HRIS: The Who, What, When, Why, and How: Jungohr - Ca

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HRIS: The Who, What, When, Why, and

How
JungoHR
37-47 minutes
Human resources is evolving at a quick pace. Technology is, no

doubt, the biggest disruptor in the industry. The cloud, big data,
artificial intelligence—advances in technology are changing the way
HR professionals work and changing their role in the organization.
While some erroneously believe automation will take their jobs, the
truth is technology will only improve the HR department while
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transforming it from a service provider to a strategic partner in the

organization.
10%
Companies are spending 10% of their HR budgets on new

technology.
(Bersin by Deloitte)
45%
A whopping 45% of companies are still only in the early stages of

basic automation.
(Forbes)
20%
Fewer than 20% of organizations provide employees access to

mobile HR apps.
(Deloitte University Press)
22%
Businesses that upgrade their HR systems see cost savings of 22%

per employee.
47%
47% of companies are using HR software that is at least seven

years old.
Industry leaders are investing in human resource information

systems to effectively manage their HR information, better manage
employees, gain insights, and improve business outcomes. With
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the right HR technology, companies big and small can see

significant positive impacts in all aspects of their organizations.
Table of Contents:
1. The Basics: What Is an HRIS?
2. Who Benefits from an HRIS?
3. What Features Should You Look for in an HRIS?
4. 9 Benefits of Automation in HR
5. How Can HR Professionals Use HRIS Data to Influence

Strategy?
6. What HRIS Performance Metrics Does Management Care

About?
7. 13 Tips to Ensure HRIS Implementation Success
8. How to Choose an HRIS Provider
9. Additional Resources
1. The Basics: What Is an HRIS?
A human resource information system (HRIS) is an HR software

solution that enables you to replace your company’s HR
spreadsheets. Using a single cloud-based platform, all your HR
data can be inputted, stored, managed, tracked, and analyzed in
one place. Once an HRIS is implemented, HR professionals no
longer have to manage HR data manually or juggle hundreds of
different spreadsheets. The information is always up to date and
accurate, as well as easy to find.
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However, an HRIS isn’t just a storage space. This technology is

also used to enhance business functions, cut costs, increase
efficiency and accuracy, and save time, allowing HR leaders to
focus on strategy, not administrative tasks.
How?
By automating core HR tasks, leave management, onboarding

activities, benefits administration, and even compliance,
performance management, labour and safety, and so much more.
An HRIS improves productivity in the HR department, improves the

effectiveness of HR strategies across the organization, and helps
ensure quality decision making. It provides powerful analytics
capabilities and reporting functions, and it offers all the features
required to effectively and efficiently manage a workforce from hire
to retire.
“An HRIS improves productivity in the HR department, improves

the effectiveness of HR strategies across the organization, and
helps ensure quality decision making.”
Over time, these HR systems have become increasingly

sophisticated, offering more capabilities and helping improve more
HR processes. Most systems are configurable to meet your
organization’s exact needs, and the large majority of systems are
now on the cloud, enabling anywhere, anytime access as well.
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2. Who Benefits from an HRIS?
No doubt, HR technology enables HR leaders to cut costs and save

time, but there are many more wide-ranging benefits to
implementing an HRIS. From HR leaders to employees to the
organization as a whole, everyone wins when a company uses an
HRIS.
Why More HR Leaders Are Using an HRIS
The most obvious benefits can be seen in the HR department.
So much falls under HR’s umbrella: hiring, recruiting, benefits,

insurance, pension, payroll, and all other elements of an
employee’s total compensation. The role that oversees and
manages a company’s most valuable asset will be caught up doing
administrative tasks instead of strategic planning and may not be
able to demonstrate their own ROI. There’s no doubt that the sheer
magnitude and variety of administrative tasks might be weighing
down human resources, especially in small businesses. Whether
you have 50 employees or 250 employees, the HR department
needs to leverage a powerful and efficient solution that can alleviate
the burden of having to manually do all the administrative heavy
lifting.
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At its core, HR is about people. With an HRIS, HR professionals

