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In my last column I discussed how the marriage
of new technology and Human Resources should be a natural
occurrence in spite of some built-in impediments. For example,
technology is the perfect solution to ease the enormous amount
of record keeping relating to vacation schedules and other
benefit-related information. And since HR is the conduit between
employee and the company, the opportunity to create an intranet
- an internal private network to communicate with staff members
- is a natural application of new technology.
But many managers have learned that logic doesn't
always apply when the fears and sensitivities of human beings
are involved. They've learned that employees are accustomed
to having a real person, not an on-line representative, hold
their hand to inform and counsel them. In addition, while
technology is increasingly prevalent in companies of all types
and sizes, many employees a) are still not technically proficient
to access relevant information, b) question the privacy of
on-line communication and c) continue to resist technological
enhancements because they are simply creatures of habit.
But it's only a matter of time when HR practitioners
and the employees they serve overcome these impediments. In
fact, it's already happening in several critical areas of
personnel affairs. One of the hottest developments in HR is
on-line recruiting. While the days of advertising for and
finding new employees through help-wanted columns in the newspaper
aren't over, the sheer dimension of on-line recruiting is
overwhelming.
"While the days of advertising
for and finding new employees through help-wanted columns
in the newspaper aren't over, the sheer dimension of on-line
recruiting is overwhelming."
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With experts predicting a 14% increase in total
employment by the end of the decade, it's not surprising that
there are approximately 25 million resumes on-line, either
on company web sites or central on-line sites such as Monster.com
where recruiters post openings. Applicant tracking services,
on which the average life span of a desirable resume is seventy-two
hours, are best friends of HR managers who are looking for
qualified applicants. On-line recruiting is projected to become
a $7 billion business by the end of the decade.
Another critical application of new technology
is in the area of web-based training. While not every function
within a company lends itself to the new instructional medium
of cyberspace - machinery operations, for example -- HR managers
have found on-line training to be both economical and convenient.
They can update materials more quickly on-line than when presented
in paper form; can utilize audio, video and interactivity
as part of the learning process; can accommodate employees
whose schedule may not allow them time to take an instructor-led
course; and can reach every employee at his or her desk.
Two other on-line applications that HR managers
are finding increasingly helpful are administering company
incentive programs and resolving workplace disputes. The former
application encourages greater productivity and rewards employees
for outstanding performance. On-line programs ease the administrative
burden because keeping records for such things as performance,
anniversary awards, or something as simple as acknowledging
an employee's birthday is automated. A report cited in a recent
issue of Workforce magazine states that the corporate incentive
market has grown from nearly $23 billion in 1996 to $30 billion
last year. This suggests the importance that companies are
placing on motivational tools to retain qualified employees.
“On-line mediators are often
considerably less expensive than lawyers when a trial
goes to court.”
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In situations concerning conflict resolution,
research shows that managers spend up to 30% of their time
dealing with personnel issues such labor negotiations, sexual
harassment or discrimination charges and failed partnership
agreements. Third-party on-line mediators can bring the two
disputants together on their respective computers where they
can review relevant documents and proposed agreements, free
from the face-to-face tensions that can often occur during
in-room negotiations. Cost is also an important consideration.
On-line mediators are often considerably less expensive than
lawyers when a trial goes to court.
While new technology can't solve every problem,
HR managers are finding increasing value in using the fast-growing
resources of cyberspace to accomplish their mission. They
are most successful, however, when they are sensitive enough
to realize that their new-found reliance on technology must
be tempered with the knowledge that their "clients"
- the employees - are individuals who do not want to feel
that their relationship with the company has lost the human
touch.
Carol Conway is the owner of CRS Technology. She may be contacted
at carol@crsonline.net.
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