Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) help organizations in a variety of different industries streamline core HR operations and mange employee information more efficiently across teams and business units.
But, with the rapidly growing number of HRIS systems available, it can be challenging to assess the functionality of each one to determine which would best suit your organization’s needs…
In this article, we will explore some of the most popular HRIS systems and their key capabilities, as well as help you understand where our team of HRIS consultants can fit in your organization (and help align your HRIS solutions with your needs, no matter what.)
What are Human Resource Information Systems?
An HRIS (Human Resource Information System) is a software solution designed to help organizations of any size, in any industry manage their employee data more efficiently, streamline Human Resources (HR) operations, and improve employee performance, productivity, and engagement across the entire enterprise.
Core Components of HRIS Software
Let’s take a closer look at each of the core components of functional HRIS software…
1) Employee Data Management
HRIS software solutions help companies collect, store, analyze, and manage employee information, including personal details, contact information, employment history, skills, and qualifications, in a more efficient way.
This way, employees can ensure their personal data is accurate and up-to-date, and managers can maintain compliance with business requirements and other laws and regulations related to the collection, management, and sharing of valuable employee information.
2) Time and Attendance Tracking
Tracking time and keeping up with attendance data can be time-consuming without the right tools and resources to help.
HRIS systems offer self-service tools to help employees enter and track their hours more efficiently and provide tools to help managers verify hours and time-off requests more effectively for better employee attendance and punctuality data.
3) Payroll, Benefits, and Compensation Management
Functional HRIS solutions offer automation tools that help companies manage payroll processes, including calculating wages, taxes, and benefits deductions, more efficiently, regardless of the amount or complexity of information entered into the system.
With comprehensive management tools, managers and other key stakeholders can also accurately manage hours worked, available leave time, vacation balances, and time-off requests to ensure employees are compensated correctly for their time.
4) Recruiting and Onboarding
With an HRIS system, organizations can manage the recruitment process, including posting job openings, accepting applications, and scheduling interviews, to ensure they attract, hire, and retain top-tier talent from the start.
Personalized onboarding solutions and processes also help HR managers and team leads create a positive and engaging environment for new hires, making it easier to get them acclimated to the company and ensure productivity throughout their entire employee lifecycle.
5) Talent and Performance Management
HRIS systems provide the functionality needed to help key stakeholders track employee performance, set goals and objectives, facilitate performance evaluations, and assess direct feedback from employees.
With HRIS capabilities, managers can conduct regular check-ins with employees across their team to ensure productivity, engagement, and satisfaction standards are met, no matter what.
6) Employee Training and Development
HRIS products often provide the tools and resources needed to help managers conduct employee training and development activities and complete periodic assessments to assess employee knowledge and development and identify areas for improvement.
From identifying skills gaps to scheduling training sessions, tracking employee progress over time, and everything in between, HRIS systems simplify employee training and development processes across the board.
7) Reporting and Analytics
With a comprehensive HRIS system, users can generate well-defined reports and advanced analytics on HR-related data, such as employee turnover, recruitment metrics, and performance metrics.
This helps assess the current status of the organization, determine any areas for growth, and drive better business outcomes for employees and managers in the future.
Main Types of HRIS Systems
There are a few main types of HRIS systems designed to help companies of all sizes, industries, and complexities find solutions that meet their unique needs, including…
1) Operational HRIS
An operational HRIS offers a comprehensive employee database to help HR professionals and people managers collect, manage, and analyze information more efficiently and the tools needed to support more informed operational decisions across the entire enterprise.
Operational HRIS systems are comprised of a few main components, including…
- Employee Information Systems: Allows HR managers to keep track of employee records like name, address, current occupation, past professional experiences, and more, to promote better data quality, consistency, and accuracy and maintain compliance.
- Performance Management Systems: From performance appraisals to productivity data, employee metrics, and more, operations HRIS systems ensure careful documentation of employee performance to make better decisions when it comes to hiring, retaining, promoting, or terminating an employee.
- Position Control Systems: Helps HR professionals identify job positions within an organization, understand which titles align with which positions, and find the employees currently assigned to each position to manage and fill open positions more effectively.
