Tip of the Day: 3 tips on tech for the price of 1

Today only, I'm giving you the recession-special deal of three tips for the price of one (free)!

According to Watson Wyatt, reviewing your tech footprint and ID'ing ways to trim inefficiencies from your IT processes can cut costs and bood productivity -- two things everyone is going for these days.

“HR technology is ripe for review,” says Steve Hitzeman, senior leader in Watson Wyatt’s tech and administration solutions practice. “The goal is not only to find near-term efficiencies but also to ensure the organization is positioned for growth when economic conditions improve.”

Here are WW's three tips to recession-proofing your tech ops:

1. Optimize HR operational and service delivery effectiveness.
WW finds 61% of companies are looking to optimize their delivery model and vendors. Conducting a review of the current HR service delivery model — which includes a mix of HR technology, call centers and vendors — can result in dramatic cost savings.

Although many HR departments have adopted models to reduce administrative costs -- enabling HR to take on more strategic work -- the effort HR spends on administration has not changed significantly because most HR departments didn't follow through to effectively integrate different technologies.

2. Review and benchmark outsourced vendor contracts.
Many companies are not seeing the full effect of process efficiencies, cost savings or improved service they expected from their human resources outsourcing and related technology and service vendor contracts -- often have a patchwork of applications and service providers that aren’t fully integrated or optimized. WW estimates you can save between 10% and 20% once you reassess all of your vendor relationships.

3. Leverage Web 2.0 technologies to create a “consumer-grade” experience.
Leveraging Web 2.0 technologies — such as blogs, podcasts, wikis and shared teamsites — is key to managing today’s information overload and engaging employees. The generation currently entering the workforce has learned to communicate and collaborate using these tools and expects the same “consumer-grade” experience at work.

This can be achieved with corporate tools similar to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube available internally, significantly improving connectivity and employees’ experience of the company intranet.

“HR can take a page from the Internet playbook and benefit from the same tools that have driven the unexpected explosion in online productivity and innovation globally,” says Michael Rudnick, Watson Wyatt’s global intranet and portal leader.

Tip of the Day: HHS guidance on HITECH amendments to HIPAA

Oh, just when you thought HIPAA couldn't get any more complicated, along comes HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act ), which amends notification procedures when a breach has occurred in protected health information.

The Health and Human Services Department recently released guidance on what counts as “unsecured” information -- if it is not secured through the application of a technology or methodology that renders it unusable, unreadable, or indecipherable to unauthorized individuals and that meets standards specified in guidance published by the government, according to law firm Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll.

Complying with a 60-day statutory deadline for issuing that guidance, HHS has published information and a request for comments on these technologies and methodologies. Read up, then let me know what steps you're taking to comply with the new normal on protected health info.

News You Can Use: Nearly one third of employees may not own a home computer

Nearly all (94.5%) of human resource professionals say that it is important for employees to own a home computer, but as many as one-fourth of professionals say that over 30% of employees don't own computers at home.

"The survey echoes what we have seen as a growing trend -- access to home computers has expanded in recent years, but disparities still exist for those employees trying to acquire these essential, life-enhancing products during these unforgiving economic times," said Elizabeth Halkos, vice president of sales and marketing for Purchasing Power, the Atlanta-based company that conducted the survey.

Having access to benefit information online is the most important reason for employees to have home computers, according to 81.5 % of respondents. Also ranking high (both at 50.6 %) as an important use for a home computer was improving skills of the employee through online education and accessing wellness programs and other health information.

When asked if they have any solutions available for employees without home computers, 57.7 % of respondents said they did not. Of the 42% of respondents who do, 28.5% said they have computer kiosks in the workplace for use on breaks and 27% have loaner laptops for take-home use. Only 16.6 % reported they are offering computer purchase as a voluntary benefit, however.

The random sample survey was conducted during the 21st Annual Benefits Forum & Expo and the Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM) 60th Annual Conference.