Save money at HR Tech 2010
Posted on | July 27, 2010 | 1 Comment
Bill Kutik, who helps with the HR tech show in Chicago, has offered a special savings to CompareHRIS.com and HR-softwareblog.com visitors. The discount we are offering our readers is $500 off the onsite price of $1,695 – just $1,195.
The special promotional code to receive the discounted rate is COMPARE10 (all caps).
Below is a summary, with links, on what to expect at this year’s show. I skipped SHRM this year but will be attending HR tech. I prefer HR tech mostly because I find that more HR technology vendors show up than show up for SHRM. I don’t get a booth or attend any of the events; I just walk the expo hall and chat with my existing and potential vendors for CompareHRIS.com.
“The famous Shootout has become a track this year with up to eight vendors giving 25-minute demos based on our scripted scenario. Bound to have a couple of ERPs and lots of Talent Management vendors. Best way to compare live software, since they will largely be showing you the same thing. If they follow the script and don’t cheat! Which is why we have judges, two of the three bloggers above.”
“The HR Technology® Conference & Expo is the best in the world, at least according to Workday and PeopleSoft founder Dave Duffield, and many of the estimated 18,000 HR practitioners, vendors, consultants, analysts and bloggers who have attended in the last 12 years from 24 countries.
“The source of its popularity and strength is its devotion to education, not to sales. Speaking slots are never sold to vendors or sponsors, and all the session content is vetted in advance by Co-chairs David Shadovitz and Bill Kutik, editor and technology editor of Human Resource Executive magazine.
“Here are just a few of this year’s highlights: the debate between guru Naomi Lee Bloom and Gartner’s Jim Holincheck, Oracle revealing more of Fusion HCM, the legendary Shootout, the Blogger Insight Panel (members not yet chosen), and “Awesome New Technologies for HR” from bleeding edge start-ups (chosen at the last possible second). To see them all, download the pdf of the full conference brochure: http://www.hrtechnologyconference.com/WEB-BROCH.pdf?submit22=Download”
Be great to embed the link for downloading the brochure, since I think it makes the event make more sense than the website, which is not optimally designed. Obviously, please include the link to our home page, www.HRTechnologyConference.com
Tags: Bill Kutik > HR tech expo > HR Tech Show > HR Technology Conference
Has the term HRMS replaced HRIS?
Posted on | July 27, 2010 | No Comments
Considering that the name of my website business is CompareHRIS.com, I sure hope not but I don’t think I have anything to worry about. The reason I have brought up this question is a recent blog commenter suggested that the term HRMS had replaced HRIS. Truthfully, I could not disagree any more than I do. So I wanted to take this opportunity to prove my case.
Search Engines and Searches
If the term HRMS had replaced HRIS, then wouldn’t that mean that fewer people would be searching on the term HRIS than HRMS? Well, of course it would. Unless, of course, no one realized the terms were changing. According to Google Ad words keyword research tool there are over 210,000 global searches per month on the term HRIS but only 200,000 global searches for HRMS per month. If the term HRMS is replacing HRIS, then those searching online for these types of systems don’t seem to be aware of it. Either way I feel pretty safe with how well CompareHRIS.com is positioned with keyword ranking. We currently rank #4 for HRIS on Google and #5 for HRMS.
Vendor System names and industry confusion
If the term HRMS was replacing HRIS, wouldn’t it make sense to see fewer and fewer companies use the HRIS term? We list 20 of the industry’s leading HRIS/HRMS systems on CompareHRIS.com, 5 of those systems list themselves as a HRIS, 2 list themselves as a HRMS and 3 list their products as a HCM. I guess an argument could be made that the term HCM is replacing HRMS as well.
In conclusion
If the term HRMS is replacing HRIS, it does not appear that the people searching for these types of systems know. Nor does it appear that the software producers know. I wrote an article last year on the subject of comparing these terms that you may find interesting as well:
HRIS solutions versus HRMS solutions – What’s the difference?
HR College students – We want your HRIS related term papers
Posted on | July 27, 2010 | No Comments
In our database of people who complete our selection tool or download our HRIS buyer’s guide, I frequently notice that a great number of college students and professors visit our site. I’ve even had a few calls from college students working on papers. I think this is great. If my site can help someone understand HR technology, I’m glad to help.
So what do I want in return?
