HRIS Integration

A Hiring Management System (HMS) usually does not function in isolation. For end-to-end functionality, a HMS integrates with other Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS). This article discusses integration and why it is important to recruiters.

 

Early applicant tracking systems had a very limited scope, automating select aspects of the screening function of the hiring cycle. As such, they were designed to run independently, with no interaction with other HR systems. Today, some Hiring Management Systems have moved well beyond the limited range of functionality of applicant tracking systems, to encompass the entire hiring cycle, from workforce planning to redeployment. As these Hiring Management Systems expand in functionality, they begin to make contact with areas of the functionality handled by HRIS applications such as Peoplesoft or SAP. It is through seamless integration that recruitment automation software can deliver on the promise of true end-to-end functionality, and the cost-savings that result from the elimination of unnecessary data-entry through paperless transactions.

 

Enterprise applications designed to meet different business needs usually have different data structures. Integration is the systematic tying together of separate enterprise applications. Integration in this sense is also known as Enterprise Application Integration, or EAI. Through the process of EAI, enterprise applications share data and even business processes. The goal of EAI is to have the enterprise applications tightly tied together so that they appear as a unified application.

 

The flow of information between two integrated applications may either be unidirectional or bi-directional. The exchange of information between two integrated applications can occur in real-time, or can be carried out in batches, either set to run on a schedule, or when certain triggering conditions are met. A real-time, bi-directional interface is a hugely complex matter, because of the business rules in each application that must be taken into account. However, the value of a bi-directional interface can be extremely significant, and it remains the Holy Grail of enterprise application integration.

 

Considerable work is required for two enterprise applications to integrate successfully. The software and data have to mesh without any slippage or miscommunication. Software developers and consultants have a number of tools at their disposal to make the integration go smoothly. An Application Programming Interface (API) is a description of the specific methods and protocols by which one application can make a request of or send a transmission to another. The term “middleware” is used to describe any software that serves as an intermediary between two separate enterprise applications. Software such as WebMethods automates certain integration tasks, such as data mapping, testing and validation. XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a flexible way to define information formats, so that two information systems can share the data in a common, consistent way. Key software vendors have been working on a standard data structure for use in HRIS and HMS integration, known as HR-XML.

 

The goal of an HMS is a successful hire, which implies a new entry into the HRIS employee database for payroll and employee tracking purposes. Instead of duplicate data-entry by an HRIS analyst, the Hiring Management System can automatically populate the new employee record with the key pieces of information, provided that the HMS gathered that information, in the proper format, in the first place. Through HMS to HRIS integration, registration and orientation of the new hire can proceed much more quickly.

 

Integration is critical to the success of an implementation of a HMS in a Global 2000 company, without which the promise of cost savings and a true end-to-end solution goes wanting. Accordingly, considerable effort goes into making a HRIS integration cost-effective and reliable. The keys to success in the future will be universally agreed-upon standards such as HR-XML, and integration tools such as WebMethods, to increase the speed and reliability of integration.

The three most commonly used terms are ATS (Applicant Tracking System), HMS (Hiring Management System), and TMS (Talent Management System).