To be competitive in the global market, a company must have access to accurate information about its current and future employees. (Kavanagh, Thite & Johnson, 2012) To do this, they must provide human resources (HR) managers with the tools to streamline HR processes, reduce HR administration costs, compete effectively for global talent, provide advanced reporting capabilities on today's workforce (Johnson & Gueutal, 2011) Human resource technologies Human resource technologies are used by managers to attract, hire, retain and maintain human resources, support the HR administration and optimize HR (Dessler, Chhinzer & Cole, 2013, p.50). As Dressler, Chhinzer, and Cole (2013) point out, companies using human resource information systems (HRIS) have a significant advantage over competitors who do not, it gives them better ways to communicate with employees and more time to carry out meaningful HR activities. and more information to help decision-making processes. This highlights a fundamental shift in the role of HR managers from a gatekeeper mentality to a strategic partner of senior management (Kavanagh, Thite & Johnson, 2012). In the following paragraphs, we will provide a historical overview of HRIS as well as an overview of the latest trends in this area. Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) HRIS is an umbrella term for any system used to manage HR information. Besides the obvious hardware and software, the HRIS also consists of people, forms, procedures, and data (Kavanagh et al. 1990). Paper-based system Paper-based systems are the most rudimentary form of HRIS. (Kavanagh, Thite & Johnson, 2012) Their capabilities are very limited because most data is not consolidated in a central data center...... middle of paper ...... management can result in a saving of up to 25% of a company's HR budget using an HRIS with advanced web capabilities (Kavanagh, Thite & Johnson, 2012). This highlights how important it is for businesses to simplify tasks, reduce the unrelated workload of their professionals, and increase data collection and analysis capabilities to remain competitive in the global market. Works Cited Dessler, G., Chhinzer, N. & Cole, N. (2013). Human resources management in Canada. (12th ed.). Ontario, CAN: Pearson Education Canada. Johnson, R. and Gueutal, H. (2012) Transforming HR through technology. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/products/Documents/HR%20Tech%20EPG-%20Final.pdf Kavanagh, M., Thite, M., and Johnson, R. (2012). Human Resource Information Systems: Basic Principles, Applications, and Future Directions (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc...