The HR department is an important segment of a business and that is why having the right software for human resources can streamline the functions of this department and make it more efficient. Some HR departments still deal with repetitive tasks such as filling out employee forms or updating personal information for an employee. These simple tasks can be accomplished through using software for human resources.
These are usually abbreviated as HRIS which stands for Human Resources Information Systems and can automate functions such as payroll, the hiring process, benefits information for employees, training and performance assessment. There are currently new features added to human resource software including cloud computing and self-service modules for employees, job seekers and supervisors.
There are so many factors to consider when planning on buying software for human resources. It will mostly depend on the needs of the department, the functions that need to be automated and the price of the software. The HRIS systems can automate any human resource function named such as hiring, benefits, training, testing and payroll. Most vendors advise that the department list reasons as to what makes processes difficult in their day to day activities.
The HRIS should be easy to use by employees and staff in the business. Any company that specializes in selling software for human resources will say that their product is easy to use but only the staff from the HR department can determine what easy means for them. Some of the items to check to see ease of use include evaluating whether the menus and tabs make sense, how drastic does the software automate the function needed and does the system retain information so there is no need to keep entering data from scratch. This is the time for the buyer to ask as many questions as possible and try out the application to make sure they have the right software for human resources.
The software for human resources enables employees of the business to do self-service work such as updating their personal information, printing forms or even getting training on a subject they have always wanted to learn, check on remaining vacation and sick days and monitoring of retirement accounts. This saves the HR department lots of paperwork, phone calls and emails from employees and gives them the opportunity to focus on other areas that need improvement.
There is need for information in the HRIS to be secured as it is personal and falling into the wrong hands can lead to identity theft or stealing from bank accounts. The systems should guard against unauthorized access and virus attacks that can leak out sensitive information. The software for human resources should have strong encryption tools and password protection for each user who logs on to the system. The system should show all changes made to payroll accounts and who authorized the change.
A business needs to streamline all its application in order to ensure order and commonality in the transfer of information. Software for human resources should be able to integrate well with the other software used by the business such as time tracking software or the accounting system used by the business. The vendors can customize the linking based on the information provided to them.
The price of the software may carry weight in deciding which Human Resource Software system to use but a business will usually go with how efficient the software will be regardless of the price. If the business needs the software to encompass all aspects of the business, then the cost will be more compared to adding one or two modules.
About the Author
Carolyn Sokol of PEOcompare.com writes about issues that affect businesses and employment such as HRMS and HR Payroll Technology. Her background is in marketing and communications, development of policies and procedures and the ongoing delivery of outstanding service to customers. compareHRIS.com focuses on outsourcing payroll, HRIS systems and companies that can help you with your payroll & HR issues such as Ceridian, ADP, and Sage HRMS.