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by Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor   | Abstract: | Workforce management software gives manufacturers the tools to offer better job flexibility and self-service HR information access, both critical for attracting next-generation workers. |
Mark Banks is no stranger to the generation gap between baby boomers and Generation Xers and Yers. As vice president of human resources at $293.2 million pharmaceutical maker Sciele Pharma Inc., Banks these days hires mostly college-educated people in their 20s. They're seeking jobs with long-term opportunity, but they also crave job flexibility and demand that critical HR information be online, at their fingertips. To accommodate the expectations of the incoming generation and gain efficiencies for the company, Sciele last year switched on Ultimate Software Group Inc.'s UltiPro workforce management software to automate HR functions, such as hiring, benefits management, employee appraisals, and time-off requests. This year, the company plans to augment its online self-service portal with a learning management system to give employees better access to continual education and training. According to Banks, the software was a critical investment intended to bring the Sciele organization and workforce culture up-to-date from an HR standpoint. "It's the Internet generation. People expect to have all of this information at their fingertips," Banks says. "This is not perceived as cutting-edge [by the current generation]; it's an expectation that we're now able to meet." [Click to continue] |