HR System Survey

HR System Survey

LawNet, Inc.

Tracey Baetzel Director, Information

Services Honigman

Detroit, Michigan

Goals for the discussion

Present survey results Clarify terminology Discuss technology trends and issues facing

HR administrators in law firms

Evolution of HR Systems in Law Firms

Accounting Litigation support and other databases Records Document management Other large volume transaction processing

systems

Historical Problems Implementing HR Systems in Law Firms

Finding the right people to do the job

- Transaction processing not a strength in HR

- Process management not a strength in HR

- Database - IS and Accounting do not have

strengths in HR processes and information requirements

Historical Problems (cont.)

Finding the right software to do the job– Commercial programs prohibitively expensive– Customization is resource intensive– Scope of transactions and relatively low volume

makes cost justification difficult

Today’s Problem with HR Systemsin Law Firms

Industry standards for software less evolved than with other functions

Integration with other legal applications difficult

Increasing burdens on HR departments to track and report extensive data on people and benefits

Whither, LawNet HR Survey?

Find out what other firms are doing Collaborate with other firms to identify and

develop best practices with regard to HR system development

Collaborate with leading vendors to communicate requirements of legal verticals

Leading HRIS Systems in US Law Firms

26% use ADP (adp.com) 11.5% use ABRA Suite (abra.com) 9% use Ceridian (ceridian.com, advertises

Canadian and European solutions on website)

8% use custom solutions (Excel, Access, SQL)

3.5% use PeopleSoft

International HRIS System Use

6% of US firms use the same HRIS software in international offices

8% of US firms do not use the same HRIS software in international offices

Address and phone number formats and currency conversions are key issues

71% not applicable

Primary uses of HRIS data

87% Core information 71% Payroll 67% Benefits 44% Payroll integration 22% Recruiting 21% Skills and performance evaluations 14% Training Course Information

Other Uses of HRIS Data

Vacation and sick leave ADA, FMLA, EEO tracking and reporting Secretarial assignments Emergency information Address history Company assets (e.g., computer, Blackberry) Access information (parking and door cards)

Customization Requirements

25% customize their HRIS system to support:

-Bar Information (date admitted, #, etc.)

-Clerkship information

-Partnership information

-Practice area information

-Foreign language

-Leadership roles

HRIS Reporting Capabilities

62% satisfied 26% not satisfied

– Difficulty creating new reports

– “Canned” reports all have to be modified

– Inaccurate data, especially for attendance and payroll purposes

HRIS Responsibility by Dept

53% Human Resources 25% Administration 17% Accounting/Finance 5% IS

HRIS Responsibility by Level

Director or Manager Specialist or Assistant

Problems with HRIS Chain of Command

Coordinating information flow between departments

Data upkeep and timing issues Structuring information to generate an

accurate head count figure Maintaining confidentiality and moving

forward on developments

Satisfaction with benefits modules

20% of firms are very satisfied with the benefits capabilities of their HRIS

43% are satisfied with their benefits capabilities

16% are not satisfied – Reasons cited were sparse (no functionality, not

able to get reports, lack of know-how)

Payroll

20% of firms handle it in house 80% of firms outsource

ADP and Ceridian are the leading vendors Paychex, PDS Vista, Pay Day, Micropay,

Ultipro, PowerPay, Cognicase, Pro-Business were also cited

Electronic Timesheets

40% of firms use electronic timesheet software

60% of firms do not

ADP’s eTime was the leading vendor

Others cited include DTE, Kronos, Omega, Stromberg, Infinitime and CCH ProSystems

Intranets

57% of firms have an intranet 43% of firms do not

E-learning tools

29% of firms use e-learning tools for training 67% do not Leading programs: Elementk.com, TutorPro,

Microsoft Tutorial, WebEx, Savvy Training videos

The majority of those using e-learning tools rate the programs as excellent or good

Firm University

29% of firms have one 71% do not

Programs range from formal tracked course offerings which are part of an integrated professional development series to informal mini course offerings and “lunch and learn” sessions.

Training Rewards Program

8% of firms offer training rewards– Gifts– Certificates– Credits which are tallied for compensation

91% do not

Assessment of Technical Skills for Secretaries

66% of firms assess technical skills prior to hiring

34% do not

Technical assessment tools include: Skill Check software, Qwiz testing software

Training Budgets

Based on per person amount Based on last year’s budget Based on new year’s projects Don’t budget

Whither, Training and the Changing Role of the Trainer

Link to strategic use of technology Focus on what people do not what software

does What is the standard for skills? Are traditional learning approaches

appropriate? – Trainer as learning facilitator– Build teams and connect people through training

Biggest challenges today

Tactical– Train people to use new systems– Find a good package– Understaffing in HR– Getting senior management buy in– Identifying required skills

Challenges (cont.)

Strategic– Converting current processes to use new

technology– Creating a single data source– Integration of disparate systems– Provide information to employees that leads to

improved performance and more efficient operation

Greatest Opportunities

Tactical– Self service for Benefits – E-training– Conference room scheduling– Skills tracking– Performance and disciplinary tracking– Screening and recruiting– Electronic time sheets– Comp schedules

Opportunities

Strategic– Workflow– People management and teambuilding

“First you measure, then you manage.”

Peter Drucker

Technology and HR Intersect

Prescription for Action

Build bridges with Accounting and IS

-Invite to occasional staff meetings

-Find out how they would approach your technology issues

-Use those ideas to develop a plan of action

Prescription (cont.)

Set 1, 2, and 3 year goals and build a budget for HRIS – Identify the working team and time estimates for

staff budget– Identify possible equipment and software needs

for capital budget– Identify need for vendor consulting or custom

programming for operating budget

Prescription (cont.)

Be divas and prima donnas– Talk to the right people about your plan, do a

presentation for the technology committee or management

– Sell the HR system as a future cornerstone of the firm’s technology platform

– Use your influence to get the people, skills and money you need to carry out your plan

Prescription (cont.)

Collaborate and communicate special needs to vendors– Work from the top down (that is, don’t be too

granular in specifying requirements)– Keep the list short– Start with something small and simple and do it

really, really well before moving on

Discussion and Questions