If you have written a term paper on selecting or implementing an HRIS/HRMS system, I’d like to publish it on CompareHRIS.com and/or HR-softwareblog.com. I’m certain our readers will benefit from your unique perspective and research. For me, it means a few less articles I need to write. If you visit the articles page of CompareHRIS.com, you will quickly notice that as President of the site, I spend a great deal of time writing.
So what’s in it for you?
Well…. it might not look bad on the old resume to have a link to an article you created about HRIS systems published by CompareHRIS.com. With the article, we’ll also include an author biography which can include anything you wish. On top of the fact that your article and bio will appear on a website which receives over 10,000 visits per month from HR professionals around the globe, we may also include your article in our newsletter which is sent to over 14,000 HR professionals each month. I’ll also make suggestions on other sites to which you may be able to submit your paper to further increase exposure. It’s never too soon to start establishing yourself online as an industry expert.
Who and how to contact?
If you have an article or research paper you would like to publish with us, email me directly at C.Scroggin@comparehris.com. We ask that the papers be original content created by you and that you include an author bio section. I’ll let you know if and when we are able to use the article. And at that time, I will provide additional sites to which you may want to submit the same article.
HRIS And Your Growing Business
Posted on | July 23, 2010 | No Comments
The more your business matures and flourishes, the more challenges it is going to face when it comes time to tackle administrative tasks. In order to keep up with the demands of this growing and evolving workforce, your company’s Human Resource executives need to be equipped with useful and efficient tools to assist in streamlining the constant flow of information and help them do their jobs. The tried-and-true methods of managing employees, though always valuable, just simply may not be enough to accommodate a business that is increasingly advancing. Even the best administrators can only do so much; and when a business’s needs surpass the HR management’s ability to fulfill them, the company will find itself operating inefficiently and below its potential. Luckily, there is a solution to this disparity: Human Resource Information Software, a system which amplifies the capabilities of your executives by automating many of their basic tasks and thus allowing them to focus on more specialized work.
So Why Do You Need HRIS, Exactly?
The fact of the matter is, much of HR’s time is taken up with menial tasks that are not only easily automated, they are better off being automated. Human Resources, for all that they are responsible for keeping tabs on the company’s ‘human resource’, are just as human as everyone else. They are perfectly susceptible to error; and they do make mistakes. Exhaustion, distraction, stress, negligence during data input – any of these things can be the simple cause of missing records or contradictory files, errors in payroll or inaccurate employee monitoring. An HRIS system can eliminate the error-prone human element from these elementary processes and conduct them with computerized precision, leaving Human Resource executives free to focus on tasks requiring actual innovation and logical reasoning and creative thought.
Human Resources deals with a business’s most valuable asset: it’s employees. Every change to this workforce – every hiring, promotion, and termination – uniquely influences the future success of the company. It is HR’s responsibility to make these kinds of employee decisions; and HR’s ability to do so relies on the availability and accuracy of its relevant employee data. An effective HRIS system helps to bring management to a new, higher level of organization and information synthesis that would otherwise be unobtainable.
What HRIS Provides
One very prominent feature of HRIS systems is compensation and payroll management. Unfortunately, many businesses have to wrestle with inaccurate logs of work hours, and there are always conflicts over wage rates and benefits; these issues can lead to economic losses that could easily have been avoided through the use of HRIS. The HR information software allows the company to exactly record hours and systematically manipulate benefit provision plans. Employee work time and performance can also be carefully supervised, helping to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Management can then dissect this employee data to learn how best to utilize their workforce to the advantage of the company.
One of the most important elements of Human Resource work is filling available positions with the people best suited to execute them. There are a multitude of factors and microscopic details which can influence a person’s compatibility with a given job, and it can be difficult to find a real “match made in heaven” – especially when you’re not entirely clear on what you’re looking for. HRIS systems help to clarify this issue by providing strategic information on the business’s overriding needs side-by-side with relevant data on what manner of work personnel would best help to fulfill those needs. This will save HR executives a lot of stress and second-guessing over the matter of what qualifications are most necessary in the individuals they plan to hire.
Many other tasks can be made easier through the use of HRIS. Employee development and skill training can be enhanced through convenient schedule planning and assessment recording and review, as management receives cohesive data on how to better equip these workers for their jobs. These advances in training and recruitment will then boost workforce efficiency and productivity, which results in a more stabilized company environment and increased business revenue.
Worth Its Weight In Gold
Ultimately, HRIS systems best prove their worth through their ability to compile and analyze information from a variety sources both inside and outside the company, fueling a vast database that is well-organized and easily accessible to all who need it. HR information software provides a business with the resources to administer multiple sites and aggregate data without having to navigate the haphazard and fallible straits of conventional communication. Information is secure and readily available the moment it is needed; there need be no fear of lost data or neglected crucial items. All-in-all, HRIS cuts out the need for delay and uncertainty, and assists executives in making swift and confident company decisions.
The Human Resource department is a cornerstone for any prosperous business; an HRIS system can help ensure that the HR personnel are performing to the best of their ability. And considering the fact that the success of a company is dependent on its capability to develop skilled and productive employees, it really is essential that HR do its job right. Through the strategic use of Human Resource Information Software, you can ensure that your business is operating with efficiency, order, and expertise.
BambooHR, Humanic Design and PerfectSoftware added to CompareHRIS.com
Posted on | June 17, 2010 | No Comments
We continue to add new vendors to CompareHRIS.com to expand our free HRIS software selection online service. BambooHR, Humanic Design, and PerfectSoftware are important additions to our HRIS/HRMS product listings. With the addition of these three systems, CompareHRIS.com now lists 22 of the industry’s top HRIS systems. Visitors to CompareHRIS.com are able to compare the functionality and options of these new additions with other industry leading HR software applications.
Our free HRIS comparison tools include our HRIS software selection tool and our HRIS quick product search option. CompareHRIS.com’s HRIS selection tool is comprehensive, free, and easy to use. Customers simply answer a series of questions about their requirements and rank the importance of each. CompareHRIS.com then automatically generates a free report showing ranked scores of the HRIS products that best match their needs. From there, customers may compare the features of each product side by side, view additional product details, view a pre-recorded demo or request a free trial.
Welcome to our new vendors and we hope all our visitors will continue to take advantage of all the HRIS/HRMS resources CompareHRIS.com has to offer! And please feel free to drop us a line about your personal HRIS/HRMS selection success story.
Tags: BambooHR > hr software > hr software vendors > HRIS > HRIS selection tool > HRMS > humanic design > perfectsoftware
Parallel Testing Execution for HRIS/Payroll Software
Posted on | June 17, 2010 | No Comments
If you’ve been waiting with baited breath for the conclusion of the two part series ‘Everything you wanted to know about parallel testing … but were afraid to ask!’, then you are in luck. We have received part two which is a very thorough template for the process of executing the parallel testing phase of a HRIS/payroll implementation.
It offers a detailed description and ‘How To’ guide of the eight steps that will aid in the most efficient and effective HRIS/payroll implementation. And as we all know, we want to make this implementation process stress free, if possible. With this guide in hand, you will be assured that this process will be as complete and stress free as possible.
To learn more, view Executing Parallel Testing: Part 2 of a 2 part series.
Tags: executing parallel testing > Hr payroll software > HRIS > HRIS implementation > HRIS software > parallel testing > payroll software
What is Parallel Testing and How do you Plan for it?
Posted on | May 27, 2010 | 1 Comment
So you’re entering the implementation phase of your new HRIS/payroll software product. How do you determine if your new HRIS/payroll system is performing as you expect it should? It’s called Parallel Testing. I hope this is a concept you are familiar with, especially if you are currently in the implementation phase of the project. If not, you may need to take a step back and re-think this part of the implementation process. In a nutshell, Parallel Testing is necessary to ensure that your new application is working accurately. If you don’t perform Parallel Testing, then you risk the possibility of employees’ payroll being calculated incorrectly and we all know that this is not something you want to get wrong.
There are 4 basic steps in order to perform Parallel Testing and the process can be quite involved. However, in order to perform these steps and experience the most accurate and satisfactory outcome, there are many considerations to make when in the planning stages. Learn more about the process and how to plan for it by viewing Payroll Software Parallel Testing, part 1 of a 2 part series.
Tags: parallel testing > payroll parallel testing > payroll software
HRIS: Knowledge is Power
Posted on | May 25, 2010 | No Comments
As a business executive, you’ve doubtless been hearing about Human Resource Information Software systems for quite some time now. Despite this, it’s very possible that you, like a surprising number of other business owners, still feel that when it comes to HRIS, you’re more or less in the dark. Chances are, you’ve held off on investing in an HR system because you feel you just don’t know quite enough about them – and such hesitation is natural. The truth is, however, that HR systems are both unique and important enough among business software that you can’t afford not to take advantage of them. Learning all there is to know about HR software may seem like a daunting task, but in fact it’s a very accessible one – and any additional knowledge you can amass will only serve to help you better implement your HRIS and garner ever-increasing benefits for your business.
