Nearly
nine out of 10 employers claim that the Internet and intranets will enable the
HR profession to assume more of a strategic role within organisations.
These
findings are part of a study of 45 employers spanning the private and public
sector, unveiled in this month’s IRS employment review.
Employers
believe that e-HR will give the profession a more strategic role due to the
reduction of routine bureaucracy. “Much of the day-to-day operations will not
require HR resources, freeing HR to work at a higher level,” reported one respondent from Prudential.
The
quality of information available to HR managers through the latest electronic
systems also helps HR professionals. Nottingham City Council notes that the
major advantage of e-HR is in the “quality and quantity” of the HR data.
The
study reveals that improving communications and reducing administration are the
driving forces behind the introduction of e-HR strategies. It finds that more
than half the employers found their e-HR systems to be “fairly effective” and
one-fifth of HR managers reported that their e-HR systems are “very effective”.