Elevate Your Commitment To Well-Being
these gaps and effectively solve problems.
Many of today’ s HRIS systems are all-in-one systems that either automatically integrate with third-party systems or provide the service themselves. Some of the more common third-party systems to look for include tax credits, background checks, learning, and time and attendance / scheduling. Once you’ ve identified your third-party systems, you can then evaluate the“ nice-to-have” features that will eliminate manual processes from a department. Some of the more popular features that can save time and money for the company by improving compliance and ending manual processes include status / employee change forms, E-Verify / Form I-9 management, scheduling, learning, performance reviews, disciplinary action and applicant tracking.
Finally, you want to reach out to your trusted field managers – the people using the service every day – to learn what they love, like and dislike about the system. Because they are the end users, their feedback is critical, and they are your best advocates for change.
Automation
The difference between a good HRIS and a great HRIS is how much it automates your day-to-day tasks. Start by looking at the HR department for 30 days. Write down every manual piece of work you are doing to create a list of possible features you want to look for. Think globally when you are doing this. Are you dealing with expenses? Do you have a general ledger interface? How are you processing and tracking paid time off? How many states are you in? You need to identify where you can automate processes, and in turn, select an HRIS that works for you and the company.
Look at the list of manual processes that you are doing on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis. Establish from this list what are“ nice-to-have’ s” and what are necessities for you to support the company. Look at the factors such as how much the organization is scaling and growing, how much hiring you are doing annually and your turnover. Once you have these factors, you can establish how you can leverage your HRIS automation to better optimize your function.
Next, we want to look at the manager and employee interface. How easy is it for them to navigate the system? Our managers and employees are busy, so we want a system that allows them to do as
much as possible from their phones and tablets. This area of automation is generally a make it or break part of the system, and it is also the most commonly overlooked feature. You need to understand how this is going to impact your people.
Price
Price is going to be the most difficult piece of information to obtain when it comes to evaluating an HRIS system. Most are going to require you to enter into a conversation, do a request for proposal, or fully demo the system before they will provide you with this information. Remember, you are the customer and the hiring manager for this service / new team member, and vendors need to work with your needs to ensure that the system is right for you. Any HRIS vendor that won’ t come up with pricing based on a list of needs is not a vendor you want to work with. Set expectations early but ensure you have seen enough information that you are able to get comparable pricing. The last thing you want is to try to compare information only to find your candidates aren’ t applying for the same job.
Just like finding the right candidate, you need to establish the right price up front by working with your leadership team to see what the budget can allow. With HRIS systems, you are typically buying a per-employee, per-month or payroll cost. This cost varies as your headcount and number of checks run change each month. To establish this, you would work with your team during budgeting to ensure they are accounting for the expected average headcount, and you can account for the average cost of the system.
Tying It Together
Now that you have your budget, you will weigh the price of the system, with the automation and features you desire by demoing each system that meets your criteria. Before the demo, review pricing, features, automation and your questions to ensure everything aligns. A demo is a final interview where you ensure the features are how they are advertised, that the system will automate the items you want automated, and finally, that the price is within the scope of the project per employee per month to ensure that the system can continue to scale with you.
Selecting an HRIS is just like hiring an employee for your team. A great hire is easy when you prepare: review the resumes( get your questions answered), screen the candidates( confirm pricing for the needed features and automation align with the budget), and look for that culture fit( demo the product) to ensure you have found the right member of the team. Just like any staffing decision, the right employee or system will enhance your department, but the wrong selection can hinder your ability to grow and develop. Choose wisely, and you too can excel with a system that is just the right hire. G
David J. Gilbert-Paduano is the senior human resources director at Pinnacle Fit Clubs.
Elevate Your Commitment To Well-Being
Send members a clear signal that you prioritize a healthy workout environment with trusted soap and sanitizer solutions.
ORDER THROUGH YOUR STAPLES BUSINESS ACCOUNT If you have questions, contact StaplesSupportPF @ staples. com.
GearedUp | 2025 Issue 3
41