Workforce Magazine has a somewhat disturbing article online this week about the applications available to HR for monitoring employee activity on the web. These new tools go far beyond simply documenting worker use of company computers. Keyword recording software and firewalls that block access to certain sites are commonplace enough that they no longer raise eyebrows.
The latest generation of monitoring software takes surveillance to the next level. Besides taking screenshots of every web page an employee visits at work, it can also scour the web in general to dig up information about workers that might raise a red flag. It doesn’t matter if the employee (or someone else) posted questionable content at home on their personal time. If the employer can sniff it out, they may use it to make disciplinary decisions.
Examples of images and content posted on social networking sites that have resulted in suspension or termination recently include:
• Photos of a female employee at a bachelorette party (with live entertainment) posted to the internet without her consent
• Negative comments about working conditions including criticism of a particular supervisor posted by an employee on her own time
The employees in the widely publicized cases above ended up on the winning side of court cases against their employers. However, the battle over free speech and privacy vs. corporate interests is just getting started. Read the full article to get a feel for the arguments made on each side of this tense issue.
HR Tech Doesn’t Have to be Invasive to Provide Benefits
There’s no consensus, but the middle ground seems to be that encouraging employees to behave responsibly online is the safest, least invasive action employers can take. One way to do this is through acculturation onboarding that provides clear information about employer expectations. Assisting employees in participating on the company’s own internal networking platform could also give them a place to socialize during work hours without breaking any rules. Our Acculturation Portal supports both of these initiatives to help employers set healthy boundaries and communicate about appropriate behavior.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
What’s Up With IaaS?
Cloud services are typically grouped into 3 categories. Software as a Service is the best known option since hundreds of vendors in HR software and related business spheres provide their services via this model. Our Universal Onboarding program is an example of an application that can now be accessed in a cloud-based format for clients who want to get on board with this technology. Platform as a Service is becoming popular with both vendors and end users who need an affordable and readily scalable base on which to construct custom applications. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the third category. This sector is poised for exponential growth as organizations migrate from legacy server systems to virtual servers.
More Companies are Switching
According to CIO.IN, 25% of organizations are currently planning to take advantage of IaaS through third party providers like Amazon and Google. These companies use virtual servers to shift loads around the cloud and make the most of available resources minute by minute. This is in stark contrast to traditional data centers that typically have a great deal of infrastructure available at all times but rarely operate anywhere near peak capacity. Legacy data centers have to be constructed to factor in plenty of capacity for those times when demand increases, and customers pay for the assurance of this availability even when they aren’t using it.
The Cloud IaaS Difference
With cloud infrastructure, usage is metered. Customers pay for what they use and can scale up or back at any time. This is particularly useful for IT in the development and testing of new applications that may require additional server space on a temporary basis. The organization doesn’t have to invest in permanent infrastructure upgrades to avoid interfering with other processes on their existing servers. For inward facing applications such as HR, IaaS could offer an organization the ability to explore new training and development programs cheaply and effectively.
The corporations running the cloud infrastructure have access to such a massive quantity of server resources that available capacity for their entire customer base is more than adequate even when demand is high. At the same time, it costs a fraction of the expense of running a legacy server system in terms of energy. This means customers often pay much less than they would when running their own servers in-house or outsourcing to a non-virtual infrastructure provider.
More Companies are Switching
According to CIO.IN, 25% of organizations are currently planning to take advantage of IaaS through third party providers like Amazon and Google. These companies use virtual servers to shift loads around the cloud and make the most of available resources minute by minute. This is in stark contrast to traditional data centers that typically have a great deal of infrastructure available at all times but rarely operate anywhere near peak capacity. Legacy data centers have to be constructed to factor in plenty of capacity for those times when demand increases, and customers pay for the assurance of this availability even when they aren’t using it.
The Cloud IaaS Difference
With cloud infrastructure, usage is metered. Customers pay for what they use and can scale up or back at any time. This is particularly useful for IT in the development and testing of new applications that may require additional server space on a temporary basis. The organization doesn’t have to invest in permanent infrastructure upgrades to avoid interfering with other processes on their existing servers. For inward facing applications such as HR, IaaS could offer an organization the ability to explore new training and development programs cheaply and effectively.
