| Much of the benefit from using a Human resources | | | | many companies, for example, never create a custom |
| Software application will be derived from data you can | | | | report. The standard reports meet their needs. I have |
| pull from the system. In determining needs with | | | | seen other companies with high comprehensive report |
| prospects, I have seen statements related to report | | | | writing needs not have a report writer that can meet |
| writing more often than any other. The purpose of this | | | | those needs. |
| article is to define how you should view the human | | | | The important thing when determining your needs |
| resources software you will evaluate as it relates to | | | | before beginning your evaluation of systems is to write |
| report writing capabilities. | | | | out exactly which reports you will need and make |
| Standard Reports — Any Human resources | | | | certain that the system you select meets this need. |
| Software system you evaluate will offer some type | | | | Make sure if custom report writing is necessary, that it |
| of standard reports. You will hear that one company | | | | is included in the scope of the engagement. |
| offers one hundred and fifty reports and another | | | | Learning to use an HRIS Report Writer — I have |
| offers three hundred but this does not matter. All that | | | | seen that many people who are trained on using a |
| matters is that the reports that you are most likely to | | | | report writer are apprehensive to do so. Report |
| need are included in the sample reports. Here is a list | | | | Writing programs, such as Crystal, which many of the |
| of a few standard reports you should expect to be | | | | systems use, have a reputation of being difficult to |
| included with any HRIS application: | | | | work with and to learn. I actually don’t think this |
| Turnover statistics | | | | is the case. |
| Turnover Log | | | | If you have not done report writing in another system, |
| New Hire Log | | | | the first thing you need to understand is the logic of |
| Birthday Report | | | | report writing and how database files and fields react |
| Anniversary Reports | | | | with each other. When performing report writing |
| Benefits Reports | | | | training, I always tried to make sure the students |
| Reviews Due | | | | understood the logic first. I would not allow them to |
| Training Due | | | | take notes during this part of the discussion. More than |
| Employee Training | | | | a few students were not happy about this but I am |
| Attendance balances | | | | confident in my methods. Once you get the logic, |
| Attendance history | | | | writing reports is pretty easy and I actually think fun. |
| Salary Grade Range Exceptions | | | | Here’s my report writing logic. Report writers |
| Government compliance reporting for | | | | are stupid. You have to tell them everything they need |
| OSHAo COBRAo EEO | | | | to do. They assume nothing and they don’t |
| With standard reports, you will have the ability to | | | | think. |
| customize how you want the reports sorted or | | | | The first thing you need to do is determine which |
| grouped. You will likely also have the ability to export | | | | database contains the fields you will need within your |
| data to Excel or Word. This is helpful in that it may be | | | | report. Most systems will come with a database |
| the only way you can customize these reports. This is | | | | dictionary that will provide this detail. Then you will |
| also the biggest issue with standard reports. They are | | | | select the fields you want in your report. From here, |
| not typically customizable. You get what you get. With | | | | you determine grouping, sorting and totals. This is all |
| some systems, these reports may also be included | | | | pretty simple stuff. |
| within a report writer where you can alter the reports | | | | Here’s the tricky part. At this point the report |
| but this is not typically the case from my experience. | | | | query is pulling all information from the database. If you |
| Custom Report Writing — As you evaluate | | | | are running a turnover log, for example, you have not |
| various Human resources Software systems, you will | | | | told the stupid report writer that you only want |
| find that they have many similar capabilities, features | | | | terminated employees in your report. The same thing is |
| and options. Where you will see some major | | | | true if you only want to run a report for active |
| differences, however, is within the report writing | | | | employees; you must tell the report writer to do so. If |
| capabilities. Thus, you want to evaluate in detail the | | | | you only want employees with a birthday in June, you |
| report writing options you are presented. | | | | will have to filter your database to only include these |
| Everyone wants a human resources software report | | | | options. |
| writer that is easy to use and comprehensive in its | | | | The biggest problem I have seen after people receive |
| functionality. From my experience, however, I have | | | | training on a report writer is that they don’t jump |
| seen that these two needs have an inverse | | | | in and use the new knowledge and two months down |
| relationship. The easier the report writer is to us, the | | | | the road, when they need a report, they forgot what |
| less comprehensive the functionality and, of course, | | | | they learned. If you find this article helpful, you may also |
| the inverse would be true as well. The important thing | | | | want to read our article on HRIS System Software |
| when evaluating report writers is to determine how | | | | Training Options. |
| significant your report writing needs are. I have seen | | | | |