by Bharathrrajan
Managing a vast and diverse government workforce is one of India's biggest governance challenges. With over 31 lakh central government employees and a varied number of employees at the state level, ranging from nearly 37,000 in Sikkim to approximately 12 lakhs in Tamil Nadu, ensuring efficiency, transparency, and accountability among this large body of workforce is no small feat. From providing seamless employee services to making crucial financial and recruitment decisions, the governments at the Central and State levels are grappling to standardise and maintain a repository of this information. In order to tackle this, various state governments have introduced their State-specific instances of E-HRMS, i.e., Electronic Human Resource Management Systems, which would help in creating a single digital source of authentic data and streamline the delivery of services to their employees.
Source: SATP
Role of HRMS Systems
An HRMS system acts as a central repository for all human resources (HR) data, helping reduce manual data entry, paperwork, and file processing in an organisation. These systems automate services such as maintaining service registers (employment history and service-related details of an employee) and salary processing, while also providing 24-hour access to these services. The HRMS system tracks public expenditure and manpower, aiding in administrative planning. It covers the entire lifecycle of an employee in the government services, i.e., from recruitment to retirement, boosting productivity and accountability by saving on time and energy.
Currently, the widespread usage of the Manav Sampada platform in Uttar Pradesh (UP) has deployed services such as employee records, service books, leave application, and transfers. Tamil Nadu’s IFHRMS System, Maharashtra's Sevaarth, and Odisha's HRMS platform have integrated Payroll, General Provident Fund, and Pensions with HR process, along with performing digital tracking of service history and seniority-based promotions. The eHRMS system of Punjab has included performance appraisal in the HRMS platform.
This system helps in evidence-based decision-making on the best utilisation of resources. For instance, it helps in making decisions regarding the posting of employees based on their qualifications, transferring resources who have been working in the same location for a long time, and promoting individuals based on their seniority, thereby increasing the transparency of the administrative processes. This system also increases job satisfaction, increasing efficiency and effectiveness of employee services like the Singapore Human Resources and Payroll (HRP) system, which automates payroll, leave, and performance management for civil servants, reducing processing time by 40% and improving employee satisfaction.
Image: Integrated HR Lifecycle Framework for Government E-HRMS Reforms
Challenges in the Implementation of E-HRMS
Despite the progressive implementation of the HRMS in various states, several challenges remain:
Fragmented and Incomplete Digitization: All the processes haven’t been fully digitized through the E-HRMS. Approvals still require processing through E-office (a digital file management system implemented by the National Informatics Centre for government ministries and other government bodies) or department-specific portals, which manage the workflow of electronic documents with version history. Additionally, data entry into the E-HRMS system adds to the employees' workload, undermining the goal of digitization and offering a single-window service.
Inconsistent Nomenclature and Processes: Due to varied hierarchical structures across government departments, E-HRMS reflects different job titles for similar roles (like "Section Officer" vs. "Assistant Secretary"). This inconsistency affects the standardisation of processes such as leave approval, salary and payroll processing, and recruitment.
Training and Certification Tracking: The Human Resources department provides initial training for employees on rules and general government orders during the probationary period. However, the training details and individual certifications of employees are neither tracked in the service record nor the HRMS system - given there are no policies that mandate the tracker and thus no accountability . Additionally, there are challenges in receiving updated government orders related to employee rules and departmental directives.
Lack of Accountability Monitoring: The system lacks mechanisms to ensure the accountability of officials. There is no monitoring system for immediate higher officials to oversee pending and completed processes. While a grievance redressal mechanism exists, there is no time-bound resolution of grievances.
Multiple Apps and Portals: Employees use different apps and portals for carrying out various processes such as income tax filing, health insurance claims, and provident fund claims, each requiring separate usernames and passwords.
This often confuses the employees regarding the utility of the different platforms and hampers the seamless collation of qualified and standardised data from multiple sources in one unified portal.