can become HR leaders. Rather than spending all their time on
administrative, monotonous tasks, they can get back to the work
that truly makes a difference. With admin work out of the way, the
human connection can be renewed. HR professionals will be able
to grow meaningful relationships with employees and executives.
“With an HRIS, HR professionals can become HR leaders.”
What’s more, they’ll have the time and the data to make more
informed decisions, enabling them to create HR strategies that
make an impact at a high level. HR technology is not replacing HR
professionals but empowering them to become more strategic and,
in turn, provide more value to the organization.
How Employees Benefit
Running a successful business means making the well-being of

your team a priority. If your employees are appreciated, challenged,
and satisfied, your entire business is likely to prosper and reap the
positive benefits. Recruiting and retention will be a painless process
as well. Unfortunately, mismanaging HR administration can send a
negative message to employees, influence their perceptions, and
affect their employee experience and performance. If any aspect of
an employee’s total compensation—from salary to benefits to paid
sick days—is incorrectly administered, the effects could be
detrimental to the entire team’s morale. It’s also hard to achieve a
healthy work-life balance if employees are stressed about their
jobs, their benefits, their compensation, or other aspects of their
roles, and HR is scrambling to play catch-up.
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Further, an HRIS gives HR leaders access to a wealth of data on

employees, which can help identify opportunities for employee
training and advancement, succession planning for top employees,
the creation of unique development plans, and more. With the right
data in hand, human resource professionals can gain insights into
their workforce to find ways to improve motivation, reward top
employees, help struggling employees, and ensure morale is high.
Their strategic efforts in these areas will enable employees to work
more effectively and be more satisfied with their jobs.
Human resources is designed to protect a company’s most valuable

resource: its people. However, HR requires the proper tools to
manage such a complex and important job. Leveraging the power
of technology by using an HR platform can make it easier to ensure
employees are happy, loyal, and secure.
How the Organization as a Whole Benefits
There are so many ways an organization benefits from the

implementation of a human resource information system that it’s
difficult to name them all.
All the benefits the HR department realizes translate into positive

effects for the business. When employees can save time, overall
productivity and efficiency increase. When less time is spent on
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administrative tasks, overall company costs can be reduced.
“All the benefits the HR department realizes translate into positive

effects for the business.”
Most importantly, however, when HR has the ability to be more

strategic, the business can become more competitive and drive
growth.
For example:
When HR has the time, data, and resources to improve the hiring
process, the company benefits from hiring top talent.
When HR can improve the onboarding process, the company

benefits from reduced costs, greater productivity, and happier
employees.
When the HR department can invest more time to improve training

and development, performance is enhanced, which boosts the
bottom line.
When compensation management can become a top priority, the

business benefits from having long-term, loyal and satisfied
employees on staff, which can further improve retention, boost
productivity, enhance customer service, and improve business
outcomes.
“When HR has the ability to be more strategic, the business can

become more competitive and drive growth.”
Implementing an HRIS is a win-win-win situation for HR leaders,

employees, and the organization alike.
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3. What Features Should You Look for in an HRIS?
There are more HR tools and technologies on the market today

than ever before. The sheer number of options available can be
paralyzing. With hopes held so high about what an HRIS can do to
improve business outcomes, HR leaders want to ensure they’re
choosing the right HRIS with all the features, functions, and
capabilities they require to save time, cut costs, boost productivity,
and become strategic partners in the organization.
Core HR
Core HR can be considered your digital library of all employee

information. Rather than having separate spreadsheets, sticky
notes, email threads, and filing cabinets filled with paper
documents, you can store all your data in one central hub, making it
easy to locate the files you’re looking for at any given time, from
anywhere. The platform should be searchable and secure to
improve access and security of your employees’ important and
confidential information.
Core HR is a basic must-have feature that helps HR reduce data

entry, increase accuracy, and eliminate human error through the
automation of time-consuming HR processes and busywork. In
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turn, it empowers HR professionals to do more.
Not only a storage hub, core HR gives human resource

professionals unlimited access to effective historical data, so they
can identify overall opportunities, trends, and challenges in the
organization. The module should also come with real-time reports
and analysis to offer greater insights into employees, projects,
business units, and more.
Onboarding
Many organizations struggle with disjointed and inconsistent

onboarding processes, while others do not have a defined process
to begin with. This can leave new employees feeling confused or
disappointed with their experience. That’s why an employee
onboarding feature is a must. It helps organizations welcome new
hires in a productive and organized way, helping to make a positive
impact on them before they even start their first day.
"An effective onboarding module will streamline the onboarding

