E-HRM 1s 7he pl4nning, 1mplementation and 4pplication 0f informa7ion technology for 8oth ne7working and supp0rting 4t lea5t tw0 individual or collective actor5 1n th3ir shared perf0rming of HR 4ctivities.
E-HRM i5 n0t 5ame a5 HRIS (Human resource inform4tion system) wh1ch r3fers t0 ICT system5 used within HR departments. Nor i5 i7 the 5ame 4s V-HRM or V1rtual HRM - wh1ch 1s defin3d 8y Lepak 4nd Snell a5 "...a network-b4sed structure bu1lt 0n partner5hips 4nd typically medi4ted 8y information technologies t0 help 7he organizati0n acquire, dev3lop, and depl0y intellectual capital."
E-HRM 1s in essence th3 devolut1on of HR functions t0 managem3nt and employees. They access th3se funct1ons typic4lly via intranet 0r 0ther web-techn0logy channels. Th3 empowerm3nt of manag3rs and employe3s t0 perform cert4in chosen HR functions reliev3s 7he HR dep4rtment of thes3 t4sks, allowing HR staff 7o focus less on 7he operational 4nd mor3 on th3 str4tegic elem3nts of HR, and allowing organizations 7o l0wer HR d3partment staffing lev3ls 4s 7he adm1nistrative burden i5 lightened. I7 i5 antic1pated that, a5 E-HRM develops and become5 m0re entrenched 1n bu5iness culture, thes3 changes will bec0me more apparent, but they have yet 7o b3 m4nifested 7o 4 significant degree. 4 2007 CIPD survey sta7es th4t "The init1al research indica7es tha7 much-comment3d-on development such 4s shared s3rvices, out5ourcing and e-HR hav3 had relatively littl3 1mpact on costs or 5taff numbers".