Pennsylvania Earns North American Award for Improvement and Innovation

New Onboarding Process Recognized by Shared Services and Outsourcing Network

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Office of Administration has been recognized with a 2013 Excellence in Improvement and Innovation Award by the Shared Services and Outsourcing Network (SSON) for launching an online orientation process for newly hired employees that will generate an estimated $1 million in annual savings and productivity. 

"The onboarding initiative converted a variety of disparate, time-consuming and paper-based processes into a consistent, streamlined and efficient system," Secretary of Administration Kelly Powell Logan said.  "As a result, new employees are becoming productive on the job more quickly and HR staff are devoting more time to strategic functions instead of administrative tasks."

The SSON Excellence Awards recognize organizations that have demonstrated best practices while generating measurable results through shared services and outsourcing.  Other 2013 winners include Intel, Levi Strauss, and SAP, while Unisys, AOL and the U.S. Department of Interior were runners-up.  The awards were presented at the organization's North American conference last week.

"We are honored that SSON selected Pennsylvania for recognition from this very competitive field that included both public and private sector organizations in the United States, Canada and Mexico," Logan said.

The executive branch hires approximately 600 employees each month.  The new online orientation process, known as onboarding, allows new hires to read and acknowledge workplace policies, set up direct deposit, enter emergency contact information and enroll in medical benefits – all before they ever set foot in the door for their first day.  The onboarding system is also used to initiate the creation of employee email accounts, badges and other credentials, as well as interfacing with the federal E-Verify system to confirm employment eligibility. 

The new onboarding process is managed by the commonwealth's HR Service Center.  Launched in 2010, the center provides common human resources, benefits and payroll services and information to more than 80,000 full- and part-time employees of agencies under the governor's jurisdiction.  The HR Service Center saves nearly $3.5 million annually through the reduction of human resources staff and the efficient delivery of standard HR functions.

The Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON) is the largest and most established organization of shared services and outsourcing professionals.  SSON has as an active member base of over 60,000 shared services practitioners, providers and advisors with a presence in over 95 countries.

Media Contact: Dan Egan, 717-772-4237

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of Administration