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Saying Goodbye to the
Challenges of HR: Managing Collegiate Human Resources is Easier with
Document Management and Workflow
Since the mission of collegiate institutions is typically tied to offering
the best possible education for its students, filling vacancies with the
best-qualified candidates as quickly as possible is vital. Managing your
chosen human resources consistently, fairly, and efficiently, from the
posting of vacancies through hiring, employment, and retirement,
contributes to candidate and employee satisfaction. Since quality people
are your most valuable asset, managing their affairs effectively assists
you in attracting and retaining them. It also helps you to maintain a
positive reputation that will reach the ears of future hires. This article
details some of the common challenges faced by human resources offices in
college institutions and shares ideas for using technology effectively to
address them.
Storing, distributing, and accessing files efficiently : When
candidates apply for jobs, substantial documentation is created upon
receipt of the initial application. Cover letters, applications, resumes,
reference letters, writing samples, and other supporting documents
typically are part of the process, and may arrive via fax, emails, paper,
or online forms. Since multiple people are involved in reviewing the
candidates, copies have to be made and distributed to the correct people
for evaluation. Copying and faxing documents not only creates a lot of
paper; “ghost faxes” and occasional missing pages or poor-quality
reproductions slow down the decision-making process. The paper and
printing cost is high, but the cost of losing highly qualified candidates
to other institutions simply because they were able to make attractive
offers more quickly bears an even greater cost.
The quality of education and services that an institution provides is
contingent on making well-informed decisions expeditiously. Supporting
documents that are in the mail, papers in transit for review by another
department, documents awaiting signatures by staff members who are ill or
on vacation, and misfiled documents all result in costly delays.
Furthermore, prioritizing the paperwork becomes challenging when documents
are constantly on the move.
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An electronic document management system puts the pieces of the
information management puzzle together by bringing all of your candidate’s
information under one roof. Papers that are scanned and converted to
digital information, forms that are completed online via the institution’s
portal, documents and photographs that are uploaded, and even
correspondence, emails, and faxes related to the position all are stored
in one central, searchable system. Storage in a Web-based document
management system also means easy access, granting diverse parties
admittance to critical information simultaneously from their desktops.
Thorough, encyclopedic-style indexing of documents as they are received
guarantees that staff with varied information requirements can find what
they need, using the terminology that is most logical for them. |
By adding digital workflow to your document management system, routine
processes can be automated, dramatically shortening the turnaround time to
making decisions. The receipt of all required applicant materials in the
document management system can automatically inform the HR office that it
is time for the candidates’ documents to be given a preliminary review.
Positive responses from the search committee can launch an automated
letter, email, or phone request to schedule an interview and specify
additional standard materials that may be required for the position.
Selection of the preferred candidate can initiate a request for a
background check, notifying the appropriate person what needs to be done.
By pushing the right information and tasks to the right people at the
right time, in accordance with your business rules, work is completed more
quickly and efficiently. Automation of routine processes not only saves
time; it also ensures that procedures are executed consistently and
everyone is treated fairly.
After you have hired new employees, a document management and workflow
system helps you to manage their files effectively. Workflow can be used
to mechanize business rules such contract renewal dates, the number of
vacation days the employee can take, annual reviews, and other events. The
data in the system launches the appropriate series of tasks and sends
reminders in accordance with your pre-set instructions, ensuring that
tasks are prioritized and deadlines are met.
Guaranteeing information security :
One of the risks of paper
documents is that they are occasionally greeted by unwanted pairs of eyes.
Sensitive information may be viewed by unauthorized persons as documents
travel from the mailroom to the appropriate desktops. Copies may be
inadvertently filed and subsequently viewed by people who unintentionally
come across them. With a document management system, your HR office gains
total control over who can view which information. The software acts as a
watchman over your files in accordance with your institution’s rules, even
down to the page level. It specifies exactly which documents each user is
permitted to access. Rules can also be established to allow and deny
rights to annotate documents, or to approve or sign materials as they
travel through your standard workflow process.
By integrating your job application process with your institution’s Web
portal, this same secure access can be provided to candidates and
employees who are searching for other opportunities within your
institution. Secure logins ensure that they can access only the
information that you permit them to view. If a former applicant or
employee decides to initiate a new application, the document management
system tracks the information they already have on file, and workflow can
remind them of the additional information that is needed.
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The reporting tools
inherent in document management and workflow
software make it easier to comply with regulations governing
information and file access. Electronic audit trails make it clear who has
viewed or edited which documents at what time, and which pages have been
viewed. Although an audit trail is no substitute for an internal records
management policy, it helps ensure information governance for your
institution. In the event of litigation, proof that you have a policy,
that it has been communicated to the appropriate people, and a clear
record of access work together to demonstrate your institution’s intent to
comply. With all of these pieces in place, difficult situations are more
likely to have a favorable outcome. |
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Ensuring timely and
consistent decisions Anyone who has been in the position to hire
candidates knows the frustration of finally selecting an excellent
candidate, and then losing that person to another organization.
Sometimes a candidate decides to go elsewhere because of more
favorable employment terms. Too often, however, a candidate goes
elsewhere because another employer presented an acceptable offer
first.
