Pretty much any article with "HRIS expert advice” on selecting a Human Resource program says your first step is to determine your needs. They are wrong! How can someone do a good job of determining their needs until they know what these systems can and can’t offer? They can’t. You need to improve your HR Program IQ first before you can determine your needs. CompareHRIS.com and HR-SoftwareBlog.com offer a comprehensive list of free tools and features to assist with this exact step and each additional step of selecting an hr software application. In my opinion, I am certain there is no more comprehensive source anywhere on HRIS program software applications. I’ve looked, a lot; if you know of a more comprehensive source, please let me know what it is.
When I perform our HR system buying tips webinar, I frequently encounter HR professionals who are just starting the process of research on a program and have no idea where to start. These are individuals who most likely have not been through the process before and may not have used a Human Resource Information System before. Before creating this site and working full time on this project, I sold HRMS systems for 15 years so over that time frame I saw the same challenges. My recommendation then, and now, is to improve your software knowledge first.
My tips for increasing your HRIS Program IQ
Download our HR Payroll Software Buyers Guide – With the guide, I created a ten step game plan for those just starting their software selection process. The very first step covers increasing your HRIS system IQ and provides a summary of the capabilities and options of today’s leading HR software applications.
Sign up for our Buying Tips Webinar – (Not in process at this time) Every Tuesday at 2:00 PM EST, I perform a buying tips webinar for those that sign up. The webinar is informal. I start out by showing the free tools and options available on our site and then open up the session to an open question format. I find this the most helpful because you may find that others are asking questions you may have as well. At the very least, you will find out that you are not the only one struggling with the process.
Read through the HR Payroll Articles on our site – We have over 250 articles designed to help you improve your HR system IQ. These articles range in topic from selecting systems, cost justification, and tips for implementing these systems. Our vendors have also included a large number of helpful white papers. Let us know if there are specific topics you would like us to cover in future articles.
Review Pre-Recorded Demos - I would not expect anyone to make a decision on a system purely based on a pre-recorded or canned demo but they can be very helpful in quickly seeing what these types of systems are or are not capable of. Most of the vendors currently listed offer pre-recorded demos which you can view directly on the site. Take a look at four or five systems to further increase your Human Resource software IQ.
Complete our HRIS selection tool – To create the list of options and features showcased in our HRIS selection tool, we worked with the industry’s leading providers to build a comprehensive list of what these systems are capable of. I am not sure if you will find a more complete list anywhere. When you are ready to select a short list of vendors, this tool will provide outstanding benefits. Upon completing the survey, the user is presented with a scored list of the vendors that provide the closest match to their needs.
We had a couple of professional videos created recently. This one does a good job of explaining the features and tools available on compareHRIS.com.
CompareHRIS.com Video Overview
Now you are ready to determine your needs and to pick a short list of vendors matching those needs. The following article may prove helpful for this next step. What does Determine your needs mean?