Human resources departments spending half of their time administering their companies' HR plans ... Line managers with no access to records on either their own staff's performance, or even on their own department's success in meeting corporate goals ... Employees knowing precious little about the value or cost of their benefits packages... Just a few examples, but the message is clear: The vast majority of human resource information systems (HRIS) as they exist today are woefully inadequate for supporting productive personnel functions. As the twenty-first century approaches - and with it, ever-greater competitive pressures for increased performance at reduced cost, and faster, more efficient communication with less effort - it's plain that most American businesses desperately need a technological shot in their human resource arms. In this trailblazing book, Alfred J. Walker shows HR professionals how to move HRIS from its present back-office, record-keeping role to its rightful place as the central business technology of a winning organization. Based on principles Walker has successfully implemented at many of the nation's Fortune 100 companies, Handbook of Human Resource Information Systems leads you step-by-step through the stages necessary to fundamentally shift the focus of the HR function - by utilizing the HRIS more effectively, establishing it as a guiding force, and positioning your company for strategic advantage in the years ahead. The book begins by outlining the history of HRIS, its early and as yet largely unfulfilled promise, the basic principles of HRIS planning and development, and the enormous potential inherent in an "extended" HRIS that serves as the primeinformation and decision-support system for an entire organization. You'll then find practical guidance on the nuts-and-bolts issues of HRIS implementation, including how to develop and/or design HRIS to fit company needs, with an emphasis on analyzing work flow and re-engineering the work prior to automating tasks; manage the system for optimal organizational advantage, and involve users in ongoing development of HRIS; justify costs and allocate resources, with an eye toward immediate gains and long-range benefits; and change management structures to reflect your new HRIS environment, and plan for the future. Amply illustrated with many charts, tables, and examples, the Handbook of Human Resource Information Systems shows you how to do what the most forward-thinking businesses are already doing: Extending the reach of HRIS companywide to such critical areas as empowering line managers to be more effective, help with communications, interactive benefits, career development systems, and employee recruitment. In short, this pioneering book brings to life an idea whose time has come - and whose benefits are long overdue.