. Or else human ingenuity will be used to thwart them. Unfortunately, many organizations have not put much effort into garnering the front-end support and participation of those who will use the appraisal system.

5. Practicality
This requirement implies that appraisal instruments are easy for managers and employees to understand and use.

These are the five basic requirements of performance appraisal systems, and none of them can be ignored. Moreover, to ensure effectiveness, not only should the information provided be relevant and reliable but the delivery system also must be the most satisfying and cost effective. A wealth of information but not accessible when needed or available at an inhibiting personal cost in terms of energy and time is of hardly any use. Thus HRIS is not just a matter of collecting data but also of ensuring data quality and delivery of information to the users. However, since some degree of error is inevitable in all employment decisions, the crucial question to be answered in regard to each appraisal system is whether its use results in less human, social, and organizational cost than is currently paid for these errors. The answers to that question can result only in a wiser, fuller utilization of our human resources.

Department of Civil Engineering 7

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Human Resource Information System

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF HRIS:

HRIS Advantages
The advantages of having a sophisticated HRIS are many. An HRIS monitored by qualified specialists who know technology and HR functional and tactical processes can manage compliance with federal and state laws, streamline processes for recruitment and selection, and produce analyses, data and reports for internal and external use. Other advantages of an HRIS include the ease of use for qualification computer technology specialists, accuracy of information and the ability to perform HR audits using any combination of parameters. The employee and manager self-service features are excellent ways to free up the time of your human resources staff members for project work and other duties. Employees and managers can locate answers and information quickly without the need to consult an HR representative every time.

HRIS Disadvantages An HRIS also can be a problematic for small businesses in which some employees must wear many hats. If your company isnt big enough to have a dedicated human resources technology specialist, consider outsourcing. Some of the disadvantages of an HRIS involve human error during information input, costly technology to update your system and malfunctions or insufficient applications to support your human resources needs. There is a demand for computer and technology specialists with general information technology knowledge, and finding a qualified specialist with human resources functional area knowledge can be difficult. With such a demand, your cost to hire an HRIS specialist may be far above the average salary for a computer technology specialist. The cost per-hire for another employee in a specialized field may be a stretch for some small businesses.

Department of Civil Engineering 8

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Human Resource Information System

POPULAR HRIS:
Some of the most popular HRIS software systems used by ambitious and leading companies around the world are as below.

SAP ERP HUMANCAPITAL MANAGEMENT

SAP (Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing) started operations in Germany in 1972. It is the worlds largest vendor of

standard application software, the fourth largest software

vendor in the world, and the market leader in enterprise

applications software. SAP ERP Human Capital Management (SAP ERP HCM) is a comprehensive, integrated human resources management solution that delivers unmatched global capability. The solution provides the framework to help executives, human resources (HR) professionals to:

Align objectives to corporate strategy through comprehensive analytics, engage employees and identify, retain, and develop key talent through a robust talent management offering built on a core HCM foundation.

Increase efficiency while reducing costs through automation of transactional processes, as well as shared services maintaining a single record of the truth compliant with local and global requirements.

Department of Civil Engineering 9

Rajarshi Shahu College Of Engineering

Human Resource Information System

ORACLE HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and

marketing computer hardware systems and enterprise software database products

particularly systems. In a

management

global

marketplace,

organizations must abide by the local regulations and customs for each country in which they have employees. By supporting the unique and varied requirements of users from countries around the world on a single platform, Oracle Human Capital Management enforces consistent HR policies, reports business metrics from a single source of truth, and provides a global engine for worldwide HR management. Additionally, embassy grade security ensures data remains private throughout the system, and you remain in compliance with local privacy regulations.

COBRA SOLUTIONS EDM

COBRA Solutions was founded in 1987 to provide 'best-in-class' employee benefit software. Human Resource Managers are constantly being asked to retrieve employee information even when employees have not been with the company for years. Without the proper tools, employee information may be lost or worse, stolen. As a way to maintain employee information in a safe and secure method, COBRA Solutions has created the Employee Database Manager (EDM). EDM will not only store all the necessary employee information, it will retain all e-mails and documents in a digital filing cabinet so HR Managers will have documentation on every aspect of an employees time with the organization.
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Human Resource Information System

CONCLUSION:
The HR function is still to a large degree administrative and common to all organizations. To varying degrees, most organizations have formalized selection, evaluation, and payroll processes. Efficient and effective management of the Human Resource has become an increasingly imperative and complex activity to all HR professionals. The HR function consists of tracking innumerable data points on each employee, from personal histories, data, skills, capabilities, experiences to payroll records. To reduce the manual workload of these administrative activities, organizations began to electronically automate many of these processes by introducing innovative HRMS technology. Due to complexity in programming, capabilities and limited technical resources, HR executives rely on internal or external IT professionals to develop and maintain their Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS).

REFERENCES:
Final year degree course in Construction Management By H.K. Gite & M.A. Lulla HRworld: HRMS: Helping HR Out Of The Cost Center Rut Workforce Solutions: HRIS University Utara Malaysia: Usability Of Human Resource Information Systems On Recruitment, Training and Personnel Development, And Compensation Planning Lancaster County Association For Human Resources Management: HR Technology Presentation www.slideshare.net/jihadharb/hrm-4-human-resource-information-system-presentation www.wikipedia.com www.sap.com/India www.oracle.com www.cobra-solutions.com

Department of Civil Engineering 11

Rajarshi Shahu College Of Engineering