Most organisations, regardless of size or industry, will benefit from having a human resources team managing and maintaining the well-being of its workforce. However, in order to meet the set standards of their industry, these HR teams require access to the right tools. In a recent study conducted by Deloitte, 84% of all UK companies are now looking to improve their HR processes with a cloud-based software solution. So, how do you select the best provider to cover your unique needs and requirements?
In this e-guide, we’ll take a closer look at the key elements of HR solutions – and we’ll take you through the 8 steps to finding the right HR software for you.
Popular HR Solution Features
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Payroll Management
Arguably, this is one of the most standard tools any HR department should have, as it allows your payroll staff to organise employee salaries and payment of bonuses. There are standalone payroll management systems available on the market, but we recommend getting one that is already integrated in a comprehensive HR package.
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Recruiting and Applicant Tracking
This can be a very useful tool for medium and large-sized companies, as it facilitates the recruitment process and talent management of prospective applicants. While this is not necessarily a must-have feature for smaller businesses, it’s certainly a helpful tool to have when your company starts growing and you need more suitable candidates for key positions. It will make your recruitment process much easier.
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Time Tracking and Attendance
Another popular feature is the ability to effortlessly monitor employee attendance, scheduling, and work hours. There are standalone solutions available on the market, but there are also complete HR platforms that offer time tracking and attendance management as vital features.
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Employee Data Management
If you have a lot of employees, you’re going to need a system to help manage and store employee information. This feature allows you to track and organise all employee data and store them in a safe and secure location in the cloud – or in your local database, if you prefer on-premise solutions.
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Performance Evaluation
With this tool, supervisors will effectively mange their employee’s performance, track their progress, and set up goals for them to achieve. And just like with most of the other features, performance evaluation is also available as a standalone or as a part of a comprehensive HR platform.
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Benefits Management System
This feature is specifically designed to let HR teams keep track of employee benefits such as insurance, sick leaves, and annual leave. This feature is often integrated with employee management systems, HR management platforms, as well as HR compliance solutions.
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Learning Management
This is ideal for medium and large-sized companies that want to expand or improve the skills and expertise of their employees. This feature can enable your HR department to create effective training plans for key employees up for promotion, or new hires that require extensive training on the job they’re hired to do.
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Reporting and Analytics
Most business process solution have some type of reporting and analytics function. Reporting tools are incredibly important as it allows both employees and team leaders to create reports quicker and more efficiently. With analytics tools, user can process all types of vital business information, such as HR data. In return, this knowledge will enable executives to make better business decisions.
After the brief overview of these key HR features, you now have an idea of what to expect from an off-the-shelf HR software solution. Naturally, there are top-of-the-class solutions that come with all of the abovementioned features, but just because one particular platform lacks a certain tool it doesn’t mean that it’s not good. It simply means that you need to pick and choose the right HR solution for your specific requirements. Remember – software solutions are never a one-size fits all.
8 Steps to choosing the best HR Software for your company
Understand your HR requirements
Regardless of the software solution you choose – no matter how affordable or expensive it is, or whether it has limited or comprehensive features – it’s not worth the price tag if it doesn’t address your business needs effectively.
This is why it’s imperative that any organisation looking to implement or upgrade their existing HR solution should have a clear understanding of their needs first. Are you facing any current issues? What are the human resource processes you’re dealing with on a daily basis?
Knowing your company’s needs – the challenges you’re facing as an organisation – will help you get a better understanding of what type of HR solution to pick out. For instance, you may find that onboarding automation is useful in your current situation or that creating training plans for employees is really what you need as your company continues to grow.
Carefully assess your existing HR solution
If you’re looking to upgrade your current HR software, then it will be a good idea to evaluate your old system to discover how it’s stacking up with your needs or to get an overview on which features it’s lacking.
We always recommend that you include the people who use the platform daily, most likely your HR team, in the evaluation process, and that you ask them why they would want to replace the existing solution. What works well for them? What doesn’t? Carefully consider the various advantages and disadvantages before shopping for a new solution.
