e-HRM: Should We Adopt or Ignore?

Strohmeier (2007) defined e-HRM as a composite application of Information Systems using both networking and supporting actors for planning, implementing and performing HR activities. e-HRM is the system where the users are not only the HR personnel within the organization, rather the line managers also use it for various activities of operational, relational HRM. Furthermore job seekers, prospective clients or even accidental web surfer may find it useful in a lot of sense. E-HRM, can be used as a tool for HR branding for organization too. For instance, a job applicant may attract to the organization if s/he find the career page nicely designed, user friendly and full of insides  with organizations HR policy, career support etc.

In present era it may sound impetuous, if anyone said that e-HRM or HRIS (Human Resources Information System) enables HR personnel to complete basic HR tasks faster with its automated processes. Nothing new by talking it saves time and cost or it generates compiled and needed reports. Rather, e-HRM has been used for higher end analysis, making the HR personnel more competent and enable the HR function as a strategic partner for the organization.

My two cents with the reader is: if your management or CEO/MD doesn’t feel interested about e-HRM or poised that its just wastage of money, please download one of the free version of close to e-HRM from any of the bellow company, install it and run. Then you may find it useful and go for your own customized e-HRM. People Soft, SAP or something similar is not advised in my write-up due to high expense related issue.

Use e-HRM and become a STAR. Cheers!!!

P.S: Any of my articles/write-ups can be shared, modified, used anytime for better Human Capital Management, with or without giving credentials. I do believe: Sharing is Caring :)

© Shaki, Ahmed R (2013), Candidate of PhD in HRM, UUM

Employee Performance Appraisal and Corrective Measures

The end of each year HR and line managers become so active with the assessment of performance of employees. However this appraisal is not a year end process rather needed to be carried out throughout the year as a continuous HRM proses. The job not finished when a talent or pool of talent recruited in any organization. It is uncommon to see that few of those talent becomes unprovoked, the poor performer after a certain period. Research shows that employees become de-motivated for various causes and among them few are:

1. Lack of Recognition of Competence: Employees expected that organization will give proper value of their knowledgeable, skill and experience. If not, only perk and benefits can not keep their competence high for a longer tenure.

2. No autonomy at all: After a certain period of engagement with the work and organization, employees seeks the exercise self-regulation, within the guidelines, to achieve business goals. If they just monitored and instructed all the time, they lose their motivation to achieve innovative and wonderful new business ideas.

Pic Source: http://www.e3050.com

3. No clear career path: Only increment or raise of salary can not able to keep employees' morale high in the organization. They want to see that after 5 years where they can reach if they perform really well aligned with organization business goal and vision. A better succession plan is mandatory as well as the crystal clear career path for each level.

4. Proper training and development plan: Employees deserve to get training to attain further development of their career. If an organization failed to provide proper training to them and a good training plan is missing there, certainly it is tough for HR to keep the employee on track.

Based on the above points in any business organization may find that, their employees tend to turn in work late, lack of commitment, missing of seriousness, lack of focus on assignments, missing deadlines as well as no longer act as a team player as they were earlier. So, corrective measures with proper actions need to be adopted to overcome this situation. And this the time to do so. Year end is here and performance appraisal system has to be very scientific. Those companies already implemented e-HRM, its high time for them to use the database. All the best in each single employee throughout the world. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!

P.S: Any of my articles/write-ups can be shared, modified, used anytime for better Human Capital Management, with or without giving credentials. I do believe: Sharing is Caring :)

© Shaki, Ahmed R (2012), Candidate of PhD in HRM, UUM

e-HRM for Green HR Towards Green World!!!

e-HRM for Green HR Towards Green World!!!

Green awareness is not a new topic from last few years. Most interesting thing is HR professionals in the organization are not only aware about this rather they start working for it. As mentioned one of the article before how e-HRM can assist or organization’s to be greener through paperless office and others, this time few new points added in this article.

HR professionals in organization can develop a powerful social conscience and green sense of responsibility internal and external customers, stakeholders, partners etc. Recent times, consumers demand ethics and environmental credentials as a top priority. Society and business see their agenda align. HR department have to drive corporate behavior towards more environment friendly path. HR professional cannot wait for others like production or supply chain department or the engineering team will initiate the program. Its part of CSR and HR has to launch it now. The environmental lobby is so pervasive that organization, especially the HR department must be quick to react to consumer concerns about any aspect of their business which could be deemed unethical. Clear communication and clarity about products and services is essential. 

Pic Source: http://thegreenitguy.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/human_resources.jpg

Apart from above HR need to assist their SCM team to have strong control over their supplier networks to ensure that corporate ethical values are upheld across the supply chain, and be able to troubleshoot when things go wrong. This has led to many organizations taking greater ownership of key components of the supply chain through vertical integration. Rigid contractual obligations are in place covering every eventuality.

Green Audit by HRM: 

HR professional need to implement the green audit process within their organization. The audit process and quarterly organization reports are characterized by a focus on measuring greenness detailing carbon emissions ratings, and carbon exchange activity, as well as the more traditional company valuations. This is an indication of the importance shareholders and investors place on these issues which are reflected in the share price. They need to alarm others about big corporate fines. Brands can rise and fall on the basis of perceived green credentials, with government imposed corporate fines for bad behavior in this highly regulated world. Corporate responsibility is not an altruistic nice to have, but a business imperative.

How HR will Manage Human Capital in the Green World:

- HR Folks, your current human capital (employees) are expected to uphold corporate values and targets around the green agenda. Most are given carbon credit tokens which are used like ration books to be cashed in for printing documents in hard copy, company travel and other anti-societal activities. So, be cautious and start campaign about no print, less utility and stationary as well as toiletries e.g. toilet paper, napkin consume.

