The best hr solution for business depend on quality people to keep it alive and kicking. This is exactly why the Human Resources department has become an increasingly important corporate function over the past few decades.
HRs have to deal with multiple processes in order to ensure that the best people work in the best possible environment.
Their responsibilities include onboarding, time and attendance management, offboarding, performance management, applicant tracking, and much more.
All of these processes involve a huge load of paperwork and task management. That’s exactly why you need technology to intervene and enhance these processes.
The right Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software can completely transform your HR function and have it looking after all of your people like a well-oiled machine.
There are currently multiple HR solutions available in the market with unique USPs that are aimed to simplify HR operations. But how do you choose the best one for your company?
Let’s take a look at some of the key parameters you need to look at before choosing an HR software for your company.
Cost
This is obviously one of the biggest things you need to look into before choosing a software.
Each software has a mix of beneficial features, but you’ll have to shell out more money in order to get better features. One prominent example is iCIMS, which is one of the best HR software platforms around.
They charge on a by-quote basis, so the prices are not available on their website. According to a third-party site, the price can range between $6,000 to $140,000 a year. Other popular HR software which is available on-quote basis are Bamboo HR, Workable, and Qandle.
If you’re looking for a more well-defined pricing plan, then there are some really great choices that offer their services on a per month or annual fee basis.
Gusto HR has a core plan available at $39 per month and $6 per user, which goes up to $149 per month and $12 per user for the more feature-heavy concierge plan.
Applicant Stack is a recruiting and learning platform that offers a Recruitment pack for $95 and a Recruitment and Onboarding pack for $135 per month.
Another well-known HR solution is Zoho People, which offers four different packages- Startup, Basic, Standard, and Enterprise. They are available at a price range which varies from ₹42 to ₹167 per user per year.
These are some of the top HR software that is being used by small to large-sized companies around the globe. It’s important to note that most of them offer a trial package where you can use the product for free in order to gauge its effectiveness.
The trial period usually lasts for one or two weeks, so it gives you the chance to try out the product and find out exactly what you’re investing in.
Installation and Integration
Another very important factor that you need to consider before opting for an HR software solution is the time it will take to get it up and running.
It can take anywhere between weeks and months to install/roll-out the software and integrate the interface with legacy systems and processes. This holds true, especially for mid to large size companies which are very labor-intensive.
The time for installation and integration varies on a case-by-case basis. Many of the top software providers like Zoho, iCIMS, Bamboo HR, GreytHR, and others take less time to integrate with legacy systems as they have the appropriate pre-built workflows.
However, if you are very particular about the features that you want to have and how you want your platform to function, then the installation process is likely to take up much longer than if you opt for a pre-packaged plan.
Ease of Training In-House Personnel
Once your HR software is ready to roll-out, the next part is training your employees on how to use it. This isn’t a problem for most corporates, as their people are usually well-versed with technology and won’t take long to pick up how the new HR software works.
However, in companies that are in manufacturing or similar industries, much of the workforce is less tech-savvy. This is why these companies need to pay extra attention to the learning and development processes that they can follow after the software has been rolled out.
User Experience (UX) also becomes very significant for such companies, as they want a product that offers a simple interface.
All the actions which require employee input, such as time, attendance and leave management, should ideally be available at the click of a button, which makes the training process much easier.
Availability of Support
Most of the big HR software players offer 24*7 support that makes sure that you have someone to turn to at any point in time.
However, a lot of the smaller companies offer limited support as they have a limited budget and would rather focus on software development than customer support.
The degree of support you need will vary according to your size and scope, but you need to keep in mind that the companies offering extended support after installation are more likely to charge you more for this service.
Apart from all of the factors mentioned above, one should also be on the lookout for references from other firms of similar sizes.
An HR software that has worked well for a start-up which has only 50 employees, should definitely be a top option for other similarly sized companies.
This is where your professional network can help you out with personalized advice that can help you make a better decision.
So, there you have it! These are just a few of the things that you should definitely look at before choosing a new HR software.
Whether you’re switching to a software provider for the first time or just changing the technology that you use, make sure that you choose a budget-friendly yet a feature-heavy solution.
If you want all of this at the magical cost of absolutely nothing, then you should probably try out Kredily. We offer a simple, highly-usable HR management platform at zero cost to you and your company.
