In a
previous Astronology, we
explored the basics of a Human Resource Information System, or HRIS. As we
mentioned in that article, such technology can be beneficial in assisting
with HR administration. It is also an effective tool for boosting efficiency
& productivity, and removing physical paperwork off one’s desk. In
this Astronology article, we give you a closer look at Astron Solutions’
Flare® and many of its different modules.
What is Flare®?
In
short, Flare® is a cloud-based framework that allows you to track your
employees from their first days of work to their last days with your
organization. You can customize your Flare® suite to fit your
organization’s needs. All data stored in the system is password protected and
housed on secure servers with 99.9% uptime. You have the ability to
upload employee information & reporting relations, and store an unlimited
number of users and employees. Some of Flare®’s most attractive
features are the customizable modules and the individual, reasonable pricing
per module.
But
what’s included in Flare®? Let’s dig deeper into some of the more
popular modules.
Performance
Appraisal Module
According
to a 2011 SHRM poll, 98% of organizations reported that they have a
formal employee performance evaluation process. Although you may have one in
place, are your performance reviews completed on paper? Why not cut time
and resources with an online performance review system? With Flare®’s
performance appraisal module you can eliminate the hard copy and streamline
everyone’s work by having employees’ appraisals pre-populated with their job
description and other desired demographics. In addition, this module is
designed with features to ensure all sections are completed prior to
submission, to perform mathematical calculations for accurate scoring, and to
check for potential legal issues. Other user favorites include these
features:
- Self-Reviews,
- HR approvals,
- Summary reports, and
- Electronic or traditional paper signatures.
Pay for
Performance / Merit Increase Module
“While
there are pros and cons to using a merit increase approach, in today’s world a
majority of organizations attempt to link pay increases to employee
performance,” explains National Director Jennifer Loftus. “With limited
merit increase budgets typically around three percent of pay, it’s essential
that organizations make clear distinctions in pay increases between the high
performers and low performers.”
If the
thought of working with multiple spreadsheets and checking formulas makes you
dizzy, however, consider Flare®’s pay for performance module. In
three easy steps you will be able to assign all employees with proper merit
increases, meeting your merit increase budget and having the necessary reports
for senior management. This module is able to calculate increases as a percent
of base pay, lump sum, or a combination of both. Factors such as position in
range and performance appraisal score can also be taken into consideration.
Job
Description Module
According
to Jennifer, “the Department of Labor continues its robust investigations of
wage and hour complaints. One of your best defenses in an FLSA audit is
up to date and accurate job descriptions.
And with the new FLSA regulations around the corner, now is the time to
create or update your organization’s job descriptions.”
Need an
accessible place to keep record of your job descriptions? Need reminders
to update your organization’s descriptions more frequently than every five to
ten years? Flare®’s job description module is for you. This
module allows you to design a job description template so all job descriptions
are consistent in content type. Authorized staff can prepare draft updates to
job description content to be approved by HR. The Flare® job
description module also contains tests for FLSA compliance and a point factor
job evaluation system to streamline your work and reporting systems.
Staff
Advancement Monitor™
About
52% of respondents from the 2013 Global Assessment Trends report listed developing leaders as a top
priority for their organization. Is leadership development a priority for
yours? If so, Flare®’s Staff Advancement Monitor™ module assists
you in developing custom primary & secondary competencies and developmental
activities for future leaders. The results tracked in this module can be
used for employee promotion recommendations. Additional features include
a listing of all participating employees, their mentors, and targeted goal
positions.
Finders
Keepers™
The 2013 Global Assessment Trends report also mentioned that 55% of respondents
cite engagement of the workforce as a priority this year. Do you want to know
if your valued employees are engaged with their work… or with your
organization? Would you like to get opinions on where managers can make
improvements? With the Finders Keepers™ module, you can! This module allows
authorized users to create much needed customized surveys to gather employee
opinions, new hire perspectives, and even exit interview data. On-line,
real-time reporting makes data analysis a breeze!
Total
Rewards Statements
77% of
organizations feel as though they communicate employee benefits
effectively. If you
want to ensure that your employees are aware of your organization’s reward
program, consider Flare®’s Total Rewards Statement module! With
this module, you will be able to securely inform your employees of the
value of their total compensation packages in real-time. Information
captured and reported by Flare® in both narrative and graphic formats
include and are not limited to salary, variable compensation, and benefit cost &
value information.