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From the beginning of man's fascination with
technology, there's been fear and resentment about the price
of progress. It may have started as far back as the invention
of the wheel when cavemen realized they didn't have to rely
any longer on their pet dinosaur to do the "schlepping". Now
they could just roll the rocks along on wheel-facilitated
carts. The dinosaurs soon became extinct.
That may be a bit far-fetched, but fast forward
a few thousand centuries and remember how threatening the
advent of automation was to many in America's work force.
"Automation will put people out of jobs" and "machine-made
goods can never replace hand-made products" were the cries.
While there's some truth to those complaints, few can dispute
the enormous benefits that new technology has brought to consumers
and to the nation's economy over the years.
Unlike some workplace innovations, the information
technology revolution of the past 15-20 years seems to be
universally applauded by America's business community, which
has overcome its techno-phobia to profit from the fruits of
progress. Many have found that the benefits outweigh both
the expenditures and the pain of scaling the learning curve
as they've seen a positive impact on virtually every operational
function -- sales, marketing, financial affairs, you name
it.
"If there's one part of a company
that needs to give a warm and fuzzy feeling to employees
who have varying moods, temperaments and insecurities,
it's HR."
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One operational area, however, that has been
slower to embrace information technology is Human Resources.
The reason? There's a real dichotomy between what this department
provides and what its "clients" - the employees -- want. Think
about it. Human Resources oversees a voluminous amount of
employee data and records. It's only natural that they should
turn to information technology for handling everything from
record maintenance and soliciting and interviewing new hires
to communicating with employees.
The flip side, however, is that because HR's
"clients" are human beings, relying on technological means
to communicate can be - or at least appear to be - very impersonal.
If there's one part of a company that needs to give a warm
and fuzzy feeling to employees who have varying moods, temperaments
and insecurities, it's HR.
An increasing number of companies have found
a satisfactory halfway point between jumping headlong into
technology and avoiding it altogether to salve employees'
feelings. The Human Resources department of some successful
companies started by implementing an "intranet" to reach staff
members. This is an internal private network that uses the
same types of hardware, software and connections as the Internet
to disseminate relevant information of value to all employees.
On-line material includes such employee-centric information
as the company handbook, employment policies, matters relating
to benefits, 401(K) plans, company directories, and client
and vendor contacts. When employees want to discuss any of
the material on the intranet that applies specifically to
them, they always have the chance to meet with an HR staff
person.
“Security is essential in
personnel matters.”
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For companies interested in crossing the line
into HR-applied technology, I'd suggest moving slowly. Try
to understand the difference between what employees want and
what they need. For example, while they may need to know everything
that's in the company handbook, they certainly want to know
pertinent vacation and pension-related information.
As the transition to tech-based HR continues,
prepare the staff for the change. Let them know that the newer
automated way of doing business will benefit everyone and
that HR reps will always be there to discuss personal issues.
Time should be set aside to orient staff members to the new
system and for training them in ways to get the most out of
the new internal communications medium. It's important that
they know that any information about their personal job status
is strictly confidential. Security is essential in personnel
matters.
When you're finally ready to implement the automated
on-line HR system, do it creatively to build enthusiasm among
employees who are not always comfortable in adjusting to new
ways of receiving internal information.
In my next column, I'll discuss a few specific
ways that HR personnel is turning to technology to deal with
specific responsibilities such as mediating disputes and making
the hiring process more efficient.
Carol Conway is the owner of CRS Technology. She may be contacted
at carol@crsonline.net.
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