Tag: Production & Total Quality Management BMS Notes

HRIS stands for Human Resources Information System. The HRIS is a system that is used to collect and store data on an organization’s employees.

An HRIS is also known as HRIS software. This is a bit confusing as it implies that different systems can have different software running on them. However, this is not the case. The HRIS is, in essence, a software package.

The HRIS can either run on the company’s own technical infrastructure, or, what’s more common nowadays, be cloud-based. This means that the software is running outside of the company’s premises, making it much easier to update.

As technology evolves, so does its impact on strategic human resource planning. Human resource information systems are electronic systems that compile information in databases to be easily accessed and analyzed. Some information systems allow automation of processes, such as payroll tax calculations, while others streamline processes by minimizing the need for manual data entry and paper records, thus increasing accuracy and efficiency.

Workforce Planning

Human resource information systems keep track of critical employee data such as demographic information, job titles and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission identification codes. Storing this information in an electronic database allows you to analyze it more easily when working on recruitment strategies, progression planning and affirmative action programs. HR reps can quickly run reports to determine items such as how many employees were hired last year, average length of tenure and a breakdown of the employee population.

Total Rewards

One HR function that can benefit from the use of human resource information systems is total rewards, which refers to all components of the overall compensation model, including salary and benefits. Your company’s HR department can more effectively track and plan for changes to employees’ salary, insurance, retirement and other benefits options using an HRIS. Electronic records keep track of current expenses, and many systems offer projection models and calculators that can help you analyze the impact of various changes. This is especially useful when preparing for annual increases or benefits open enrollment.

Risk Management

Human resource information systems also minimize risks and potential liabilities. This is accomplished by keeping electronic records of items such as employee discipline notices, safety training employees have received, accident logs and workers’ compensation claims. This data is analyzed by the HR department to identify ways to improve workplace conditions, safety training classes and disciplinary processes to ensure compliance with all federal and state labor laws.

Training and Development

Small businesses also may look to an HRIS to assist with training and development initiatives. Depending on the needs of your company, you can use an HRIS to facilitate the annual performance review process, to allow employees to sign up for company-sponsored training classes or to build a talent inventory of what education, experience and training each employee has. Having this information readily accessible by managers and human resources representatives is an asset when developing new training programs or when restructuring departments or positions.

HR software mechanizes the day to day general and administrative functions performed by the HR department, enhances overall employee productivity and performance. HRM applications can be used for updating and recording employee information, its usage can make the recruitment process more robust and effective.

HRMS facilitates applicant tracking, interviewing and confirmation process. Apart from this, the workforce administration strategies can be streamlined and it can generate various cost advantages to the organizations by streamlining various functional operations.

Human resource management system or HR Package (HR solutions) can be used in training processes, tracking employee performance and participation (performance management system), payroll management system and accounting, benefits and leaves.

In a nutshell, HRMS offers distinctive advantages to the organizations by automating various functions of HRM, thereby reducing the workload of the HR department and increasing the efficiency of the department by standardizing key HR processes.

Features

Employee integration

With an Employee Self-Service Portal connected to a cloud database, the necessary paperwork is removed from the integration equation. Employees can complete the integration process in 15 minutes with scanned documents, automated workflow, a pre-defined checklist, and easy-to-use digital forms.

Succession Planning

This special module allows companies to map the talent pipeline and rankings. Once key positions are identified, it is easy to create specific development plans for each employee.

Training

A training module can enable companies to offer their employees a mixed training experience to improve engagement, job satisfaction, and retention. They can also plan, monitor and measure the impact of their training program to ensure its effectiveness.

Recruitment

This function provides a complete candidate tracking system with a reporting engine to analyze recruitment trends and patterns. It can also be seamlessly integrated with employment portals, internal websites and recruitment services to reduce hiring chaos.

Talent management

Employees are the most valuable resources of any company. However, the talent management process the recruitment, retention, development, and retention of employees is a complex process. In addition, staff turnover costs are high. An HRIS with a proprietary talent management system will help the company take better care of its employees.

Time and absence management

The manual administration of timesheets, schedules and attendance recording of employees requires an enormous amount of personnel work. Tracking e-mails with vacation requests and tracking employee absences while outlining a workload change management schedule is a major challenge. In addition, exporting all attendance data to the accounting system is time-consuming and tedious.