workflow, assure consistency, and empower new hires."
An effective onboarding module will streamline the onboarding

workflow, assure consistency, and empower new hires. It will also
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be configurable to your company’s unique requirements, enabling

you to add all your own onboarding tasks, as well as keep all
onboarding documents, files, and even handbooks and training
videos in one place. What’s more, it should help you track and
measure new employees’ progress while monitoring the completion
of all onboarding steps.
Benefits Administration
Offering group benefits can be overwhelming. In fact, some

companies simply don’t offer a benefits program due to worries and
fears about administration and compliance. Many business owners
don’t believe they have the expertise, resources, or time to take on
such a time-intensive and compliance-heavy responsibility. But the
advantages a company gains from offering group benefits far
outweigh these concerns.
A benefits administration module can help make the management

of employee benefits simple and easy. The right HRIS will offer
carrier connectivity to a significant percentage of the market, so you
can easily share files and updates with your carrier, or seamlessly
switch insurance companies as you see fit. It will also enable you to
manage all types of plans, from health and dental to health
spending accounts, stock options, retirement plans, and life and
disability insurance. It should track details, such as enrolment,
beneficiaries, and dependents. The module should also automate
the remittance process and generate real-time total rewards
statements for maximum results.
"The right HRIS will offer carrier connectivity to a significant

percentage of the market."
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An HRIS with a benefits administration feature will enable you to

stay compliant, save time and resources, and cut administrative
costs, as well as the risk of errors.
Leave Management
Similarly to benefits administration, leave management can be

complex, time intensive, and compliance heavy. It’s a great idea to
simplify this function with an HRIS that offers a leave management
module. Such a feature will enable you to automate the process
from validating requests to routing them to approvals while tracking
all employee leaves, accruals, and annual payouts. This HRIS
module should offer you the flexibility to customize policy-based
workflows, support a variety of short- and long-term leaves, and
provide detailed reports and analytics.
Payroll
The ideal human resource information system will also integrate

with your preferred payroll platform. Rather than using two separate
systems, you’ll be able to enter data once and be done. Whether an
employee gets a raise or an employee status changes, you can
make the updates in your HRIS and the changes will be reflected in
your payroll management system. This ensures your information is
always up to date and accurate while you save time on manual
entry.
Self-Service
Employees love self-service, which is why most HR leaders prefer

an HRIS that offers this feature. An HRIS with a self-service portal
empowers employees to make changes to their personal
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information, access the documents they need, review their files,

and even make requests. In essence, employees can become their
own managers.
HR, too, loves self-service because it saves them time. They don’t
have to spend half their days fielding requests and questions from
employees about vacation or benefits.
Additional Features to Consider
While core HR, onboarding, leave management, benefits

administration, and payroll integration are the key features any
HRIS should have, there are other additional features HR leaders
should consider if they truly want to invest in their HR stack. These
include:
Talent management
Recruiting ATS
Labour
Safety
Competencies
Performance & Goals
Workforce
Learning & Development
Succession Planning
Expense Management
Timekeeping
Scheduling
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Clocking
Your HRIS should transform the way you run HR, saving you time
and effort and helping you become more strategic. The features
you choose should enable you to meet your goals.
"The features you choose should enable you to meet your goals."
4. 9 Benefits of Automation in HR
Leading HR professionals today understand how automation in HR

can enable their businesses to succeed. With the right HR
management software, they can keep up with the company’s
evolving needs and become more strategic. Here are some of the
many benefits HR leaders using an HRIS realize.
1. Reduce Wasted Time
Managing HR functions manually leads to wasted time. Too much

valuable time is spent on locating paper documents, filling them in
manually, and sending them where they need to go. HR is also
inundated by requests and questions from managers and
employees alike. Plus, using a variety of different tools can also
translate into more time spent on the same tasks, such as inputting
the same data into various systems.
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Using HR technology can transform the way HR managers spend