Additionally, since the data from multiple modules lacks standardization, it hinders the system’s capability to conduct comprehensive analytics and drive governance-related decision-making.
A Potential Way Forward
In order to overcome the challenges that HRMS systems adopters continue to grapple with, decision-makers can consider the following measures:
Revalidation of Processes and Hierarchies: Both central and state government may focus on revalidating the processes and hierarchies followed by all departments for each employee lifecycle stage, from recruitment to retirement. Standard protocols can be framed for all employees, ensuring specific details are ascertained for different departments and services. This revalidation should also encompass employees deputed to various corporations and central government schemes.
Creation of a Unified Platform: The government should build a unified platform for all employee services across departments, including file approvals, tax filing, insurance processes, transfers, and promotions. This platform should streamline workflows based on role-based and workflow-driven approaches, integrating e-signature facilities.
User-Friendly Portal: The HRMS portal should be user-friendly and accessible to all employees from all cadres, including differently-abled employees. It should ensure data accuracy and a standardized data-receiving process. Features should include access to government orders related to employees, personnel, and service rules, instructional videos, documents, and recent updates.
Incorporate a Monitoring Mechanism: The HRMS systems should incorporate a monitoring mechanism for HR services, proposing time limits for each process completion. It should provide SMS alerts and status reports, increasing the accountability of officials and enhancing employee and pensioner satisfaction.
Data Aggregation and Analytics: Aggregating data across multiple entities for comprehensive analysis and seamless decision-making would be of key importance. Dynamic graphical dashboards and analytics reports should offer an overview of system performance.
Digital Learning Record Management: The system should include a digital learning record management system with multiple courses from various academic institutions. Providing incentives for employees to maintain a learning record would encourage continuous learning and development.
A well-implemented HRMS system has the potential to revolutionize the way in which the government manages its workforce. However, this journey will not be without its challenges. The current gaps in digitization, standardization, and adoption of these systems within the government highlight the need for further refinement and development of the system.
Ultimately, a robust and efficient HRMS system will not only streamline administrative functions but will also contribute to a more productive and satisfied workforce. For governments, it will be a step towards smarter governance, where human resources, financial resources, and time will be utilised optimally, and the delivery of public services will be improved significantly.
Note: This article is written based on secondary research and discussions. The insights and data presented are derived from publicly available sources and conversations with relevant stakeholders. It does not include firsthand or primary research findings.
Reference
Government Employees in Indian States: Estimated 2017. Accessed at: https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/database/State_Government_Employees_in_India.pdf
e-HRM System for Government by NIC Enabling Management of Employee Resources and their Service Books. Accessed at: https://informatics.nic.in/uploads/pdfs/16c29a07_ehrm.pdf
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh to launch revamped Probity Portal, E-HRMS 2.0 Portal and e-Books on major Initiatives/Achievements of Ministry of Personnel, PG & Pensions tomorrow to mark Good Governance Day, Press Information Bureau. Accessed at: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1886280®=3&lang=1
Timelines for Service Delivery for E-HRMS 2.0 (Office Memorandum). Accessed at: https://dopt.gov.in/sites/default/files/Timelines%20for%20Service%20Delivery%20on%20e-HRMS%202.0%20%28Signed%20OM%29.pdf
Learnings From the Implementation of an Electronic Human Resource Management System for the Health Workforce in Uttar Pradesh, India, Global Health and Science Practice. Accessed at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11216701/
Bharathrrajan is an engineer by background, but his strong interest in policy and development led him to pursue a career in the development sector. He is an ex-IIC Fellow whose project entailed enhancing the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) in Tamil Nadu. For the project, IIC partnered with the Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS) to support the state government of Tamil Nadu.
He is passionate about driving social change with a focus on education, environmental sustainability, and community development while advocating for rural upliftment and waste management. When not immersed in policy work, he enjoys exploring nature, mentoring students, learning and playing new games, and engaging in climate action. Bharath believes in empowering others and lives by his simple yet powerful mantra: “Lead with purpose, inspire change”.