HR used to have a name.

"Sue. She was great. Whenever I needed something, she took care of me."

Then there was a number.

As centralized call centers sprouted up, replacing local HR representatives, something else grew. The call tree. "It's fine when I need to check my account balance or reorder a prescription — but what about when I want to talk to a person? How many keys do I have to punch before they'll put me through to Sue?"

And now HR has an address.

Love it. Hate it. Love it. Employees are conflicted about the corporate portal. When it's good, it's really good. But when it's bad, the effects reach far beyond HR. The online experience that HR provides is a central part of the corporate culture, and it has the power to change the way employees view their work, their company, their future — all with a few clicks. "Some of the tools are great. Others, well, it's www.imonmyown.com."

So what's next?

Employees and their families are being asked to take more responsibility and make more decisions about their benefits than ever before. Build your own health plan. Save in the 401(k). Plan for retirement. Research your treatment options. And don't forget to ask for generic! It's all in the name of good physical and financial health as well as a healthy bottom line. By and large, employees are on board. But, they're asking for one thing in return…"Show me how."

Here's the good news: employers are finding that with the right combination of the right tools, they can give their people most of what they need to rise to the challenge.

Enabling the Ideal Decision Making Process

Creating Web Tools That Work

Connecting With a Cross-Generational Workforce