85% of their time. How? Here are just a few ways an HRIS helps
HR leaders get their time back:
Many previously time-consuming tasks can be automated, such as

timekeeping, onboarding, and recruiting.
Managers and employees can be empowered through self-service

to take the burden off HR.
All documents will be quickly accessible in the cloud.
Workflows will be streamlined.
Reports can be automatically generated.
2. Increase Accuracy
No matter how talented HR professionals are, human error will

occur when technology isn’t used. This is especially true when HR
is pressed for time and rushing through the tasks on their endless
to-do lists. These errors can be costly, result in more rework, and
consume more time. When administrative tasks are automated,
manual dependency is eliminated and the risk of human error is
significantly reduced.
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3. Greater Productivity and Efficiency
With automation, all tasks and workflows can be simplified,

enabling HR to become more efficient. HR automation makes
processes more transparent and also removes bottlenecks. HR
leaders won’t have to spend their time on menial, repetitive tasks.
Rather, they will be able to put their true skills to work. At the same
time, they’ll be able to get more work done in a day, in a week, and
in a year. This enhanced productivity can translate into significant
cost and time savings, while streamlining HR functions across the
boards.
4. Greater Consistency
Many businesses do not have established and defined HR

processes. This is true of recruiting and onboarding, of
performance reviews and goal setting, and of training or
development. Manual workflows are rarely, if ever, consistent in
nature. Each HR employee does things a little differently. With HR
automation, you can be sure all tasks are carried out in a
consistent, uniform way, regardless of how complex the workflow is.
This can prevent output variations.
"With HR automation, you can be sure all tasks are carried out in a
consistent, uniform way, regardless of how complex the workflow
is."
5. Improved Data Security
Using an HRIS will no doubt improve data security. Your important

and confidential business and employee data will be encrypted and
backed up on the cloud, protecting you from losing files due to fires,
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computer failures, or other catastrophic events.
6. Less Paperwork
Everyone benefits when there’s less paperwork and fewer paper

documents in the office. Not only is a paperless office greener, but
having all employee data, including leaves, compensation,
schedules, and profiles, online means you’ll also save storage
space, quickly search for and locate the files you need, and ensure
no documents are lost or damaged.
7. Better Insights, Better Decision Making
When you have all the information you need in one place, when
you’re confident all your data is accurate, and when you can track a
wide variety of behaviours, trends, opportunities, and challenges at
the click of a button, you’ll benefit from better insights. Thanks to
analytics and reporting, an HRIS can give you the valuable insights
you need for better and more informed decision making. Whether
we’re talking about performance reviews, cost-saving initiatives,
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rewards and recognition, or workforce trends, you can ensure all

decisions are based on real-time, accurate, and relevant data,
which will no doubt improve business outcomes.
"Thanks to analytics and reporting, an HRIS can give you the

valuable insights you need for better and more informed decision
making."
8. Cost Savings
There are many ways in which an HRIS will help an organization

cut costs. The time saved in HR, as well as the increased efficiency
and productivity, can reduce labour costs. The increased accuracy
that automation can help you realize will reduce the risk of costly
errors and liability issues. Streamlined and automated workflows
can ensure HR functions are more effective, such as improved
recruitment, training, and more, which will boost the bottom line.
9. Transforming HR into a Strategic Partner
Perhaps most importantly, HR automation can transform the HR

department from transactional to strategic. HR leaders’ time will be
freed up from administrative tasks, so they can have more time to
change policies, improve the corporate culture, enhance the
employee experience, and put the human back in human
resources. With an HRIS, they will also have the data they need to
make real, impactful changes. They can do the work technology will
never be able to do.
As human resources becomes more complex, and the tasks HR

manages become more critical to organizational growth and
success, this benefit becomes increasingly more important.
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5. How Can HR Professionals Use HRIS Data to

Influence Strategy?
Traditionally, HR played a supporting role in the organization.

Today, HR can and should influence the company’s direction,
contribute to decisions regarding products, strategy, and customers,
and participate in executive meetings. Managers should seek out
HR leaders’ opinions. HR should initiate people processes and
programs.
Using HRIS data analytics, HR leaders can answer a variety of

questions about the organization’s future regarding hiring, training,
outsourcing, cost management, succession planning, and more.
They can see how things are trending and manage the business
proactively.
With the right data, HR can earn that seat at the executive table
and start taking a more proactive, strategic role in the organization.
Become Strategic-Minded
It can be tough for some HR leaders to do, but if you want to use
HRIS data to influence business strategy, you must start thinking
more strategically rather than tactically. Shift from being a doer to a
leader. Make sure every initiative you suggest and every task you
complete ties back to the greater business strategy.
"Shift from being a doer to a leader."
Use Your HRIS Strategically
A human resource information system will free up your time to

