ISSN No-2031-5063

Vol.1,Issue.V/Nov 2011pp.1-4

Research Paper

A Conceptual Paper On Human Resource Information System (HRIS)

ABSTRACT
There if an old Chinese saying which goes like this, If you wish to plan for a year, sow seeds, If you wish to plan for 10 yrs, plant trees But if you wish to plan for lifetime, develop people/ HRIS.

In today's global knowledge economy, information is power. For efficient management of Human Assets, HR Professionals requires accurate and timely data on recruitment , selection, training, development, career planning, compensation, productivity, skills inventory, attrition rate etc. Broderick and Boudreau (1992), defined HRIS as , the composite of data bases, computer applications, hardware and software that are used to collect, record, store, manage, deliver, present and manipulate the data for human resources. HRIS is not mere computer hardware or some customized or standard HR software. It is the system to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, interpret and disseminate relevant information on Human Resources. It includes the relevant information about people, policies and procedures. What is Information ? Information can be defined as meaningful organized data. (N. Upadhyay, 1992) Information System : A system, whether automated or manual, that comprises people, machines, and/or methods organized to collect, process, transmit, and disseminate data that represent user information. It was payroll that gave birth to the first personal database and ultimately HRIS. Being key to employee productivity, competitive strength and corporate excellence, information is being recognized as the fifth organizational resource .The effectiveness of human resource management depends mostly upon the quality of information held by it. HRIS is a method by which an organization collects, analysis and reports information about its people and jobs. It applies to information needs at macro and micro level. HRIS Why it is needed? 1.Storing information and data for each individual employee.

2.Providing a basis for planning, decision making, controlling and other human resource functions. 3.Meeting daily transactional requirement such as marking absent and present and granting leave. 4.Supplying data and submitting returns to government and other statutory agencies. Review of Literature : HRIS is the system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve and distribute pertinent information regarding an organisation's human services and the purpose of HRIS is to provide service, in the form of information to the clients or users of the system.(Scott Tannenbaum, 1990 According to Kavanagh, Gueutal and Tannenbaum, A Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is the system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve and distribute pertinent information regarding an organisation's human resources. According John W Jones, Virtual HR 1998, Crisp Publications, The use of computer system, interactive electronic media and telecommunications networks used to carry out the functions of human resources departments. An HRIS is not simply computer hardware and associated HR related software, it also includes people, forms, policies and procedures and data. The purpose of HRIS is to provide service, in the form of information to the clients or users of the system. C.S. Venkata Ratnam & B.K. Shrivastava have stated the basic purpose of HRIS is to store information and data of each individual employee, to provide basis for decision making, planning, budgeting & implementing HR functions, to supply data to government.

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A Conceptual Paper On Human Resource Information System (HRIS)

Vol.1,Issue.V/Nov 2011;

The HRIS Model :

Organization charts Staffing projections Inventory Skills Turnover Analysis Absenteeism Analysis Restructuring & job matching Equal Employment Affirmative Action Plan Applicant tracking Workforce utilization Availability Analysis

10) 11)

Career planning Collective Bargaining

Staffing Recruiting sources Selection Proces s offers & Placements Job Refusal analysis HR Development Employee training profiles Training need assessment Succession planning Benefits & Compensation structure Pay Salary/ wage costing usage & Benefits usage Leave Health, safet & security y Employee & Labour Relations : negotiations Union Auditing records Attitude survey results Employee work history interview analysis Exit

HRIS

Advantages of HRIS : A well developed HRIS offers the following advantages: 1) Reduction in the cost of stored data in human resource. 2) Higher speed of retrieval and processing of data. 3) Reduction in duplication of efforts leading to reduction in cost. 4) Availability of accurate and timely data about human resources. 5) Better analysis leading to more effective decision making . 6) More meaningful career planning and counseling at all levels. 7) Improved quality of reports. 8) Better ability to respond to environmental changes. 9) More transparency in the system. Uses of Human Resource Information System : 1) Personnel Administration 2) Salary Administration 3) Level Absence Increase 4) Skill Inventory 5) Medical History 6) Performance Appraisal 7) Manpower Planning 8) Recruitment 9) Recruitment

Designing of Human Resource Information System : The realization that there cannot be good plan without good data and there cannot be good data without plan to collect it underlines the essence for designing a good HRIS in the organization. The following steps are involved in designing a sound HRIS 1) Determination of information needs - Data and information are basic inputs for decision making activity. Managers at different levels may need different types of information . Hence identification of information needed by the managers becomes the first step in designing HRIS . This involves a perspicuous study of the activities carried out in the organization. Work patterns, their relationship and constraints affecting the HRIS also need to be analyzed. Yes these factors may differ from organization to organization and from industry to industry and even from time to time in case of the same organization and industry. 2) Designing the System :- At this stage, the flow of information is structured in such a manner that it is economical and matches with the information needs of mangers. It is important to mention that HRIS as a sub system of management information system does not require a separate design . However , designing HRIS may require developing preferred processing techniques for desired data set by managers at different levels 3) Implementation= This is the stage when the HRIS is actually set up. In order to handle the system effectively . employees are imparted the necessary skill through orientation and training programes. Besides, facilities are increased and upgraded, procedure are properly streamlined with an objective to integrate the HRIS with various organizational components in existence at the time. 4) Monitoring and Evaluation= I involves measuring the performance. Or say contribution of the system to the overall human resource management of the organization. By doing so gaps are identified and corrective steps are taken to ensure its smooth operation . The system is evaluated on a regular basis so that it is evaluated in the light of changes taking place from time to time within and outside the organization. Importance of Human Resource Information System : In an organization, information about human resources and their functioning is required basically for two purposes : information that is to be supplied to various government agencies as required by statutory provision, and information that is useful for managers in taking actions and making decisions on issues

