FAQs

1. What makes HRToolbench unique?
2. How can HRToolbench lighten the administrative load of HR professionals?
3. Why should an organization transition to HRToolbench if it already uses an online job description software and/or performance management software?
4. How easily can employees and managers learn to use HRToolbench?
5. What kinds of helpful content are built into HRToolbench?
6. How does HRToolbench make job competencies available?
7. Can HRToolbench modules be purchased separately?
8. How is HRToolbench priced?
9. How quickly can employees and managers embrace using HRToolbench?
10. How can HRToolbench help HR professionals manage the workforce more strategically?
11. How can HRToolbench help an organization comply with the FLSA?
12. How can HRToolbench help an organization comply with the ADA?
13. How can the cost of HRToolbench be justified to senior management?
14. How quickly can HRToolbench be implemented?
15. Does HRToolbench require an organization to purchase and maintain any special equipment, or dedicate internal IT resources to its daily operation?
16. How does HRToolbench secure and protect an organization’s data?
17. What kind of system support and training are provided to an organization’s internal HRToolbench system administrator?
18. Does HRToolbench replace an existing HRIS or payroll system?
19. How does HRToolbench access employee information from an organization’s HRIS or outside payroll provider?

1. What makes HRToolbench unique?

HRToolbench is a truly integrated suite of HR modules that facilitates multiple HR processes and documents, including job descriptions, competencies, candidate selection, 360 feedback, performance management, compensation administration, and succession planning -- all accessed through a single unified website. No other vendor offers comparable scope of HR functionality in an integrated package, or the degree of information sharing among different HR modules. Designed with wide-ranging HR challenges in mind, HRToolbench simplifies and eases the administrative demands shouldered by HR professionals, and also provides employees and managers with the tools and shortcuts needed to collect and use high quality HR information to measure, develop, reward and motivate employees.

2. How can HRToolbench lighten the administrative load of HR professionals?

HR professionals are constantly maintaining job and employee information, and then compiling and reformatting data from different sources to support specific HR processes. HRToolbench is unique because it maintains the data needed to support numerous and time-consuming HR processes, integrates the necessary data components, and delivers the information in tools ready to use. This means information is entered once and appears automatically in the right format wherever it’s needed. Whether it’s writing job descriptions, reviewing employee performance, defining job competencies, assigning jobs to salary grades, managing spreadsheets for salary increase planning, or planning employee development activities, HRToolbench saves time, improves accuracy and increases quality. HR professionals observe that HRToolbench can save the estimated equivalent of half an HR professional over the course of a year.

3. Why should an organization transition to HRToolbench if it already uses an online job description software and/or performance management software?

Most online job description tools produce static word-processed documents. Since the job information is not maintained in a database applying the information to other functions is inherently limited and typically not done. For example, job competencies on a job description require separate data entry to be displayed on an employee’s performance form. In contrast, sharing information among the various modules of HRToolbench is automatic. This maximizes opportunities to use the information strategically, and makes the time and effort to prepare job descriptions much more economic and transparently valuable to internal clients. And, because the information is being drawn from a central source it is applied consistently across different HR processes.

4. How easily can employees and managers learn to use HRToolbench?

Employees and managers report that navigating and using HRToolbench is extremely easy. Screens are highly intuitive and straightforward. Detailed context-sensitive HELP instructions are provided throughout HRToolbench. Detailed step-by-step user instructions for each module are also available. Typically, no formal user training is required, but on-site training can be made available upon request.

5. What kinds of helpful content are built into HRToolbench?

HRToolbench is pre-loaded with extensive content, such as competency libraries, 200 template job descriptions, ADA criteria, 360 feedback templates, local market-adjusted salary grades, a proprietary job evaluation system, and pre-configured reports. Numerous dropdown pick lists make completing a job description easy. Pre-written, suggested manager comments make entering performance comments for an employee a snap.

6. How does HRToolbench make job competencies available?

The competency libraries embedded in HRToolbench are provided by our alliance partner The Odyssey Group, Inc. Over 300 General and Function-Specific competencies are made available to all subscriber organizations at no additional cost. HRToolbench also enables a client organization to add its own competencies to the libraries maintained in HRToolbench. For organizations requiring expanded organization-specific competencies, The Odyssey Group is available to develop custom competencies on a consulting basis.

7. Can HRToolbench modules be purchased separately?

Yes. The Basic Package includes the Job Description and Performance Management modules, and access to competency libraries. The 360 Feedback, Candidate Selection, Succession Planning, and Compensation modules can be added separately at any time. Client organizations have the flexibility to activate the array of modules that best meet the organization's needs.

8. How is HRToolbench priced?

Organizations desiring access to HRToolbench commit to a one-year subscription agreement, which renews annually. Subscription fees are typically invoiced monthly. HRToolbench is priced based on the number of employees and the modules selected. Contact HR Technology Solutions to obtain a customized price quote.

9. How quickly can employees and managers embrace using HRToolbench?

As with the introduction of any new tool there is always some organizational adjustment required. It is best to position HRToolbench for rollout as an aid for employees and managers, rather than an "HR driven system," and to give employees and managers the opportunity to experience the time savings, ease and convenience of HRToolbench to accelerate acceptance. A major challenge is changing the collective mindset of HR's internal customers learned over many years that gathering HR-related data is not worth the effort because the information is not used extensively. Firsthand experience with the ways HRToolbench transforms job and employee data into practical and helpful information for managers and employees is an effective way to convince users that HRToolbench is worthwhile.

