In today’s business world, there’s hardly any company that doesn’t use some sort of software to handle human resources, whether it be a solution purely to manage and process payroll, or a robust enterprise-class human resources management system like Sage Abra HRMS. With greater pressure than ever on human resources departments to recruit, foster, and sustain a strong workforce, HR software has become an integral part of the business process especially for organizations with 50 or more employees.

The tendency towards greater and greater reliance on computer systems to manage core HR functions such as payroll, recruiting, training, benefits administration and government compliance is only natural following the overall trend to leverage computer software to do business more efficiently.

Today’s human resources professionals are accustomed to the more effective decision-making power that HR software affords, such as the ability to:

• Quickly produce customized reports on all aspects of HR
• Efficiently process payroll
• Allow employees to manage mundane operations such as updates to addresses, time-off requests, etc.
• Streamline employee performance evaluations and identify and cultivate talent within the organization
• Keep up-to-date with government regulations and compliance guidelines

Still, many smaller businesses are reluctant to move from a paper or spreadsheet-based human resources system into a more professional set-up. Up-front costs of software can be intimidating, especially when business owners neglect the long-term cost-savings that an appropriate HR software set-up will bring. Many tools are available for the decision-maker considering the move to a software system, including the ROI calculator, HRIS checklist and HR software whitepapers that we host on this website.

For medium-sized businesses and business’ already with some sort of HRIS, the questions may be different. For example, they might have a software system that met their needs and does not already, or have been orphaned by a support partner who no longer works in their area. Many entry-level HR software systems are not scalable as a business grows, forcing businesses to take more significant steps when they need to upgrade. Or a business may be completely satisfied with the human resources, payroll, and training aspects of their system and be looking to simply add new functionality.

Support and training are critical for the long-term success of any HR software installation (or any core business software implementation, for that matter). This is where the choice of software and business partner are essential. Expertise in implementations like your own are essential, and the prospective software buyer can learn a lot by seeing the testimonials, success stories, training and support resources offered by their prospective vendor.

Flexibility is important as well, and the best HR vendors offer many options to help new and existing customers get the most out of their system, such as a combination of web-based and classroom-based training classes.

Whether you already have an HR system, or are coming from an environment of spreadsheets and file folders, your search for HR software is likely to begin online. Dresser and Associates is happy to provide a wide array of resources for you, including product demos, whitepapers, HRIS selection tools and more. All are available free of charge after a simple registration process.