How to Select an HRIS: Making the Most Out of Your Investment
Quick Look: As with anything, quality beats out quantity when it comes to investing in technology. An HRIS is a valuable commodity, yet the expense of it deserves a thorough evaluation of the benefits it offers. To save time and money, small- and medium-sized (SMB) employers who work with a PEO partner can rely on their experience and expertise to ensure the best fit for their organizations with the additional advantage of maintaining a personalized experience.
Technology is no longer a nice-to-have part of an organization. It’s essential in streamlining efficiencies, staying ahead of trends, and supporting company growth. A human resource information system (HRIS) is a vital, yet expensive platform which supports these goals. Therefore, it’s imperative to perform due diligence and ensure its functionality and capabilities fit within the budgetary constraints and unique operational needs of a company.
This begins with an initial assessment to determine the type of data and reporting the HRIS provides and how it can be best used to serve the organization. It involves looking at what’s currently needed for a company while also being strategic about potential needs in the future.
Does it include employee scheduling, payroll solutions, and a place where employees can manage their own benefits? And how does this change as the number of employees fluctuates, salaries increase, and benefits are updated? These are the kinds of questions to consider when researching HRIS solutions.
Having access to technology is only as good as its application. When choosing an HRIS, there are several factors to consider to protect your investment and maximize the return. Here are key features to look for in an HRIS, the benefits it provides, and how to unlock its true value.
HRIS Features and Capabilities
When evaluating any platform or program, the first questions are: what does it do and how can it solve my problems? By matching built-in solutions to a company’s individual challenges, an HRIS should clearly illustrate the benefits and instill confidence in the investment.
Cloud-Based Technology
Operating in a digital world means any HRIS should be accessible across multiple devices. This allows employees to access the platform from wherever they are, whether in the office, working remotely, or a combination of both. Hybrid organizations are the wave of the future.
Companies with a distributed workforce increased to 48% post-pandemic, and the trend is forecasted to only increase over time. Having information stored in the cloud means it can be organized, viewed, and updated as needed by all authorized users securely and on-demand.
Intuitive, Time-Saving Design
It’s important to gain buy-in across the board and make employees comfortable using an HRIS as needed. Saving time and money are priorities valuable to company leaders. These should be communicated in a way which feels equally beneficial to their employees.
It’s easier to institute a new platform across an organization when the system is user-friendly and intuitive. An HRIS should be easy to access from any mobile device with direct navigation to save time and prevent frustrations. A program with slow or clunky features where the purpose doesn’t resonate with users minimizes the investment.
Customizable Reports
Though operational structures often have similarities from company to company, each organization is unique. For an HRIS to be effective, there must be customization available which can be tailored to a company’s needs at different points in their growth. The ability to quickly assess data for everything from time-keeping to applicant onboarding to payroll makes it easier to identify areas for improvement and strategize where changes need to be made.
Benefits of an HRIS
An HRIS streamlines and automates much of the day-to-day HR and operational processes which leaves more room for strategy, innovation, and growth. It prevents SMB leaders from being caught up in the minutiae of paperwork, emails, and manual data entry and allows them to focus on achieving business objectives.
Improves Efficiency
A top-performing HRIS boosts efficiency. One of the key areas it can help companies is with the hiring process. An HRIS automatically connects all data points and information in one place. HR can electronically send offer letters, distribute benefits package information, and request and save applicant data, including background checks and tax paperwork. When there are multiple candidates for various roles within a company, an HRIS keeps track of where each applicant is in the hiring process and what’s needed to move them to the onboarding stage.
Reduces Errors
Automation through an HRIS results in fewer payroll and employee information errors. Rather than having to keep track of individual paper files or online spreadsheets, everything is centralized and updated through HRIS technology. It also allows companies to maintain compliance when there are changes to employee and labor laws, as well as updates to internal protocols.
As a company continues to grow and potentially add on part-time employees, interns, and contractors to its full-time roster, organizing what’s needed for each category is handled through the system, which prevents important updates from being overlooked.
Empowers Employee Autonomy
An HRIS also serves as a central database where employees can instantly find answers to frequently asked questions, without having to send an email or schedule a meeting. The localization allows employees to keep their personal information up-to-date, such as emergency contacts, vacation requests, performance evaluations, and other pertinent information.
It also provides transparency regarding salary, tax, and benefits. Providing a self-service solution improves efficiencies, limits HR interruptions, and gives employees a sense of ownership of their role within the company.
Value of ExtensisHR Work Anywhere®
An HR department is responsible for much of the work behind-the-scenes. It requires anticipation of future needs while constantly adapting to and maintaining the current ones. It takes a lot of time, resources, and flexibility in order to function at its best, and fortunately, technology has helped streamline the process in many ways.
However, technology alone cannot solve problems. It’s the personalized connection of a human component which makes the difference. Partnering with a professional employer organization (PEO) like ExtensisHR provides this extra value. By combining technology with our expertise, we create customized solutions to power business growth.
In addition to our HR solutions, we’re empowering organizations to securely manage daily HR tasks from anywhere, at any time with the recent launch of our new mobile app, ExtensisHR Work Anywhere®. App features include reviewing time-off requests, completing annual employee benefits enrollment, and viewing direct deposit information, among other key capabilities. Additionally, the app provides instant access to experts for one-on-one HR support.
Though HRIS technology helps make companies more efficient, a personalized approach makes the solutions more effective. Want insight into navigating the features of HRIS platforms to feel secure about your investment? Our HR experts are here to assist.
