Workplace of Choice

HR professionals often struggle with Excel spreadsheets and old software programs to organize people, dates, codes, numbers, policies and other important HR related data. They know that other options are out there, including programs and packages that promise to organize, streamline, make you more efficient, analyze and integrate your HR functions. These options are better known as "human resources information system" or HRIS. Is it the right time for your organization and how do you know if you are a good fit for an HRIS? Here are a few items to consider when thinking about giving up your Excel spreadsheets:

• How much time does HR spend on administrative tasks such as collecting information for reports, metrics and presentations? Is data being pulled from multiple systems?
• Does HR participate in key decision making around new programs, employee development, employee retention, recruiting, compensation guidelines and analysis, HR metrics, succession planning, or benefits design?
• Has the company ever been at risk of HR compliance fines due to the inability to track and organize required information?
• Does HR spend significant time answering questions that managers and employees could answer through self service modules?
• Are there certain times of the year or certain projects (i.e. employee benefits statements, open enrollment or succession planning) in which HR employees must work overtime just to get the necessary data for these projects?
• Are you looking to link information and utilize it to help make business decisions?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, you may be ready to consider an HRIS.  Next, ask yourself an additional set of questions to further narrow down what type of HRIS to consider:

• What would you like the system to do; what is your goal?
• If you currently have a system, what works well with your present system and what issues exist?
• Who on your team and in the company will have access to the HRIS?
• Will the HRIS need to be compatible with any other systems at your company?
• What security requirements do you have?
• Are there any anticipated major organizational changes that may impact your HRIS choice over the next few years?
• Do you expect to use this system in 2 years, 5 years, 10 years?
• What kind of a budget do you have to work with?

While these questions are not a comprehensive list, it is a good place to start with the sometimes overwhelming idea of implementing an HRIS. Pick your HRIS carefully based on the capabilities you need in your company and take your time when evaluating systems. Remember, purchasing a new system should always be a business decision, (never solely an HR or IT decision!) and you should seek to find how a new or upgraded system will help your organization perform better. This value added approach highlights the role of HR as a business partner in attaining your organization's strategic business objectives.

Now are you ready for an HRIS?

Do you consider employee communication a high priority? Studies show that companies with highly effective internal communication programs are more likely to provide a significant return to shareholders and are also more likely to have higher levels of employee engagement and lower employee turnover rates.

But, how do you begin?  Start at the top by assessing your senior management team - they set the tone for establishing organizational culture and cascading daily consistent messages to employees. Ask your employees what they think - do they feel communication is aligned with the mission, vision & culture of the organization?  Is it consistent?  Timely?  Facilitate focus groups to hone in on the common threads.  Once you have determined what the issues are - take a look at your budget to determine what sort of communication vehicles you can afford to implement. Depending on the timing, location and sensitivity of the message there a number of vehicles from which to choose.  The Employee Handbook, Monthly Newsletters, Town Meetings and Social Media are all commonly used.  Choose your communication channels carefully.  Think about your audience and how to best communicate with them.  We tend to turn to e-mail first, but keep in mind that this is often the least effective way to get your message across.  When possible, face to face communication tends to be the most effective because we receive an immediate reaction, are able to clarify any confusion and people tend to listen more closely.

The key to a strong employee communication strategy is planning, followed by implementation and follow-up. Taking the time to communicate with your employees will help increase employee productivity, boost employee morale and ultimately improve the bottom line.

You can't escape social media and personal computer usage on the job - or can you?  Many companies have implemented blogging and personal computer usage policies as part of their Employee Handbook and Information Technology Policy.  The focus of such employee policies gives personal bloggers guidelines on how to reference their employer, their products and their services within their blogs or personal dealings on the internet.  These guidelines are especially important given the Federal Trade Commissions guidelines to protect consumers from erroneous endorsements on social media and blogging sites.   In response to the FTC guidelines, employers are strongly encouraged to specifically spell out what the company allows and doesn't allow with respect to online comments about the company and its products.

While we do a good job addressing guidelines for personal blogging and computer usage, what many companies fail to address is how much personal access to social media and personal usage of computers can they tolerate on the job?  I know what you're thinking - "I don't tolerate ANY personal use, let alone access to social media sites, while on the job."  But, is this really the best policy in today's social media climate?  Should employees be limited to NO personal use during the work day?

Many experts believe that in today's technology climate, this is no longer reasonable and that allowing employee's personal technology access can have positive effects on your workforce.  Companies need to be realistic that social media is the way many people communicate.  By limiting such communication you're forcing employees to be "out of touch" completely while at work.  This may make many employees uneasy and resent the organization's stringent rules.  Allowing them access to check Facebook or send personal emails throughout the day allows them to make a quick connection to the outside world.   According to the Harvard Business Review, there can be additional positive results to allowing personal access to social media sites during work.  An organization that is more accepting of social media in the workplace can be viewed by many people, especially those of the younger generations, as a more attractive and as a forward thinking organization.  Often times we believe that if an employee is spending time surfing the net, that's time they're not working and thus, loosing productivity. Research has shown the opposite; allowing employees to take a quick break allows them to return to their work refocused and more productive.  Lastly, employees feel appreciated and more engaged when employers acknowledge their interest to check and use social media.  The employee feels like the organization trusts them to do the right thing and often times, that trust goes a long way.

Facebook, Twitter, blogging and social media sites are here to stay - so embrace this new technology and determine what makes sense for your organization and design employee policies to support it!

Why spend the time, effort, and resources to comply with employment laws?  "We're small and our resources are very limited. Compliance tasks are just another distraction from making a profit. Besides, our company is so little it's unlikely we're even on the regulators' radar screen. We'll do the absolute minimum and take our chances."

First, consider the fact that most employment legal actions arise from current or former worker complaints, not random or even scheduled regulator audits. This makes it all the more hazardous since employees have personal, insider knowledge of the employers' Human Resources practices and HR policies - they've been on the receiving end!

Second, enforcement activity at both the Federal and state levels is up and will probably stay high for the foreseeable future. Flagrant and widespread employer violations in recent years, the economic recession's pressure on businesses, and a worker-friendly White House all combine to focus far greater attention on workers' rights than was the case during previous administrations.

Third, violations can be very costly, but can be avoided by implementing compliance programs. A cursory look at Wal-Mart's experiences reveals why it's worth doing compliance right. Few American companies have as checkered a history of labor law violations and numerous, multi-million dollar settlements, as Wal-Mart.  Yet even the big retailer has learned a lesson in the value of changing its ways. A recent decision by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the 11^th Circuit came down squarely in favor of Wal-Mart due to the fact that one of the Company's operations had developed, implemented, and closely adhered to a sexual harassment policy, even to the point of progressively disciplining and eventually firing an offender. When the harassed, female employee sought damages from the Company, the Court denied her claim, citing Wal-Mart's close observance of the law against sexual harassment.    

Finally, HR compliance is the law. An employer that takes good-faith steps to comply sends a strong message to its employees, customers, and the community at large that it is a reputable organization worth considering as an employer, a vendor, and a corporate citizen. Most workers and businesses would not choose to work for or do business with a company whose clear strategy is to skirt the law whenever possible. Employers seek to differentiate themselves by transparent, sustained observance of employment laws.

So, the choice is yours. Choose wisely.