Self-service may be the future of HR, but there’s still plenty of resistance out there.
When software vendors began offering employee self-service modules, HR personnel often dismissed them as nice to have but not really necessary, says Gary Olynik, vice-president of specialty products for Best Software Ltd. Canada of Burlington, Ont.
Today, the profession has begun to see self-service as a necessity — a standard tool of the trade that is necessary to remain competitive, Olynik says. At the same time, there are risks and concerns, notably about security but also about ease of use, he adds.
Internal resistance to use of the Web by HR departments is the first hurdle to be overcome. That’s sometimes due to fear of job loss, Olynik says, but that’s usually unfounded unless the department is overstaffed. It’s more common for the department to be in the position of having to do more with less, but that doesn’t mean that staff will automatically see e-HR as a solution.
Companies can use e-HR to give employees rapid, convenient access to information when it’s wanted or needed. In addition, employees can get access to certain aspects of their records, and if there are inaccuracies they can change the record or bring the matter to the attention of the HR department, depending on the extent that the infrastructure supports transactions, says Olynik. This helps ensure that records are accurate and up-to-date, reducing the workload for HR staff.
Web-enabled HR access can let an individual view everything from corporate policies and guidelines to accrued vacation time, freeing HR personnel to concentrate on other productive tasks instead of responding to queries that are often mundane, says Olynik. While this increases HR’s efficiency, “I also see it as a service enhancement.”
Self-service opens the door to questions about the comfort level employees have with the use of technology. There are always some people who want the latest in tools and toys, so “for those who see it as a convenience, it will be accepted,” says Olynik. But there are still people who don’t have home computers, or are not comfortable using the Internet.
Access to information is relatively private in an office environment where people have their own desktop or laptop computers, even when people work in cubicles. However, there are “real-life considerations on the shop floor” about access, security and confidentiality.
The use of kiosks can provide access for workers whose jobs don’t involve the use of computers, but training is often required to create a comfort level. Even so, there have been concerns about confidentiality if a worker gets distracted or forgets to log off, and walks away, leaving information on-screen, for example.
Olynik is sensitive to the fact that at times there’s no substitute for face-to-face interaction with HR. “In the end, the more sensitive the area of concern, the more face time you need.” However, many issues don’t require that kind of contact.
In addition to self-service, e-HR offers HR staff and employees throughout an organization new avenues for information sharing. While traditional corporate communication in the past relied heavily on staff meetings and newsletters, the Web has opened new digital channels of communication that can be interactive.
The Internet has become the 21st century equivalent of the assembly line for electronic products and services, and e-HR gives HR practitioners the tools and opportunities to balance the needs and desires of both management and individuals.
They do this through what’s known as mass personalization or mass customization, trends that are increasingly evident in the HR field, says Olynik. The term “mass customization” was coined in the early 1990s, notably in the title of a 1993 book by Joseph Pine, to describe the innovative approach of offering greater diversity of products and services tailored to individual demand.
In the HR context, the delivery of uniquely tailored information to employees through the Internet, particularly through portals and intranets, is an approach based on similar principles. It is driven by the growing expectations of consumers and employees for access to information when and where they choose, and the approach is complementary to the general corporate goal of increased efficiency.
Companies can choose to make customized information available in any colour, so to speak. Intranet sites and portals can not only provide corporate information on demand, they can link to other HR-related sites, including health, benefits and savings plans, giving staff the ability to customize what they want to see routinely, and how that information is presented.
When software vendors began offering employee self-service modules, HR personnel often dismissed them as nice to have but not really necessary, says Gary Olynik, vice-president of specialty products for Best Software Ltd. Canada of Burlington, Ont.
Today, the profession has begun to see self-service as a necessity — a standard tool of the trade that is necessary to remain competitive, Olynik says. At the same time, there are risks and concerns, notably about security but also about ease of use, he adds.
Internal resistance to use of the Web by HR departments is the first hurdle to be overcome. That’s sometimes due to fear of job loss, Olynik says, but that’s usually unfounded unless the department is overstaffed. It’s more common for the department to be in the position of having to do more with less, but that doesn’t mean that staff will automatically see e-HR as a solution.
Companies can use e-HR to give employees rapid, convenient access to information when it’s wanted or needed. In addition, employees can get access to certain aspects of their records, and if there are inaccuracies they can change the record or bring the matter to the attention of the HR department, depending on the extent that the infrastructure supports transactions, says Olynik. This helps ensure that records are accurate and up-to-date, reducing the workload for HR staff.
Web-enabled HR access can let an individual view everything from corporate policies and guidelines to accrued vacation time, freeing HR personnel to concentrate on other productive tasks instead of responding to queries that are often mundane, says Olynik. While this increases HR’s efficiency, “I also see it as a service enhancement.”
Self-service opens the door to questions about the comfort level employees have with the use of technology. There are always some people who want the latest in tools and toys, so “for those who see it as a convenience, it will be accepted,” says Olynik. But there are still people who don’t have home computers, or are not comfortable using the Internet.
Access to information is relatively private in an office environment where people have their own desktop or laptop computers, even when people work in cubicles. However, there are “real-life considerations on the shop floor” about access, security and confidentiality.
The use of kiosks can provide access for workers whose jobs don’t involve the use of computers, but training is often required to create a comfort level. Even so, there have been concerns about confidentiality if a worker gets distracted or forgets to log off, and walks away, leaving information on-screen, for example.
Olynik is sensitive to the fact that at times there’s no substitute for face-to-face interaction with HR. “In the end, the more sensitive the area of concern, the more face time you need.” However, many issues don’t require that kind of contact.
In addition to self-service, e-HR offers HR staff and employees throughout an organization new avenues for information sharing. While traditional corporate communication in the past relied heavily on staff meetings and newsletters, the Web has opened new digital channels of communication that can be interactive.
The Internet has become the 21st century equivalent of the assembly line for electronic products and services, and e-HR gives HR practitioners the tools and opportunities to balance the needs and desires of both management and individuals.
They do this through what’s known as mass personalization or mass customization, trends that are increasingly evident in the HR field, says Olynik. The term “mass customization” was coined in the early 1990s, notably in the title of a 1993 book by Joseph Pine, to describe the innovative approach of offering greater diversity of products and services tailored to individual demand.
In the HR context, the delivery of uniquely tailored information to employees through the Internet, particularly through portals and intranets, is an approach based on similar principles. It is driven by the growing expectations of consumers and employees for access to information when and where they choose, and the approach is complementary to the general corporate goal of increased efficiency.
Companies can choose to make customized information available in any colour, so to speak. Intranet sites and portals can not only provide corporate information on demand, they can link to other HR-related sites, including health, benefits and savings plans, giving staff the ability to customize what they want to see routinely, and how that information is presented.