The corporations running the cloud infrastructure have access to such a massive quantity of server resources that available capacity for their entire customer base is more than adequate even when demand is high. At the same time, it costs a fraction of the expense of running a legacy server system in terms of energy. This means customers often pay much less than they would when running their own servers in-house or outsourcing to a non-virtual infrastructure provider.
Monday, April 11, 2011
HR Software Selection Myths Part 1
People-Trak has an educational pdf available about HR software myths and legends. It offers a look into the mindset of the inexperienced software buyer. It’s definitely a thought provoking piece and worth a read. Here are some of the highlights along with how they apply in the field of onboarding software.
HR Software as the Unlimited Problem Solver
Just as HRIS won’t make all your blues go away, an onboarding system isn’t guaranteed to eliminate snafus. Not every software product for new hire onboarding is created equal. You need one (like Universal Onboarding) that will enforce rules regarding how each data panel is completed. Otherwise, HR will still spend hours dealing with exceptions in new hire forms. You also need to take a close look at all the policies you have new hires sign off on during onboarding. Your software can support you in collecting acknowledgements, but it won’t protect you from litigation if your policies are not compliant with labor laws.
HR Software Complexity and Expense
It is possible to overspend on HR software – if you don’t understand what you need. You should review both the actual functions of an application and how each function dovetails with your organization’s business strategy to determine whether a product is worth its price tag. For example, onboarding that enhances compliance and automates processes has a high value for any business. With SaaS options and a fee based on a “per new hire” schedule, the costs are minimized without sacrificing quality.
Extensive HR Training Requirements
People-Trak suggests that HRIS software should be designed to simply automate tasks and therefore should require little training. We agree that a well-designed system should be easy and intuitive to use. But it’s not true that automation is all an application should offer. If a software product does not actually improve the way you carry out HR processes, it’s probably not a Best of Breed solution.
HR Software as the Unlimited Problem Solver
Just as HRIS won’t make all your blues go away, an onboarding system isn’t guaranteed to eliminate snafus. Not every software product for new hire onboarding is created equal. You need one (like Universal Onboarding) that will enforce rules regarding how each data panel is completed. Otherwise, HR will still spend hours dealing with exceptions in new hire forms. You also need to take a close look at all the policies you have new hires sign off on during onboarding. Your software can support you in collecting acknowledgements, but it won’t protect you from litigation if your policies are not compliant with labor laws.
HR Software Complexity and Expense
It is possible to overspend on HR software – if you don’t understand what you need. You should review both the actual functions of an application and how each function dovetails with your organization’s business strategy to determine whether a product is worth its price tag. For example, onboarding that enhances compliance and automates processes has a high value for any business. With SaaS options and a fee based on a “per new hire” schedule, the costs are minimized without sacrificing quality.
Extensive HR Training Requirements
People-Trak suggests that HRIS software should be designed to simply automate tasks and therefore should require little training. We agree that a well-designed system should be easy and intuitive to use. But it’s not true that automation is all an application should offer. If a software product does not actually improve the way you carry out HR processes, it’s probably not a Best of Breed solution.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
HR Software Implementation – Who’s On First?
Compare HRIS has a great article available about setup order for employers who are looking to implement multiple HR applications. The short answer to the question about which one goes first is “It depends”. As Clay Scroggin points out, typically you want to start with what’s most important. For a company that is making the switch from a paper based system to a paperless one, the obvious first step is a basic HRMS database. That’s because any data collected with other applications (such as ATS) will probably feed into this system. Plus, it provides the foundation from which other applications (such as Payroll) will draw their information.
Choose What Will Provide the Greatest Benefit Right Now
Assuming you’ve already got your basic employee database covered, you can branch out based on your business priorities. Your goals might include relieving some of HR’s administrative burden and increasing employee satisfaction by implementing an ESS. For some businesses, better performance management and employee development are the logical next steps. Or, you could automate onboarding to increase compliance and protect against audits, fines, and litigation.
Consider the Complexity of Implementation
Another thing to bear in mind is the amount of time and effort required for user adoption. For example, an MSS portal requires your organization to spend time training every manager on how to use the system and following up to make sure they use it consistently. With a module like Universal Onboarding, new hire end users don’t require any training – it’s a wizard based application that walks them through everything step by step. HR’s side is also straightforward since it uses tools like Adobe that most people already have some familiarity with.
