Many of the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) products on the market today offer Internet-based employee self-service options. But do you need one, and how can they be helpful?
Typical HRIS Employee Self-Service Features
Employee Self-Service (ESS) products have gained in popularity over the last several years. In a nutshell, these applications are Internet-based products that allow employees to view and/or edit information related to their HRIS employee file. Employees may be able to update their emergency contact information and personal contact information, or even change their address when necessary. A number of the self-service applications also include Benefits Open Enrollment. Employees often like this arrangement because they're in charge of their own data, and Human Resources (HR) professionals like it because it cuts down on their input workload.
Another, often unmentioned, benefit of ESS is manager self-service. In many of these systems, managers and supervisors are able to view data on both direct and indirect reports. So instead of having to contact HR they can simply look up the data they need about an employee online. The benefits of an ESS program can be tremendous but not to every type of organization.
Industry
It stands to reason that white-collar organizations are going to have a higher percentage of employees with Internet access in their homes than blue-collar organizations do (though this is certainly not always the case). Before investing in an online HRIS employee self-service product it's a good idea to find out what percentage of your employees will be able to access the product from their homes. Even if the percentage is small that does not necessarily mean you should not invest in an ESS product; I have seen and helped a number of companies setup kiosks in break rooms or cafeterias where the employees can access the company ESS product. But the overall usefulness of such a system to your employees is definitely an important consideration.
How Technical Are Your Employees?
Once again, this is a call you need to make before investing in an ESS product. If most of your employees are not very technical they may be reluctant to use the product, or your HR staff might have to answer so many questions that the system doesn't end up actually saving time and effort.
Manager Self Service
Some of the HRIS companies we list on compareHRIS.com price the self-service products per user. So, regardless of the technical capabilities of the employees, it may be a good idea to put a product in place for supervisors, managers, and executive staff.
Security
The most common concern I see from HR professionals regarding ESS systems is a reluctance to have employees making changes to their data. There are system features that can help eliminate this concern. For example, you are usually able to select which fields they can view and which they cannot, and which fields they can edit and which they cannot. Obviously you would not Jane Doe changing her pay rate, but you may be okay with her changing her cell phone number. Some systems also include workflow features in which employee-made changes do not take effect in the HR product until a supervisor approves them. Another common worry is that an unscrupulous employee might make unnecessary changes to other employee's information. This is always a risk, so such concerns must be weighted against the other benefits that an ESS product offers.
Finally, even if your organization doesn't need an ESS application today, it very well might in the future. For that reason alone it may be a good idea to select an HRIS product with the capability.
About the Author
Clay Scroggin has worked in the human resource software industry for 15 years. Clay's newest venture is CompareHRIS.com . A web site dedicated to assisting HR professionals with their search, evaluation selection, implementation and use of HR software. We offer a helpful and free HRIS Selection Tool to help you arrive at your short list of products meeting your needs. For your research, we offer a free HRIS buyers guide, a HR software Article library and a HR Software Technology Forum.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
