Midsized Companies: Top Five Things To Look For When Choosing An HRIS System

July 29, 2009 - PRLog -- As a midsized company, choosing the right HRIS system can be tricky; there are many options out there, after all, some which have features that can benefit your organization and some that do not. How do you go about wading through all of the contenders to arrive at a suitable solution? Taking a careful look at five key characteristics can help immensely. When looking for a reasonably priced and effective HRMS system for your company, make sure to keep the following five things in mind; by doing so, you are much likelier to find a truly beneficial solution.

Find A Product With Room To Grow - Or Shrink

Scalability is an incredibly important consideration to make when looking for great HR software. Products that are marketed as "one size fits all" or that show a marked rigidity in their construction can be problematic for midsized companies. If your business needs expand, having to migrate over to another HRIS system can cost you valuable time and money. Look for products that offer modules that are geared toward supporting increased or decreased functionality, as necessary, to help make your investment stand the test of time.

Virtualize Your Software And Increase Your Productivity - And Profits

One of the biggest buzz terms in today's business world is "cloud computing"; if you don't know what that is, it's time you learned. Cloud computing refers to plugging into the Internet to access software and applications - and finding web based HR software is a great way to take advantage of everything that it has to offer. By using an Internet based payroll software or other HRMS system, you can reduce the costs associated with keeping that software up to date. Your employees will largely be freed up from having to install update after update, allowing them to focus on what matters: profitability.

Be Realistic - Buy What You'll Use

Like anything else, it is sometimes tempting to purchase the most comprehensive, encompassing HRIS system available for your organization - but it's important not to be drawn in by features and functionality that won't directly benefit your company. According to  Norman LeClair, CEO of Corban OneSource (A mid-market HRO with a very innovative technology definitely worth your time exploring) http://www.corbanone.com puts it this way; "Think of it like you would when buying a cable television package: sure, having as many channels as possible sounds great - but how many are you realistically going to watch?"

The money that is wasted on unused features can be used much more effectively elsewhere.  On the flip side, though, there are certain key features that should be considered mandatory when buying the right HR software. Some of these features include:


*  Applicant tracking systems

*  A robust HR module that includes tracking for things like training and certifications

*  Performance evaluations abilities

*  Benefits enrollment capability with carrier connectivity

*  Self service functionality for employees and managers

*  Compliance assistance

*  General ledger integration

While this is by no means a complete list, it is a good starting point and includes things that should be included with absolutely any effective HRIS system. Use this list as a basic outline of what you'll be looking for, adding more customized details based on your organization's needs as necessary.

Avoid Database "Integration" At All Costs

All too often, companies fall prey to the promise of HR software that works by integrating separate databases within its system. When looking for the right software for your company, always look for one that uses just a single database for everything. Doing this will help you avoid many unpleasant problems, and can reduce the number of headaches that you and your employees may experience considerably. A well designed, effective HRMS system will work in such a way that a single entry populates all of its components, reducing the risk of time consuming errors and other troublesome issues.

Find An HRIS System That Will Help Improve Your Organization

While it's important to make sure that the web based HR software you select includes all of the important features to run properly and effectively, you should also be on the lookout for one that includes features that will actually enhance your company's performance. As you run down the list of features for any given HR software, ask yourself whether that feature will provide an improvement over your company's existing policy - whether it's through improved profitability or through enhanced productivity. For example, you could ask:


Does it include built-in personality assessments that will help reduce your company's turnover rate?

Does it have a built-in employee background screening service integrated into its design to make hiring and recruiting more efficient?

Is COBRA functionality included?

Above all else, the right HR software will integrate well with your existing software - it should never be a liability or an encumbrance to the overall functioning of your organization. Optimally, you should strive for implementing software that uses a single system designed to access one database; that way, the number of uploads and downloads will be reduced and the chances for errors and other problems to crop up will be largely eliminated. Processes will be more streamlined and your HR personnel will be able to focus on important tasks - not waste a lot of time puzzling over frequent errors or crashes.

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Senior HR Consultants Inc. is a group of HR Professionals that average more than 25 years of experience per Consultant. Our primary goal is to help mid-sized companies look at ways their HR Department can help thier company become more profitable.