Golden Resrach THoughts

A Conceptual Paper On Human Resource Information System (HRIS)

Vol.1,Issue.V/Nov 2011;

related to managing human resources. . It is the latter category of information that is more important from organization point of view though HRIS should be capable of providing both categories of information. Thus the basic objective e of HRIS is to provide accurate, relevant, and timely information about human resources and their functioning in the most cost effective way this basic aim of HRIS can be spelled out further as follows. 1) HRIS should provide information in such a manner that it helps in improving one or more decisions, that is it must cause an appropriate decision to be made and a less appropriate decision to rejected. 2) Apart from decision making HRIS should supply HR information which is required by statutory provisions or other agencies like industry association. 3) HRIS should provide information in the most cost effective way . An information has benefit but it has cost too. Benefit from information is derived in terms of improved decision making and satisfaction of other requirements. Management's need & Information Systems : The information system comes to the rescue of employees and executives while performing their jobs at their workplace. The system helps them to improve their performance leading to complete job satisfaction. The information needed by executives differs in quantity and quality according to their position and level in the organization hierarchy. Traditionally management of organization can be dived into three level Top management , middle management , lower level management. 1) Top Level Management= (consists of managing director, chief executive office etc ) requires decision support system (DSS) to frame organizational strategy in respect of various aspects of the organization. 2) Middle level management = (consist of departmental heads) has to make tactical decisions for which they need the data base system known as management information system (MIS) 3) Lower Level Management= ( consist of front line supervisors, superintendents etc) has to make operational decisions for actual work performance, the system they require for the purpose id knows as the electronic data processing system (EDP) The information needed by the executive depends on his technical background , his decision making ability and his perception of requirement of information. The human resource information system HRIS is a method by which an organization collects analyses and reports information about its people and jobs. It applies to information needs at macro and micro levels. HRIS is basically a data base system that offers important information about employees in a central and accessible location. When such information is needed the data can be retrieved and used to facilitate human resource planning decisions. Human resource manager needs considerable information and data relating to all areas of HRM . HR

information system provides information necessary for planning, controlling, decision making and preparing reports. The information required for various function of human resource management are as follows. Procurement Function : 1) Inventory of present and future needs of manpower. 2) Possible changes affecting manpower utilization 3) Cost of recruitment and replacement. 4) Matching required skill with available skill Development Function : 1) Calculating cost and benefits of training programs 2) Career and succession plans. 3) Measurement of employee performance. Applicability of HRIS :
Table 1 : Regarding Employment : Employment : Training and Development Background Record Maintenance Recruitment Need assessment for training Employee tests and development Interviews Training Evaluation Selection. Course scheduling

Labour Relation : Industrial Relations Job attitude survey

Benefits : Benefit administration

Employee Management : Salary planning Human Resource Planning Cost of selection per Employee Absenteeism Analysis Turnover Analysis Performance analysis Cost of salary and Benefits per employee H u m a n R e s o u r c e P l a n n i n g Cost of selection per Employee Absenteeism Analysis Turnover Analysis Performance analysis Cost of salary and Benefits per employee Organizational Charting Biographical Record

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A Conceptual Paper On Human Resource Information System (HRIS)

Vol.1,Issue.V/Nov 2011;

Work History Maintenance skill inventory Internal job Matching Job Description Job analysis Conclusion : Today's human resource information system has the potential to be an enterprise wide decision support system that helps achieve both strategic and operational objectives. Fully integrated system can facilitate the more seamless operation of a company across functions and departments. In future , Human Resource Professionals will be more dependent on higher level and integrated HRIS approaches in order to support more complex as well as free forms of organizations . References : 1. S.S. Khanna,(2003) Human Resource Management, S. Chand Pulications. 2. P.G. Aquinas,(2006), HRM Principles and Practice, Vikas Publishing House. 3. P.K. Gupta, (2004),HRIS, Himalaya Publishing. 4. Ray Shantanu,(2005) Human Capital Accounting & Valuation, ICFAI University Press. 5. Flamholtz, E. G. (1973). Human resource accounting: Measuring positional replacement costs. Human Resource Management, Websites : www. hrfolks.com www.accessmyliabrary.com

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