The NIH Office of Human Resources utilizes not only their professional strategists; they also embrace the competitive edge that employing information technology gives to them. Non-profits and for-profits alike using information technology in human capital management understand the immense benefits that result in retaining quality employees, identifying problem areas and addressing them in a very timely manner, and allowing a certain sense of autonomy among the employee set in being able to access their personnel files online (Boudreau & Broderick, 1992) Possible routes of facilitating an ongoing progression in employee management within the NIH would include regular surveys administered through the Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Management Service. As these surveys are already occuring, a review of the DOD DPMS program for administering services would need to be conducted to ensure that regular and timely surveys are occuring. Surveys are a form of 'empowerment strategy' which in the sphere of compensation policies, may be beneficial in increasing organizational performance (Chenevert & Tremlay, 2009).

Conclusion

The Human Resource Audit of the National Institutes of Health was based on set core areas addressing best practices in human resource management. While many times the role of human resource management is to focus on compliance, the role of the audit in this instance showed that the NIH is proactively addressing other core areas of concern, such as compensation, benefits, and other key human resource areas.

The final analysis is that the National Institutes of Health Office of Human Resources has a sound structure in place for dealing with questions of compensation. Areas of concern are minimal, with only recommendations to enhance existing programs revolving around information technology, and ongoing employee surveys.

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