Employee self-service

SMEs often have difficulty maintaining up-to-date data on their employees. Employee self-service (ESS) is an effective way to address this issue. By giving employees access to access and manage their personal information (profile, leave, benefits or pay), the time HR employees spend on day-to-day office work can be reduced.

Payroll

Many SMEs already use an independent system to manage their payroll processes. And nobody is eager to switch to an HRIS. In addition, it is questionable whether the accounting module of an HRIS is sufficiently efficient to treat the entire range of services as a separate accounting system.

Centralized database

With an automated database that collects, stores and displays up-to-date and consistent information on an organization’s people, policies and procedures, HR managers can finally access spreadsheets and paper files.

Evolution

Historical data reveals that the evolution of HRIS can be traced back in 1950’s and 1960’s when the first automated systems (payroll system) was introduced (Martinsons 1997). Kavanagh et al. (1990) shared their insights on historical evolution of HRIS by introducing the historical eras in human resource from the pre-World War II period to the 1980s and how the evolving HR practices had its effect on the HRIS.

With the increasing importance of IT applications in HR, the functioning of HR department has been undergoing a radical change from mere administrative and support functions to a more active participant in the strategic decisions of the organization.

During 1990’s, extensive studies were undertaken on the advantages of the introducing HRIS in the organization and its influence on the overall human resource strategies and business planning. Several theorists advocated the advantages of using HRIS and the organizations were considered to be more competitive if they had a well-equipped HRIS to support HR functions.

Objectives

• HR information system should provide information in the most cost-effective way. An information has benefit but it has cost too. Benefit from information is derived in terms of improved decision making and satisfaction of other requirements. Cost of information is in terms of its collection, processing, storing, and retrieval.
• Apart from decision making, HR information system should supply HR information which is required by statutory provisions or other agencies like industry associations, research organizations, etc. Besides, there may be ad hoc query from internal employees to know their current status like leave account, overtime worked, provident fund account, and so on.
• HR information system should provide information in such a manner that it helps in improving one or more decisions, that is, it must cause an appropriate decision to be made and a less appropriate decision to be rejected. Information has no value if the same decision could be made even without it. Thus, accurate, relevant, and timely information is needed.

Essentials

HR software should also have provisions for publishing the jobs, listing of job and should support the overall hiring process by producing quick user-friendly reports about various applicants and job descriptions, etc.

A robust HR software must include Salary related details as well and the software that supports this reduces half of the burden of the HR professionals. The features might vary but nowadays a lot of software are adding time tracking and attendance too into this feature.

The option of self service in the software saves a lot of time of the human resource personnel in big organizations where most of their time is spent on several HR tasks. With the help of this feature, the staff members may have an access to the software for updating their won details, without interrupting with the work of the HR employees.

Employee Database is the most important feature in any human resource software. This involves filling in all the employee details and relevant data. It can be revised or updated as per the requirements.

Any HR software should have a module on Performance Management. The software includes certain parameters and scoring system for evaluating the performance against certain criterions or parameters and shares the complete performance report. Good HRIS software also tracks training status and professional development; which may help the HR professionals in implementing strategic initiatives for boosting employee performance and developing their skills through T& D initiatives.

Administrative benefits are also availed from the software, as it generates reports across various levels and equally of individual employees.

HR software should have ease of accessibility which means it should be accessible through any gadgets. This provides flexibility in using the software at anytime and from any place.

Components

1. Databases:

• State of the art Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) can reduce the need to keep and maintain duplicate data.
• With the use of database systems, information appears only once, in an appropriate table; for e.g., a table on employment information, a table on benefits or on employee skills.

1. Screens:

• Each module in the HRIS will have its own screens for data entry and retrieval
• Screen for basic personnel data can be effectively organized employee-wise.

1. Modules:

• Most systems in the HRIS would have a number of modules that perform specific functions and produce regular reports.
• The most basic module, which virtually all systems have, contain employee information such as age, sex, date of appointment.
• And the like which can be accessed by other modules as needed.

1. Query Programs:

• More sophisticated HRISs do not just produce regular reports; they also can produce special reports, answer queries and play an important role in support of the decision-making process.

