Human Resource Information System in Coles Supermarkets - Case Study Example

HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEMS by Student’s name Code+ course name Professor’s name University name City, State Date Executive summary Human Resource Information System is one of most fundamental information systems in the contemporary workplace. This paper addresses the function of HRIS in personnel planning in private sector companies in Australia. The rationale of this paper is to look into the role and contribution of HRIS in personnel planning through the subsystems of enlisting or recruitment, and training as observed by senior personnel managers in Australian private sector. This research was performed to ascertain the function of human resource information systems in the personnel department of Coles. The research revealed that the most regularly appreciated feature of Human resource information systems is the training needs analysis popularly referred to as TNA. This research reveals that HRIS needs to put forward more intellectual potential to add to the efficiency of personnel planning. HRIS dealers should make efforts to gain the confidence of HR experts and administrators through improving elements and enhancing the understanding and procedure of HRIS in the effectiveness of personnel planning. Introduction Human Resources Information System also known as Human Resources Management System is an incorporated arrangement used to give information used in decision making in the human resource function of management. The use of computers has made simple the duty of scrutinizing huge amounts of information, and they can be very important in giving support to the human resource department, from processing payrolls to maintaining employee database management (Sharma, 2009). With computer programs, and storage devices, organizations can manage records and data better. Computers make the retrieval of such information also becomes easier. This paper focuses on the use of Human Resource Information System with regard to the function of recruitment also referred to as enlisting and the function of training. This paper will also focus on the general application of Information Technology in the contemporary workplace. The effectiveness and critique of the use of information technology are also covered in the context of Coles Supermarkets. The importance of using HRIS The Human Resource Information System is not a new idea as many perceive it to be. It has been in operation for many years. However many companies have come to realize and appreciate its practicability more recently. HRIS provides improvements to the efficiency and cost effectiveness in the Human resource management function (Talwar, 2006).It is worth noting that dealers in the HRIS software and related programs have been continually coming up with better and more efficient features. Following the ever advancing technology, the HRIS programs being developed today are capable of performing duties that were seen as a simple impossibility some years ago when the idea was being floated to the market for the first time (Storey, 2007). As far as management of talent is concerned, an HRIS offers aid to organizations in restructuring the employment process, devising better enrollment policies and saving lots of man hours. This leads an upgrading in the value of the staff and, as a result, an enhancement in the worth of the organization all together. HRIS has been described as one of the most legitimate revolutionary developments in the history of management. Basic Features of HRIS Apparently it is simply impossible to find two Human Resource Information Systems that are one hundred percent identical. Even so, there are some common features known as modules that all HRIS must possess so as to serve the personnel department effectively and efficiently. These features are: Personnel management This unit brings together all of an organizations' staff information, making it easier for managers to retrieve particulars of employees such as salary details, level of training, professional qualifications and contact information (Aswathappa, 2005). Payroll This component facilitates the generation of an employee’s pay slip. It facilitates the calculation and deduction of such statutory obligations as taxes and contributions to medical schemes. Benefits Administration This unit makes it possible for the management and the members of staff to access benefit programs offered by the organization. It enables the staff to apply for those programs that they qualify through the intranet of the organization (Aswathappa, 2005). Time and Labor Management This module enables the human resource administrators to plan time and the manner in which they allocate duties to the employees depending on efficiency. Employee Self-Service Through the HRIS the employees can easily obtain information that would have otherwise taken a lot of hassle by themselves. This element of self-service saves a lot time and energy. This is because the staff members can access the company database through their computers from home (Aswathappa, 2005). The critique on the use of HRIS The use of Information Technology in the human resource management has been faced by criticisms. Much as the use Information Technology comes with benefits, it is also associated with many pitfalls. The most conspicuous being the possibility of being tampered with by unethical hackers and malicious internet users (Durai, 2010). Employees, especially those proficient in the use of computers, tamper with the systems and may end up altering vital information. This may be disastrous on the decision making process of the company. Information technology can be extremely expensive for small time companies as it comes with such costs as outsourcing IT experts and website maintenance. They also run the risk of website sabotage that may come with heavy financial losses. The implementation of HRIS in an organization calls for such functions as change management (Durai, 2010). This attracts extra