Do you need to hire an HR consultant to assist you with evaluating and selecting a Human Resource software solution? Well, like everything and as I frequently say with these answers, it depends. It depends on the complexity of your organization’s needs, your experience with the process, and of course the consultant’s knowledge and experience.
Hiring an HR consultant to assist with your HR software evaluation, selection, and implementation can be very helpful, especially if they have real working experience with the industry’s leading systems. A good HR consultant should be able to assist with creating an RFP and, if needed, make recommendations and suggestions on the entire process. In some cases, the consultant may even offer services to project manage the implementation. These are all very helpful services for HR staffs that may not have the available time to effectively manage the entire project themselves. It’s important to note that a large number of HR consultants visit CompareHRIS.com and use our free tools to research HR systems for their clients.
Before determining if you need an HR consultant for your evaluation process, I would ask the following questions:
How complex are your requirements for an HR system? - If you are looking for a basic entry level system for less than a 100 employee company, you probably don’t need a consultant to help you pick a system that will match your needs and budget. If, however, your company has several thousand employees and you are looking to integrate time and attendance, HR, payroll, and talent management systems, the obvious answer might be that an HR consultant can greatly assist with your selection process. There is obviously a lot of grey area between these two extremes.
Have you or anyone on your staff selected or implemented an HR system in the past? If the answer to this question is no, then that does not necessarily mean you should hire a consultant to assist with your evaluation. If you or your staff has been through the selection and implementation processes before, the entire process may be far easier for you and may not require the assistance of an HR consultant. Again, it all depends on how complex your needs are for a system. It would also depend on the ability of the HR department to direct time and energy toward the system evaluation, selection, and implementation process.
How might you be able to fully utilize the tools of CompareHRIS.com instead of an HR consultant?
Already mentioned in this article is that a large number of HR consultants utilize the tools offered by CompareHRIS.com to assist their clients. So, that means you can do the same. The following free tools should assist you tremendously with the entire process of evaluating, selecting, and implementing an HRIS:
• Free HRIS Buyer’s Guide – Our guide provides a ten step “inside the industry” game plan for selecting an HRIS or HRMS system.
• Free HRIS/HRMS RFP Template – Download the over 50 page document in a Word format so you can alter what is there as opposed to creating the document from scratch.
• HRIS Selection Tool – Our HRIS selection tool contains an extremely comprehensive list of the industry’s leading HRIS/HRMS features and options. This list should greatly assist with your ability to define your needs for a system and when the tool is complete, you are provided with a scored list of the products providing the best fit for those needs.
• Software Articles, Newsletters, and HR-SoftwareBlog.com – CompareHRIS.com has compiled an impressive list of over 250 articles pertaining to the evaluation, selection, and implementation of HR systems. There’s advice to help you at every stage of the process.
HR consultants can provide a valuable resource for those companies with complex HRIS/HRMS selection needs, provided they have the experience with the various Human Resource systems on the market. Overworked or understaffed HR departments may not have the time and energy to devote to the entire HR systems selection process. Given current economic conditions, if your company is looking to save the money and do the work yourself, CompareHRIS.com is a great place to start.