You’ve probably perused the HR software options in the past, but whatever your former perceptions may have been, don’t let them influence you now – the HRIS market is constantly evolving, and the old standards are repeatedly being challenged and redefined. New HR systems are always being released, and existing software which have survived the test of time are perpetually being upgraded in order to remain competitive. The development of HRIS is a never-ending process: technology, innovation, and consumer demands all come together to force the software to provide for its users in helpful and effective new ways. This may sound overwhelming, but the bottom line is that this means that you will be able to get more out of your HRIS system today than ever before. And while the idea of fancy new tools and features may sound expensive, in fact it’s quite the opposite: improvements in technology and increased competition have been steadily driving HR software systems down in price.
What’s Best For Your Business
Like most in the upper echelons of the business world, you are probably very committed to your business and consequently determined to do everything in your power in order to ensure its future success. There are many, many ways to advance a business, it is true – but high near the top of the list will always be the matter of improvements in organization and efficiency, and the best way to go about making these improvements is through effective employment of an HRIS system. Unfortunately, people have a tendency to think of HR software as some kind of burden, a complicated system that they have to adapt to and compromise with and just plain figure out how to make it work. Quite to the contrary, a good HRIS system, once studied and understood, should fall into your hands as an effortless tool which, rather than making your life difficult, will make everything easier for you.
The trick to all this, of course, is getting your paws on the right information. Knowing which HR software to choose, and how to optimize that software once you do, requires a certain knowledgeability about the various systems and their capabilities. The key is not to be intimidated by the prospect of acquiring all of this information; don’t talk yourself into the idea that HRIS is not right for you. Once you have a basic understanding of how these systems work, they are very quick and easy for any business to implement, and the changes will become instantly obvious. As you start to appreciate the positive differences made by HR software, your only regret will be that you didn’t make the switch sooner.
Adopting an HRIS system now can only help your business to flourish. Many business owners feel that they have been operating so long in their current routine, that it doesn’t make sense to invest in a new system – but this is the furthest thing from the truth. Regardless of whether you’ve been in business for ten months or ten years, HR software will have something to offer you. Researching the different systems available, by reading up on reviews and trying out demos, will give you a very good idea of what you’re looking for in a software package and which HRIS systems can provide you with what you need. Again, it may seem like it’s all too much to take in, but a little analysis and test-running now to find a good system will save your business time and money that you otherwise wouldn’t have even realized it had been wasting.
Learning The Ropes
It’s honestly not that hard to brush up on your HRIS know-how, either. The internet is positively teeming with information on HR software systems, vendors, user guides, and so on. Pretty much any question you have can probably be typed into a search engine, and hundreds of results will pop up. If you need information or assistance with specific brands of HR software, their customer support teams are ready and waiting to help you out. And customer support is important: should a vendor fail to give you first-rate service in this department, then you know right off the bat that this is one HRIS software that you can cross off your list of prospective systems for your business.
While selecting and implementing your HR software is definitely a pressing priority, it is nevertheless important that you don’t rush the process. Be thorough in your research, in your questioning, and in your software trials. Turn the lens of examination on your own business, and analyze closely just what it is that you need your new software system to do – knowing exactly what it is that you’re looking for will make the software hunt worlds easier. Then, go through and eliminate systems out of your price range, systems with over-complicated interfaces and navigational processes, and systems that fail to offer any single service that you require. All of this will bring you down to a nice, trim list that is easy to explore and compare, and decision-making will be a breeze.
With the way the HRIS market is going, there are so many fantastic options out there that, provided you do the right research, you should never have to settle for less than you what you absolutely want in an HRIS system. There are products for every budget, every company size, and every style of management. So now that you have a little more information on what HRIS systems are all about, get on out there and start looking!
HRIS, Which HR Publication is the Best Source?
