Human resources management principles and practices

Human Resources personnel often find themselves in a double bind. On one hand, employees like the convenience of being able to manage their personal data, such as leave, pay, and pension information from their work and personal computers. Also, in a large, corporate environment with many employees, using technology to keep track of vast amounts of data regarding employee information is often necessary, from a logistical perspective alone. However, employees are also understandably concerned that their information may be misused.

This article highlights the importance of the modern HR professional to be fluent in the safety protocols of informational technology, as well as the 'softer' side of human resource management. Employees must know that HR staff is at striving to do all they can to ensure employee data is used in a safe and appropriate manner. Appropriate password protection, and creating usernames ideally not connected to any easily traceable information regarding the employee (like names, birthdays or social security numbers) is just one example of how to create a more secure system. Also, minimizing the amount of damaging data kept online, like performance reviews or medical information, might be another way to reduce employee fears and risks of security impingement. If it is necessary to keep this data online, additional security protections regarding this data may be advisable.