Management Systems Human Resource

HR PLATFORM

To:

From:

Internal Memo: Select HR Platform

Date:

Introduction

The need to deploy a HR platform that is capable of addressing the specific needs of Capra Tek has been identified. The relevance of the said platform cannot be overstated at a time when Capra Tek is seeking ways to rein in high employee turnover – particularly with regard to both junior and senior scientists.

Evaluation of Available Tools

In seeking to select the best tool for the aforementioned purpose, the need to utilize a well-defined criteria was identified. Makkar and Sanjeev (2014) highlight a concise criteria for selecting an ideal HR platform or Human Resource Information System (HRIS). The first three factors taken into consideration in this case were sourced from this resource. The first factor selected to evaluate the ideal HR tool was the reliability of the platform. This relates to whether or not the tool is accurate and performs the specific tasks it is optimized for. This is to say that the HR platform selected in this case must meet the basic performance specifications. The second factor considered was the security of the HR platform. This is more so the case in relation to ensuring that the platform permits only authorized access and ensures that employee data is protected. Third, the need was identified to also consider the extent to which the HR platform is user-friendlily. In this case, users must find it easy to make use of, and/or interact, with the system. Thus, amongst other things, the ideal HR platform should be easy to navigate and be intuitive. Fourth, it is important to note that as Florentine (2020) indicates, the ideal HR platform needs to have ongoing support integrated therein. In the absence of ongoing support from the vendor, problems arising in the course of the HR platform’s utilization are likely to go unresolved. Additionally, the rollout could be problematic in the absence of such support.

Capability to Meet the Needs of Individual Employees

The ideal platform will be capable of addressing the various employee needs at every stage of their engagement with the company. The ideal platform will, thus, provide solutions for helping new employees settle into vacant positions while at the same time enabling them to acquire the relevant skills for the performance of various tasks at the workplace. Thus, it ought to come in handy in not only the optimization of employee competencies, but also the development or acquisition of new talents. Further, the ideal platform will keep track of individual employee performance, ensure that each employee remains sufficiently motivated, and see to it that the compensation and benefits package remains fair, just and competitive.

Capability to Meet the Organization's Needs

When it comes to recruiting, the HR platform ought to enhance the ability of the organization to manage and/or optimize the recruitment process to ensure that the right talent is sought and obtained, i.e. with regard to resume screening, tracking of applications, evaluation and assessment of potential hires, etc. With regard to onboarding, the HR platform should be capable of facilitating the acquisition of the relevant skills by new hires in a way that minimizes anxiety and vexation. To ensure that the organization remains relevant in an increasingly competitive marketplace, the HR system ought to complement organizational efforts for continuous improvement- specifically with regard to employee growth and development. This also includes enabling the management of both lateral growth and vertical growth – which could in this context be deemed viable internal career pathways. As Denisi and Griffin (2005) indicate, investing in the careers of employees happens to be an effective employee retention strategy.

Platform Selection and Rationale

A number of HR platforms were taken into consideration. The platform that satisfied the aforementioned factors and standards was the BambooHR Platform which is offered by Bamboo HR. In addition to being reliable (as evidenced by positive reviews), the vendor indicates that all the information at rest and in transfer is encrypted (thus satisfying the safety standard). The platform also appears to be user friendly in the sense that “it's very easy to find the information... it's very quick and easy to navigate between different pages” (G2, 2023). Finally, the vendor commits to providing the relevant feature updates and resources to ensure that users derive maximum benefit from the system (Bamboo HR, 2023). The vendor indicates that BambooHR is optimized to “find, hire, and onboard the best talent” (Bamboo HR, 2020). This helps address the organization’s needs for recruiting and onboarding. Further, BambooHR offers solutions for effective management of employee data in a way that makes it easier for the organization to gain valuable insights, i.e. in relation to employee performance, engagement, etc. Closely related to this is the capacity of this particular platform to “measure the employee experience and performance” (Bamboo HR, 2023). Data relating to employee experience and performance could come in handy in efforts to rein in employee turnover. As Wilton (2020) indicates, “a positive experience is associated with higher intent to stay” (211). The BambooHR platform also has tools to aid organizational efforts to formulate a superior employee development plan.