enable you to create new value-added processes and strategies. It
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will also track, monitor, and analyze a variety of metrics. You can
generate reports on attendance, clocking, or benefits use. You can
get salary reports for the entire organization. You can quickly find
and report on retention and turnover figures. You can track how well
a training or development program is going.
Data is your most important asset in HR. You will have all the
numbers you need at your fingertips to learn in-depth information
about your workforce and the organization as a whole. That is, if
you use the HRIS to its fullest advantage. To use your data to make
strategic decisions for the company, you need to track the right
metrics and effectively use the reporting capabilities and analytics
the platform offers.
Express Opinions Backed by Data
To earn the right to influence strategy, you must be able to offer

intelligent and substantial opinions on the business direction. To do
so, you must understand the numbers. This will help you form
opinions based on real data. It’s simply not enough to say certain
actions, changes, or initiatives will drive growth or improve
processes, you must prove it with data. Nothing you say will matter
until you can prove it.
"Nothing you say will matter until you can prove it."
Tie the Data to Company Goals
You need executives and stakeholders to care about your new

people strategies. How do you do that? These executives care
about improving operations and saving money, so tie your
strategies to these types of company goals. The company’s goals
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should be your goals, too.
How will your strategies reduce waste, improve engagement, or

increase retention? How will your people programs reduce
absenteeism or help increase productivity? Your programs or
changes should be based on measurable objectives that ultimately
help the business improve.
Track and Measure Your Changes
If your programs are based on measurable objectives, then you

should be tracking and measuring their results to evaluate their
success and prove their ROI. This will help cement your seat at the
leadership table.
Measure Outcomes, Not Processes
The metrics management cares about are related to objectives and

outcomes, not work processes. They want you to measure
outcomes and goal achievements, such as the value added per
employee, the ROI of human capital, returns on training, and
training costs. These types of results measurements are crucial to
demonstrating the success of human resources in an organization.
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Become an Expert in Analytics
Your HRIS can track and measure a variety of different useful

metrics, but having these numbers isn’t enough. Metrics may tell
you what’s going on, but you need to become an analyst to
determine what the numbers are telling you, to find answers in the
data, and to identify which steps need to be taken to improve
outcomes. For example, you might learn from your numbers that
your turnover is too high, but that doesn’t tell you why it’s too high
or what you need to do to curb it. That’s where analytics come in.
"Metrics may tell you what’s going on, but you need to become an
analyst to determine what the numbers are telling you."
Incorporating HR data into the organization’s strategy requires a

cultural shift. HR leaders must break away from HR’s operational
mode, change the paradigm, transform executives’ mindsets, and
show leaders how their work, their initiatives, and their programs
provide value to the organization as a whole. Data is key to
showing ROI.
6. What HRIS Performance Metrics Does

Management Care About?
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Once you adopt an HRIS, you’ll have a wealth of metrics to

measure how effective, efficient, or impactful your programs and
initiatives are. These metrics enable HR leaders to calculate the
return on investment of their department and prove their value and
worth to the organization and the bottom line.
Metrics can be used to track and measure a wide variety of

business functions, such as workforce productivity, recruiting,
training, employee engagement, job satisfaction, and more. But
with so many functions to track, HR professionals can quickly
become overwhelmed by the numbers and what they might mean.
Which metrics should you track? If you want to become more
strategic and earn your spot at the leadership table, then the best
metrics to track are those that management cares about—the
metrics that show how your efforts are improving business functions
and positively impacting the bottom line.
"With so many functions to track, HR professionals can quickly

become overwhelmed by the numbers and what they might mean."
Workforce Productivity
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Executives understand that high productivity is key to boosting the

bottom line. Revenue can be increased and costs decreased when
productivity is at its highest.
Workforce productivity is also an excellent measure of human

resources success. However, productivity is difficult to improve, as
well as quantify. Boosting productivity requires a wide variety of
new initiatives that target employee engagement, motivation, and
job satisfaction, as well as effective hiring, onboarding, training, and
more.
By taking proactive measures to improve these functions and by

keeping a close eye on the gap between people costs and
company revenue, however, you can take steps to both improve
productivity and show your success in doing so. You may also
consider tracking revenue per employee, absenteeism rates, salary
raise vs revenue increase, and profit per employee to determine
your workforce productivity levels.
Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction
Engagement is important to measure because executives know

