4/01/08 - By Judy Swearingen, Owner/Manager
Profilers Premium Placements, Inc.
Workforce productivity is the driving force for success in the 21st century, yet many employers are not realizing the levels of productivity from the Human Resources (HR) function they could be. The challenge for HR functions within organizations is to implement hiring processes that enhance the productivity of an organizations workforce. Hiring processes that enhance productivity means hiring more qualified people who are a good fit for the jobs they will be performing, and who become productive more quickly and achieve higher levels of performance. The issue today is how HR accomplishes this task in the most modern, legally compliant, objective, nondiscriminatory, and cost efficient manner possible.
Many organizations have eliminated HR departments and increased the HR functions that operating supervisors and managers must handle. More organizations are outsourcing payroll, benefits and other HR functions in cost reduction moves than ever before.
With management placing increasing pressure on HR departments through cost containment initiatives, it is imperative that those who manage the HR function in organizations understand the urgent need to adopt technology to increase the productivity of the HR function.
Additionally, federal and state employment reporting requirements further emphasize the need for HR to adopt new technology. For example, the EEOC and other agencies recently established five criteria for distinguishing an applicant from a job seeker. The five criteria are:
"An employer must have a job opening
"The employer makes people aware of the openings
"The job seeker must express interest in a specific job a specific employer has open
"The job seeker becomes an applicant if the job seeker meets the minimum requirements for the job
"The job seeker must follow the employers procedures for applying for a job
In addition to the pressures to increase productivity of the HR function, HR departments now must differentiate a job seeker from an applicant in order to accurately compile reports for affirmative action and other reporting requirements. More optimal utilization of the internet enhanced with advanced software can address these two needs.
Whereas HR departments have traditionally screened and qualified applicants by manually reviewing applications and resumes, available software solutions, when deployed through the web, can differentiate qualified applicants by using an automated process to qualify applicants from job seekers through the use of pre-screening questions. A process of this type tends to be more objective and avoids subjective issues with regard to race, age, sex, national origin and other factors that human bias sometimes cant overlook. Further, since it is an automated process, it enhances the productivity of the HR function. Visit www.profilersonline.com to review a case study involving a web based applicant screening system.
About the Author:
Judy Swearingen's career history of 32 years; includes the past decade in the human resource arena with an emphasis on employment enhancements. She is a published author of employment related articles and a well known public speaker. Ms. Swearingen currently serves as the Owner/Manager of Profilers Premium Placements, Inc., a leading provider of human resource technology-based solutions for Sioux Falls and surrounding area businesses.
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