Employee self-service programs are becoming increasingly common in companies and organizations and the A&M System is doing its part.
These programs allow employees to more actively participate in the delivery of their benefit, pay, training and other human resources-related functions. Self-service programs are beneficial because they:
Towers Perrin, an international human resources consulting firm, studied 325 organizations in 2006 to determine what human resources-related self-service programs were offered to employees. Most of the web self services offered by those surveyed are also offered by the A&M System:
Online job postings: Eighty-seven percent of Towers Perrin survey participants provide online job postings. Several years ago, A&M System members began posting job vacancy notices on their websites. A few months ago, that service was expanded to a Systemwide job posting with search capabilities. Instead of having to go to each System member’s website, you can now go to one site and search for jobs based on geographic region, university or agency, department, position number, position title, description and/or job category.
Seventy-nine percent of survey participants offer the capability for people to apply for jobs online. Most A&M System members also offer this capability, accessible from the online job postings.
Online benefit enrollment system for new employees: Fifty-five percent of survey participants offer online benefit enrollment for new employees. The A&M System has had this online capability for two years. New employees can access the system by going to Single Sign On and selecting HRConnect. In fiscal year 2006 (September 1, 2005, through August 31, 2006), 3,200 new employees completed their benefit enrollment online.
Online annual enrollment system for employees: Seventy-four percent of survey participants have online annual benefit enrollment systems for employees. The A&M System has had this online capability for several years, and in the July 2006 annual enrollment, 84 percent of benefit changes were made online by employees. During Annual Enrollment, employees can access the online system by going to Single Sign On and selecting HRConnect.
Online access to benefit plan information: Seventy-nine percent of survey participants provide employees with online access to benefit plan information. A&M System employees can view plan description booklets online. Additional benefit plan information is available on the System Human Resources Office (SHRO) website, Benefit Programs page. Collectively, System employees view their benefit information approximately 10,000 times per month.
Sixty-six percent of Towers Perrin survey participants provide online access to wellness information. The A&M System provides wellness information on the HR News page of the SHRO website and in Systemwide, the A&M System’s online employee newsletter. Also, links to other websites that offer wellness information are available on the Other Useful Links and Benefit Programs pages of the SHRO website.
Online total compensation and benefits statements: Just 29 percent of survey participants have total compensation and benefits statements available for employees to view online. A&M System employees can access that information by going to Single Sign On, selecting HRConnect and then the Payroll Data tab. System employees viewed their total compensation statements more than 25,000 times in FY 2006.
Online direct deposit adjustments: Forty-four percent of survey participants have programs that allow employees to adjust their direct deposit information online. The same percentage allow employees to change their federal tax withholding online. The A&M System offers direct deposit as well as W-4 tax form adjustment capability. Each month, 400 System employees update their direct deposit information and more than 1,300 update their W-4 tax forms online by going to Single Sign On, selecting HRConnect and then the Payroll Data tab.
Online training: Fifty-seven percent of survey participants provide their employees with the ability to enroll in training online, while 52 percent offer online access to training histories. For several years, the A&M System has been offering online training courses through TrainTraq, which is accessible by going to Single Sign On, selecting HRConnect and then the Training tab. A&M System employees can access and take the courses online. Course completion is automatically tracked, so employees can view their training histories online at any time. In fiscal year 2006, TrainTraq recorded more than 75,000 completions on the 14 online training courses.
Online performance goals/results: Forty-two percent of survey participants offer online capability for updating performance goals and results. Only a few System members currently use an online system for performance management.
Online leave request system: Just 22 percent of survey participants have online leave request systems, and only 50 percent have leave balance information available for employees to view online. LeaveTraq is available to all A&M System members. Employees can submit leave requests as well as view leave usage and balances by going to Single Sign On and selecting LeaveTraq.
Online personal data adjustments: Sixty-four percent of survey participants have personal data systems that allow employees to change their personal data. A&M System member employees have that ability by going to Single Sign On, selecting HRConnect and then the Personal Data tab. About 900 employees update their personal information through HRConnect each month.
Online pay stubs: Sixty-three percent of survey participants have systems that allow employees to access their pay stubs online. A&M System member employees have that ability. This is the most widely accessed part of HRConnect, with more than 18,000 employees viewing their pay retainers an average of three times each month. Employees can access this information by going to Single Sign On, selecting HRConnect and then the Payroll Data tab.
Only 27 percent of survey participants currently offer an online orientation process. The A&M System is working on a program that will allow new employees to complete most of the orientation process online.
The A&M System also has available to its employees TimeTraq, an online timesheet system that allows employees to complete and submit their timesheets online. The timesheets are then automatically forwarded to the appropriate supervisor for approval. This self-service system is accessible by going to Single Sign On and selecting TimeTraq.
The only self-service functions included in the Towers Perrin survey that the A&M System does not have and is not currently developing are the family status changes and career planning functions. However, the family status changes function is on the A&M System’s development agenda.
As the numbers show, both access to and utilization of online self-service systems is extensive within the A&M System. 