Concept of a Human Resource Information Management System - Assignment Example

Introduction To Human Resource Management Name of Student: Name of Course: Name of Instructor: Date of Submission: Define the concept of a Human Resource Information Management System (HRIMS). Then describe how a HRIMS can assist any three HR activities, using relevant examples to reinforce your answer. With the need to increase the efficiency in business processes, organizations have turned to the adoption of technology solutions to manage vital business processes. Ideally, it is now possible to manage almost every business process via the use of technology. One of the areas which have experienced great advances in technology is human resource management. Currently, the realization of the use of technology in human resource management is made possible by the use of human resources information management systems. Human resource management systems provide a software platform on which human resource managers can carry out specific processes related to human resource management. More and more companies are adopting HRIMS owing to the numerous benefits associated with it (Duc, Siengthai & Page 2012, p.106). With HRIMS in place, organizations can be able to undertake recruitment and selection, manage payrolls, undertake training and development on the employees, manage a good communication system in the organization and manage employee motivation programs among numerous other human resource management activities. The following assessment paper gives a deep insight into HRIMS while discussing its use in three human resource activities. Just like any other business information management systems, HRIMS provides a computerized platform for the acquisitions, storage, analysis and control of the information in an organization. HRIMS have a special focus to human resource management and is thus focused on increasing the efficiency with which processes in human resource management are undertaken. The main role of HRIMS is to automate the human resource management processes so as to achieve increased efficiency, accuracy and precision. This ultimately leads to effective human resource management. In the wake of an increased competition there is an utmost need for organizations to manage their human resources effectively so as to gain a competitive advantage over their rivals in the market. HRIMS are basically made up of two main components; hardware and software. The software part of HRIMS is what dictates the abilities of the system. The design and coding of the software should be with respect to the requirements of the organization from the system. A good software design should posses various characteristics. Generally, the software should have high security, scalability, maintainability, reliability, accessibility, usability, authentication/ authorization and database architecture features. This will ensure that the organization will be able to benefit from the HRIMS. On the other hand, the hardware is the platform on which the software is run. Generally, the hardware must have the properties to support the running requirements of the software. The properties of the hardware are dependent on the software. Generally, the hardware should have high storage capacities, high processing speeds, good usability and high reliability. There are numerous benefits associated with the use of HRIMS in organizations. The applications of HRIMS are limitless. Therefore, the benefits associated with a specific system are reserved with the imagination of the programmer. One of the main benefits of HRIMS is its associated efficiency. HRIMS has an ability to increase the speed in which human resource management processes are acquired out in an organization (Clemmons & Simon, 2001). On this point, it is important to note that automation leads to the elimination of the errors associated with the manual handling of information in an organizations. Secondly, HRIMS enable an organization to cut down on its labor requirements. Automation replaces the need for a large workforce in the undertaking of labour intensive human resource management processes such as recruitment and selection. Thirdly, HRIMS is associated with good planning and project development abilities. The design of the system enables an organization to automatically plan its activities and track down specific issues on the course of management. This in turn leads to successful human resource management (Reza, 2013). . In addition to this, HRIMS have decision support abilities. These enables human resource managers to make crucial decisions related to the running of their organizations under the guidance of the information system. Owing to the fact that the system takes into consideration all the variables related to a specific issues, HRIMS enables managers to make informed decisions. Fourthly, HRIMS enables an organization to reduce its human resource management costs. On this point, it is important to note that such process such as employee training and development and recruitment & selection are labor intensive. This in turn translates to high costs for the processes. However, HRIMS eliminates the need for a large workforce hence enabling an organization to reduce its human resource management costs (Reza, 2013). Lastly, HRIMS are associated with an effective communication throughout the organization. The effective communication provides for a platform of a free flow of information in an organization; hence leading to the smooth running of operations. Effective communication is critical to the ability of the human resource management to cultivate a good culture within the work force which shares a common set of values and goals. With the feedback system available on HRIMS, organizations are able