Human Resource Information Management System - Literature review Example

Name: Course: Professor’s Name Date: Human Resource Information Management System Introduction To maintain a competitive advantage in the today’s highly competitive markets, firms need to ensure that their human resources are well managed. In the 21st century, most of the human resources manager’s roles have been automated. HRIMS is the tool which is making most of the human resource manager’s responsibilities become easy and effective. According to Beckers and Bsat (2002), Human Resource Information Management System (HRIMS) can be defined as a system which is used to obtain, store, operate, analyze, retrieve, and dispense information concerning an organization’s human resources. The two researchers point out that an HRIMS is not simple computer hardware but a comprehensive and d effective tool that many performing organizations are using to remain at the top in the competitive markets. The essay therefore, aims to discuss what entails an HRIMS and how it can help resource human manager in recruiting, Orientation and Training and conflict mediation. According to Lawler & Mohrman, (2003), the success of the future corporate organization lies with the strategic valuation of the latter’s human resource, whose effectiveness and efficiency can add great value to the organization’s competitive advantage. Human resource management having come along way, Lawler & Mohrman, ascertain that they needs to be strategically positioned technologically, in order to successfully recruit, utilize and manage the great talents within their organizations. According to Dery & Wailes, (2005) the role of the HRM changed in the mid and late 20th century, following the trade unions formation and the government intervention in protecting the masses against corporate exploitation through strict labor legislations that sought to protect the rights of the workers. The latter was formed to guarantee the social and health benefits of the workers, as well as minimizing social discrimination as well as apt the tax remittance by all the workers and their companies as well. Dery & Wailes, observe that the legislations on labor burdened the HRM, since it added extra task of data collection, analysis, reporting to the relevant authority as well as more record keeping which was by then manual. These cumbersome responsibilities called for the general automation of the entire data storing system, to avoid what Dery & Wailes refer to as the harsh consequences of the organizational failure to comply with the labor laws expectations. It was this era that clearly highlighted the necessity of the Human Resource Management as an important management arm of an organization. To overcome this growing challenge of timely compliance with the federal requirement in line with the labor laws, Huselid, Becker & Beatty, (2005) point out that the organizations started using computers to effectively and efficiently navigate through their date, as they analyzed and compiled reports to both the management and the government. This technological need gave rise to numerous interested software and hard ware brokers who were interested in providing the suitable tailor- made software to suit the organizational specific needs. By the early stages of the 21st century, Huselid, Becker & Beatty, argue that most of the companies had elevated the role of the HRM from that of the data custodian to being the an administrator whose duties was; to safe guard the interest of the company as well as nurture the talents of their employees so as to retain them. This followed the great economic boom that saw most of the workers through their trade unions advocating for better wages and other social as well as health services. According to Thite, (2004) the twenty first century saw most of the companies in Europe as well as Asia growing rapidly, with most gaining an international status. He ascertain that to achieve such a feat, most of these companies were reducing cost of production to boost the profit margins; a phenomenon that seemed to be working so well towards the company’s profitability. To achieve such success, most of these multinational companies had fully embraced data storage, analysis and retrieval automation. Thite continues to state that following the increased demands of accountability in terms of labor laws compliance, as well as the shift of the HRM’s roles from managing workers to nurturing them to own the organization they worked for; these growing demands pushed the HRM towards fully embracing the Information Technology to help them efficiently and effectively manage their tasks. Today, Becker, & Huselid, (2006) observe that following the great competitiveness among the multinational companies in the global market, the roles of the HR in managing the employees became complex. As companies are downsizing and increasing more automation, the HRM is tasked with the role of retaining, rewarding and nurturing the company’s exceptional talents, so as to ensure that their companies are always prepared and have the competitive advantage to stay afloat in the global market. The latter according to Huselid, Becker & Beatty, (2005), gave birth to the era of HRIMS which has facilitated great cost reduction, time bound responses as well as improve the general quality in terms of service delivery. According to Becker, & Huselid, (2006), Human Resource Information Management System relate the transition and correlation between the HRM and the IT, and their synchronization to form a more responsive, effective and efficient data acquisition, storage, handling and analysis as well as retrieval, using the least manpower possible and shortest time possible. Becker, & Huselid, asserts that having people information, company policies, forms and procedures, make the HRIMS more than just HRrelated software. According to Roehling, Boswell and Caligioniuri, et al, (2005), HRM comprises the whole range