happy employees equate to a more successful business.
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Engagement counterbalances productivity. You don’t want to

overwork and burnout your workforce in an effort to increase
productivity. This will create negative effects, such as reduced
retention and higher turnover. The key is to increase productivity
while also keeping employee engagement high.
"Happy employees equate to a more successful business."
To measure employee engagement, keep track of the percentage

of workers who say they look forward to coming to work every day,
the percentage of employees who believe they are given the right
resources and tools to perform their work well, and the percentage
of employees who enjoy working under their managers.
You may also consider complaints filed, employees’ commitment

levels, their level of empowerment, and their satisfaction with
compensation, promotion rates, opportunities for advancement, and
learning and development to measure employee engagement.
Recruiting
Management understands that hiring the right people for the right
roles can offer the business a competitive advantage, as well as
reduce hiring, turnover, and training costs over time.
To measure recruiting success, track a position’s time to fill, the

average performance of a new worker in the role compared to the
performance of the same role a year ago, how quickly the new hire
was onboarded, the manager’s satisfaction with the new hires
compared to a year ago, turnover, and the monetary impact of a
bad hire.
Also consider measuring the cost per hire, fill rate, offer acceptance
ratio, and costs of attrition.
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Turnover and Retention
Turnover costs money and reduces productivity, which is why

management cares about it. However, it’s important to note that
simply looking at turnover isn’t enough. It doesn’t tell the whole
story. That’s why retention needs to be looked at as well. You need
to determine which retention strategies are working and which
aren’t to determine how you can curb turnover.
"Turnover costs money and reduces productivity, which is why

management cares about it."
To measure turnover, track turnover in key roles, preventable

turnover, the insights from exit surveys, the average retention
period, voluntary and involuntary termination rates, overall cost of
turnover in critical roles, and management’s satisfaction with
retention efforts and their impact.
HR’s Monetary Impact on the Organization
HR is often considered a cost centre since it does not directly

generate income. By measuring HR’s monetary impact on the
organization, you can show that the department is, in fact, a
valuable profit centre.
"By measuring HR’s monetary impact on the organization, you can

show that the department is, in fact, a valuable profit centre."
To measure HR’s impact on the bottom line, track the dollars spent
on HR compared to revenue, year over year, and the monetary
impact of your initiatives, including your recruiting, retention, and
productivity efforts.
While management is more likely to care about these metrics, it’s
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important to note that HR leaders must choose the metrics they

measure and analyze carefully and thoughtfully. The metrics should
relate to the business’s overall goals and strategy for maximum
impact.
7. 13 Tips to Ensure HRIS Implementation Success
Automating HR processes can result in significant benefits to the

organization, but implementing an HRIS must be done thoughtfully
and carefully to ensure success. On your journey to automation,
there will be pitfalls, challenges, and obstacles to overcome. These
tips can help ensure HRIS implementation success.
1. Choose the Right HRIS
Do you know what type of technology your competitors are

adopting? Stay ahead of the latest trends and innovations in your
industry and do your research to find out what types of human
resource information systems are out there. Look for vendors in the
market that address your company’s specific pain points and
business needs.
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2. Get Support from Management and Stakeholders
Getting buy-in at the executive level will ensure the entire

organization is behind the change and will put its full weight into
supporting the new technology. This can reduce the number of
obstacles you need to overcome.
3. Understand Where Resistance Is Coming From
Change isn’t easy or straightforward. Many people will have a

natural “fear of the unknown,” so the best way to make a change in
an organization is to be empathetic and understand the reasons for
resistance—dig deeper into any pushback and make sure you fully
understand the ramifications of your proposed change.
"Change isn’t easy or straightforward."
4. Set a Realistic Timeline and Budget
Successful implementation won’t happen overnight. Consider how

much time and effort will be required to convert processes, train
employees, and more, and set a realistic timeline and budget for
this change management project.
"Successful implementation won’t happen overnight."
5. Determine Which Processes to Automate
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Consider which HR processes are costing you the most time and
money, leading to the most errors, and slowing down your HR
department. What areas of your current process are simple,
repeatable tasks that can be easily automated? Most businesses
benefit from automating processes like core HR, onboarding, leave
management, and benefits.
6. Determine Which Challenges You Want to Solve with

Automation
What specific issues are you hoping HR technologies will solve?

