MANAGING

AN HRIS
BSMH3093 HUMAN RESOURCE
INFORMATION SYSTEM
 Qualities of an effective HRIS manager

• Goal setting
• Communication
• Planning
• Organization
• Negotiation
• Delegation and supervision
• Team building, intervention,
and group dynamic
• Willingness to learn
Steps to get the best possible HRIS manager

• must recognize that the positions of project team leader and

system manager are two different jobs
• must define the system manager position, creating a complete
job description and background requirements
• make designating and preparing someone for the manager’s
role part of the project team’s goal.
• once the project team identifies potential managers, the
selected manager should coordinate their project team
assignments to help them develop and refine the management
skills and technical background appropriate to manage the
ongoing system properly
Stages of the HRIS life-cycle

Start-up

Decline Growing

Mature
 Managing HRIS: a start-up system
• during most of the start-up phase, the project team leader
rather than the HRIS manager often leads system
development. The transition usually takes place after the
HRIS installation
• the HRIS manager should make sure that the staff complete
every implementation step thoroughly, especially training
and testing
• this phase requires careful attention to coordinating the
efforts of everyone concerned
 Managing HRIS: a growing system
• once the project team has installed and tested the new
system, the HRSC emerges as an active interface between
users and the system
• management of the growing HRIS and HRSC structures
includes complete staffing assignments, communications
links, organization charts, reporting mechanisms, and the
adoption of more sophisticated maintenance tools and
techniques
• during this period of growth, staffing needs shift as technical
demands, moderate and communication skills become
central to interaction with users and external agencies aiming
for additional data and improved reports
 Managing HRIS: a growing system

• the HRIS manager must supervise system maintenance in a

well-organized manner, keeping track of every request and
response

• Despite struggling with new modules and small

improvement, the manager must facilitate the decision about
whether to continue and grow (adding more modules over
time) or to prepare to accept the system as it is
 Managing HRIS: a mature system
• When maintenance demands increase tremendously and
become the main consumer of HRSC resources, the system has
achieved maturity
• The management goals during maturity are to keep use and
productivity at their peaks and to counter the increased
maintenance burden with more effective productivity tools and
techniques
• In this stage, the more expert user begins taking a creative role in
system evolution
• The HRSC manager should ensure that the IC, user groups,
newsletters, and other activities that maximize the applicability
of the system are established, well run, and appropriately staffed
 Managing HRIS: a decline system
• The HRSC manager has responsibility for monitoring the health
of the system and calling attention to its status and needs
• When audits, surveys, indicator analysis or ROI evaluation
indicate a system is decline the HRSC manager must decide what
action to take
• Alternatives include patching the existing system together to buy
time, accelerating the decline by pulling the plug on the system,
or planning to develop or acquire a new system
• Actual management of a declining system has three
components: planning for the phase-out of existing operations,
allocation reduced staffing and support to users during transition
to the new HRIS, and halting operation of the current system
 Managing HRIS staff

• Establishing the HRSC staff

• The size of the HRSC operation plays a significant role in the type of
person best suited for HRSC staffing

• Growing HRSC staff

• As the HRSC becomes larger and more comprehensive and as users
become more involved with the system and demand more
sophisticated support, HRSC capacity must increase correspondingly
 Managing user relations

Promoting user involvement

Getting user started

Establishing an Information Centre

Developing a user community or communities

Giving users what they need

 Managing HRSC relations with other
departments
• HRSC actions that foster a desirable image among other
departments include the following:
• Keeping commitments once made
• Being responsive to requests, comments, and other communication
• Actively maintaining contact through tools such as newsletters,
bulletins, staff profiles and vendor press releases

• The HRSC manager should strive to get other departments

involved in decision making on projects they want the HRSC
handle
 Managing HRSC relations with other
departments

• The HRIS and IS

• Respect the standards and rules IS has established for system
applications
• Earn respect for the HRIS
• Be willing to admit lack of knowledge
• Do not expect technicians to be experts in all technical areas
• Use HRIS technical staff as a language bridge to IS whenever
appropriate
 Managing HRSC relations with other
departments

• The HRIS and finance

• Have twofold relationship:
1. they are partner operations, sharing information
about fiscally important aspects of human
resource management;
2. the HRSC has a responsibility to finance in terms
of HRSC budget and expenditures
Managing Top Management

Selling the HRIS

Fostering a system that earns management support

Resolving conflicting priorities and perceptions

Keeping the management committee active

Managing HRSC relations with other groups

The HRIS and the general

employee population

The HRIS and external

agencies

The HRSC and outside

experts
QUESTIONS????