What is an HRIS? How do you pick the right one?

The business world loves to throw around acronyms like they’re GOOS (going out of style). 😊 So, what is an HRIS? We’ll break it all down and show you how to find the right one for you!  

What is an HRIS? 

A Human Resources Information System (HRIS) is software that maintains, manages, and processes in-depth employee information and Human Resources (HR) related policies and procedures. To simplify, an HRIS helps the HR department store and track employees' and essential information. An HRIS transfers important information to those in the organization that needs it. This system eliminates paper storage and manual HR processes, saving time and resources for the HR department. Adding this to your organization provides a seamless and efficient form of tracking employees' information and empowers the HR department to complete more strategic and high-value work.  

What does an HRIS do? 

 Let’s dive into the specific functions of an HRIS.  

An HRIS stores and provides data on: 

• • employee demographics (like birthday, gender, and contact information) 
  • job information (position, department, reports to) 
  • benefits 
  • time off and leave requests 

An HRIS establishes a single source of truth where all the company information is stored in an effective system for everyone to access when needed. This single data source also provides essential insights to help you make data-driven decisions for hiring and growth initiatives.  

An HRIS empowers managers with easy access to essential data for employee management, knowledge development, and career growth. Your HRIS can take on the data entry, data tracking, and data information needs of Human Resources, payroll, management, and accounting functions within a business. 

Why do you need an HRIS? 

 Why not? An HRIS can simplify your workday by streamlining and automating tedious tasks giving you time to focus on other essential tasks that foster employee well-being and bonding. Having an HRIS is a great way to update, gather, and track the data of employees for a business of any size. Our mission at EXP is to democratize HR by providing an HRIS that any organization can use without breaking the bank. 

What to look for when getting an HRIS: 

Just having an HRIS is not enough; you need one that offers the right features for your business. So, let’s discuss what your HRIS should have... 

Number of Employees  

The HRIS you use must work for the size of your company. Remember that your company can grow, so finding a system that can adapt to your company numbers is essential.   

Training and Support  

Proper training when implementing an HRIS is important as well. Research available resources and time requirements for onboarding the new system. Ensure that the provider offers easy-to-understand training resources before purchasing one. And check their support options—after implementation, will you receive appropriate support when necessary?   

Target of HRIS  

The main goal and functions of your HRIS should target the needs of your business. Finding an HRIS that addresses the company's specific requirements will benefit your business overall. Start by listing your most important features and break them out by non-negotiable and nice-to-have, then compare products.  

Management of all employee information  

Maintaining a central employee information database saves time searching and ensures accuracy. Things like names, positions, salaries, history, and contact information should be available for easy access and update. 

Disciplinary actions  

Support performance improvement with records of employees who have faced disciplinary actions in an accessible place for HR and management. 

Training records  

A single location for employee records of training licenses and certifications can make the HR department's life much easier. This information can help highlight areas where employees are excelling or missing and what they may need to renew. 

Benefits of an HRIS: 

Let's look at the benefits of an HRIS system that can impact the business owner and the people within: 

Helps a company get organized  

Implementing an HRIS organizes a lot of information in one place, including storing, collecting, and analyzing substantial amounts of data. You and your team can find files more quickly and ensure they are the correct version. 

Fewer operational tasks fall to HR   

An HRIS benefits HR team members because it can take on repetitive and time-consuming tasks. Now, HR can focus on strategic or more complex initiatives that will improve the business. For example, many aspects of employee onboarding can be automated by an HRIS, freeing up the HR team to focus on higher-value initiatives that make new hires feel welcome.   

Enhances Employee Relations  

With an HRIS, employees can gain better insight into the company's benefits, whether that is having access to company benefits, time-off requests, company updates, and using company resources more easily.   

Saves time 

An HRIS is a major time saver! Think about how you could simplify the hiring process using AI by comparing candidates' skills, experience, and behaviors. Reduce screening time and skip to the people who address the job requirements best!   

Having an HR Platform within Microsoft Teams can change the way you work! Read this blog to learn more about this! CTA: Why having an HR platform native to Teams is a game changer 

The right HRIS can benefit your business by keeping track of employees and helping your HR department with many tasks. The benefits are clear, and finding the right HRIS for your business is so important. Are you ready to transform your organization with an HRIS? Check out EXP's feature list to see if we're right for you!