Functions

• Applicant and resume management.
• Reporting and analysis of employee information.
• Management of all employee information.
• Company related documents such as employee handbooks, emergency evacuation procedures and safety guidelines.
• Complete integration with payroll and other company financial software and accounting systems.
• Benefits administration including enrolment, status changes and personal information updating.

With the rise of cloud-based HRIS solutions that enable users to log in from any device, security concerns are on the rise. The addition of unknown IP address access can make systems susceptible to outside hackers, as well as devious computer-savvy employees. Information breaches and identity theft occurring from inside company walls are also a concern that must be addressed.

Organizations should:

• Appoint a data protection officer to be in charge of all aspects of information including.
• Audit information systems to find out who holds what data, and why.
• Consider why information is collected and how it is used. Issue guidelines for managers about how to gather, store and retrieve data.
• Ensure that all information collected now complies with the Data Protection Act.
• Check the security of information stored.
• Check the transfer of data outside.
• Check the organization’s use of automated decision making.
• Review policy and practice in respect of references.
• Review or introduce a policy for the private use of telephones, email and post.

A HRIS contains highly sensitive data, including employees’ social security numbers, payroll information, and even medical information. Information leaks and data breaches of the HRIS can be detrimental to individual employees and your organization as a whole. As such, it is important to take steps to make sure that that information is as safe as possible, from both internal and external threats.

For all companies, the implementation phase is the time when systems are the most susceptible to breaches and other security concerns. Employers should work closely with vendors and managers to ensure that security is maintained throughout implementation phases, and as the system starts being used on a regular basis.

Purchase with Intention

When you are looking to purchase a new HRIS, look into the reviews and pay close attention to what other companies say about the security of the software. While you may put additional security measures in place after the system has been implemented, going with a vendor that is known for offering a secure HRIS can help to keep your data more secure while limiting the amount of work that you have to put into adding security features.

Check Vendor Security Measures

The security measures a vendor takes to ensure that a company’s data are secure should be understood before the company makes a final HRIS selection. All HRIS vendors take precautions to keep company data safe, but the quality of their security measures may vary.

If no one on the HRIS selection team is a security expert, footing the bill to consult with someone that is qualified may help to ensure that the selected system has adequate security precautions in place.

Restrict Access Based on Needs

During the configuration stage of implementation, employers and managers must be mindful to set up the system so that information is limited and controlled.

Employees should only have access to their own personal information. In addition, every change made by an employee using the system must require authorization. Managers should have limits set, based on relevancy to job needs. This way, only the most critical information is accessible.

Employees and managers are not always honest and looking out for the best interests of the company or the other employees. It is important to make sure that only the most necessary information is accessible by employees at each level. Connecting passwords to access levels is a smart way to make sure that employees and managers are only able to see the information that pertains to them or their job duties.

Putting role-based access restrictions in place during the implementation phase can help to minimize internal threats to data security right from the start. Employees don’t really need access to information that doesn’t pertain to them, and each level of management really only needs access to certain information. By restricting access to just what is needed for employees and managers at each level, you also make it easier for employees to use the system and make it possible to tell who is doing what in the system for audit purposes.

It is also important to make sure that terminated employees are immediately restricted from the system. Bitter employees can do monumental damage to companies when allowed access for just a short amount of time after being let go. In some cases, ex-employees have caused companies thousands of dollars and many hours with just a few clicks.

Before the system goes live, create a few fake employees and test the system to see what you can access. This way you can identify any weak points in the system and work out the bugs before giving everyone access to the system.

Keep Your HRIS Information Safe from Hackers

The HRIS is a veritable gold mine for hackers. Employee names, dates of birth, social security numbers, salaries, and even banking information can be accessed through an HRIS, providing cyber-savvy thieves with everything they need to secure credit cards and commit countless acts of identity theft if they can breach the system’s safeguards. Even large and formidable companies are not immune to breaches and hacks, as evidenced by the breach at CareerBuilder.

Keeping electronic records secure is not impossible, though, it just takes a little knowledge and action. The following are a few ways to make sure that the data in your system stays secure.

