The move has not only saved time, it has also improved the accuracy of the data, reports Frank Granato, manager of US benefits and HR systems. Nobody needs to be in the business of handling paper. Moreover, the behavioral change among employees prepares them for other self-service options down the line. The Times provides Web-based benefits enrollment. It has also rolled out a graphical interface for employee stock purchases, as well as online direct-deposit information.
Consultants advise against making too much data available to workers, however.
Some companies, they note, make the mistake of stuffing their HR user interfaces full, cramming 20 self-service applications into one site. Call Screening Until recently, picking up the phone and calling HR was how prospective employees inquired about job openings. But self-service HR has found a home in the competitive world of recruitment, as well. Once there, the guest answers a list of questions. Those answers serve not only as a de facto resume, they entice a visitor to go beyond mere browsing.