Higher Education Organization Elevates Talent Management Operations with Ultimate Software's UltiPro

WESTON, Fla. --(Business Wire)--

Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading cloud provider of people management solutions, announced today that Berkeley College, a coeducational institution of higher education specializing in business and professional studies, has consolidated and simplified talent management processes, filled talent management communication gaps, and strengthened employee engagement with UltiPro^®.

With 1,700 employees in many locations, Berkeley College had been using a payroll service bureau and another separate solution for HR, but the higher education company found that interfacing the two different systems was costly, inefficient, and cumbersome. HR executives sought a single, scalable solution-supported by strong service-that could deliver the full scope of HCM functionality and help them manage people and administrative operations in a more streamlined and strategic way. Berkeley College chose UltiPro in October 2009 and was live on HR and payroll in only 10 weeks.

Today, the organization has expanded its use of UltiPro and transformed the talent management experience by leveraging onboarding, talent acquisition, and performance management in one cohesive, organized, and efficient system of record, rather than disparate activities that occur sporadically during the employee lifecycle.

"Before UltiPro, many of our talent management processes were decentralized, manual, and inconsistent, and we were always concerned about the accuracy of our data," said Karen Carpentieri, vice president of human resources at Berkeley College. "By having UltiPro as our single solution of record, which provides a go-to hub for our people management processes, our employees have one login where they can find anything employee-centric whenever needed, and everyone-employees, managers, and HR-understands and follows the same channels and procedures for every HR practice."

Organizations that use UltiPro for talent management can take information collected during the hiring process and move it directly into onboarding-which not only orients employees and helps them complete proper documentation, but also alerts others in the organization to the arrival date of the new hire. As a result of this streamlined communication, employees can have their IT hardware, company identification/security privileges, and workspace ready so they can be productive very quickly.

"At any workplace, HR must manage employee changes and the communication associated with these changes. Whether employees are starting with the company, switching jobs, or just modifying their direct deposit, it's easy to have a miscommunication or even no communication among people and departments when there are multiple systems in play and thousands of people involved who are making changes all the time," said Yvonne Ruiz, HRIS analyst at Berkeley College.

"UltiPro automates communication using built-in security and workflow so, for example, candidates and employees can know right where they are in the job application process. When the HR staff logs into UltiPro, associates can see the status of these types of changes, including who has yet to complete open enrollment, what manager needs to complete a performance appraisal, or what department has employees with the most overtime. With UltiPro, both communication and collaboration have been dramatically improved-impacting productivity, employee engagement and adoption, and the overall perception of Berkeley and our HR team."

UltiPro helps businesses engage employees by delivering online tools for career-related interaction-such as goal journaling or sharing an accomplishment; reading company news; tracking career progress; or quickly accessing individual pay, benefits, and career details. The team at Berkeley College also believes that UltiPro is particularly welcomed by the younger generation of the workforce, who are very accustomed to consumer technologies, mobile devices, and a sense of collaboration and innovation in the workplace.

"As Millennials enter the workforce in higher numbers, businesses need to adapt to accommodate them by leveraging the technologies they expect," said Carpentieri. "You have to have technology like UltiPro in place when you want this rising group within the workforce to adopt these applications and stay engaged."

"New talent entering the workforce today expects employers to provide technology that enables them to do more than just access information. The younger workforce wants new ways to collaborate and interact with the people they work with, and they reject experiences that fall short of the high expectations set by consumer applications," said Greg Swick, chief sales officer at Ultimate Software. "We are very mindful of what businesses need now and for the future, and we continuously reevaluate not just the capabilities our product delivers but the experience of our users. Berkeley College recognizes the importance of solutions designed to engage employees as well as help HR teams spend more time on developing an effective people strategy for their business."

About Ultimate Software

Ultimate is a leading SaaS provider of people management solutions, with more than 8 million people records in the cloud. Built on the belief that people are the most important ingredient of any business, Ultimate's award-winning UltiPro delivers HR, payroll, and talent management solutions that seamlessly connect people with the information and resources they need to work more effectively. Founded in 1990, the company is headquartered in Weston, Florida, and has more than 1,600 professionals focused on developing the highest quality solutions and services. In 2012, Ultimate was ranked #25 on FORTUNE'S "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. Ultimate has more than 2,300 customers with employees in 115 countries, including Adobe Systems (News - Alert) Incorporated, Culligan International, Major League Baseball, The New York Yankees Baseball Team, Pep Boys, and Texas Roadhouse. More information on Ultimate's products and services for people management can be found at www.ultimatesoftware.com.

UltiPro is a registered trademark of The Ultimate Software Group, Inc. All other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.

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