Determine who will use your new HR solution
By defining who will use the system daily, you’ll be able to establish which features are integral to your company as a whole. Human resources management systems are typically used by HR managers and staff. With the help of the right solution, your HR manager will be able to automate numerous tasks and processes. This can be especially helpful if you run a large, busy company where your executives rarely get any downtime during their day. By automating repetitive tasks, you can enable your employees to focus on what really matters – their jobs.
On the other hand, HR solutions focusing on self-onboarding, benefits management, paid time off, and 360 degree review features will certainly benefit employees using the new solution. For example, with a feature like self-onboarding, new hires will be able to gain easy access to all the information they need before they even set foot inside the office. This will also make new employees feel more comfortable and prepared on their first day, week, or month at work.
Consider the ease of use of your new software
When choosing your next software, it’s imperative that you consider the learning curve of the system. It doesn’t matter how feature-rich the solution is, if people find it difficult to adopt and implement. In other words, always ensure that it has a user-friendly interface for all types of users.
Having a built-in software training feature is a good way to make sure everyone can use the system on their own. We also recommend that you consider the support functions of your vendor. Will there be 24/7 support at hand? Or do the vendor only occasionally reply to your emails?
Take the functionality into account
The market is filled with a wide variety of HR software. These all differ in price range, feature sets, capacities, deployment methods and functionality. Every HR management system, every platform, consists of several different modules and they facilitate varying sets of tasks and processes.
Some of the key features that help add functionality to any HR solution includes:
- Unlimited number of users: If you run a large company, it’s crucial that your HR solution can accommodate all your users. Certain solutions have a limit on the number of users who can access the system, meaning that you often need to pay extra if you want to increase the amount of users included.
- Tech support: It’s not unusual to face some difficulties when dealing with new software solutions. Naturally, it’s important to opt for a software vendor that offers top notch tech support, be it via phone or live chat. This will make it easier for your staff to resolve any issues that might come up, especially during the initial stages of the deployment process.
- Scheduling and payroll management: Acquiring separate systems to track attendance and payroll management can be extremely costly, especially for smaller businesses with limited financial resources. Choosing an HR platform that can also function as a scheduling and payroll management system might be the cost-saving solution you’re looking for.
Find the right HR service provider
Choosing the right vendor is just as important as finding the right HR solution.
These days, cloud solutions are quickly evolving to become the industry standard when it comes to software solutions, as they can lead to nearly twice the ROI compared to on-premise solutions. While shopping for a vendor, it’s imperative that you choose one that offers your chosen method of deployment. For instance, if you’re looking for a cloud-based HR solution, you should look at the vendor’s implementation methodology, assistance and support, product capabilities, and the security of their databases and services.
Consider your budget limitations
Investing in a new HR software can be costly, especially when the pricing can vary significantly from vendor to vendor. However, just because you’re limited to a set budget, it doesn’t mean that you should settle for a mediocre system. Rather, it’s all about finding an HR solution that will serve the needs of your organisation at the most reasonable price.
There are also vendors that will only charge for the features you want. This means that you don’t have to pay for modules and features that you won’t be using. This is a good option for smaller companies looking for a very particular set of skills and features.
Go for an HR solution with seamless integration
Having the ability to integrate your HR solution to an existing system is imperative, especially as modern companies are trying to catch up with the big data revolution. Nowadays, everything should be connected and streamlined for it to work efficiently – from sales and marketing, to supply chain management, and high-level data intelligence. And there’s no reason why you can’t integrate your new HR solution to your existing business process infrastructure.
HR departments are developing their own analytics and KPIs for the purposes of improving management. However, it’s the relationship to other departments that will allow management to get a better view of how the workforce is performing. This is where seamless integration can really be helpful, and why it should be a serious factor when choosing HR software for your organisation.
Find your next HR Software
Navigating the software market can be a challenging and time-consuming task. Are you looking for expert advice and a vendor shortlist tailored to your specific requirements? YourShortlist is a respected industry body, and our service is completely free of charge.
Reach out to one of our dedicated software experts today, and get started on your HR journey. What are you waiting for?