Be Aware of Cyber Security

Most employers and HR professionals have absolutely no idea what safeguards are in place on their HRIS, nor what safeguards should be in place. Becoming knowledgeable about these issues is the first step to becoming more cyber secure. HRIS vendors should be happy to explain more about what steps are taken to protect information and a little online research will help to make sure their measures are adequate.

Beware of Phishing Schemes

Most cyber hacks are pulled off not because of system weakness, but because of human folly. Phishing schemes target employees and managers, tricking them into giving up usernames, passwords, and other sensitive information. By spreading awareness throughout the company of these types of schemes, suspicious pop-ups, emails, and phone calls may be flagged and shut down before harm can be done.

Create and Educate Employees on Security Protocols

Even if every employee can only access certain information with their code or card, these access restrictions are ineffective if managers and employees are sharing codes and cards. It is important to make sure that managers and employees know what the stakes are if they share this information. Create disciplinary policies that highlight the possible consequences of sharing access to discourage employees from doing so.

One of the most common causes of internal security breaches is lax internal security protocols. If managers hand out passwords that allow employees to perform certain activities (especially late clock-ins and early clock-outs), it undermines the effectiveness of passwords as a security measure.

To mitigate this issue, employees and managers should be trained to understand the reasons behind security measures as part of implementation training. They should also be held accountable for non-compliance with procedures.

Keep Software Up To Date

Security measures such as firewalls and security patches are only effective if they are up to date. Periodic maintenance should be scheduled to continually make sure that the system is secure and to make changes as needed. Hackers are always figuring out how to bypass security protocols, so it is necessary to stay one step ahead to protect your company.

Enable Timeout Features

Since most HRIS are now cloud-based and can be accessed from any device, timeout features can be extremely helpful. If there is an option to log employees out of the system after a certain amount of inactive time, make sure to activate this potentially valuable option. By the same token, disable features that would allow employees to stay logged into the system, just in case an employee inadvertently leaves a device where it can be stolen or tampered with.

Taking precautions to protect the information in your HRIS can save headaches and prevent damaging breaches. While information is generally more secure in a HRIS than in old-fashioned files, the technology comes with risks that must be addressed.

Frequent Password Changes

Most HRIS systems can be configured to require a password change every so often, usually once every 60 days. While managers and employees may express complaints regarding this measure, it can help to provide an extra layer of security as it protects sensitive information from both internal and external threats. It will also aid in keeping employees and managers from using passwords that are easy to guess based on personal information, as employees must be more inventive when creating new passwords.

Prepare for the Worst

Some of the most sensitive information in any company is contained within its HR files. Much of the information detailed in employee files is helpful or necessary for operations, ensuring that employees are compensated in a timely manner and that all reporting is completed according to legal requirements. However, this same information is valuable and tempting for hackers and thieves.

Security breaches can be devastating to a company’s employees and can sully a company’s reputation. Additionally, new privacy laws under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe are enforceable as of May, which may result in hefty penalties for non-compliance for any company doing business in Europe (even if headquarters is located elsewhere).

Unfortunately, hackers continue to find new ways around security measures as they are created. It’s important to stay vigilant when it comes to protecting data so that your company is always one step ahead. The following are a few ways that you can work to establish the highest standards for data security and privacy.

Develop Password Priorities

Roughly 63 percent of data breaches can be traced back to weak, default, or stolen passwords according to a Verizon 2016 Data Breach Investigation Report. Passwords can be guessed by coworkers, phished by scammers, or even given away by the managers or employees themselves in the interest of efficiency. Once a thief has infiltrated the system, it can be difficult to re-establish control.

Creating strong passwords and using them properly can prevent data breaches. Forming guidelines that assist employees with setting up strong passwords and guarding them can make a big difference. Outlining policies that prohibit password sharing and enforcing them can also discourage poor practices.

Provide Data Security Training

HR managers, IT professionals, and front line managers should all undergo some type of security training. These individuals all have access to sensitive employee data, so it’s critical to make sure they understand the importance of keeping this data secure. Vendor representatives may be helpful when it comes to teaching employees the best ways to use the features of an HRIS to improve security.

