Web-Based HR Processing Practice

There is very little independent research on the take-up and impact of Web-based HR solutions by UK-based employers. Most of the larger surveys are drawn from predominantly North American samples and are undertaken or funded by proprietary software suppliers or consultants.

These surveys suggest the most effective implementation of Web-based HR solutions depends on several factors. Key among these include standardisation of processes, to the greatest possible extent; available IT infrastructure; data quality and ongoing data maintenance. Where HR management is highly decentralised, it is much more difficult to implement shared core HR technologies, such as HRIS and payroll, or Web-based employee and manager self-services. In highly decentralised organisations, there is likely to be significant resistance to standardising processes. Without adequate IT infrastructure, implementing broad-based Web-based HR technologies is simply impossible. Managers and employees must have at least workplace Intranet access, and the supporting data and telecommunications network must have adequate capacity to accommodate the level of usage that results from implementing Web-based HR services.

Other studies support the main themes evident from the above reports and show us that:

• Web-based HR will not succeed unless it is part of an employee focus culture, where people are trusted to manage their personal affairs. A corporate Intranet with an employee directory will not of itself increase performance. It may save time, but it may not necessarily make people perform better (it may just give them more time in which to perform badly).
• HR needs to take ownership for establishing a relationship between the deployment of Web-based HR and enhanced organisational and employee performance.
• As the guardian of employee and organisational performance, the HR function will increasingly be caught up in the growing debate regarding the sustainability of the dependence upon new technologies in the workplace, such as Web 2.0. These developments are often associated with the research and prescriptions of Ulrich (tripartite model), there are many variations on this theme. It appears to be the case that significant numbers of large, complex organisations are using the Ulrich model in whole or in part, while smaller organisations have tended to stick with traditional models.

So what we see is that the advent and deployment of new technology that has enabled employers to change the structure of their HR functions by creating new options for delivering HR services. As we have noted, amongst these are, for example, call centres, Web-enabled self-service and shared service centres. 

However, technology is not the only factor in determining options in HR service delivery. The different levels of access amongst sections of the workforce and the willingness of managers and employees to use them are just as important, if not more so.

It seems likely that most HR functions would prefer to offer multiple channels at least until self- and assisted service have become more culturally acceptable to the organisation. However, the key to success seems to lie in creating a strategy of self-service contact that is driven by business imperatives, whilst being responsive to users' needs. Our own experience and the published material considered earlier emphasise the need for technology decisions to be firmly rooted in business and functional strategies and HR practices, if they are to maximise the potential benefits. HR should expect senior management to exert more pressure on HR to justify investments in HR technology through return on investment analysis (ROI) and business case developments.