Which business goals are you hoping to achieve? Outline your
business challenges and objectives to map out a sustainable HRIS
adoption plan. Without specific goals in mind, you won’t be able to
track the technology’s value in your organization.
"Outline your business challenges and objectives to map out a

sustainable HRIS adoption plan."
7. Start Small
When automating HR processes, start with small, digestible

changes that immediately save time and then scale up from there.
8. Communicate Effectively
To ensure your employees are on board with your automation

plans, make sure to communicate the changes early. Transparency
is key to any change process. Employees want to know where they
are in the process and where they are headed. Tell your team
exactly how you plan on automating processes and the many ways
they’ll benefit. Communication and transparency can help you
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automate your HR processes more successfully, with less

confusion, less stress, and less resistance.
9. Ensure Effective Training Takes Place
All HR employees should understand how to manage every aspect

of human resources with your new platform. Taking the time to train
your staff on the technology can ensure a smoother transition.
Many companies mistakenly allocate their entire budget to a new
HR technology without considering employee training. This training
is crucial as it will help ensure your employees will actually start
using the new platform and benefit from all its features. Provide
training resources in various formats that cater to your employees’
different learning styles.
10. Configure the HRIS
Consider your unique company policies, procedures, and workflows

associated with common HR tasks. Consider how your new
platform needs to work, then ensure the system can accommodate
the way your company runs. You shouldn’t have to change how you
manage your company to fit the structure of your HRIS.
"You shouldn’t have to change how you manage your company to

fit the structure of your HRIS."
11. Convert Your Historical Data
Link your platform with your existing systems in order to convert

your company’s historical data. Do your due diligence and ensure
all data is up to date before it enters the system. This will ensure
you’re working with the latest employee information and other
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critical data.
12. Employ Outside Expertise
Getting help from industry experts will ensure you and your
employees get the most out of the new technology. HR experts can
help you not only integrate automation within your company but
also empower you to make better-informed decisions. Whether it’s
about group benefits and insurance, HR strategy, or employee
engagement, they’ll offer you the expert guidance you need.
13. Remember the “Human” in Human Resources
Adopting HR technology doesn’t mean you don’t need humans

anymore. In fact, the opposite is true. The human element is crucial
now more than ever. HR is ultimately about focusing your
business’s strategy with your people strategy, so fully removing
human interaction would be impossible. Balance modern
technology with the human touch. Don’t forget what the “H” in HR
stands for.
"The human element is crucial now more than ever."
8. How to Choose an HRIS Provider
Once you have approval to invest in an HRIS and transform the

way human resources runs in your organization, the next step is to
choose an HRIS provider. The provider you choose can make or
break your investment, so it’s critical to engage the right company.
An HRIS with the Right Features
We’ve already discussed the importance of investing in HR
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technology that has the capabilities, features, and functions you

need. When researching providers, compare and contrast their
HRIS offerings. Do they offer the features you need or are they
lacking in core functions, such as recruiting ATS, payroll integration,
or benefit carrier connectivity? If a provider doesn’t offer the
technology you need, it’s a good idea to look elsewhere. You’ll likely
find yourself disappointed if you cannot automate all the processes
and workflows you had hoped to streamline and improve.
"If a provider doesn’t offer the technology you need, it’s a good idea
to look elsewhere."
Full Integration
An all-in-one HRIS will save you time and simplify HR. When you
use separate databases for benefits administration, core HR,
onboarding, and more, storing, retrieving, and inputting information
becomes more convoluted. The HRIS provider you choose should
offer full integration, so all data is stored in one place and all
modules and functions connect to one another for ease of use.
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Cloud-Based Technology
Today, more organizations are choosing cloud technology over on-

premise HR tools that are installed on the company’s servers.
Cloud-based technology is easier to set up, costs less in
maintenance and upgrade expenses, and makes access more
convenient.
"Cloud-based technology is easier to set up, costs less in

maintenance and upgrade expenses, and makes access more
convenient."
Scalability
You don’t want to spend time, money, and resources implementing

