Human resources: Benchmarking HR service center processes

Human resources departments, in large and small companies alike, are increasingly challenged to broaden the scope of supported services while holding associated costs firm. Indeed, the HR department has become one of the most measured and metrics-focused functions within companies today. In response to this heightened scrutiny, leading companies want to know where their HR department's efficiency stands compared to the competition.

To aid in this inquiry, Best Practices, LLC, a leading research and consulting firm, presents results from a client-sponsored benchmarking study entitled Benchmarking HR Service Center Processes. To download a complimentary excerpt of the study, visit http://www3.best-in-class.com/rr736.htm.

The informative findings emanate from surveyed HR executives at such world-class companies as Boeing, Motorola, Lockheed Martin, Countrywide Financial and Convergys. The rich metrics captured reach across numerous service and manufacturing industries at predominately global companies.

A small sampling of the insights culled from the data include:

• Delivery Models:  60% of benchmark participants operate in a centralized, shared services organization
• Customer Service Support Staff:  The benchmark class reported an average of 8,850 employees served per FTE compared to 21,250 employees served per FTE for the identified high performers in the class.
• Outsourcing:  73% of respondents outsource their employment verification processes
• Cycle Times:  Survey respondents identified Award Program Management as the process activity requiring the longest cycle time, with a reported average of 3.77 days.

HR executives will find this resource invaluable for discovering where they stand in relation to other highly successful HR departments. Armed with this information, they can identify their own gaps and strategize to close them.