Purpose, Scope, Limitations & Benefits of HRIS

If you work in HR then you know how difficult it can be to manage an entire workforce. Whether it’s arranging payroll and monitoring performance or simply storing accurate employee information and keeping it up to date, there is a huge range of everyday tasks that can be both time consuming and challenging.

It’s no surprise then that technology has stood up to try to solve these problems and more in the form of HRIS or Human Resource Information Systems. But what are HRIS and HRMS? Here we look at what is the purpose of HRIS, the scope and benefits of HRIS software.

What Is the Purpose of an HRIS?

There are two main parts of HRIS software that help HR teams with their daily and long term goals. The first is storage. While it may sound simple, central storage of employee information, records, and other data is the first step to being able to properly manage a workforce.

Also, it gives you access to the information you need to make important decisions regarding payroll, bonuses and more. HRIS provides data-driven insights for better decision making.

The second part is the actual capability of carrying out HR tasks and processes. Advanced technology is used to automate and streamline your current manual processes. It enables you to carry out some activities that are simply impossible to do manually or to any scale.

The Scope of HRIS

Today, there are fewer limitations than ever on the capability of HRIS systems thanks to innovative technology. Most HRIS software either focus and specialise in certain HR tasks or they offer a range of modules to manage the various components of HR. Take a look at just some of the areas that these types of HR systems could help you with.

Payroll and other Central Management

A central HRIS can help with payroll and other basic but essential HR processes.

Recruitment

Sourcing new talent and completing the recruitment process of interviews and paperwork is one of the most time consuming and expensive processes in HR but it’s also one of the most important. An HRIS system that has a focus on recruitment can help you connect to thousands of job boards, quickly post brand-consistent job listings, track a candidate’s progress and much more.

Learning

Training and learning opportunities are vital for your business and your employees. Not only does it ensure compliance in regulated industries and provide essential training so employees can carry out their roles properly, but additional learning opportunities are a great way of keeping employees engaged and happy for better retention.

HRIS capabilities in learning can help you create and deliver training and courses in a range of media, track employee learning progress and even create a culture of peer-to-peer learning.

Other modules in the HRIS scope that you might find include Succession and Development to encourage employee careers, Performance to track employee growth, Compensation to manage budget and allocate bonuses, plus much more.

The Benefits of an HRIS

There are a huge number of benefits to investing in superior HR software and they may vary depending on the system you opt for and the modules you choose but here are some of the main benefits.

More Efficient

Even if you opt for a simple central HRIS or a more basic software you’ll be able to streamline a wide variety of processes and make your everyday activities much more efficient. Automating workflows can help you save huge amounts of time and can often carry out these processes much more accurately, reducing human error.

Achieve the Impossible

As well as helping with your current HR activities, an HRIS system can help you achieve other capabilities that would otherwise be impossible without superior technology. This involves delivering e-learning opportunities, real-time tracking of performance and other trends plus much more.

Better Decision Making

As well as providing storage and easy access to all the employee information and data you collect, HRIS software can be used to track ongoing performance data and much more. You can then measure and compare all this information to go beyond basic metrics like retention rate.

These data-driven insights can help you make better decisions, from budget allocation to delivering a better work experience based on what your employees want. This ultimately means helping your employees and your business become more productive to help achieve goals.

Better Employee Experience

Speaking about employee experience, delivering a superior one could give you the competitive edge your company needs to achieve success. By tracking your employees better, from their goals and interests to performance and learning, you can help identify problems or areas that need improvement and work to make them better as soon as possible.

This ultimately makes your business much more attractive to employees, helping you secure the best talent during the recruitment and keep them for long-term success and cost savings.

If you’re ready to transform your HR with a superior HRIS, contact our team or book your demo of SuccessFactors today.