Create Cyber Secure Policies

Not all cybersecurity tactics require technical skills and seminars to achieve. Simply instituting smart policies can sometimes be a company’s greatest prevention against hackers. If HRIS data can be accessed remotely, it is important to institute policies against leaving devices unattended or failing to log out every single time.

Password sharing is another policy centric issue that has cost companies time and money. While password sharing is generally forbidden (otherwise what would be the point of assigning passwords,) it is a common practice in some workplaces where employees often need approvals from busy managers. Creating harsh disciplinary policies to discourage password sharing may seem like an annoyance when instituted, but may help to keep employee information secure and prevent internal breaches.

Minimize Data Collection

One of the main elements of the GDPR is an emphasis on minimizing the amount of data collected to just what is necessary to conduct business with the individual. Minimizing the amount of information collected and stored limits the amount of information available in the system, thereby limiting what hackers and thieves can potentially access in the event of a breach. Even if your business doesn’t operate in Europe, information minimization can assist with improving data security.

Have a Disaster Recovery Plan

A proactive approach in keeping HR information safe can mitigate security threats, but it is important to understand that breaches can still occur. Having a disaster recovery plan in place will minimize the amount of time that your system is down and help to re-secure your data faster. There should be clear procedures in place for responding to a data breach so that the right employees know what to do in the event of a breach.

When a breach does occur, it’s essential that HR managers understand how to handle the breach. Employees whose information has been breached must be notified and proper authorities must be contacted to investigate and report the breach. Having a plan in place can make it quicker and easier to recover from a breach, helping to secure information before further damage can be done and resolving issues stemming from the breach.

Every company must be proactive in order to keep employee data safe and secure. While an HRIS already comes with certain security measures in place, the best practices in this article can help to optimize the effectiveness of those tools.

Data Must Be:

• Fairly and lawfully processed
• Processed for limited purposes
• Adequate, relevant and not excessive
• Accurate
• Not kept for longer than is necessary
• Processed in line with an individual’s rights
• Secure

Original Post: https://www.hrpayrollsystems.net/keeping-information-secure-throughout-hris-implementation/

Goals

The main object of human resource planning is to match the jobs and individuals in an organization. The process of matching jobs with individuals is undertaken in short and long runs in different ways. Therefore, there are two main forms of manpower planning on the basis of time-span, i.e., short- term manpower planning and long-term manpower planning.

Short-term manpower planning, as the name suggests, is made for a short time, i.e., for a period of not more than two years. It involves the matching of present employees with-their present jobs so that they must perform their functions efficiently. Short-term plans are more concerned with specific projects and programmes and the existing workforce must be adjusted to match the requirements of the specific projects and programmes. It is naive to expect a perfect match between jobs and individuals.

An appraisal of the existing stock of employees may reveal that either they have less abilities and skills than the requirement or some of them are more qualified or have unused talents. In the short-run, it is not possible either to change the personnel to suit the jobs or to create or eliminate jobs to suit the personnel. It is necessary to match the individuals with jobs as best as possible.

1. Work can be Carried Out Smoothly:

To carry on its work, each organisation needs personnel with the necessary qualifications, skills, knowledge, work experience and aptitude for work. These are provided through effective manpower planning.

2. Internal Supply Position could be Assessed at the Right Time:

Since a large number of persons have to be replaced who have grown old, or who retire, die or become incapacitated because of physical or mental ailments, there is a constant need for replacing such personnel. Otherwise, the work would suffer.

3. Demand-Supply Imbalances could be Arrested:

Human resource planning is essential because of frequent labour turnover which is unavoidable and even beneficial because it arises from factors which are socially and economically sound such as voluntary quits, discharges, marriage, promotions; or factors such as seasonal and cyclical fluctuations in business which cause a constant ebb and flow in the workforce in many organisations.

4. Possible to Cope with Sudden Changes such as Expansion, Diversification, etc.:

In order to meet the needs of expansion programmes human resource planning is unavoidable. It becomes necessary due to increase in the demand for goods and services with growing population, a rising standard of living larger quantities of the same goods and services are required.

5. Easy to Cope with Changes in Technology:

The nature of the present workforce in relation to its changing needs also necessitates the recruitment of new labour. To meet the challenge of a new and changing technology and new techniques of production, existing employees need to be trained or new blood injected in an organisation.

