Mistakes People Make When Choosing an HR System

Selecting Human resources management system is not that easy, it’s a process that need all functional areas management decision, we have listed in other article before how to select HR system for your company,check here.

In this article , we will be listing the mistakes companies do during the selection process of any HR management system.

• Not determining your needs:

It’s very important to have a list of all the important features that you are looking for in your new HR management system, and refer to the list as you go through the selection process.
Examples of features that you might need in your new HR system :
■ A choice of database platforms
■ Benefits, attendance and compensation tracking
■ Support, notification and enrollment
■ Applicant tracking and management
■ Integrated payroll processing
■ Quick implementation
■ Easy data-import features
■ Industry-standard technology
■ Ability to easily customize to fit your business needs
■ Scalability to accommodate future business growth

• Not looking at enough systems

Reviewing a larger number of systems will make you far more knowledgeable on the capabilities of the industry’s leading HR systems, and more able to decide which is better for your company needs.
Examples of questions you might need to ask the HR vendor about their system:
■ Does it track all employee information?
■ Does it track multiple types of employee leave?
■ How many pre-defined reports are included? Can they be modified?
■ Can I attach files to employee records?
■ Will it integrate with my current payroll system?
■ Can I transfer someone automatically from the applicant pool to employee status?
■ Does it have an e-mail notification and alert system to remind me of reviews and compliance issues?
■ How easily can I import my current HR database?
■ How much training is usually required?

• Not pre qualifying the vendors:

Don’t just get references; check them! When you check vendor references, ask your questions and pay close attention to the actual answers. If you ask if they’re happy with their system and see if they hesitate before answering.
Examples of questions to ask your vendor’s references:
■ What does your company do?
■ What other HR systems did you consider?
■ Why did you decide to go with this system?
■ How easy or difficult was the implementation process?
■ Was the project completed on schedule?
■ How long did it take for your employees to get up and running on the new system?
■ How was the quality of the training and support?
■ How is the quality of the actual software?
■ Have you had any major problems with it since you implemented it?
■ Does it work the way you expected?

• Not getting budget pre-approved.

If you don’t get the money budget approved in advance, you might end up wasting your time.

• Not to understand the difference between standard functions and “extras.”

Some software companies provide basic functions but then make you purchase various “extras” that come standard in other software packages. An extreme example would be to buy a car, and then discover that you must pay additional fees for the engine, steering wheel, tires, etc. Confirm with the vendor which features are included in the core pricing and which is considered as customizations.