How are outsourcing and technology changing human resource management?

"The role of the HR professional has changed noticeably over the past 20 years. One significant change has been the use of technology in handling relatively routine HR tasks, such as payroll processing, initial screening of applicants, and benefits enrollments. Large firms such as Nokia and Lockheed Martin purchase specialized software, such as SAP and Oracle/PeopleSoft, to perform the information-processing aspects of many HR tasks. Other firms, such as Jacobs Engineering Group, a large professional services firm, outsource—or contract out—these tasks to HR service providers such as Aon Hewitt and Workforce Solutions. HR outsourcing is done when another firm can perform a task better and more efficiently, thus saving costs. Sometimes HR activities are outsourced because HR requirements are extraordinary and too overwhelming to execute in-house in a timely fashion. Frequently, HR activities are outsourced simply because a provider has greater expertise. For example, media conglomerate CBS Corp. recently announced that it hired Fidelity Investments to manage its 401(k) plan, which has more than $4 billion in assets."