You know you need a human resource information system (HRIS) to help save your HR team time, make processes more efficient, and benefit from valuable data-based insights. But choosing the best HRIS system for your business is a much trickier decision.
According to our recent survey of HR professionals, 85 percent of organizations use HR technology to manage people operations. The right HRIS software is a step toward transforming how your organization supports its people. However, HR leaders need tools that are more than just functional—they need technology that is adaptable to their organization’s growth.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to choose an HRIS that aligns with your needs, from compliance to onboarding.
Key features to look for when choosing an HRIS software
Choosing HRIS software is a strategic decision for any organization. The right system will empower HR teams to work more efficiently, support team members effectively, and deliver valuable insights to leadership. Let’s explore the key features that can make a real difference when selecting an HRIS for your team.
Employee data management
At its core, an HRIS should simplify how you manage and access people data. A centralized system stores everything securely in one place—job titles, salaries, contact information, and even performance records. This makes information retrieval quick and easy and ensures data consistency and compliance. For HR teams, having reliable, accurate data at their fingertips makes it easier to make informed decisions and provide better support to team members.
When evaluating an HRIS, look for features like intuitive search functionality, customizable data fields, role-based access controls, and automated updates. These capabilities ensure your data stays consistent, accurate, and secure—while freeing up time to focus on your people, not paperwork.
With Bob’s HRIS as its central hub, Fiverr manages people data in real time—tracking metrics like headcount, attrition, and gender balance with ease. The HR team uses these insights to spot trends, support wellbeing, and drive smarter decisions. Centralizing data has also simplified compliance and reduced manual work, making HR more efficient and impactful.
Time and attendance management and work scheduling
Tracking hours and managing schedules can be complex, especially for organizations with flexible or remote work arrangements. An HRIS with time and attendance tools simplifies this process by automating time tracking, flagging irregularities, and generating clear reports.
Look for features that allow managers to create schedules easily while giving team members visibility into their hours and the ability to request changes without hassle. Real-time syncing across devices and integrations with payroll systems can also streamline operations and reduce errors—saving time for everyone involved.
Recruitment, onboarding, and development
The best HRIS platforms streamline recruitment by allowing you to post job openings, track applicants, and manage hiring workflows all in one place. In fact, recruitment and onboarding emerged as top areas of improvement in our survey, with over 50 percent of respondents indicating these processes have benefited the most from HR technology.
Once a new joiner starts, the onboarding process should feel seamless, with automated checklists, easy access to training materials, and tools to help managers track progress. Beyond onboarding, robust development features—such as career planning tools and learning management systems—help retain top talent by encouraging continuous growth and engagement.
When evaluating an HRIS, look for solutions that offer customizable hiring workflows, self-service onboarding portals, goal-setting features, and built-in learning modules. These tools not only enhance the candidate and new hire experience but also set the foundation for long-term professional development.
At Ualá, Bob streamlined recruitment and onboarding by integrating with their ATS, Comeet—eliminating duplicate data entry and speeding up new hire setup. Automated workflows made remote onboarding efficient and consistent, even during rapid growth. As the company matured, Ualá also adopted Bob’s Talent module to manage goal setting and performance reviews across its multi-national teams, ensuring a unified, engaging experience from day one through ongoing development.
Benefits administration
Handling benefits doesn’t have to be complicated. A strong HRIS simplifies benefits enrollment, tracks eligibility, and integrates with providers so team members and HR professionals alike can avoid headaches.
Look for features like automated eligibility tracking, seamless carrier integrations, and real-time data syncing. These tools allow your HR team to proactively manage deadlines, prevent coverage gaps, and provide timely, accurate support, ultimately strengthening your overall benefits experience.
Payroll processing management
Accurate and timely payroll is non-negotiable. An HRIS that integrates payroll processing ensures everything runs smoothly, from tax calculations to direct deposits. Automating these processes reduces administrative errors and builds trust with your team.
Look for systems that offer clear reporting and compliance features to help you stay on top of complex payroll requirements. Real-time previews, audit-ready logs, and localized compliance tools can also help you manage payroll confidently—no matter where your people are based.