10. How can HRToolbench help HR professionals manage the workforce more strategically?

HRToolbench helps organizations define what each job does, and what general and function-specific competencies and proficiency levels are required for job success. It then applies this information to different HR processes to create a foundation for strategic workforce management. For example, job competencies are used to assess candidates, to measure employee competency gaps, to focus developmental training, and to identify employees for potential transfer and promotion. Having this information immediately available provides a strategic advantage to the organization and empowers HR professionals to manage the workforce as an asset whose productivity can be optimized. HRToolbench gives HR professionals the time and many of the tools to respond more effectively to top management’s demands for strategic workforce information.

11. How can HRToolbench help an organization comply with the FLSA?

The Job Description module provides HR professionals built-in FLSA compliance screens that contain all of the FLSA exemption test criteria necessary to determine the Federal exemption status of a job. HR professionals can easily keep track of the exemption status of all jobs and quickly determine the exemption status of a new job. The tool automatically displays a job's exemption status as soon as exemption test responses have been entered. Supplemental comments can also be entered to explain the basis of responses. Exemption test criteria for all jobs are maintained for easy retrieval by HR professionals. A FLSA report can be generated instantly in the event of an audit.

12. How can HRToolbench help an organization comply with the ADA?

The Job Description module provides convenient screens that enable employees and managers to document the “essential” and “non-essential” responsibilities of a job, as well as a job’s physical and mental challenges, and work environmental factors. Pre-written content and point-and-click user interface make the collection of ADA criteria convenient, consistent and comprehensive. Detailed ADA information on a job description can be used proactively to identify a candidate’s potential accommodation needs before they become legal problems.

13. How can the cost of HRToolbench be justified to senior management?

HRToolbench is affordably priced for small and mid-sized organizations that desire advanced HR technology but cannot afford Fortune 500 price tags. It is difficult to project the precise "hard dollar" savings that HRToolbench can generate because each organization's situation is unique. However, here is an example of the potential savings that can be gained. Following implementation of the HRToolbench 360 Feedback module, a 150 employee professional services firm estimated an annual savings of $250,000 based on reductions in the time required to complete feedback forms and administer the process.

14. How quickly can HRToolbench be implemented?

Because HRToolbench is hosted by HR Technology Solutions and is provided on a “Software as a Service” basis, implementation time is dramatically shorter than with installed systems. Key setup tasks include making selections from among the various system configuration options and establishing the nightly or weekly employee data feed from the client organization’s HRIS. A draft employee announcement and online training materials are also provided. The entire process is quick and typically requires no more than a few weeks.

15. Does HRToolbench require an organization to purchase and maintain any special equipment, or dedicate internal IT resources to its daily operation?

No. HRToolbench requires no special equipment to be purchased, and no software to be licensed, installed or maintained. Users may access HRToolbench on demand 24/7 from any conventional Internet browser. Technical support is included as part of the subscription fee. Your internal IT resources are not involved in the daily operation of HRToolbench following initial set up of the employee data file feed.

16. How does HRToolbench secure and protect an organization’s data?

HRToolbench has been designed and built on the latest Microsoft ASP.NET platform and is leveraging SQL Server 2005's enterprise-class data storage and management facility. Our servers are housed in one of New England's premier data centers featuring redundant power, HVAC and fiber rings, dry fire suppression system and upstream IP diversity to six Tier 1 Internet backbones. The data center is physically monitored around the clock. Backup servers are also at the ready at an independent site in the event of a data center disaster. All end-user interactions with HRToolbench from the initial login through to the final sign-off use 1024-bit public key encryption to ensure the integrity and security of employer and employee data. All data are backed up nightly on redundant servers.

17. What kind of system support and training are provided to an organization’s internal HRToolbench system administrator?

Each client organization appoints an internal HRToolbench System Administrator (typically an HR professional) to serve as the system's internal coordinator. User problems or suggestions are filtered through the internal System Administrator to HRToolbench support staff. Problems and system bugs are fixed promptly.

A day of training (typically at the client organization's site) is provided to an organization's internal HRToolbench System Administrator. Telephone support is also provided for up to 4 hours per month at no additional cost. Telephone support exceeding 4 hours per month is also available at reasonable hourly rates.

18. Does HRToolbench replace an existing HRIS or payroll system?

No. HRToolbench is not a Human Resource Information System. It is an online, multi-modular tool designed to support various human resource management processes, including job descriptions, candidate selection, 360 feedback, performance management, compensation and succession planning. HRToolbench accesses employee data from a client organization's HRIS or payroll system, but it is not a replacement HRIS.

19. How does HRToolbench access employee information from an organization’s HRIS or outside payroll provider?

HRToolbench requires basic employee information and employee/supervisor reporting relationships to operate. HRToolbench technical professionals work directly with each client organization's internal HRIS manager, or outside payroll or HRIS vendor, to establish nightly or weekly automatic employee data downloads to HRToolbench. For larger employee populations this eliminates the need to enter any employee data manually. For smaller organizations, employee data can be maintained manually.