HRIS (Human Resources Information System) – Basic Information

Anyone who has ever tried to manage a company and its people knows it is no walk in the park. To make things a bit easier, modern HR departments are making full use of what technology has to offer—striving for intelligent processes, they consider automation and utilize cloud solutions. It is worth supporting these efforts with an HRIS—a system that provides the tools needed to view the company from a broader perspective and identify weaknesses, strengths, and available opportunities.    

What is an HRIS (Human Resources Information System) used for?

HRIS is software designed to help companies meet basic HR needs and improve the productivity of both managers and employees. This type of human resources information system supports the organization and management of data related to, among other things:

• demographics (date of birth, gender, employee contact number, etc.),
• employment (job title, department, salary, etc.),
• benefits and social welfare,
• vacation and leave.

Thanks to this, all the above information is gathered in one place. This allows users to create reports that can be used to identify trends and make business decisions.    

What are the components of an HRIS system?

HRIS systems vary in terms of the components they offer, but most of them support:

• databases and directories of employees and job candidates,
• benefits,
• request submissions,
• payroll,
• calendars and scheduling tools,
• time tracking,
• vacation and leave,
• electronic signatures,
• customizable and standard reports.

More advanced software allows HR professionals to improve the employee experience and organizational culture through:

• self-service onboarding,
• performance management,
• mobile app support.

When choosing an HRIS system, you should therefore be guided by the biggest challenges your organization faces and take usability into account.

Main functions of an HRIS system – examples

Below are a few examples of how an HR management system uses its functions to streamline the daily work of HR departments.

• Payroll and benefits administration

Similar to robotization, a Human Resources Information System helps alleviate the headaches associated with the most tedious HR processes, such as handling salaries and benefits. Thanks to the collected data, employees, both full-time and part-time, gain full access to information about their benefits. This can help the team decide which additional perks or benefits are worth introducing to the company.

• Tracking job candidates

HRIS systems allow you to store all CVs in one place dedicated to the HR department. This is a much more practical solution than using the space offered by a company-wide ERP program. Furthermore, thanks to features like automatic rankings and keyword searches, you can filter available resumes, which helps in finding the right candidate for the job.

• Onboarding – checklist

HRIS software can also introduce some self-service into the onboarding process by sending tasks to be completed before the first day of work. It also allows for the generation of electronic signatures to simplify paperwork and the distribution of automatic welcome messages, which will enable a new employee to join the team smoothly.   

Advantages of using an HRIS system

HRIS software offers HR departments a number of benefits, including in areas such as:

• Organization: Thanks to HRIS, every piece of information needed is updated and tracked, so it can be found in less than a minute.
• Compliance: A good HRIS provider will stay up to date with laws and regulations affecting HR (such as GDPR) and will adapt their software to make it easier for organizations to meet all compliance requirements.
• Time savings: Many tedious HR processes are performed quickly and easily thanks to HRIS. For example, submitting and approving a vacation request takes only a few seconds, while accruals regarding unused days are tracked automatically.
• HR strategy: When the HR department has fewer operational tasks on its plate, it can devote its valuable skills and time to strategic HR initiatives that improve business results. Increasing retention rates or developing organizational culture are just examples of more ambitious projects worth tackling when there is spare capacity.
• Employee experience: HRIS systems also positively influence how employees perceive the organization. Painless onboarding, an app facilitating communication with colleagues, or fast processing of vacation requests play a significant role in this.
• User experience: Many users value HRIS for the convenience and simplicity of using the tool. Management, on the other hand, is impressed by reports that are created with just a few clicks.

With all this, however, it should be remembered that to fully reap the benefits offered by an HR management system, it is necessary to use the help of a provider and/or involve the appropriate specialists.

What does an HRIS specialist do?

Speaking of specialists, it is impossible not to mention the HRIS specialist. This is an HR manager with experience in operating one (or several) human resources information systems, who will be able to implement them in the organization and help the team master them. This type of specialist must conduct an operational analysis of the company and the challenges it needs to overcome to reach the next level, and then choose an HRIS system based on real needs. In doing so, they should not only support management in selecting the right platform but also help the IT team by providing the technical specifications needed for proper installation, configuration, and subsequent software support. Their task is also to train the team that will use the system. It should be remembered that an HRIS specialist is not only responsible for controlling employee data. This should be a person who can also handle other HR projects and has general HR experience. Therefore, various types of certificates, e.g., in project management or leadership, will be useful.

What does an HRIS analyst do?

Another HRIS specialist is an analyst who acts as an IT expert. They are responsible for maintaining and updating systems. To make this possible, they should be able to translate business goals and user needs into technical requirements, and then implement and integrate them with existing software. This usually involves managing, among other things, payroll. An HRIS analyst also introduces fixes and improvements to the system, so they should be able to oversee implementation projects. Modifications are usually related to changes in processes or regulations and are aimed at increasing efficiency and improving the user experience. They can therefore take a modular form. In addition to the above, the HRIS analyst is the contact person in case of questions. They therefore also serve as a subject matter expert regarding the system used in the organization (e.g., Oracle, SAP).

How to implement an HRIS system and what next?

After engaging specialists (internal or provided by the vendor) and choosing the right HRIS system for you, it is worth considering the following tips that will help you fully utilize its capabilities.

• Go all in: Spend some time understanding each of the functions. Migrate all your data. If you have chosen a good HRIS system, the benefits resulting from engaging with the new system will far outweigh the initial pain associated with configuration.
• Remember the adaptation period:Make sure that both high-level management and rank-and-file employees will be able to operate the system. The former will be able to use new information to make better business decisions, while the latter will become a source of updates and help speed up processes.
• Use vendor support:Remember that the software vendor should be your business partner and take care of solving problems at the organizational level. In addition to training and basic customer service, they must therefore also be able to demonstrate how to extract additional benefits from the system that meet the company’s needs.
• Stay up to date:An innovative HRIS provider will regularly update and improve their software. This means that if you spend some time staying up to date with changes and new features, you will be able to generate much more value than at the start.