6. Avoid Ups and Downs in Availability of People with Relevant Skills and Qualifications:

Objectives

Manpower planning is also needed in order to identify areas of surplus personnel or areas in which there is a shortage of personnel. If there is a surplus, it can be redeployed; and if there is shortage, it may be made good.

The term HR planning has gained popularity and is also used by academicians and people from orga­nizations all over the world. Let us discuss the term human resource, its rate of growth, quantitative and qualitative dimensions, and other facets.

Resource refers to the productive power of natural goods. Human resource means human beings with productive power. Human beings are both participants and beneficiaries of economic development of a country. The demographic profile, migration, mobility, and participation patterns in economic activity determine the quantitative aspects of actual and potential human resources.

Provide Information:

The information obtained through HRP is highly important for identifying surplus and unutilised human resources. It also renders a comprehensive skill inventory, which facilitates decision making, like, in promotions. In this way HRP provides information which can be used for other management functions.

Effective Utilisation of Human Resource:

Planning for human resources is the main responsibility of management to ensure effective utilisation of present and future manpower. Manpower planning is complementary to organisation planning.

Economic Development:

At the national level, manpower planning is required for economic development. It is particularly helpful in the creating employment in educational reforms and in geographical mobility of talent.

Determine Manpower Gap:

Manpower planning examine the gaps in existing manpower so that suitable training programmes may be developed for building specific skills, required in future.

To Forecast Human Resource Requirements:

HRP to determine the future human resource needed in an organisation. In the absence of such a plan, it would be difficult to have the services of the right kind of people at the right time.

Analyse Current Workforce:

HRP volunteers to assist in analysing the competency of present workforce. It determines the current workforce strengths and abilities.

Effective Management of Change:

Proper HR planning aims at coping with severed changes in market conditions, technology products and government regulations in an effective way. These changes call for continuous allocation or reallocation of skills evidently in the absence of planning there might be underutilisation of human resource.

Realising Organisational Goals:

HRP helps the organisation in its effectively meeting the needs of expansion, diversification and other growth strategies.

Management Styles

An organization experiences different management styles that may change or remain steady with time.

There are different management styles that we come across while observing the management patterns of different private and public sector companies.

Collegial Style

In the collegial style, resources and rewards are uniformly distributed. The management control over the employees is restricted, resulting into employee empowerment. Individual duty is the basis of organizational performance.

Organizational success depends on the commitment that an employee has towards the work and the business. This key element and distributed values help create a unity of direction and focus on the part of the employees.

Meritocratic Style

In the meritocratic style, employees are bothered about productivity and cohesion. The management puts stress on performance. In short, this management style believes in the fact that power should be distributed on the merit basis.

Appointments are made and duties are assigned to individuals on the basis of their “merits”, namely intelligence, credentials, and education, which are determined through evaluations or examinations, for example, Civil Service Exams.

Elite Style

In the elite management style, the organizational hierarchy is highly improvised. Power, resources, and rewards are focused at the top levels of the hierarchy. Employees have no say in the decisions made by the senior management.

Leadership Style

The leadership style of management has a lot in common with the elite style of management, but rather than a faction of leaders at the top level, it has leaders at different levels of the hierarchy.

Structure

Every line manager is responsible for planning manpower of the respective department and the top management is responsible for the planning of resources for the entire organisation. The personnel department supplies relevant information and data to all the line managers and helps those regarding interdepartmental transfers, promotions, demotions etc. Personnel department also helps in using the techniques and forecasting the manpower.

Personnel department forecasts internal mobility surplus or deficit of human resources for the entire organisation, prepares action plans regarding redeployment, redundancy, employment, development and internal mobility and submits plans to the management at the top which either by its own or by appointing a committee reviews departmental plans and overall plans, make necessary adjustments and finalises the plans. Personnel department in its turn prepares modified plans for the departments based on finalised overall plan and communicates them to respective heads of department.

Personnel department may co-ordinate the control activity of human resource plan and it has to send coordinated reports to the management at the top for actual review, control and monitor the human resource system. The management at the top may appoint a committee consisting of heads of department and external identification of deviations, reasons thereof and steps to be taken to correct the deviations. The committee further helps the management in executing the programmes of corrections.