to ensure that there is a free flow of information within the organization (Reza, 2013). There are various human resource management activities which can be supported by human resource information management systems. The following sections will discuss three activities among the many. One of the human resource management activities which has benefited from HRIMS is recruitment and selection. Recruitment and selections are critical processes in organizations since they determine the ability of an organization to get the most qualified candidates for a specific job position. As indicated earlier in this paper, the modern business world is associated with stiff competition. For this reason an organization needs to have enough resources to be able to counter the challenges presented by the dynamic market. One of the resources which have been regarded to have a high influence on organizations competitiveness is human resources (Waychal, Mohanty &Verma, 2011). Human resources possess the knowledge, skills, attributes and experience required by an organization to be able to manage in a competitive market. For this reason an organization should have in place a good system which enables it to have successful recruitment and selection. On this point, it is important to discuss about E Recruitment; an important element of HRIMS. E recruitment is electronically based in that potential candidates apply for employment remotely usually over the internet and selection is in turn done over the same E Recruitment portal (Dickson & Nusair, 2011). E recruitment provides an organization to source for employees from the global labor market hence increasing its chances to get the most appropriate candidates. It also gives an organization an efficient means of recruiting and selecting. E Recruitment portals are normally web based and are found on the websites of organizations. Another human resource management activity which is supported by HRIMS is training and development of human resources (Reza, 2013). On this point, it is important to point out that training and development are important aspects of human resource management. In the verge of increased changes in the market, it is important that an organization empowers its employees to handle the demands which come about with the changes (Reza, 2013). This calls for continuous development of the workforce so as to empower them to steer the organization in the right direction; hence enabling it stay afloat in the market. HRIMS provides for an effective platform for an organization to train and develop its human resources. HRIMS contain various resources which employees can use to develop themselves. The human resource department can administer courses and training over the system at a cheaper cost as compared to onsite training. Additionally, the human resource department can upload useful resources on the system which is in turn used by the human resources to develop themselves. Lastly, HRIMS can be used by an organization to manage its payroll system. On this point, it is important to note that salaries and wages can be an avenue for immense losses in an organization in such instances when remuneration is issued to work not done or work which is done poorly. In the modern day where the market is moving towards a 24 hour economy, there is a need for an organization to ensure that employees work for the required amount of time. The payroll system of HRIMS is mainly based on biometric or any other identifier system which records the variables eg time of an employee at specific times. Payroll systems are used to monitor the attendance and timing of an employee, calculate any deductions or taxes (Tripathi, 2011). It also provides information to the management which can be used in employee appraisal and promotion . In conclusion, it can be appreciate from the above assessment paper that HRIMS has an important role to play in the modern organizations. It was seen that HRIMS gives an organization an opportunity to manage its human resource activities at a reduced cost and high efficiency level. HRIMS are composed of software and hardware. The efficiency of the HRIMS is based on these two main components. The paper also identified various benefits associated with human resource information management systems. From this discussion, t can be acknowledged that organizations should move towards embracing the use of HRIMS in their organizations. The paper also identified three human resource management activates which are supported by human resource information management systems. It was seen that HRIMS has an ability to support recruitment and selection, training and development of workforce and management of the payroll system. From the paper, it can be acknowledged that HRIMS is indispensible in the modern human resource management world. References Clemmons, S., & Simon, S., (2001). Control And Coordination In Global ERP Configuration, Business Process Management Journal,7(3);205-215 Dickson, A.& Nusair K.,(2011). An HR Perspective: The Global Hunt For Talent In The Digital Age. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Journal 2(6);86 Duc, N., Siengthai, S., & Page, S., (2012). A Conceptual Model Of HRIS-Trust An Understanding Of Suppliers’/Customers Relationship Foresight, 15(2); 106 – 116 Reza, K., (2013). Human Resources Information System, Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research In Business, 4(10); 1004- 1017 Tripathi, P., (2011). A Study of Information Systems in Human Resource Management 'HRM', International journal of computer applications, 22(8); 9-13 Waychal, P., Mohanty, R., &Verma, A., (2011). Leading Indicators Of Innovation As A Competence For Individuals: An Empirical Study, Journal of Advances in Management Research, 8(2); 301-322 Read More