Talent Management In One Unified Solution
Written by: Dan Schuster
Employees make the difference, HR makes it so
You’ve probably heard the saying: “An organization is only as great as its employees.” It’s a simple concept really, and yet many organizations don’t actually have the tools in place to effectively attract the right talent and then grow that talent over time. Sure, they might have the point solutions to handle individual business needs, but overall the IT landscape is disparate; HR efficiency is severely limited; and, in many cases, it’s key talent management processes that suffer.
This is where having a single, unified HR system is critical. With a single system, HR organizations can gain the single platform they need for talent management and avoid the hardships of trying to bring data sources together. But these days having a single system still isn’t enough. The changing expectations of prospective employees have added considerable new challenges. New hires, for example, have now come to expect greater visibility into the hiring process and responsiveness from hiring managers. Providing this experience can often be the first impression you leave a prospect; and doing it well can be the single act that keeps him or her interested in your company.
Addressing these challenges, we at Microsoft believe that a comprehensive HR system needs to, first, make the posting of jobs, both internally and externally, considerably easier. Our Microsoft Dynamics solutions include functionality that helps HR staff and hiring managers to define competencies, tests, and qualifications for positions and then map those criteria to internal and external candidates and employees for speedier decision-making. At the same time, templates and bookmarks within our HR system integrate with Microsoft Office tools, like Outlook, to streamline communications with applicants.
Effective hiring is only the first part to better HR management, however. Once an applicant becomes a new hire, the demands on the HR system naturally change. Maintaining and growing that talent become top concerns, and one that can be addressed through functionality such as the ability to initiate and manage training programs and work-related events through the HR system. The ability to capture an employee’s performance over the course of the year is also critical. Today’s social media tools, such as Yammer, can work for the enterprise, too. Managers can rate employees on their projects and help employees have a better view and more control over their careers, with online access to other staff for peer-to-peer learning.
HR staff also needs to be able to capture performance data as well and implement pay increases based on employee and organizational performance goals—without having to bug IT to pull together data sources or run a report.
At Microsoft, we are continually making advances in the area to help HR organizations like yours be as effective as possible. It is our aspiration that with a product like Microsoft Dynamics AX in place, attracting, onboarding, retaining, and developing staff transforms from a task that simply must be done, into a core competency of your organization—and one that that can positively impact the way prospective and existing staff feel about working for your company.
Post originally written for Forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/sites/microsoftdynamics/2013/02/08/talent-management-in-one-unified-solution/
