In a recent study by compareHRIS, 75%+ of survey respondents said that they want Employee Self-Service in their HRIS program. I am surprised this percent is not higher. It is true that more large employers wanted this feature, so the best I can figure is that the mid-size and small employers don’t get it.
Size-related
Human Resources management in small companies often lacks the imagination to visualize what HRIS can do when fully installed. You can understand that they first and last see the administrative advantages of moving all the tedium of paperwork, bookkeeping, and filing. If a system can do more, that’s fine, but that’s not why they got into the system.
Likewise, in mid-sized companies, HR enjoys the administrative break, but they are also interested in the benefits management tools. After all, benefits are more paperwork and records to the HR staff. If they can outsource that to the HRIS software, great!
Missing the point
All employees want to have a voice. It empowers them to speak-up and be heard. When you encourage them to decide on their own benefits package, when you have them enter their enrollment information and select their preferred suite, you show respect for their intelligence and decision.
When employees can access their records at will, review history and pay records, you save yourself a lot of time by giving them the power. Some will access the system repeatedly, and some will not. But, knowing it is there is some comfort.
Communicate the positive:
- Instruct employees in the mechanics of the system and their easy access.
- Instruct supervisors and managers in their access to and evaluation of employee data.
- Sell employees on the added value of being able to control their relationship to the machine.
- Reinforce their sense of security, identity, and self-importance.
With employees in your corner, it will be difficult for the system to fail.
Carolyn Sokol is founder and President of PEOcompare.com as well as Business Development Director to compareHRIS.com, both of which help match businesses to the right HRIS or PEO provider for their particular needs.
You need to decide how much longer you want this exposure. The growth you had hoped and planned for brought you to this point. Now, you need to manage the moment. Part of the solution lies with investment in HRIS software to relieve the employee you have assigned these duties. There are a number of programs that will ease your personnel administration – including integration of payroll and benefits, time and attendance, performance management and evaluation, and more. Moreover, there are systems that will not overwhelm your current needs yet have the ability to grow with future requirements. CompareHRIS.com is one site that offers free tools to research and compare HR software systems.