Enabling HR/Business Self-Service While Retaining Oversight
HR/business self-service is rapidly becoming a must-have for mobility programs, particularly as a result of the general business trend towards greater self-service and the ever-present need for mobility teams to improve efficiency and automation.
Furthermore, self-service no longer means being able to log into a site to view static data and download documents. Users expect integrated and live information, with the ability to make choices, update data, submit requests, and see immediate visible results from their actions.
As a result, Equus has enhanced a number of features within the HR/business screens of AssignmentPro to allow mobility teams to provide users with more control and choice. The new AssignmentPro features are highly configurable, allowing mobility teams to decide how much control/choice they want to give end users.
Key Features of AssignmentPro:
Smart security
A common issue is that both home and host HR/line managers have a part in creating a new initiation. Using AssignmentPro’s new security features, one user can begin an initiation and tag other users, so they can also view and update the initiation. This aids collaborative working, but still ensures that only those who have rights to see an initiation can view and edit it.
Policy selection
AssignmentPro can now automatically select the correct policy for an initiation, based on easily configurable rules. For example, host country, duration and seniority of employee can be used to determine which policy is applicable. This allows end users with no knowledge of assignment policies to input key details and be directed towards the correct policy. (It also prevents mischievous business users from purposefully selecting a cheaper but incorrect policy.)
Business requests
Another enhancement enables HR/business users to search for one of their employees and submit a request. The dynamic request form can show detailed information about the transfer/assignment, based on the request type. Users are prompted to enter the information that the mobility team needs in order to service the request. Upon submission, the request kicks-off workflows and notifications in AssignmentPro. Users are also able to request extensions, request new off-cycle package changes and confirm end of assignment dates. From a business user perspective, this makes it easier to interact with mobility and provide the correct and complete information for a request. From the mobility team’s perspective, the new feature provides clean workflow and complete data directly into AssignmentPro, thus adding to overall process efficiency.
Detailed package selections
The biggest enhancement to the initiation process is to allow users more freedom in selecting the employee’s compensation and benefits. Compensation and benefit items can be set as mandatory (core) or optional (flex):
- Core items will always apply for a policy – e.g. immigration support. This allows the Mobility team to enforce some key entitlements, or compliance benefits.
- Flex items can be configured to allow users to select what they wish to provide. Selections can be from a range of set options (e.g. tax support for first year, all years, or first and last year) or a direct money value input (e.g. cash housing allowance amount). For each option a recommended minimum and maximum value can be set to help guide users as to the relevant level of provisions. Any deviation above the maximum or below the minimum will trigger an exception process, allowing the mobility team to reign in the excesses of the overly generous/miserly user.
On demand scenarios
Users can also produce a cost estimate, assignment letter, compensation statement or any other document/report on demand. Users can also easily model different scenarios – for example to see the impact on costs of selecting minimum housing or maximum benefits. No longer will the mobility team have to repeatedly re-run packages based on a slow trickle of changes from the business, since the business can self-serve via a click of the mouse
The core benefits of the HR/business screens in AssignmentPro are still available, including the ability to run reports on demand, view details of transfers/employees, update data directly (if permitted), as well as view tasks and notifications.
These new self-service features provides mobility teams confidence in giving their HR/business colleagues access to directly service their transfers or assignments, while also allowing them to retain a level of control and oversight to ensure that policies are adhered to and basic standards/entitlements are maintained.