Finally, there’s the issue of IT involvement. The more complex the implementation, the more time and effort it will take to complete. Employers may wish to begin with something simple to start the software project off on the right foot. At Emerald Software Group, we recommend a phased implementation for clients who want to interface onboarding with multiple back end systems. This approach gives HR tools like error and omission free new hire data collection and payroll integration they can use right away. These features capture most of the value and functionality of the application. The second phase allows completion of the remaining interfaces with excellent attention to detail and without the type of rushing that could lead to a poor outcome.
Choose What Will Provide the Greatest Benefit Right Now
Assuming you’ve already got your basic employee database covered, you can branch out based on your business priorities. Your goals might include relieving some of HR’s administrative burden and increasing employee satisfaction by implementing an ESS. For some businesses, better performance management and employee development are the logical next steps. Or, you could automate onboarding to increase compliance and protect against audits, fines, and litigation.
Consider the Complexity of Implementation
Another thing to bear in mind is the amount of time and effort required for user adoption. For example, an MSS portal requires your organization to spend time training every manager on how to use the system and following up to make sure they use it consistently. With a module like Universal Onboarding, new hire end users don’t require any training – it’s a wizard based application that walks them through everything step by step. HR’s side is also straightforward since it uses tools like Adobe that most people already have some familiarity with.
Finally, there’s the issue of IT involvement. The more complex the implementation, the more time and effort it will take to complete. Employers may wish to begin with something simple to start the software project off on the right foot. At Emerald Software Group, we recommend a phased implementation for clients who want to interface onboarding with multiple back end systems. This approach gives HR tools like error and omission free new hire data collection and payroll integration they can use right away. These features capture most of the value and functionality of the application. The second phase allows completion of the remaining interfaces with excellent attention to detail and without the type of rushing that could lead to a poor outcome.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Making The Case For ESS And Onboarding
Hagel and Company have put together an excellent article on how to build a business case for buying HR software. The arguments they make are designed to convince executives to invest in HR technology such as ESS even when the economy is taking a beating. Here are their arguments and some thoughts about how implementing an ESS and Onboarding at the same time might be an even smarter move.
HR Software Must Align With Business Goals
Pretty much all businesses want to increase productivity while lowering costs, so that’s a good goal to align your HR software purchase with. Reducing or eliminating paper forms is one way an ESS can help achieve this goal. It also means each employee is responsible for making updates to his/her own data directly in the database, saving HR the trouble of rekeying data into the HRMS.
Sound familiar? Yes, Universal Onboarding does the same thing from day one when most employee paperwork is typically generated. When you use automated onboarding, new hires will naturally adopt use of the ESS as well. It promotes a DIY culture that can minimize routine employee queries to HR. Interfacing onboarding directly with an ESS portal means no extra work for HR in setting the new employee up in the system.
Stop Wasting Time
Hagel and Company point out that 80% of HR’s time is spent on low value, routine processes. They don’t mention where they got that statistic, but even if your organization only spends 50% of HR’s labor hours on repetitive admin, that’s too much. Automating the transfer of ESS and onboarding data into an HRMS or other back end systems saves HR time and reduces errors. The time saved can be used to mine data from these applications to be used in developing better HCM strategies.
Positive Framing is Essential
Check out the full article for how the author suggests framing your business proposal. It involves steps like identifying the functional requirements for the system, explaining the shortcomings of your current system, and more. One step that differs is the ROI calculation. The author mentions the costs being loaded at the front end. That’s true for traditionally licensed software. With SaaS, the costs remain constant (and affordable) over time.
Combine Your Efforts
With either approach, there will be a time investment with IT and HR to implement the onboarding software. The time commitment varies depending on the number of integrations required. Assessing onboarding and ESS at the same time makes it possible to ensure the systems are compatible (Universal Onboarding is compatible with most ESS portals). Plus, rolling the two projects into one might make it easier to get IT to collaborate.
