In a 2012 BLR® customer survey, we asked HR professionals who currently use an HRIS in their workplaces which tasks they perform via the HRIS. Data reporting was the top result, with 78 percent of surveyed HRIS users noting that they use their system to generate reports of strategic and demographic employee data.
Unsurprisingly, payroll management was also a top response, with 68 percent of surveyed HRIS users reporting that their system is used to process payroll in their businesses.
Other popular functions of leading HRISs include:
What some employers do not know is that the U.S. labor market is only at the beginning of what some human resources (HR) experts are calling the “workforce meltdown”—the clash between a diminishing supply of qualified workers and the explosive increase in need for those workers. Statistics show that the meltdown is unquestionably coming, and soon. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that:
Not surprisingly, the resulting competition for highly skilled "knowledge workers" will result in fierce competition in pay, benefits, flexible work arrangements, and workplace amenities. Employers will need to rethink the workplace environment, nontraditional work arrangements, new recruiting resources, and how to lure employees who have left the workforce back to work.
Will an HRIS cut the time you spend on routine functions allowing you to focus on your strategic impact on the business? Find out how with our Complimentary HR White Paper; HRIS: Track, Train, and Transform Your Workplace.
There are many ways to take the pulse of your organization and competitors. Here are a few ways to start:
How do your benefits stack up? To attract and keep good employees, you probably need to offer benefits that are at least comparable to those of your competitors. To find out what others offer, chat up your colleagues or join a local employer health coalition or a professional group.
How about the employees? Of course, you need to consider your employees in any insurance plan decisions. It is important to know the insurance plan features that mean the most to them—and one way to find out is by conducting an employee survey.
There are innumerable sources that can be used for locating qualified applicants. When hiring for a particular job, it is important to match the hiring tools to the job being filled.
This chart sets forth some of the benefits and drawbacks of various hiring tools.
Method
Benefits
Drawbacks
Referrals from other employees, usually with a bonus to the referring employee if the referral results in a hire
Even with a bonus, the costs of this method are low. The bonus is a morale booster, and the method seems to locate good employees.
Employees may be disgruntled if another applicant is chosen over a friend or relative. If the employee population is not diverse, sole reliance on this method can be viewed as discriminatory.
The Internet
Can reach a very large audience at little or no cost.
Not a good hiring tool for reaching jobseekers who are not likely to be computer literate or who do not have access to a computer. Can be difficult to efficiently screen applications because of potential volume.
Search agencies.
Can access a large audience of jobseekers and can rapidly fill open positions.
Can be extremely costly.
Campus recruiting
Good PR for the company; can be a good source of talented and ambitious entry-level people.
Can be costly and time-consuming.
Job fairs
Rapid access to a pool of applicants looking for immediate employment in a particular field.
Can be very costly.
Employer open house
Good PR for the company; a good method for filling a large number of positions at once.
Can be costly and time-consuming. Requires a sizeable staff of interviewers.
Outplacement/temp agencies
Can fill positions quickly.
Can be costly to bring such people on as regular employees.
Former military (through career placement services newsletters for exiting servicemembers)
Excellent source of highly skilled and disciplined applicants, especially who interact with the military.
Applicants are sometimes deficient in a knowledge of procedures in the private sector.
Banners and signs outside worksite
Cost-effective—can be good PR.
Requires heavy applicant screening; only works if you are in a high-visibility location.
There’s one word that accurately describes every person in HR—too busy! Read our NEW Complimentary White Paper to find out how an HRIS can be used as a strategic toolkit for your most common HR functions. Download Now.
Phased retirement is a concept that may help employers meet the challenges of changing workforce demographics. Many experts had predicted that as the Baby Boom generation approached its retirement years, there would be a shortage of workers. However, because of the economy, many Boomers may not be financially ready for traditional retirement. Phased retirement is a process for bridging the gap between full-time employment and full-time retirement. There are many potential forms of phased retirement, including:
In tomorrow’s Advisor, Best Practices #6 through #10. You can download the HRIS whitepaper here.
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