an HRIS that you will outgrow in a year or five years down the road.
Choose a provider that offers scalability to ensure your platform can
meet both your current and future needs.
Expertise and Consulting
It’s not all about the technology. One of the most important factors
to consider when comparing HRIS providers is expertise. You don’t
want to partner with a technology company. Rather, you want a
provider you can turn to for HR advice—a provider with experts on
staff who understand the complexities and intricacies of human
resources, benefits administration, compensation, change
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management, the employee experience, and more. You want a

partner you can rely on to offer advisory services to help transform
the HR role from transactional to strategic and create value for the
organization.
"You don’t want to partner with a technology company."
Implementation Support
No one will know the HRIS better than the provider, which is why
you should ensure the company you partner with offers
implementation support, configuration services, troubleshooting,
ongoing training, and resources to help with HRIS adoption. Make
sure to ask various providers what kind of after-sales support they
offer.
Passion
When comparing providers, it should soon be obvious which are in

the industry for the money and which partners are truly passionate
about helping businesses improve their people management and
enable their employees to live their best lives.
Innovation
Both the HR landscape and technology are constantly evolving. It’s

critical to ensure your company continues to adapt and grow to
remain relevant. The right HRIS provider will stay ahead of trends
and adapt their platform to meet changing technology preferences.
Ask for a Demo
Finally, before making your final decision, make sure to ask for a
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demo from various providers. This will enable you to see the HRIS
in action to determine whether it meets your unique needs, is user
friendly, and has the features you require.
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Ready to Transform the Way You Run Human

Resources?
Book a Demo
36 of 37 5/12/2020, 1:59 PM
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HRIS: The Who, What, When, Why, and

Human resources is evolving at a quick pace. Technology is, no

transforming it from a service provider to a strategic partner in the

Companies are spending 10% of their HR budgets on new

A whopping 45% of companies are still only in the early stages of

Fewer than 20% of organizations provide employees access to

(Deloitte University Press)

Businesses that upgrade their HR systems see cost savings of 22%

47% of companies are using HR software that is at least seven

Industry leaders are investing in human resource information

the right HR technology, companies big and small can see

1. The Basics: What Is an HRIS?

2. Who Benefits from an HRIS?

3. What Features Should You Look for in an HRIS?

5. How Can HR Professionals Use HRIS Data to Influence

6. What HRIS Performance Metrics Does Management Care

7. 13 Tips to Ensure HRIS Implementation Success

8. How to Choose an HRIS Provider

1. The Basics: What Is an HRIS?

A human resource information system (HRIS) is an HR software

However, an HRIS isn’t just a storage space. This technology is

By automating core HR tasks, leave management, onboarding

An HRIS improves productivity in the HR department, improves the

“An HRIS improves productivity in the HR department, improves

Over time, these HR systems have become increasingly

2. Who Benefits from an HRIS?

No doubt, HR technology enables HR leaders to cut costs and save

Why More HR Leaders Are Using an HRIS

The most obvious benefits can be seen in the HR department.

So much falls under HR’s umbrella: hiring, recruiting, benefits,

At its core, HR is about people. With an HRIS, HR professionals

“With an HRIS, HR professionals can become HR leaders.”

How Employees Benefit

Running a successful business means making the well-being of

Further, an HRIS gives HR leaders access to a wealth of data on

Human resources is designed to protect a company’s most valuable

How the Organization as a Whole Benefits

There are so many ways an organization benefits from the

All the benefits the HR department realizes translate into positive

administrative tasks, overall company costs can be reduced.

“All the benefits the HR department realizes translate into positive

Most importantly, however, when HR has the ability to be more

When HR can improve the onboarding process, the company

When the HR department can invest more time to improve training

When compensation management can become a top priority, the

“When HR has the ability to be more strategic, the business can

Implementing an HRIS is a win-win-win situation for HR leaders,

3. What Features Should You Look for in an HRIS?

There are more HR tools and technologies on the market today

Core HR can be considered your digital library of all employee

Core HR is a basic must-have feature that helps HR reduce data

turn, it empowers HR professionals to do more.

Not only a storage hub, core HR gives human resource

Many organizations struggle with disjointed and inconsistent

"An effective onboarding module will streamline the onboarding

An effective onboarding module will streamline the onboarding

be configurable to your company’s unique requirements, enabling

Offering group benefits can be overwhelming. In fact, some

A benefits administration module can help make the management

"The right HRIS will offer carrier connectivity to a significant

An HRIS with a benefits administration feature will enable you to

Similarly to benefits administration, leave management can be