costs and this may stretch the organization’s resources. HRIS cannot serve all employees equally. For instance, it is only suitable for the computer literate. Online recruitment also referred to as e-recruitment has been criticized for ignoring the human aspects of the recruitment process. The use of HRIS in Cole’s supermarkets The staffing function of Coles is almost wholly dependent on HRIS. The process of recruiting new employees and replacing existing ones is done through the HRIS functions. Typically the recruitment process begins from making public or rather placing adverts in the media. This is followed by the short listing process that is then followed by the assessments and aptitude tests. After this stage, screening and interviews take place then comes the final enlisting of the successful candidates (Grobler et al, 2006). This is the usual procedure in all organizations and Coles is no exception. The use of HRIS is a very prominent feature in the human resource management function of Coles. Coles elected to employ information technology in staffing functions after conducting an extensive research on the practicability and benefits of adopting technology. Following the above discussed benefits, Coles resolved to use IT in the recruitment process. Coles is a large scale retail firm running a chain of supermarkets in Australia. Its workforce comprises more than 20,000 workers. Through the use of HRIS Coles places its adverts for job vacancies on the internet through its official company website. Internet users and other interested parties apply for their preferred positions online. After placing their applications and uploading their certificates and all other required credentials, this information is sent to Coles’ employee database under a section known as Recruits portal. After the expiry of the date of submission of the applications, the human resource managers in charge of the recruitment process use the HRIS to pick the best qualified candidates in according to a predetermined criterion. They feed instructions in to the system, for instance, requiring it to pick all applicants who are degree holders, then from the lot they may give other instructions requiring it to pick those having a certain work experience and so on. At last they remain with a short list of the best qualified candidates. Again using the HRIS applications, they contact the successful candidates through the email and take them through online aptitude tests. They are assessed online and served with the results through an auto-reply kind of communication application. The successful candidates are then taken through an oral panel interview. This is the final stage of the recruitment process. The successful candidates then have their names transferred from the recruits’ portal to the employees’ portal. The HRIS automatically classifies them into categories and processes their payment details. The use of HRIS in training and development of employees in Coles Coles has a total of 20,000 employees. It is practically impossible to train such a big number of people through physical workshops and seminars. As such the human resource department saw the essence of establishing a HRIS training application known as Training Needs Analysis (TNA) through such application, Coles is able to take its workforce through various training programs online. This is done as part of the on-the-job training. They do this by sending any new concept and training guides to all the employees who are supposed to orient themselves with the new changes and technological transformations. The HRIS generates training instructions and simplifies them to the extent that they are easily understood by the layman in the shop floor operative. Other training and orientation features adopted by the Coles Company include an online tour around the company’s departments and features. This is meant for new employees who need to learn all things about the company, from the chief executive officer through to the departmental supervisor as well as orienting him or herself with the company’s philosophies, vision and mission statement. The use of information technology is also adopted by the human resource department in training sessions through the use of the popular Microsoft suite especially Microsoft PowerPoint which is usually used in making illustrations in training sessions. Conclusion According to the research carried out by Coles’ management experts, the olden way of recruitment which involved a heck of paperwork could consume up to 80 percent of a manager’s time during the recruitment period. Considering that quite a number of managers were involved in the process, the end result was a big wastage of man hours. Apart from Coles, other organizations that employ HRIS are Woolworths and the Alcan Companies of Australia and Canada. With an HRIS, the Human Resource department can easily administer members of staff and workers’ information within the infinite system of a computer, enabling them to transfer their efforts towards strategic management and far reaching objectives. The adoption of HRIS mitigate the chances of human error, improves the good organization of business practice, and restructures the goings-on within the functional subsections of the HR unit, all generating innovative prospects for improved scrutiny of the workers and hence improving the decision making process among the company’s strategic managers (Aswathappa, 2005). References Aswathappa, K.2005.Human Resource and Personnel Management. New Delhi. Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited. Durai, P. 2010. Human Resource Management. New Delhi. Dorling Kindersley. Grobler, Et Al.2006. Human Resource Management in South Africa (3rd edn). London. Thomson Learning Sharma.S.K. 2009. Human Resource Management; a Strategic Approach to Employment. New Delhi. Global India Publications Pvt Ltd Storey, J. 2007. Human Resource Management.(3rd Edition).London.Thomson Learning Talwar, P. 2006. Human Resource Management. Delhi. Isha Books Publishers. Read More