Evaluation Criteria

HRM/558

August 26, 2013

John Henderson

Over the last 12 months Bradford Enterprise has more than double the number of locations and employees in one state. As the result of last year's rapid growth, the owner of Bradford Enterprises in looking to create an equitable and stable Human Resources (HR) Department. The upgrades to the HR Department will allow the company to reach a new level of competitiveness. The responsibility of the HR Manager is to use the tools available to select the best employees for Bradford Enterprises. The owner has identified three tools for the expansion of the HR Department: selection test; HRIS (Human Resource Information System) and succession planning tool.

Selection Test

Selection test refers to when employers use employee test and other processes to screen applicants for hire and employees for promotion. The use of tests can be an effectual method of establishing which candidates or employees are the best fit for a specific job. Some of the most common tests used today include: cognitive test, physical ability, sample job task, medical inquiries and physical examinations, criminal background check, credit check, performance appraisal, and English proficiency tests. Employers must adhere to all federal, state and local laws, specifically all governing Equal Opportunity Employment laws.

A specific criterion for selection testing is drug testing of all employees. Where permitted by law, employers can conduct drug and alcohol testing as part of the hiring process, prior offering a promotion, post accident, random testing and when the employer believes an employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Drug testing before a person goes to work will ensure that he doesn't work while under the influence, protecting himself and other staff from potential accidents (Freeman, 2012). The upfront cost of drug testing may be minimal compared to the cost of training a new employee or compensating an injured worker.

Human Resource Information System (HRIS)

Human Resources Information System (HRIS) is software that manages payroll, attendance, sick time and vacation days, disciplinary actions and benefits transactions. Employers rely on HRIS to accurately pay employees, manage their health insurance coverage, track employees' positions and performance evaluation ratings. These systems allow companies to eradicate the manual labor and mistakes linked with paper-based tracking.

Through HRIS, employees can access information about their paychecks, leave balances, income tax, and make changes to their W2 deductions. This is a very important tool, since employees can update their personal information such as address or benefits. HR staff can spend less time on day-to-day