HR professionals are often asked to consider software platforms that provide an effective approach to support different aspects of the employee life cycle. In this assessment you are being asked to evaluate a platform you search for, identify, and recommend for purchase by CapraTek. The platform should have some or most of the following capabilities: capable of performing recruiting, onboarding, tracking training and education requirements, and identifying internal career pathways.

In this assessment you select criteria from one of the two articles provided to determine the effectiveness of an HR platform. The intent for the platform is to be able to meet as many of the demands for managing the employee life cycle as possible. Keep in mind that the thrust of this assessment is not about the actual tool but the content; or, better said, the question is, can the software you recommend help an organization effectively manage Gallup’s employee life cycle in the organization? Also keep in mind that you may have to recommend more than one platform for all the functions that are included, and it is also possible some capabilities may simply not be available.

Dr. Thompson has asked your HR team at CapraTek an essential question: “How do we attract and keep scientists instead of losing good people to our competitors?” The organization has been losing junior and senior scientists at a steady rate, and no one really understands why this is happening. The HR team has been engaged in learning the employee life cycle and collecting information about employee needs via the engagement research. Now it is time to select a technology platform that will meet those needs from onboarding to helpful recognition processes that continue to make employees feel successful in their work throughout their tenure at the company.

Purchasing the Gallup suite of tools is not on the table due to the huge cost of implementation for a medium-sized regional company like CapraTek.

As an HR team member, you have been assigned this task that has come at Dr. Thompson’s request. Research HR platforms so you can help to select the best tool to adopt for the employees’ needs at CapraTek.

1. Read the following articles and select the 4–6 appropriate criteria to evaluate the HR platforms you will research.

• Florentine, S. (2019). What is an HRIS? A key tool for all your human resources needs. CIO.
  • This is an essential article to describe the kind of platforms that are used and some of the companies who produce them. This resource should be the first thing you read about HR systems because it gives important definitions and background, plus it will steer you in the right direction to start your research for the assessment.
• Makkar, U., & Sanjeev, R. (2014). Determining employees perception through effective HRIS: An empirical study. Journal of Strategic Human Resource Management, 3(3).
  • This short study is also essential to provide background information about the kind of functionality that an HRIS provides to an organization. This resource helps you to understand the components or criteria that should be part of an HR platform solution so you can research platforms to find one that suits the needs of CapraTek.
• Options for HR platforms of this type are available in industry literature and the marketplace.
• To, From, Internal Memo: Select HR Platform, Date.
• Follow a format similar to a normal paper, including an introduction, conclusion, and the following elements:
  • Explain the 4–6 criteria you selected to evaluate the tools from one or both articles listed in this assessment.
  • Evaluate platforms for their capability to meet each employee at their respective stage of life cycle and level of expertise.
  • Evaluate platforms for their capability to meet the organization’s needs for recruiting; onboarding; tracking, training, and education requirements; and identifying internal career pathways.
  • Select the most appropriate tool(s) to recommend for adoption by leadership.
  • Explain your rationale for HR platform selection based on the criteria you selected and how the selected tool meets all of the needs of the individual employees and the organization at CapraTek, especially the scientists.
• Length of paper: Your memorandum should be 3–4 double-spaced pages, including the resources page.