UHD Award
Technology initiatives garner industry award                   

Earlier this month, HR Houston awarded the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) Employment Services and Operations the Impact Award for HR Service Technology. The award recognizes human resource workgroups that create significant business value for their organizations.

In the organization's service technology contest category, UHD competed against major companies such as AIG Retirement Services, CenterPoint Energy and the City of Sugar Land. The ambitious technology overhaul, spearheaded by Vice President of Employment Services and Operations, Ivonne Montalbano, PHR, was accomplished over a two-year period. The project improved services to employees and managers; provided access to reliable quantitative data for strategic planning; reduced costs; and increased the accuracy and integrity of all human resource-related transactions.

"Implementing these projects has dramatically improved access to information in a digital age," Montalbano says. "Most importantly, employees and managers alike can manage their personnel records and access professional development information efficiently. We want every individual to experience improvements in job satisfaction and performance."

The award recognized UHD's progress on several initiatives. To begin with, the university undertook a massive conversion of personnel files to electronic documents dating back to the inception of the University in 1974, as well as records for the now defunct South Texas Junior College. Next, the university automated the performance management process.   This helped managers and employees by providing a fully automated, interactive and web-based system. The division headed by Montalbano then implemented People Advantage Self Service, an electronic human resource system that allows employees to manage their personal information online, including health insurance and savings account plans. It also provides electronic paystubs and an individual's compensation history. UHD's division of Employee Services and Operations also developed an online employee directory to increase the accuracy of personnel information. Lastly, employees benefitted from a redesigned Web site and a new electronic newsletter. A major redesign of the division's website organized and expanded information with end users in mind. It now features information for all functional areas in the division - employment, payroll, training, benefits, compensation, records and campus relations.

HR Houston judged the entries based on what various initiatives produced. At UHD, changes led to a marked increase in completion of performance appraisals, improvement in the development of professional goals and objectives for employees, and improved methods of self-management of employee information.

(Posted May 27, 2008)