Human Resource Plan Factors:

External Factors:

• Government Policies: Policies of the government like labour policy, industrial relations policy, policy towards reserving certain jobs for different communities and sons-of the soil, etc. affect the HRP.
• Level of Economic Development: Level of economic development determines the level of HRD in the country and thereby the supply of human resources in the future in the country.
• Business Environment: External business environmental factors influence the volume and mix of production and thereby the future demand for human resources.
• Level of Technology: Level of technology determines the kind of human resources required.
• International Factors: International factors like the demand for resources and supply of human resources in various countries.
• Outsourcing: Availability of outsourcing facilities with required skills and knowledge of people reduces the dependency on HRP and vice-versa.

Internal Factors:

• Company policies and strategies: Company policies and strategies relating to expansion, diversification, alliances, etc. determines the human resource demand in terms of quality and quantity.
• Human resource policies: Human resources policies of the company regarding quality of human resource, compensation level, quality of work-life, etc., influences human resource plan.
• Job analysis: Fundamentally, human resource plan is based on job analysis. Job description and job specification determines the kind of employees required.
• Time horizons: Companies with stable competitive environment can plan for the long run whereas the firms with unstable competitive environment can plan for only short- term range.
• Type and quality of information: Any planning process needs qualitative and accurate information. This is more so with human resource plan; strategic, organisational and specific information.
• Company’s production operations policy: Company’s policy regarding how much to produce and how much to buy from outside to prepare a final product influence the number and kind of people required.
• Trade unions: Influence of trade unions regarding number of working hours per week, recruitment sources, etc., affect the HRP.

Performance Evaluation and Planning is a key process for Duke. Its purpose is to ensure employees receive candid performance information for the year and clear goals and development plans for the coming year. Evaluations will be used in making pay increase decisions and other personnel decisions.

1. Evaluation of Performance for Past Year.

Role Responsibilities

Responsibilities are based on what is included in the job description and other duties as assigned

• The evaluation is based on the extent to which the employee satisfactorily performed the regular duties of the job

Individual Goals

Individual goals should be based on, and linked to, the needs and direction of the department.

• Goals are established and agreed upon by manager and employee at the beginning of the performance year and should be expressed as measurable actions and results
• The evaluation is based on the level of achievement of goals

Behaviors

Behaviors are the “how” an individual acted in performing responsibilities and achieving goals. Behaviors:

• Measure and focus on how the work gets done, not just what gets done
• Includes, but not limited to, the behaviors listed in the Duke Values

Overall Evaluation

Provides an overall evaluation of how an individual performed based on the results of his/her role responsibilities, individual goals and behaviors. The overall evaluation should be:

• Supported by the appropriate documentation or comments
• Reviewed with the employee after approval of the managers manager

2. Planning for the Coming Year

Goals for Coming Year

This section lists the category of goals for the individual and a description of the goal and measures or targets.

• Goals may be activities to complete that are outside the regular job responsibilities, i.e., complete a special project
• Goals may also be specific measurable targets (i.e., achieve a percentage reduction in budget, or improve quality by a certain amount)

Development Plan

Identifies the skill or behavior improvement areas and individual needs to perform in their current job or prepare for a future job. The development plan:

• Is established and agreed upon by manager and employee at the end of the performance year
• Describes the development needed and how the individual will develop (i.e., through training, special assignment, coaching, practice, etc.)

HRP objectives include:

• Adapting to rapid technology changes
• Powering product innovation
• Adjusting to a more globalized economy
• Preparing for generational and cultural shifts
• Anticipating job and skill changes
• Facilitating growth
• Improving business operations
• Mitigating risk
• Preventing talent shortage or surplus
• Complying with local, state, and federal regulations
• Implementing a successful onboarding process

Process

• Determining the Objectives of Human Resource Planning: The foremost step in every process is the determination of the objectives for which the process is to be carried on. The objective for which the manpower planning is to be done should be defined precisely, so as to ensure that a right number of people for the right kind of job are selected.

The objectives can vary across the several departments in the organization such as the personnel demand may differ in marketing, finance, production, HR department, based on their roles or functions.

