MSS Implementation - Why should I?

I had a rather interesting question posed to me by one of the HR Business Managers in the context of implementing a Manager Self Service, they currently do not have one & managers have the HR Admins or Deptt Admins doing all the transactions on their behalf.

Question was: Why should I implement a Manager Self Service module, what is it going to do for my managers? Is HR trying to push its dirty work back to the Manager? What are the benefits of having a MSS solution. This set me thinking real hard on the actual merits of a MSS.

A line manager is an extension of a HR function & is supposed to execute the policies, processes that the HR function implements. Manager by virtue of his name, is the closest to the employee & understands the employee the best. Also all job descriptions of a manager would include tasks like managing the workforce productivity, manage turnover, quality, training etc., so in essence a line manager is a "mini HR Manager" & hence having a MSS makes lot of sense for him/her to accomplish the HR tasks.

There are numerous advantages of having a MSS
1. Manager's now have access to all of their direct reports data in one single place, which means that they don't have to go back & forth to HR for this information
2. It definitely decreases the time taken for routine transactions like approvals for say absence or timesheets
3. With areas like compensation planning, MSS would have provide managers with their budgets & they could plan & recommend salary increases for their direct reports
4. In areas like performance reviews, competency management, skill development managers have the information required on their desktops to carry out these critical tasks.
5. It will help decrease the paper trails, improve control of information, improve data integrity - all essential requirements from a SOX compliance angle as well

What this is doing is really freeing up the time HR would spend on routine tasks & enable them to focus on what is really strategic for the organization - like Talent Management for e.g.

Hiring is On.. But be careful

A recent report in Rediff indicates that hiring trend has gone northwards. The same report also indicates optimism -- "as much as 25 per cent of the employers showing an intention to recruit people in the next three months of this year"


While this is good news, there is something that recruiters need to be careful of. This report in workforce.com indicates the discrimination claims that employers can expect if they recruit from social networking sites like Twitter or Linkedin.

Hmm.. while this report is US specific, it gives a good insight into what might constitute a discriminatory hiring practice, something global recuiters will need to be aware of.

GKVK Saved

So.. All's well that End's Well..
Finally the Courts had to intervene.. In what I would like to call a Landmark judgement from the High Court, the trees of GKVK will not be cut & hence the link road through GKVK linking Yeshwantpur-Yelahanka road with Bellary Road will not be taken up further.
Link to High Court Verdict in Times of India.
For this verdict special thanks to all the Vice chancellors of GKVK who filed the PIL in high court. Hasiru Usiru for their sustained campaign & who organized a Green March at MG Road to highlight the issues if such a road were to come up.Rotary Club of Yelahanka which organized candle light vigils at GKVK.
Special thanks to indian Express, Hindu for exposing the former commissioner of BBMP Subramanya's undue involvement in the road project.

Some questions which readily come to one's mind
1. Why should the court's be always involved in these kind of environmental issues, doesnt the exectutive understand these issues?
2. Why is the BBMP getting involved in a road project which nobody wants? A road already exists which connects bellary road, this road is the Sandeep Unnikrishnan road & has considerably reduced the travel time to the airport in the north bangalore area.
3. The whole of Bangalore is crying for attention to the existing infrastructure which is woefully short for the current population, what are the BBMP's plans to expedite this?
The KR Puram ring road junction is an excellent example of what is lacking in Bangalore's infrastructure. As a daily user of this route for many years, I shudder to see fear on old citizens faces when trying to cross the road, the daily traffic jams on both sides of the road have been a regular feature since the sky bridge has come up. What has BBMP done to address this single piece of infrastructure. Maybe a PIL to the High Court will help?
On a funny note here is Mr Subramanya's singular piece of contribution to Bangalore's infrastructure..!..