It is not all that uncommon even in medium sized organizations to see all the HR Data managed in Excel spreadsheets. A spreadsheet for basic information, one for pay information, one for evaluations, the list goes on and on and the data never seems to match up perfectly between spreadsheets. John Smith is in this spreadsheet, so why wasn’t he added to the other one. Why is the name spelled one way in one spreadsheet and another way in the other. Oops! There was a typo on Mary’s employee number, so it is different in that spreadsheet.
I call this Spreadsheet Hell! While spreadsheets are a great place to look at and manipulate data, they are not meant to take the place of a relational database. Spreadsheets are prone to human error and make storing related data very difficult.
HRIS Systems using a relational database as a foundation are designed to ensure “referential integrity”. This means that related data is tied together by keys and it is not possible to have a compensation record for Johnny if he does not have a parent record with his base information. The two are tied together. An HRIS system also utilizes dropdowns and programming logic to ensure data accuracy and consistency.
If you still love to look at your data in spreadsheets, most HRIS Systems can export specified data to Excel where you can analyze it and play with it while the data remains safely stored in the HRIS’s database.
Aside from tying all the data together and ensuring referential integrity, the HRIS allows you to run a number of predefined or adhoc reports and filter data to get at exactly what you need whether it is as simple as a birthday listing or summarizing data into an EEO Analysis by Division.
Free yourself from Spreadsheet Hell and check out the HR Data Manager (www.hrdatamanager.com) today.
Our powerful and easy to use Human Resource Management System (HRMS / HRIS) allows your HR Team to hit the ground running and start working more efficiently while better utilizing time and resources. The HR Data Manager is easy to setup and streamlines administrative procedures, manages employee records and reduces the need for paperwork and manual records.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
How to choose the right HRIS System
Choosing any major software system can be a daunting task – let alone one that manages all the pertinent data of your most valuable resources – your Human Resources.
While there are a number of Enterprise HRIS systems on the market, we know that many Small & Medium sized businesses do not have the budget to purchase and implement these titanic systems. For this reason, we are going to concentrate on smaller HRIS systems that can help your organization without breaking the bank.
There are a number of mid level HRIS programs on the Market. It is not a bad idea to research several of them and compare their features. This should give you an idea of what an HRIS system is capable of doing for you.
Now that you have a good idea of what HRIS systems can offer you as well as where you would like to improve internally, you can start coming up with what you Need and Want from an HRIS system. Once you have a list of “Requirements”, it wouldn’t hurt to categorize them into Needs vs. Wants. You could also use a system to rank the importance of requirements.
Knowing what you need now, you should be able to narrow the list of vendors you previously looked at to three and then item by item compare what they are able to provide with your requirements to determine which vendor has the best product. If a vendor has a trial version of the software, trying it firsthand can be a big help in determining whether the software will meet your needs.
The HR Data Manager (www.hrdatamanager.com) is a fully featured HRIS system serving the Small & Medium Business Market.
While there are a number of Enterprise HRIS systems on the market, we know that many Small & Medium sized businesses do not have the budget to purchase and implement these titanic systems. For this reason, we are going to concentrate on smaller HRIS systems that can help your organization without breaking the bank.
There are a number of mid level HRIS programs on the Market. It is not a bad idea to research several of them and compare their features. This should give you an idea of what an HRIS system is capable of doing for you.
Prior to determining your requirements for a new HRIS, it wouldn’t hurt to do a Self Audit and honestly look at your internal processes to determine what you can do better – regardless of what technology you choose to help you.
Now that you have a good idea of what HRIS systems can offer you as well as where you would like to improve internally, you can start coming up with what you Need and Want from an HRIS system. Once you have a list of “Requirements”, it wouldn’t hurt to categorize them into Needs vs. Wants. You could also use a system to rank the importance of requirements.
Knowing what you need now, you should be able to narrow the list of vendors you previously looked at to three and then item by item compare what they are able to provide with your requirements to determine which vendor has the best product. If a vendor has a trial version of the software, trying it firsthand can be a big help in determining whether the software will meet your needs.
Selecting the right HRIS does not have to be such a daunting task. Just break it down into these smaller steps and you will be on your way to choosing the right software!
The HR Data Manager (www.hrdatamanager.com) is a fully featured HRIS system serving the Small & Medium Business Market.
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