• Analyzing Current Manpower Inventory: The next step is to analyze the current manpower supply in the organization through the stored information about the employees in terms of their experience, proficiency, skills, etc. required to perform a particular job.

Also, the future vacancies can be estimated, so as to plan for the manpower from both the internal (within the current employees) and the external (hiring candidates from outside) sources. Thus, it is to be ensured that reservoir of talent is maintained to meet any vacancy arising in the near future.

• Forecasting Demand and Supply of Human Resources: Once the inventory of talented manpower is maintained; the next step is to match the demand for the manpower arising in the future with the supply or available resources with the organization.

Here, the required skills of personnel for a particular job are matched with the job description and specification.

• Analyzing the Manpower Gaps: After forecasting the demand and supply, the manpower gaps can be easily evaluated. In case the demand is more than the supply of human resources, that means there is a deficit, and thus, new candidates are to be hired.

Whereas, if the Demand is less than supply, there arises a surplus in the human resources, and hence, the employees have to be removed either in the form of termination, retirement, layoff, transfer, etc.

• Employment Plan/Action Plan: Once the manpower gaps are evaluated, the action plan is to be formulated accordingly. In a case of a deficit, the firm may go either for recruitment, training, interdepartmental transfer plans whereas in the case of a surplus, the voluntary retirement schemes, redeployment, transfer, layoff, could be followed.
• Training and Development: The training is not only for the new joinees but also for the existing employees who are required to update their skills from time to time.

After the employment plan, the training programmes are conducted to equip the new employees as well as the old ones with the requisite skills to be performed on a particular job.

• Appraisal of Manpower Planning: Finally, the effectiveness of the manpower planning process is to be evaluated. Here the human resource plan is compared with its actual implementation to ensure the availability of a number of employees for several jobs.

A HR practitioner is a person who works within the human resources department in a company or organization. Duties are varied and include finding candidates to fill job vacancies, writing job descriptions and person specifications, assisting employees with any problems they are experiencing and ensuring all paperwork such as employment contracts are up-to-date. HR practitioners often specialize in a variety of sectors.

Talent Acquisition should be anchored in the principle of “hiring for attitude and polishing the skills”. It should be HR’s lookout if the applicant is culturally fitted to the organization or not.

Employee Relations / Engagement is expected to create programs that will enhance the work or professional relations within the organization. And Employee Discipline is centered on the principles of due process while upholding respect and impartiality in handling each administrative case.

It is also HR’s responsibility to ensure that the Compensation and Benefits of the organization are externally competitive and internally equittable. If those will not be given emphasis, productive and talented employees will be pirated by others. There should also be a Performance Management System that is clearly established and is less subjective in measuring the actual performance of each employee that is based on updated job description and behavioral or attitudinal attributes that were laid down from the very beginning.

HR should also rally for budget on Learning and Development in order to create a culture of voraciousness to learn and upgrade one’s self. Without sharpening the saw of the employees, after a period of time, the organization will have a problem promoting qualified employees because there is a surplus of dead logs.

Organizational Development is centered on research and HR data analytics. This is the brain of HR. It provides quality information which programs, interventions, HR standpoints and recommendations are based from. It is an independent body, quite a tall order but this is the nucleus of integrity.

Having said all of these, an HR practitioner is expected to always have a mindset that he or she should always be bigger than politics, criticisms, envies and attacks. Of course, perfection is not what I mean. It is trustworthiness and sensibilty. HR’s loyalty is not to a person or to anyone but to the common good and sustainability for everyone.

Our profession may not be the most glamorous, but it is certainly not the profession for those with weak hearts, underdeveloped moral fibers and who are less analytical.

Short Term and Long-Term Human Resource Planning

Short Term Human Resource Planning is essentially derived from the long-term human resource planning, which is usually done for a period of 1 year. It contributes towards fulfilment of long-term objectives and one of the key issues involved in short term Hunan Resource Planning is matching of available human resources with the existing jobs. Long Term Human Resource Planning is essentially done for a period of five years or sometimes beyond it.

Human Resource Planning and HRIS

Availability of a robust HRIS in an organization can play a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of Human Resource Planning in an organization. A well-developed HRIS, can enable availability of crucial information or data regarding the human resources and accordingly result in accurate projections for the future requirements.