HR Software Must Align With Business Goals
Pretty much all businesses want to increase productivity while lowering costs, so that’s a good goal to align your HR software purchase with. Reducing or eliminating paper forms is one way an ESS can help achieve this goal. It also means each employee is responsible for making updates to his/her own data directly in the database, saving HR the trouble of rekeying data into the HRMS.
Sound familiar? Yes, Universal Onboarding does the same thing from day one when most employee paperwork is typically generated. When you use automated onboarding, new hires will naturally adopt use of the ESS as well. It promotes a DIY culture that can minimize routine employee queries to HR. Interfacing onboarding directly with an ESS portal means no extra work for HR in setting the new employee up in the system.
Stop Wasting Time
Hagel and Company point out that 80% of HR’s time is spent on low value, routine processes. They don’t mention where they got that statistic, but even if your organization only spends 50% of HR’s labor hours on repetitive admin, that’s too much. Automating the transfer of ESS and onboarding data into an HRMS or other back end systems saves HR time and reduces errors. The time saved can be used to mine data from these applications to be used in developing better HCM strategies.
Positive Framing is Essential
Check out the full article for how the author suggests framing your business proposal. It involves steps like identifying the functional requirements for the system, explaining the shortcomings of your current system, and more. One step that differs is the ROI calculation. The author mentions the costs being loaded at the front end. That’s true for traditionally licensed software. With SaaS, the costs remain constant (and affordable) over time.
Combine Your Efforts
With either approach, there will be a time investment with IT and HR to implement the onboarding software. The time commitment varies depending on the number of integrations required. Assessing onboarding and ESS at the same time makes it possible to ensure the systems are compatible (Universal Onboarding is compatible with most ESS portals). Plus, rolling the two projects into one might make it easier to get IT to collaborate.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
HR Software Metrics
Now more than ever, HR is looking at hard numbers to make decisions about HCM strategies. This is becoming easier since HR software vendors are incorporating better tools for analysis and reporting into their products. These days it’s possible to measure in detail how a wide spectrum of workforce related decisions impact business outcomes. But evaluating the past in light of the present is just one way to look at the data. It can also be used for predictive purposes. Workforce.com has put together an article outlining how some companies are using workforce metrics for forecasting and planning – the latest strategic implementation of HR technology for employers who want an edge on the competition.
Adequate Staffing Requires Foresight
Predicting the need for and availability of labor is the most obvious type of HR analysis. Recruiters need to understand how a combination of factors such as future growth and potential attrition of key existing employees will impact staffing requirements and capabilities. This makes it possible to create retention and succession strategies targeting positions that are at the highest risk. Appropriate use of predictive HR metrics could also lead to better choices during recessions. Too many employers have found out the hard way that they laid off the wrong people over the last few years. Now, there’s a critical shortage in areas like development and middle management where employees are not easily replaced.
What Could Change for HR?
The emphasis on forecasting may lead to a greater demand for HR statisticians. The ideal candidate would be someone who understands software (like an HRIS analyst) so the best tools are implemented for capturing the right kind of data. This statistician would also have to understand how concepts like employee engagement intersect with hard numbers.
Onboarding is Ripe for Further Analysis
One area that is being studied for its ability to predict turnover is onboarding. According to information compiled by the Aberdeen Group, companies that have a well developed acculturation onboarding strategy fare better than their counterparts in retention of talent. Onboarding software plays an important role in ensuring new hires are fully equipped and engaged. Applications such as our Universal Onboarding and Acculturation Portal provide analytic tools to help HR measure outcomes and identify ways to increase efficiency in onboarding.
Adequate Staffing Requires Foresight
Predicting the need for and availability of labor is the most obvious type of HR analysis. Recruiters need to understand how a combination of factors such as future growth and potential attrition of key existing employees will impact staffing requirements and capabilities. This makes it possible to create retention and succession strategies targeting positions that are at the highest risk. Appropriate use of predictive HR metrics could also lead to better choices during recessions. Too many employers have found out the hard way that they laid off the wrong people over the last few years. Now, there’s a critical shortage in areas like development and middle management where employees are not easily replaced.
What Could Change for HR?
The emphasis on forecasting may lead to a greater demand for HR statisticians. The ideal candidate would be someone who understands software (like an HRIS analyst) so the best tools are implemented for capturing the right kind of data. This statistician would also have to understand how concepts like employee engagement intersect with hard numbers.