of activities from the necessity to fill a vacancy to the time when an employee leaves the firm. The first step of getting in a new employee in any organization is the recruitment process, which is divided into three stages: Application, selection and socialization. The optimal use of internal recruitment processes requires possessing an updated and accurate knowledge of the personnel of the firm as per Roehling, Boswell and Caligioniuri, et al, (2005), for which a HRIS can be used. The simplest and cheapest of them all, most likely, is a human resource inventory (also known as Internal IS): a database or registrar in which the largest amount of information possible is kept. The most important data to be included in this database are the personal details, the recruitment dates, the positions held, promotions, and other observations regarding their performance and potential. According to Tithe (2004), HRIMS is of great value in any organization since it helps human resource managers to effectively monitor the performance of each and every employee.This is enabled following the mass storage of the personnel’s personal details, which enables the HR to easily monitor in cases of possible promotions. The latter according to Roehling, Boswell and Caligioniuri, et al, (2005), includes details on qualifications, personal competence, strength and weaknesses, previous promotions as per the currently held position as well as the general information in regards to the vacancy requirements. This makes recruitment especially if it is internal, so cost effective and fast, since most of such details are already stored in the HRIS. Roehling, Boswell and Caligioniuri, et al, (2005), cite that this type of recruitment promotes accountability on the HR side, as well as increasing competitiveness amongst the workers; an aspect that in turn, changes the company’s gains positively. On the contrary, it eases the HR’s responsibilities in that, the information posted on their HRIS, updates the employees, upon there having a vacancy and reduces the scope of unnecessary elements of qualifications; as only those qualified for the post will apply. Upon successful interviews and recruitments, Huselid, Becker & Beatty, (2005) assert that if the company does not have a personnel trainer within its organization the responsibility to deals with the general orientation of the new employees or old employees who have been promoted to a new position, lies entirely on the HRM. The latter upon being executed amongst many employees who falls within different organizational departments, may be cumbersome for the HR but with the use of the HRIMS, it becomes simple since for the new employees to be orientated and trained. This is made possible following the posting of the employee’s manual and other training materials that the new employees require, to be easily settled within their new positions. This as Huselid, Becker & Beatty, argues, saves time and energy as it promote self-reliance amongst the organization’s personnel. In an organization, in case of a potential conflict or in the event of a conflict arising amongst the various organizational levels,Beckers & Bsat, (2002) observe that it is the responsibility of the HR to facilitate an amicable settlement of the latter. To achieve the latter the HR may separately or collectively counsel the involved parties, to facilitate an agreeable settlement to avert a similar out come in the later date. The HRIS assist the HRM in such a scenario by availing the previous records on their interpersonal relations, so as to reach an informed decision based on whether to recommend a disciplinary action or mediate to an agreeable conclusion. Additionally, Beckers & Bsat, observe that it is with the help of such a programme (HRIS) that the HRM keeps and monitors the social behavior of its personnel so as to make prompt recommendations, or detect sources of conflicts in the cases of the latter arising. For future references, the records pertaining the personnel’s discipline and interpersonal relationship are stored in the HRIS, for easier retrieval just in case need be. Conclusion The emergence of the HRIMS has brought so many advantages to the human resource management that cannot go unnoticed. Citing form the vast data storage that can be accessed within the minimal time possible thus reducing cost and time; the other added advantages have fully transformed the roles and performance of the HRM. Empowering them with a powerful tool to enable a successful employee recruitments, to training and orientating the new employees and those duly promoted, as well as providing personal data on interpersonal relations of all the employees, thus enabling them make informed decision on matters of internal conflicts, this tool has proved to be a must have for every HRM within all the organizations to improve not only the effectiveness of their services, but their efficiency too. References Becker, B. E., & Huselid, M. A. (2006). Strategic human resource management: Where do we go from here? Journal of Management, 32(6), 898–925. Beckers, A. M., & Bsat, M. Z. (2002). A DSS classification model for research in human resource information systems. Information Systems Management, 19(3), 41–50. Dery, K., & Wailes, N. (2005). Necessary but not sufficient: ERPs and strategic HRM. Strategic Change, 14, 265–272. Huselid, M. A., Becker, B. E., & Beatty, R. W. (2005). The workforce scorecard: Managing human capital to execute strategy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Lawler, E. E., & Mohrman, S. A. (2003).HR as a strategic business partner: What does it take to make it happen? Human Resource Planning, 26(3), 15–29. Roehling, M. V., Boswell, W. R., Caligiuri, P., Feldman, D., Graham, M. E., Guthrie, J. P., (2005). The future of HR management: Research needs and directions. Human Resource Management, 44(2), 207–216. Thite, M. (2004). Managing people in the new economy. New Delhi, India: Sage. Read More