Human Resources – should it not be a resource for humans? Not a distant department that one receives faceless emails and payslips from. Read on to find out how the industry is changing.

Human resources is an important part of any company, without an efficiently run HR department many companies will find themselves in difficulties keeping staff and maintaining the "health" of the business itself.

It’s been a few years now since human resources software was brought to market and although initially clunky and frustrating, the human resources software available today is streamlined, efficient and very user friendly.

The human resources software available these days is all encompassing, with everything from aspects of recruitment, personnel records management and payroll, through to training administration, session planning and workflow. One emerging feature of human resource software, which is sadly more relevant given the global economic crisis, is the self-service module. These modules vary from simple systems which let employees view their information. Through to empowering employees to update their records and request holiday. In fact, the systems are often completely configurable for the employers and there are endless possibilities. Furthermore, the cost-benefit calculations make it easy to justify the investment in such systems.

The idea behind these powerful hr software solutions and its predecessors, has been to cut down on the bulk of administration and to automate business-critical processes, to give the HR personnel the time they need to support the employees. Going back to the current financial climate it seems that even the HR department must become more financially viable and as such the implementation of this kind of human resources software is widely encouraged.

Productivity in employees has been correlated back to their exposure to the HR staff. It seems that with additional support and hands-on time with employees, not only makes them feel more valued in the company but in turn helps them to take pride in their performance. Think of HR as the encouraging parent that pats you on the back when you are doing well.

There is of course a wide range of human resources software solutions on the market and as a business it is wise to investigate all available options before committing. The reason being is that all companies are different, sure there are similarities, but then there are also practices and ways of working that might seem normal and commonplace in one company but appear alien and unnecessary in another. The human resources software is designed to paper over those cracks and to establish a common ground for the employee and the employer, from which a productive and fruitful working relationship can grow. It is an investment in the future smooth running of a business.