With budgets and resources across a majority of industries becoming increasingly stretched, organizations are looking more and more into alternative ways of lowering costs. As a result organizations are looking at incorporating technology to increase productivity. A recent article on
Mid-Market discusses how organizations can save money by using a variety of on-demand services to streamline HR functions. This article focused on the company LifeLock, who was able to use on-demand services to manage a work force of 350 employees with only two full-time HR staff.
Services such as the
HRSentry and the
HR Made Simple Kit provide a cost effective way to move the focus of you HR functions from basic tasks to more hot button issues such as conflict resolution and employee training. The idea behind these programs is to create a user controlled environment, which keeps the costs down, and allows people with little or no HR training to develop an effective HR compliance program. It also gives experienced HR professionals the ability to take their focus off of time consuming tasks such as keeping track of constantly changing laws, creating employee handbooks and policies, putting their focus on the higher level staff issues.
In addition to the services provided by
HRSentry, there are a number of other online resources that can be a valuable asset to any organization including
Preventive HR (including a fantastic online job description and evaluation program),
AGOS (focusing on claims and incident prevention they provide excellent desktop training modules for a variety of issues), and
CompEraser (a top-notch claims management program that can significantly increase profits by staying on top of existing claims and quantifying the impact). As industries become more and more technology driven, online tools such as the ones discussed above are being relied on to take over duties that previously would have required an additional staff member.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Figure Out Your Needs
Every organization has different issues and needs. These can be based off of a multitude of factors including the size, industry, leadership, and budget.
I recommend: Be realistic about your budget and what your goal is in purchasing the software. Most of the time boxed software is priced in the thousands of dollars, cheaper online solutions are becoming increasingly popular. Not only does is an online tool available from anywhere with internet, it can be updated on an ongoing basis providing up-to-date information.
Know Your Product
What does it have to offer?
I recommend: After purchasing your HR solution, whether online or boxed, it is a good idea to dive right in and see where it can be applied to your business. To make the most out of your purchase make sure you test the different features and don't be afraid to contact support with any questions, you paid good money for the service, now use it!
Know the Worth
Is the bang worth the buck.
I recommend: After having the product for a year or so, take stock of where you are. Is this product saving you money/time/headaches? Has it lived up to your expectations? Ultimately, is this cost-effective or should you continue shopping. It is important to not jump to this step before exploring it thoroughly and seeing how it will work in the long-run.
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