Keeping credentials up to date can also be challenging
for individuals and institutions to manage. Tracking credential
requirements for each position, as well as graduate hours, ongoing
professional development coursework, and related work experience that
is completed means your staff has to have a regular eye on
requirements, deadlines, and calendars, and make sure files are
updated. With a document management system, tracking credentials and
certifications is easier, and records can be accessed with a few
clicks of a mouse. When coupled with digital workflow, contract dates
and deadlines for updated educational certificates can be used to
trigger messages to the employee and/or supervisor to take the
appropriate action. As reviews are signed, contracts are renewed or
terminated, and continuing education requirements are met, the data in
the system is automatically renewed. The appropriate messages or
action items are initiated as information in the document management
system is received.
By automating the
process of collecting and distributing documents, staff no longer has
to spend time searching for information. Requesting documents from
another campus location, or even off-site, becomes an event of the
past. Web-based access lets your candidates, employees, and staff
access whatever information you determine they need, whenever it is
convenient for them to access it. Your HR staff has more time to
invest in serving the campus-wide needs of faculty and staff, rather
than participating in the cat and mouse game of information on the
move.
Managing contracts and benefits : Keeping track of
deadlines is critical for HR employees and their institutions.
Effective document management makes this arduous process easier. Since
document management software lets you request data and lists in
accordance with the fields by which you indexed it, creating a list of
action items by date or type (such as contract renewals or reviews
that need to be scheduled) is simple. With the addition of workflow,
you can choose to have the system notify you in advance that deadlines
are approaching, or generate customized emails or letters in response
to specific dates. |
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An upcoming contract
renewal can generate a letter requesting a supervisor or department head
to schedule a review with the appropriate staff member. If a performance
review results in a change in remuneration, the new data in the system can
be used to send a message to the payroll department that a change is about
to take place, and when it is effective. When an employee needs to be
summarily dismissed, a notation in the document management system can put
the process in motion and ensure that all of the necessary documentation
is collected and potential problems are avoided.
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The possibilities are
defined by the specific needs of the collegiate institution and its HR
department, and are limited only by the imagination of the persons who
will manage and use the system.
As faculty and staff
retire or leave, a new series of challenges arises. Early retirement
payments and retirement benefits have to be managed. Health plans may also
continue to be part of the information puzzle. Just as current employees
have a series of events that initiate reminders or a series of required
tasks, these dates can be used as events to launch the appropriate action.
Real-time information stored in the document management system, and
managed effectively by automated processes, ensures that deadlines
continue to be met. Information remains secure, and retirees’ questions
can be answered instantly.
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Facilitating compliance :
Complying with the bevy of federal
and state human resources regulations, and keeping track of institutional
policies that stem from those regulations, can be difficult. Management
expectations that existing staff can handle increased paperwork and
reports, and staff’s knowledge that non-compliance can result in stiff
penalties, results in additional stress for HR staff. Keeping track of
HIPAA, COBRA, and specialized regulations such as the Family Medical Leave
Act (FMLA), Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Right Act (UNERRA),
and demonstrating compliance with these and other regulations on request
can be overwhelming.
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A document management and
workflow system’s adept capabilities in organizing documents and data
helps provide an instant solution to your compliance needs. It can alert
you to issues that need to be addressed (such as a uniformed officer
returning from active duty to work at your institution), meanwhile keeping
careful watch over the transactions relating to each individual’s records.
When management conducts an internal review, auditors schedule a visit, or
a court subpoenas specific information, the searchable document management
repository provides instant answers and detailed backup. In addition, by
creating simple queries in response to their inquiries, inspections can be
conducted remotely. This eliminates hours or even weeks of staff time
searching for information, and lets your office maintain its normal
routine without interruption.
Growing your institution
without increasing HR resources Competitive institutions have a tendency
to attract larger numbers of students. Usually, the quality of student
that an institution can attract increases as its reputation improves.
This, in turn, attracts higher quality faculty and staff and also greater
numbers of them to address the increase in students, causing an
institution to grow.
Just like any business, educational institutions are eager to manage
growth as effectively as possible, and with minimal or no staff additions
where necessary. However, increasing workloads in a paper-based system can
result in overworked and disgruntled employees. Managing growth can be
challenging, but with electronic documents and process automation, the
backbreaking search and manual tedium are removed from the process,
enabling your existing staff to accomplish more. As you become more
efficient, staff can be reassigned to more meaningful duties such as
designing or improving services. Combined with natural attrition through
retirement and people assuming employment elsewhere, you are likely to
find that your existing staff can process significantly more work with
less effort, all from the comfort of their desktops, laptops, or PDAs.
Summary With document management and digital workflow, you can
say goodbye to the challenges of managing information. As your institution
grows, you can greet the increase in applications with a smile, ready and
able to handle steady growth. Automation puts you in control of your
information, ready to embark on the journey with candidates who become
your employees, and ultimately your retirees.
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additional reference and educational articles such as this, please visit
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Contributing Writer: Laurel Sanders,
Optical Image Technology, Inc.
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