Advances in technology and increased affordability has meant that the benefits of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) are now available to even the smallest of SMEs.
A HRIS is effectively where technology meets resource management. It is a piece of software designed for managing staff data, and it is useful for HR, accounting, payroll and management purposes. By producing automated reports and calculations, a good HRIS will save time and increase the accuracy of your administrative processes, and give you the information you need to make better management decisions. It also removes the need for paper-based processes and give your resource management teams the freedom to focus more on strategy than on admin.
Using a HRIS such as the one offered by HR Solutions employees can update their own contact details and personal information, request holidays, and view their attendance records.
As well as acting as a database, a good HRIS can also be used as an effective management tool. Managers can use their system to cascade company-wide, team, or individual announcements, set training and development goals and manage deadlines and organisational structures. Automated progress trackers and reminder e-mails ensure that both staff and management are up-to-date with their established development targets.
Having a HRIS in place also simplifies the payroll process, as each employee’s working pattern is recorded. Any holiday or sickness is taken into account and measured against their periodic entitlement, meaning that your payroll team can subsequently access an accurate and up-to-date record of every hour an employee has worked. In short, a HRIS makes the time-consuming process of managing business administration far more straightforward.
Whilst originally only affordable for larger companies, the systems available have developed as the technology has become more commonplace, and SMEs are now able to experience the benefits of a HRIS for themselves. Diane Horton, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, says that there is no lower limit to the number of employees required before implementing a HRIS.
“It’s a myth that HRISs are too expensive for small companies,” Horton says. “The market has changed dramatically, and there are a lot more options for small companies today than there were five years ago.”
A HRIS is not just a tool for managing your current business; having in one in place is a significant investment in the future growth of your organisation.