Onboarding is Ripe for Further Analysis
One area that is being studied for its ability to predict turnover is onboarding. According to information compiled by the Aberdeen Group, companies that have a well developed acculturation onboarding strategy fare better than their counterparts in retention of talent. Onboarding software plays an important role in ensuring new hires are fully equipped and engaged. Applications such as our Universal Onboarding and Acculturation Portal provide analytic tools to help HR measure outcomes and identify ways to increase efficiency in onboarding.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Oracle Brings Fusion To HR Software
In the field of HR software, Oracle is one of the most readily recognized names. As a market leader, it’s long been the company employers watch to see which way the wind is blowing with advancements in HR technology. However, for a number of years Oracle’s response to the development of SaaS as a delivery model has lagged behind smaller, more agile contenders.
Perhaps the software giant didn’t want to acknowledge any advantages of SaaS because it would make their own licensing model look less desirable. Here’s an example of an article lambasting Oracle president Charles Phillips for spreading what the author describes as misconceptions about SaaS. These include several erroneous beliefs about what customers supposedly “want”. As the past few years have demonstrated pretty conclusively, Phillips was wrong on several counts. Customers want flexibility, cost efficiency, and vendor accountability – three features that are often lacking with traditional licensing but that are a core part of SaaS.
Oracle Announces Fusion Solution
Now, Oracle is finally catching up with the competition. The company is preparing to roll out a whole suite of HCM applications that will be available via SaaS as well as on-premise licensing. The Fusion elements will include 15 HR modules ranging from existing products like payroll management to brand new talent management apps. Some of the Fusion features were gained through acquisition of smaller HR software companies; others have been custom built specifically for the Fusion line. One primary focus is on promoting a user-friendly, highly visual experience for HR administrators and managers.
A possible effect of having a SaaS version of Oracle HR software available may be a shift in the customer base. If the pricing is right, smaller businesses that could not previously afford Oracle’s license fees might be able to try these web-delivered services at a lower cost. It remains to be seen whether Oracle will be able to evolve its software at the pace seen with other HR vendors who have been using the SaaS model for many years. Typically, the philosophy and strategy behind agile application development is something that the largest HR software companies struggle to grasp.
While these companies often have a comprehensive product base, they don’t necessarily have the Best of Breed solution in many areas. That’s certainly true of onboarding. Right now, there’s still no solution that even comes close to Emerald Software’s Universal Onboarding for speeding new hires to productivity while ensuring full HR compliance.
Perhaps the software giant didn’t want to acknowledge any advantages of SaaS because it would make their own licensing model look less desirable. Here’s an example of an article lambasting Oracle president Charles Phillips for spreading what the author describes as misconceptions about SaaS. These include several erroneous beliefs about what customers supposedly “want”. As the past few years have demonstrated pretty conclusively, Phillips was wrong on several counts. Customers want flexibility, cost efficiency, and vendor accountability – three features that are often lacking with traditional licensing but that are a core part of SaaS.
Oracle Announces Fusion Solution
Now, Oracle is finally catching up with the competition. The company is preparing to roll out a whole suite of HCM applications that will be available via SaaS as well as on-premise licensing. The Fusion elements will include 15 HR modules ranging from existing products like payroll management to brand new talent management apps. Some of the Fusion features were gained through acquisition of smaller HR software companies; others have been custom built specifically for the Fusion line. One primary focus is on promoting a user-friendly, highly visual experience for HR administrators and managers.
A possible effect of having a SaaS version of Oracle HR software available may be a shift in the customer base. If the pricing is right, smaller businesses that could not previously afford Oracle’s license fees might be able to try these web-delivered services at a lower cost. It remains to be seen whether Oracle will be able to evolve its software at the pace seen with other HR vendors who have been using the SaaS model for many years. Typically, the philosophy and strategy behind agile application development is something that the largest HR software companies struggle to grasp.
While these companies often have a comprehensive product base, they don’t necessarily have the Best of Breed solution in many areas. That’s certainly true of onboarding. Right now, there’s still no solution that even comes close to Emerald Software’s Universal Onboarding for speeding new hires to productivity while ensuring full HR compliance.
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