ManyPets streamlines payroll by integrating Bob with PayFit, their UK payroll system. The integration syncs monthly updates—like time off and compensation changes—directly into payroll, saving the People team two full working days each month. With real-time data flowing between platforms, the team runs payroll accurately and efficiently across their remote-first, global workforce.
Reporting and analytics
Data is powerful when it’s easy to understand. A strong HRIS includes robust reporting and analytics tools that transform data into clear, actionable insights. From turnover trends to engagement metrics, these tools help HR leaders identify opportunities for improvement and demonstrate the impact of their initiatives. Customizable reports also allow you to dig into specific areas of interest, making it easier to align HR goals with broader business objectives.
However, only 17 percent of our survey respondents cited workforce planning and analytics as a top benefit. This highlights a clear opportunity for companies to better leverage data insights when choosing a modern HRIS.
Airtasker now relies on Bob’s HRIS to turn raw people data into actionable insights. With visual dashboards and real-time metrics—like headcount, attrition, and salary trends—HR leaders can quickly prepare board reports and support strategic decisions. The finance team also benefits from Bob’s self-serve analytics, generating recurring reports without relying on HR. This streamlined access to accurate data has reduced manual work, improved cross-team collaboration, and strengthened Airtasker’s ability to align HR insights with business goals.
Employee self-service
Empower your people with self-service capabilities that let them take control of their information. A modern HRIS allows team members to update personal details, access payslips, and request time off without needing to go through HR. This not only reduces the workload for HR teams but also builds a sense of autonomy and transparency. For today’s hybrid and remote teams, self-service features are an invaluable way to keep everyone connected and informed.
When evaluating self-service functionality, look for intuitive interfaces, mobile accessibility, and real-time syncing across devices. Role-based permissions and customizable workflows also help ensure data accuracy and keep sensitive information secure—while giving your team a smooth, user-friendly experience.
How to choose the best HRIS software
Choosing the best HRIS software for your business is all about finding a solution that aligns with your organization’s goals while solving real challenges for your HR team.
Step 1: Assess your business needs
Your first step is to understand exactly what you’re looking to achieve with your HRIS system. What repetitive tasks do you waste the most time on? What would you like to see automated? Which types of data do you need help organizing, tracking, and analyzing?
For example, nearly a quarter of survey respondents cited lack of integration and data being spread across multiple tools as their two top challenges in HR tech. Determine whether these—or other challenges like poor team member experience or limited scalability—are holding your team back from operating efficiently or delivering strategic value.
It’s also helpful to think about the size of your organization and your HR team. For example, although our survey revealed that both small and enterprise-level businesses value analytics and experience most highly in their HR tech, they differ in that small businesses also prioritize growth capabilities while enterprise companies look more for automation. How many people are you looking to serve with your HRIS? Answering these questions is a critical first step to help narrow down your HRIS search.
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Step 2: Consult necessary stakeholders
Getting new HR software affects people throughout the organization, including—at the very least—the entire HR team, IT, and managers. Before you get too far into your SaaS HR software selection, take some time to speak to anybody who this choice might impact. Allow them to share their own needs and concerns and consider them when choosing an HRIS.
Step 3: Establish your budget
Next, you’ll have to determine the budget for your new HRIS. This can become one of the main factors you’ll have to consider when looking at different HRIS options—in fact, nearly 10 percent of respondents say cost matters most when choosing HR tech. At this stage, it can be helpful to clarify which HRIS features are a must-have and which you’re willing to compromise on, if necessary.
Step 4: Speak with vendors
With steps one through three complete, you can move on to speaking with different HRIS vendors. During this stage, check with as many vendors as possible so that you can compare and contrast information.
Ask each HRIS vendor the following questions:
- Which HRIS features they offer
- What security measures are in place
- How and where data is stored
- How the HRIS integrates with systems you currently use
- The availability of tech support
- The total cost of the HRIS, including initial fees, subscription costs, implementation costs, and maintenance costs
- The ROI of the HRIS
It can be helpful to create a table to help you compare and contrast all of the HRIS choices you look at.
