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How to Choose the Best HRIS for Your Team

If you've found yourself here, you're probably already sick of comparing all the different HRIS options out there. You might be nuts about Namely, wired about Workday, or positively paralyzed by all the possibilities out there.

From onboarding capabilities to recruitment capacity and payroll functions, the right HRIS (Human Resources Information System) can make or break the effectiveness of your HR team. It's an important investment. If you're in for a penny, you're in for a pound here.

But with so any solutions available, how do you choose the right HRIS for your team?

In this guide, we'll explore the best practices for evaluating HRIS solutions and finding the one that's just right for your organization. We'll also cover the gotchas of modern HRIS solutions and help you avoid them.

Let's get started!

HRIS Basics

An HRIS (Human Resources Information System) is a software solution used by HR professionals, people ops teams, and recruiters to track and manage employee data. It's essentially a digital filing cabinet for all of your employee information.

Common features of an HRIS include onboarding capabilities, employee self-service portals, payroll processing, recruitment tracking, and analytics. The right HRIS can make your team more efficient, streamline processes, and help you make data-driven decisions.

So why is it important to choose the right HRIS for your team?

Your HRIS choice can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your HR team and the success of your entire organization. No pressure, right?

A good HRIS can help you streamline processes, reduce paperwork, and save time.

On the other hand, a bad HRIS can be a huge drain on resources, lead to errors, and cause frustration for your team. Plus, a poorly chosen HRIS can be difficult and expensive to replace, making it important to get it right the first time. 

Don’t fret! That’s why we’ve brought together industry professionals to share the most helpful aspects teams should look for in a Human Resources Information System (HRIS). Look no further, they’re:

  • The Ability to Centralize Your Data
  • Scalability and Flexibility
  • Ability to Integrate
  • Usability and Security
  • Recruitment Capabilities

The Ability to Centralize Your Data

This may sound obvious regarding choosing an HRIS; however, it's often something that teams do not think about (especially when choosing an HRIS on price versus features); the ability to centralize your data should be the highest priority when choosing your system. 

The centralization of data makes all tasks much more efficient and orderly. Without the centralized “hub,” you may even have to spread tasks across multiple systems (when a singular, more advanced HRIS would cover all aspects with centralization at the core of its offering).

Wendy Makinson, HR Manager, Joloda Hydraroll

Scalability and Flexibility

When looking for a Human Resources Information System (HRIS), it is important for HR teams to keep scalability and flexibility in mind. A good HRIS should be able to easily scale to accommodate the growth of the business while also providing the flexibility needed to adapt to changing requirements. 

This means that the HRIS should be able to add more users, provide more data fields, and integrate with other systems if necessary. This will help ensure that the HRIS will support the company as it grows without requiring an expensive overhaul of the system.

Arkadiusz Terpilowski, Head of Growth & Co-Founder, Primetric

Ability to Integrate

HRIS systems are software tools that ease the tedious functions of HR, and it is for this reason that they should be compatible with your needs before purchasing. 

Understanding why different business leaders need this system, and all within your organization, will ensure you easily integrate the potential HRIS for its initial purposes.

Integration ensures that data can flow freely and communicate with all your systems. When the systems are well-integrated, HR can easily manage compensation and benefits, attendance, recruitment, performance management, payroll, analytics, and core HR data.

Yongming Song, CEO, Live Poll For Slides

Usability and Security

When looking for a Human Resources Information System, HR teams should keep in mind the importance of finding a system that is both user-friendly and secure. 

It is essential that the system is easy to use and navigate, as this will ensure that employees and HR staff can quickly access the information they need. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the system is secure in order to protect sensitive employee data. The system should also be able to integrate with other systems, such as payroll and time tracking, in order to streamline processes and ensure accuracy.

Grace He, People & Culture Director, Teambuilding.Com

Recruitment Capabilities

When choosing an HRIS, it's important to consider the recruitment capabilities. An excellent system should have features to simplify and streamline the recruitment process, from posting job openings and collecting resumes to scheduling interviews and onboarding new hires. 

It should also integrate seamlessly with other existing systems in order to make sure all data is accurate, up-to-date, and organized. By ensuring that these factors are taken into consideration when selecting an HRIS, your business should be well-equipped for a successful recruitment process.

Yusuf Shurbaji, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Prismfly

Choose wisely

The right HRIS can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your HR team and the success of your organization. It's essential to evaluate HRISs carefully to find the solution that's right for your team and your budget.

By following the tips outlined in this guide, we hope you’re a little closer to finding the right HRIS for your team in 2023 and beyond. Happy hunting!

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Alex Sumner