News

Netkey studies kiosks in human resources settings

June 24, 2002

CHICAGO -- More companies are turning to electronic kiosks to augment their human resources departments, but training and understanding employee needs are important to making the kiosks successful. Those are the findings of a new white paper, "Unlocking the Power of HR Self-Service," released on June 25 by kiosk software developer Netkey Inc.

The study was released at the Retail Systems 2002 Conference and Exposition in Chicago. The 16-page report includes a section on common HR kiosk applications and an eight-step guide to implementing an HR kiosk project.

According to the study, companies are discovering that self-service HR strategies, including kiosks, can reduce benefits transaction costs, trim HR staffing, and reduce HR process times from days to hours. Kiosks also provide an important link between employer and employee, according to Netkey President and Chief Executive Officer Alex Richardson.

"Employees in stores and factories often feel displaced and out of touch from the corporate mainstream," Richardson said in a news release. "Kiosks give retailers, manufacturers, and other businesses a way to quickly reduce the time and cost to deliver secure and reliable human resource services and information."

The study also recommends that companies take the time to train their employees on the kiosks and their functions, and offer assistance to first-time users.

Among the companies Netkey cites for successfully implementing HR kiosk programs are Microsoft Corp., medical research company Bayer Corp., and pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer Inc.

"Unlocking the Power of HR Self-Service" is available on Netkey's Web site at its online resource center.