Step 5: Write an RFP (request for proposal)
Once you’ve done your research and developed a clear understanding of what you’re looking for, you can create a request for proposal (RFP). Here, you’ll write out all your requirements in straightforward language to send to vendors. Their responses will clarify which vendor has viable solutions that meet your needs. Once you’ve received your vendor responses, you’ll be able to identify the top candidates and schedule a demo.
Step 6: Participate in demos
Demos are a crucial step in helping you choose the right HRIS platform. Allow any HR staff members who will be using the HRIS to participate in the demo so they can weigh in with their opinions. Try to approach the demos with an open mind. Even if one option stood out at the beginning, you might find that another becomes the clear frontrunner when you actually try using the software.
Step 7: Evaluate the user interface and user experience
An HRIS is only as good as its usability. In fact, ease of use was rated the number one decision factor for just over a quarter of respondents. Look for a system that’s simple to navigate and designed with all users in mind, including team members with less technical experience.
Consider whether the system offers mobile accessibility for hybrid or remote teams, as well as support for multiple languages if your organization operates internationally. Ask vendors about training resources and ongoing support to ensure a smooth adoption process. Feedback from demos or references can help confirm how user-friendly the platform is.
Step 8: Determine scalability
Your HRIS should meet your needs today and grow with your organization. Ensure the platform offers flexibility to scale with new features or additional users as your business evolves. This is especially important for high-growth companies or organizations navigating change—whether that’s expansion into new jurisdictions, mergers, or shifting workforce models.
Scalability isn’t just about headcount. It’s about ensuring your HR tech can adapt to increasingly complex workflows, integrate with other systems, and support a growing need for data-driven decision-making. Choosing a platform that evolves with your goals reduces the risk of costly migrations down the line and helps your people team stay agile and strategic at every stage of growth.
Step 9: Implement the HRIS
Ease of implementation is just as important to consider as other factors. Look for vendors that provide clear timelines, robust data migration support, and training to help your team transition smoothly. A well-planned implementation can set the tone for long-term success.
Once you’ve tried out all of your top contenders, create an implementation timeline and communicate with your vendor about the type of support you’ll need from them. With proper communication and cooperation, you should be able to transition into using your brand-new HRIS smoothly.
<<Download a free HR system implementation checklist to streamline integration.>>
Step 10: Evaluate and measure ROI
After implementation, take the time to evaluate how well the HRIS is working. Gather feedback from your HR team and other users, focusing on ease of use and overall satisfaction. Measuring ROI begins with ensuring your data is accurate and accessible. Compare key metrics such as time saved on tasks, error reduction, and improvements in engagement.
Regularly reviewing these outcomes ensures you’re getting the most value from your HRIS and helps identify areas for continued improvement.
Why do companies use human resource information systems (HRIS)?
Human resource information systems have become a cornerstone for modern HR teams looking to work smarter, not harder. Here are a few benefits HR teams experience when they implement the right HRIS.
Increased efficiency
HRIS platforms streamline processes that once took hours, if not days. They can automate tasks like payroll, benefits management, and recruitment—reducing manual errors and freeing up HR professionals to engage in more meaningful work.
Notably, 18 percent of survey respondents said that lack of automation is one of their biggest challenges with HR systems. An effective HRIS can significantly reduce the time it takes to complete many HR processes, including cutting onboarding time in half, so new joiners can be operational and efficient more quickly.
At ZeroNorth, adopting Bob’s HRIS significantly improved operational efficiency across their global HR function. The platform’s customizable workflows and intuitive interface help the People team automate key processes, including onboarding, time off tracking, and regional compliance. This reduces manual effort, minimizes errors, and enables HR professionals to focus on strategic priorities. With tools like Bob’s Sandbox for safe testing and automated workflows for employee milestones, ZeroNorth has accelerated critical processes and made it easier to support their growing international workforce.
Improved employee experience
An HRIS enhances how people interact with their HR teams. Features like self-service portals allow team members to update personal information, request paid time off (PTO), and access payslips without waiting for HR teams.
This autonomy creates a smoother, more transparent experience, which is a key driver for employee satisfaction. That’s why 20 percent of respondents indicated improving team member experience is a top priority for the next 12 months.