-  To attract fresh blood in your talent pool note the followings: new graduates look for employers with strong environmental and social credentials; in response HR departments play a key role in developing the corporate social responsibility programme. Failed to do so, for sure you’ll lose some talents.

-  Be proactive. Manage your top management to allocate fund for virtual social and work network. Make the office fully equipped with latest technology like internet, informative and interactive website, skype, linkedIn, FB, Twitter and others. So that the sales, marketing team can communicate and give demonstration about the products. Less travel will not only save carbon emission as well as big amount of travel budget and time.

- If your organization have the budget please don’t hesitate to provide company transport between work and home to minimise the need for car use. This has led to many organizations choosing to relocate parts of their operation to where people are based and out of big cities.

Last but not least, if the world becomes unhealthy to live, there is no value of our Talent, Competency, Skill, Know ledges and Experiences. So, start your war now and say e-HRM for Green HR Towards Green World.

P.S: Any of my articles/write-ups can be shared, modified, used anytime for better Human Capital Management, with or without giving credentials. I do believe: Sharing is Caring :)

© Shaki, Ahmed R (2012), Candidate of PhD in HRM, UUM

e-HRM: Let the Journey Began to Bangladesh Now!

To run and manage the Human Capital within and beyond the organization successfully not only the HR manager but the line manager also required adequate information and Electronic human resource management (e-HRM) is the most advanced and sophisticated tools to provide so. e-HRM is far better option comparing to HRIS and its not only provides the core employee database or payroll system but the system facilities extended up to other systems like such as e-recruitment, e-learning, performance management and reward system. e-HRM is a technological invention which enables the transformation of HRM. It’s a replacement of solely, centralized HR function such as approving employees leave, pay raise, sorting out training etcetera.

e-HRM  is  a  way  of  implementing  HR strategies,    policies    and    practices    in organizations  through  a  conscious  and directed support of and with the full use of web-technology based channels. The benefits of using e-HRM are enormous. Not only the large organization even the SME’s can also adopt the e-HRM and the end result definitely will be more positive.

With e-HRM system employees themselves can able to do so with the approval of their line manager if required. Thus it helps the HR personnel to make themselves more involved with the strategic issues for their organization. Implementation of e-HR generally seeks to minimize or eliminate intervention from HR personnel and give access the line managers and individuals to perform HR tasks directly with the self-service tools. As almost every organization in Bangladesh has the web access in present time, the desire from the management is the first things to start the e-HRM now.

e-HRM system can change the work performed by the HR Personnel by dramatically   improving   their   level of service,  allowing  more  time  for  work  of higher  value  and  reducing  their  costs. Though some says that by implementing e-HRM systems the management wants to cutting    HR    staff,    outsourcing    and imposing   new   technology but consequently it motivates HR and other staffs to make them more skilled, attain new and advanced knowledge to make them fit and up to date for the challenging working environment. Since the system is web-based, it enables the employees to get access to the system from remote or online and at any time. Organization in Bangladesh those have different branches, outlets, establishment etc in different location can get the huge benefits and it will bring more satisfaction to the employees who have to travel frequently to different locations. Though people prefer the branded vendors but in-house IT team can easily create the software and infrastructure for it, which is more cheap and easy to customize. It’s high time to adopt and implement e-HRM in our organization now and be the benchmark for others.

P.S: This Article also published in HR Focus, Newsletter of Bangladesh Society for Human Resources Management. 

© Shaki, 2012

e-HRM and Value!!!

A considerable gap between HR and line managers can be observe in organization. For instance, we can find a gap between HR involvement in e-HRM and its ability to use to 'operationalize' aspiration through actual delivery. Unless the stakeholders in the organization is able to understand the benefits of e-HRM in a way that is palpable and tailored to the needs company, it will be difficult to define a compelling reason for change and warrant a financial investments. This may explain why the majority of investments continue basic administrative / operational level only obvious cost is seen as a possible result of using technology to reduce the basic processing functions. Based on the above discussion it is obviously the HR personnel responsibility to make aware the top management as well as the line manager about the benefits and value of e-HRM.

e-HRM certainly create value not only for the HR department but for all. Apart from the administrative support e-HRM can easily put significant contribution for organization strategic management. Though there is a dilemma that benefits of e-HRM is seen as the only tangible and related to the reduction, the business benefits of e-HRM cost can only be based on this narrow aspect, and greater investment in e-HRM functions (Productivity and strategic functions) will not happen. But if these intangible assets represent the most powerful forms of investment in technology, but the organization is unable to justify the investment in them, they miss opportunities and The greatest benefits will be unattainable.

That is not so far when the value of e-HRM can be understand by all and more organization will adopt e-HRM for gaining optimum benefits.

Shaki, Candidate of PhD, HRM, University Utara Malaysia; 2011

e-HRM..... Need More Attention!

For me the alphabet "E" is really interesting in lot of sense. Wonder why? Here, "E" refers to "Electronic" and we find this "E" every where. Don't believe me? OK, allow me to give some example. e-Commerce, e-Business, e-Ticket, e-Logistic Management, ERP etcetera. So, if HR professional also want to use "e" in their field, I think nobody will be really feel offended or said anything against of it. e-HRM or electronic human resources management is no more a buzz word rather everyone aware about it. True, some got confuse with HRIS (Human Resources Information System) or other computer based application of HR like attendance or payroll system but e-HRM is not actually not that. Its a complete system where HR work as a strategic business partner for the organization. A full integrated automated software and hardware definitely needed but awareness about e-HRM is needed first to get the optimum benefits. Keep in touch with my blog. I will write more detail about e-HRM soon. Cheers!!!

© Ahmed R Shaki, Candidate of PhD, HRM