HR Service Delivery Model

The HR Function is charged with many key responsibilities which include payroll preparation, performance measurement and recruitment and selection. For most organisations, the HR function is operated in conjunction with the other departments. These departments are run simultaneously and operate dependently on each. HR is expected to provide qualified, experienced and talented employees who will run these operations while the departments are expected to provide regular performance appraisals for their members to ensure that the performance of employees is monitored and frequently evaluated. This feedback is key as it helps in decision making in terms of the employees who need training, coaching, mentoring, recognition as well as appreciation. This symbiotic relationship ensures a smooth coordination of activities between departments which improves the general working environment to one that is motivating and supportive to the employees.

The HR Service Delivery Model describes how the HR Function offers services and engages with the staff. Traditionally, the HR Function operated with the open door policy where the employees would easily drop by the office, enquire or raise their concerns and have a one on one interaction with the HR Manager. This has however changed and mostly this is attributed to the adaption of technology which has revolutionised how the HR Functions are done (Silverthrone 2018). Thanks to many mobile applications as well as cloud computing, there are many evolutionary changes taking place and they are mostly fuelled by the evolving demographic changes of the employees. Hence, HR function has to its disposal, several Service Delivery methods which they may utilise effectively to access the staff.

Some of these HR Service Delivery Models include; the tiered service delivery model which prompts the employees to use the intranet or even a web-based portal to obtain information at their convenience; mobile self- service which allows the employees to access mobile HR services at their convenience as long as they can access a smart phone and also the use of a Call Centre which centralises the HR Services where employees can get all the information they need from a centralised place. Another HR Service Delivery Model include the use of social media where they present all the relevant information where the employees can easily access it and also any other interested party.

The traditional Service Model which has been most used over the years encourages the employees to visit the HR offices in person to raise their concerns. This Service model is considered time wasting and could be tiresome as the HR personnel will have to constantly repeat themselves while addressing different persons the same issue. The Traditional approach allows the HR function to respond to the concerns raised by either mail or telephone calls to clarify on the concerns raised and this is not only time consuming but also means more work for the HR function. This is unlike the modernised Service Delivery Models which  are fast, effective, efficient and allow for reference and concerns and complaints tracking by the HR function.

With recent developments, the adaption of Multi-tiered solution which is founded on Ulrich’s Three Legged Stool Model. According to this Multi-tiered solution, the requests and concerns of employees are normally escalated through the various tiers of service delivery and mostly from tier 0-3 (Frisby 2019). The lowest tier, tier 0 is basically when staff referring to the self-service platform to answer their own concerns and questions.  Tier 1 comprises of the HR service team responding to the queries and concerns raised by the employees while tiers 2&3 are the Subject matter experts which comprise of the HR business partners as well as the centres of expertise who are more experienced and trained to deal with such complex employee issues. The use of the multi-tiered solution is best applicable in instances where the firm utilises a common Shared Service Centre in a bid to deliver the HR services promptly to their employees. The image below describes in detail how the multi-tier solution works.

HR Service Delivery Models are very key in any organisation. This is attributed to the man facts that it bears which include;

Improved employee retention- when employees can easily access HR services when they need to and have a gateway to channel their concerns and complaints, they tend to stay longer in the organisation. This is because they feel appreciated and recognised and that their opinions and suggestions actually do matter to the company. This makes them be more productive and take personal responsibilities for their actions.

Seamless recruitment- when the HR displays the expectations in terms of how procedures should be followed, it makes the process seamless. This public display makes the work of HR smooth as they will follow the procedures keenly and also the information assists the candidates to identify what is required and only those qualified apply for the available vacancies. This results to enhanced recruitment and selection processes.

Reduced HR workload- using accessible delivery channels, the H are able to concentrate on what they do as employees can easily get the information they request for with minimal HR involvement. This means that HR can focus on other things and only respond when questions and concerns are raised.

Ability to measure customer satisfaction- when the employees use the online platforms to access the information they are interested in they are also prompted to respond to a quick survey which determines their level of satisfaction. These results are significant to the management as they prove the level of satisfaction of their employees and suggestions on how to improve their internal service delivery.

Employees are more engaged- when they raise their concerns and they are fast resolved, they become more engaged at work and do not shy away from making contributions and suggestions on how best to improve their firm.

Allows for record keeping- where HR decisions are informed by the metrics and this allows the HR function to keep track of the employees issues. This makes it easier for them to reference when need be and to avoid future complaints and same concerns being raised.

Cost optimisation- with technology, HR Service Delivery has been streamlined and thus reduction on the operational costs. Further, HR is able to save on as much time as possible and they are therefore more engaged in other critical functions.

Among the most recommended HR Service Delivery practices include; availability of self- service options which allows the employees to quickly search and find answers to their queries and concerns based on the company policies. The company handbook guide should also be attached for reference. Further, the service should allow for the employees to update their profiles, provide feedback on the level of service offered and also request for time off within minutes. The HR function should ensure to provide transparency in terms of matters which require approvals. They should also provide direct consultations and in the cases which require approvals, show the different persons who will be involved in responding to their queries. HR function should also be readily available to tackle the employee issues as fast as they arise. With some employees working remotely from other locations apart from home, the HR function must be able to be ready to assist when they are available even though it’s not working hours. This can be actualised by the availability of 24/7 response team who can always attend to the issues raised with immediate effect (Ultimate Software 2021).

References

Frisby 2019, “What is HR Service Delivery? And top 5 benefits- 2020 Dovetail HR Service Available on: www.blogdovetailsoftware-com.cdn.ampproject.org (Accessed on 27/02/2021)

Silverthrone V 2018, “HR Service Delivery” HRSoftware Available on: www.searchhrsoftware.techtargt.com (Accessed on 27/02/2021)

Ultimate Software 2021, “What is HR Service Delivery?” Ultimate Software Available on: www.ultimatesoftware.com (Accessed on 27/02/2021)