2) Strategic HRIS
Strategic HRIS systems are designed to give companies better visibility into their labor resources and workforce planning practices to support labor negotiations and ensure their human resource management system has the functionality needed to expand into new market areas and adapt to business growth in the long run.
3) Tactical HRIS
From recruitment strategies to job analysis, training and development decisions, and employee compensation plans, and more, tactical HRIS systems provide managers with the tools needed to support decisions and utilize workforce resources more efficiently.
Tactical HRIS systems are comprised of a few main subparts, including…
- Job Design and Analysis: Inputs data from supervisors, affirmative action guidelines, and other external data sources, like labor unions and government agencies, into the job analysis and design information system to help HR teams manage employee data more efficiently and effectively across teams and departments.
- Benefits and Compensation: Supports tactical HR decisions, including the creation of employee compensation plans, management of benefits packages, and use of payroll software, to maintain and optimize productivity across the organization.
- Training and Development:
- Recruiting Information Systems:
4) Comprehensive HRIS
Comprehensive HRIS systems bring all employee information, including files on employee positions, affirmative actions, and occupational health and safety practices, together in one place. This makes it easier for employees and HR managers to assess key performance metrics, manage important data, and improve productivity and engagement throughout the entire employee lifecycle.
Commonly Used HR Software Solutions
Here are a few of the most common HRIS systems and their core components…
Workday
From HR to Payroll, Finance, Supply Chain Management, and more, Workday serves as a one-stop-shop for all workforce management and HR service delivery operations across organizations of all sizes, in all industries.
Workday offers a comprehensive suite of cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) applications to help users streamline data management processes, keep better track of employee records, and boost employee engagement and productivity in the process.
With Workday, companies have access to a wide variety of tools and features, including…
- Human Resource Management
- Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
- Talent Management
- Benefits Administration
- Payroll Management
- Time and Attendance Management
UKG Pro
Formerly UltiPro, UKG Pro offers a fully-integrated suite of applications and intuitive user interface to help users automate and streamline their HR processes, improve compliance with labor laws and regulations, and enhance workforce management across the board.
With UKG Pro, organizations across various industries are enabled to leverage tools like…
- Human Capital Management
- Employee Self-Service
- Workforce Planning and Management
- Applicant Tracking Systems
- Succession Planning
- Learning and Employee Development
SAP SuccessFactors
SuccessFactors is a comprehensive, cloud-based HR software solution designed to help SAP users in large enterprises or smaller businesses effectively manage their core HR functions and promote better communication and collaboration across the entire organization.
With SAP SuccessFactors, users can improve process efficiency with advanced features like…
- Employee Central
- Employee Central Payroll
- Employee Central Service Center
- Recruiting and Onboarding
- HR Data Management and Reporting
- Employee Benefits Management
- Succession Planning and Development
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Dynamics 365 is a suite of intelligent business applications that enable companies to expand the functionality of their HR operations, leverage integrated applications to accelerate business growth, and drive better outcomes with targeted, people-centric insights.
With Microsoft Dynamics 365, users can optimize employee management with tools such as…
- Business Central
- Finance and Operations
- Customer Service Management
- Marketing and Project Automation
- Human Resources Management
- Customer Engagement
- Supply Chain Management
Where Do We Come in to Help?
Whether you need help outlining implementation plans for your new human resources management system, an extra hand assessing vendors to find the best HRIS system for your needs, or additional support ensuring your HR team operates the new software efficiently and effectively, Surety Systems is here to help.
Our team of senior-level HRIS consultants can handle any kind of strategic HRIS implementation, integration, or upgrade project and lead you to success, no matter what.
And, with extensive experience in various HRIS software solutions, including Workday, UKG, SAP, Microsoft, and more, our consultants are guaranteed to meet your needs!
Getting Started with Us
Interested in working with our top-notch HRIS consultants? Ready to implement a human resources information system that will help transform the efficiency of your business processes and improve the productivity of your employees in the long run?
Contact us today for more information about our HRIS consulting services!