At hipages, Bob’s intuitive interface and self-service capabilities have empowered people to manage their own HR needs with confidence. From updating personal details to checking PTO balances, professionals now have direct access to the information they need—instantly. This seamless access has helped reduce bottlenecks and improved overall satisfaction, allowing HR to focus on strategic initiatives. As a result, team members feel more in control of their journey at hipages, reinforcing a culture of trust, efficiency, and transparency.
Reduced paperwork
Gone are the days of overflowing filing cabinets and lost forms. With an HRIS, all documentation is digital, which means no more paper trails to track or physical storage to maintain. In fact, almost 20 percent of survey respondents noted that automating manual processes is a priority for them in the next year. This shift will save time and make accessing and sharing information faster and easier.
Think of the environmental benefits too—less wasted paper contributes to more sustainable office practices. This reduces your organization’s carbon footprint and lowers the demand for paper production.
Effective compliance
Navigating labor laws is complex, but the right HR tech makes it easier. Nearly 12 percent of surveyed professionals say compliance and security matter most when choosing an HRIS. Effective compliance features help teams stay audit-ready and aligned with local regulations.
With automated tools for tracking certifications, managing visa timelines, and meeting employment law requirements, HR teams can reduce risk and feel more confident about compliance. Built-in audit trails and reporting features also make it simple to show compliance when needed—removing stress from regulatory checks.
As a publicly-traded company with a global footprint, Novatti uses Bob’s HRIS to simplify compliance and reporting. Real-time dashboards and custom fields make it easy to track diversity data and meet regulatory requirements, including submissions to Australia’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency. Automating these processes saves time, ensures accuracy, and turns compliance into a seamless part of everyday HR operations.
Choosing an HRIS system that works for you
Whether you’re just beginning your HR tech journey or you’re among the 85 percent of respondents who already use HR tech to manage people operations, the key is to find a system that aligns with your current needs and supports your future goals. Focusing on what truly matters to your organization will ensure you make a choice that delivers lasting value.
HRIS system FAQs
How do I measure ROI on an HRIS?
Begin by tracking time savings. Compare how long your HR team spent on tasks like payroll, benefits administration, and recruitment before implementing the system versus after. Calculate the value of those hours saved, using the average hourly rate of your HR professionals.
Next, assess improvements in accuracy. Fewer errors in payroll, compliance, or record-keeping can lead to significant cost savings. Determine how much correcting errors used to cost your organization and see how those expenses have decreased.
Finally, consider the impact on your team’s experience. Use surveys or other feedback tools to gather insights into how the HRIS has streamlined workflows or improved accessibility for team members. While this may be less tangible, it’s a critical factor in understanding the system’s value to your organization.
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What should I consider when evaluating HRIS vendor support?
When reviewing HRIS vendors, it’s important not to overlook their support offerings. Almost 10 percent of our survey respondents listed customer support as a top factor, strong support can be the difference between a successful rollout and costly delays.
Start by asking about availability: Does the vendor provide 24/7 assistance, or are there set hours? Multiple support channels, such as email, live chat, and phone, ensure your team has options when they need help. Ask about onboarding and training resources. A vendor who offers live sessions, on-demand tutorials, and user guides can make the transition much smoother for your team.
Look into their knowledge base—are answers easy to find, and is the content kept up-to-date? Explore response times and escalation processes, as well. How quickly are issues resolved, and what happens if a complex problem arises? Lastly, check customer reviews or references to get a sense of how reliable the vendor is when it comes to long-term support.
How can I ensure seamless implementation of an HRIS system?
Collaborate with your vendor to develop a clear timeline that covers every phase, from data migration and system configuration to testing and training. Assign roles to ensure accountability throughout the process. Data migration is often one of the trickiest steps, so clean and organize your data beforehand. Coordinate with the vendor to avoid missing or duplicating information during the transfer.
Training is just as important. Offer a mix of live training sessions, recorded videos, and step-by-step guides so everyone—whether they’re tech-savvy or not—feels comfortable using the system. Finally, keep communication open. Regular updates with your vendor and internal team can help you address any challenges early and stay on track.
<<Use our free HR system implementation checklist for seamless HRIS onboarding.>>