Posted on | May 19, 2010 | 4 Comments
In my opinion, the answer is none of the above. If you subscribe to the primary HR publications, HR Magazine, Workforce, and HR Executive, and have done so for information on HR technology, I am sure you would agree. I’m actually sort of glad this is the case. It probably explains the popularity of CompareHRIS.com and HR-SoftwareBlog.com. We are the only ones providing new and helpful HRIS/HRMS content on a regular basis. Given how important HRIS/HRMS systems are for the operations of an HR department, I am truthfully still surprised that these expert publications don’t write more about this very important topic. Below, I have taken a single issue of each of these magazines listed and provided my feedback as to how strong or weak they are with their coverage of HRIS and HRMS systems. My original intent was to review, on a quarterly basis, the three main HR publications to let our visitors know what these expert sources had to say on HRIS systems. But there is simply not enough material to write anything other than a one-time review.
Workforce – Of the top three HR publications, I think workforce has the fewest articles on HRIS systems. Truthfully, I am not sure if I have ever seen one. They have a special advertising section which is usually basically a white paper by one of their advertisers but that’s about it.
I am not the only one who has noticed a lack of content on HRIS systems for Workforce. As I scanned the last magazine issue, I counted only three HRIS vendors advertising in the magazine.
HR Executive – Rarely are any articles written on HR technology at all but even less often do I see any articles on HRIS or HRMS. Once in a while, I do see an HRIS or HRMS system mentioned in the news section but that is about it. If they write about HR technology, it is far more likely to be articles about talent management than anything else.
It’s a little surprising that HR Executive does not do a better job writing about HRIS technology considering that they hold the HR technology conference each year. Most of us in the industry would agree that this is by far the best conference on HR technology. Shouldn’t the magazine present articles reflecting this as well?
As with Workforce, I noticed only a few advertisements from HRIS vendors. So the question is starting to become are HRIS companies not advertising in these magazines because they are not writing about HRIS systems or are the magazines not writing about the topic because HRIS companies are not advertising with them?
HR Magazine – HR Magazine actually writes a few articles a year on HRIS systems but not enough, in my opinion, and when they do most aren’t very helpful. I was actually interviewed for an HR Magazine article about open source systems a little over a year ago and it was an awful experience. The writer misquoted me, misspelled my name, and misstated what I do for a living. The article itself was biased and, in my opinion, wrong with its conclusions and assumptions. Since then, I have seen one article on hiring a digital native to manage your HRIS and, until this month, that was pretty much it except for the news section.
The SHRM national conference is the biggest show in HR but not for technology. I am hearing more and more that advertisers are skipping the SHRM show and advertising at HR tech instead. I did notice a few more ads for HRIS systems in HR Magazine but this may have more to do with them having the most subscribers. This would also mean, for me at least, that they should also be providing the most helpful content on HRIS systems.
Closing
I might be biased, actually I am certain I am, but HRIS systems are used every day by those companies that have a system and those companies that don’t are looking for advice on how to select and purchase one of these products. Why then are the leading expert HR publications not writing about the topic? If you guys need topics, or even a guest writer, let me know. I might be interested.
Tags: hr magazine > HR Publications
The 5 Steps to Selling HR Software
Posted on | May 14, 2010 | No Comments
Many sales professionals may think “Sales is sales”. But in the case of selling HR Software, this is not necessarily so. I believe when most people think about direct sales, they probably picture one person attempting to influence another individual to purchase a product who is the actual payer and end user for whatever the salesperson is trying to sell. For example, if a sales person is selling Accounting software, chances are the person being sold to, a CFO for instance, is the same person that will actually write the check to pay for the Accounting software as well as be the end user. This salesperson only has one person to convince to buy the product. HR software sales are not usually this straight forward. HR software sales is a multi-level sales process. Simply put, we’re talking about convincing more than just the one person, who will be the end user of the product, to buy the product. More than likely, there will be at least a second person, the one who is responsible for writing the check, to convince the product is a good purchase decision and will benefit the organization as a whole. In other words, there is more than just one tier within an organization that must be convinced to purchase a product; in this case, HR software.
Now that you realize this process is a little different than other sales you may have participated in, what next? To find out the next steps, please visit How to Sell HR Software.
Tags: hr software sells > HRIs sales > hris sells > selling hr software
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HR-Softwareblog.com and CompareHRIS.com are dedicated to assisting human resources professionals with their search, selection and use of HRIS, HRMS and HR software applications. The creators of CompareHRIS.com created this blog to provide our site's users the ability to comment directly on the large number of HR and payroll software related articles we and our vendors have developed. Make sure to register for our free HRIS Tips Newsletters.
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