HRIS selection and implementation: A big decision, what do you have to pay attention to and when do you bring in external help?

1. The Importance of Proper HRIS Selection

Why an HRIS? The advantages of an HRIS

An HRIS is an information system specifically designed to optimize human resources management in a company. Implementing an HRIS offers numerous benefits:

• Increased efficiency: An HRIS automates many manual processes in HR management, such as recording working hours, managing vacation requests and payroll. This saves time and resources.
• Accuracy and data integrity: An HRIS minimizes human error in data entry and management, resulting in accurate and consistent workforce data.
• Access to real-time data: HRIS systems provide real-time data about employees, performance and compliance, enabling managers to make informed decisions.
• Compliance and data protection: An HRIS supports compliance with employment laws and data protection regulations by ensuring that HR practices comply with legal requirements.
• Reporting and Analysis: HRIS enable comprehensive reporting and analysis of HR data, providing leaders and managers with valuable insights into the performance and needs of their employees.
• Employee self-service: Employees can independently access their data, submit vacation requests and more via an HRIS, which increases employee satisfaction.

Requirements Analysis: How to identify your company’s specific needs

Before selecting an HRIS, it is crucial to identify your company’s specific needs. This includes:

• Business Goals: Understand how the HRIS can contribute to your company’s business goals. Which specific HR challenges should be solved?
• Number of employees and structure: Consider the size and structure of your company. An HRIS for a small business may have different requirements than for a large company.
• Industry-specific requirements: Some industries have specific HR requirements and regulations. Make sure the HRIS meets these requirements.
• Integration with existing systems: If your company already has other systems in use (e.g. accounting software or time tracking systems), HRIS integration options must be considered.
• Budget and Costs: Set a budget and analyze the costs associated with implementing and maintaining the HRIS.
• Ease of use and training needs: Consider the skills of your HR staff and how user-friendly the system is. Training may be required.
• Future scalability: Think about your company’s future growth plans and whether the HRIS you choose can support that scalability.

Properly selecting an HRIS tailored to your company’s specific needs will help increase HR management efficiency, improve employee satisfaction, and ensure compliance. It is an important step towards successful human resources management.

2. Steps for HRIS selection

Market research: Where can you find suitable HRIS providers and solutions?

• Online Research: Use the Internet to create a list of potential HRIS providers and solutions. Use search engines, business directories, and software comparison websites.
• Industry associations and recommendations: Ask industry associations, forums and colleagues for recommendations. Other companies in your industry can offer valuable insights.
• Expert advice: Consider bringing in outside experts or consultants for HRIS selection. They can provide valuable advice based on their experience and expertise.
• Trade fair dates and conferences: Visit HR software trade fairs and conferences to establish direct contact with providers and learn about their solutions first-hand.

Selection criteria: Which criteria are most important for your organization?

• Company goals: Define clear goals and expectations for the HRIS. What challenges do you want to tackle? What improvements are you looking for.
• Requirements: Identify your organization’s specific needs. This can include the size of the company, industry-specific regulations, integrations with existing systems, and more.
• Budget: Set a budget for HRIS implementation and consider ongoing operational costs.
• Ease of use: Consider the skills of your HR team and how user-friendly the system is.
• Scalability: Make sure the HRIS you choose can keep up with your company’s future growth.
• Compliance: Make sure the HRIS meets the legal and data protection regulations that apply to your company.
• Customer Support and Maintenance: Evaluates the quality of customer support and maintenance options offered by the provider.

Demos and Tests: How to filter out the best HRIS systems.

• Vendor contact: Contact the selected vendors and arrange demo presentations. During these presentations, they can introduce the features and capabilities of their HRIS.
• Test access: Request test access to the systems in order to try out the user interface and functionality yourself. This allows your team to evaluate the usability and suitability of the system.
• Obtain feedback: Involve employees from different departments that will be using the HRIS in the testing. Collect their feedback and consider their opinions.
• Comparison: Create a comparison table comparing the pros and cons of different HRIS systems based on the selection criteria and feedback collected.
• Obtain references: Ask for references from other customers of the provider and inquire about their experiences with the system.

After these steps, you should be able to choose the HRIS that best suits your organization’s needs and goals. Careful planning and selection help ensure that the HRIS provides the desired HR management benefits.

3. Implementing the HRIS: When is external help required?

External help can be of great importance when implementing an HRIS (Human Resource Information System) in various situations. Here are some reasons when external support might be needed:

• Complexity: If the implementation is too complex for your team: If the HRIS requirements are particularly complex and go beyond the expertise of your internal team, the involvement of external experts may be necessary. This is particularly the case when the implementation affects multiple locations, countries or complex business processes.
• Specialization: If you need special features or customizations: Some HRIS implementations may require special features, integrations, or customizations that differ from the system’s standard capabilities. In such cases, external developers or consultants with specialized skills may be required to develop customized solutions.
• Time frame: If you need to speed up implementation: There are times when companies need rapid implementation, whether due to legal requirements, business urgency, or other reasons. External service providers can help speed up the implementation process by providing additional resources and expertise.
• Advice and best practices: External consultants can provide valuable insight into best practices and recommendations based on their experiences with similar implementations. They can help avoid potential pitfalls and increase implementation success.
• Support and Maintenance: After implementation, it may be necessary to engage external support to maintain and update the HRIS. External providers can provide ongoing support and continuous improvements.

It is important to carefully plan and justify the decision to engage external help. This should be coordinated with internal resources and the goals of the company. Choosing a qualified and experienced provider or consultant is crucial to ensure that the implementation goes smoothly and the set goals are achieved.

Conclusion

If you have any further questions or need professional assistance in selecting and implementing an HRIS, do not hesitate to contact us. Edl Consulting AG is a certified implementation partner of many renowned HRIS in Europe and has years of experience in the successful and sustainable introduction of HR software in companies. We are available to discuss your requirements and offer tailored solutions. Contact us today for more information and to take the next step towards efficient HR management.