Future Fund to undergo HR system overhaul

The Australian Government’s Future Fund Management Agency will move from a paper-based human resource information management system to an online self-service portal to avoid the significant administration involved with its current manual model.

The FFMA currently uses paper and Excel processes for most of the functions involved in its current human resources setup.

Paper is used for leave applications, training and development, employee record management, and recruiting new staff. 

It has approached the market to implement an automated human resource information system (HRIS) which offers its 90-odd employees in Melbourne’s CBD an online self-service user interface.

The HRIS will capture and maintain up-to-date employee data in a one-stop-shop, and will ‘significantly reduce’ the administration involved with current HR functions, the agency said in tender documents. 

The new system will offer eight key functions: employee record management, recruitment and selection, performance review, recognition and reward, learning and development, talent management and succession planning, and workforce planning and wellbeing. 

The main driver for the FFMA’s HR overhaul is to implement a system which supports the agency’s performance feedback cycle. It is a process for planning, reviewing and evaluating performance according to pre-determined KPIs. 

Employee self-assessment and manager assessment is currently done on paper. The new HRIS will introduce online self-service forms for assessment with editable control, and will integrate with the FFMA’s outsourced payroll system to link performance ratings with pay and reward.

The integration will replace Excel spreadsheets currently used for salary increases with an online form. Excel spreadsheets are also currently used for workplace health and safety.

Employees will be able to use the new online self service portal to maintain their own employee records, submit and monitor leave and training applications. It will also offer managers the ability to perform HR related activities for direct reports and access up to date reports and analytics.

The FFMA is a predominantly Microsoft shop. It runs on Windows 2008 and 2008 R2 virtual services, SQL Server 2008 R2, Exchange Server 2007, and uses Citrix for remote access and Good for Enterprise Server for mobile device management.