Buying software sounds simple in theory but can be excruciatingly painful. From making sense of vendor marketing materials to narrowing down the best-fit product to using back channels to find out what real users think of the product. A time consuming endeavor.
In addition to all the research, you have to make sure that the software you choose will help you navigate any changes in your organization or industry for the foreseeable future.
Recently, at TrustRadius we analyzed of 290+ user reviews and ratings for ten Core HR products. Based on our research, we found the five most important factors to take into consideration when you are looking to purchase HR software this year.
1. On-premise vs. On-Demand
Traditionally, on-premise licensed software was the most common deployment model for this category of products. But more recently the cloud deployment model has become pervasive because of the benefits like monthly payments, access from anywhere, no need to upgrade and many more.
2. User Experience
Many users of back-end HR systems, such as payroll and benefit administrators, may not have a technical orientation, and it is vitally important that these systems be very intuitive and easy to learn and use. User experience along with self-service abilities has become a key buying criterion for buyers today.
3. HR Data and Analytics
Another recent trend is the importance of HR data, and an increased focus on reporting tools. The data revolution has probably affected almost every facet of modern business except for the HR department. HR has been slow to understand the value of data, but as the shift from administrative support to strategic leadership continues, data has become more and more crucial as a lever of competitive advantage.
4. HR Staff Size
The HR staff required by a company depends entirely on the size of the company. Companies typically do not even think about hiring an HR leader until they have more than 50 employees. The kind of software required is strongly related to number of employees. Talent management is probably less critical for small, growing companies than the ability to handle pay and benefits for each employee. But small, growing companies need some level of talent management functionality, particularly recruiting automation. Conversely, smaller companies, may outsource pay and benefits to a specialist HR.
5. Mobile
Mobile capabilities are becoming mainstream in the HR sector after a relatively slow start. Recruitment is the area getting the most attention as recruiting processes are gradually moving to a mobile environment. A large percentage of job seekers now use mobile devices to search for jobs, and companies are starting to use mobile as a candidate sourcing strategy and connecting mobile candidate outreach to more traditional applicant tracking systems.
If you are in the market researching Core HR software or are looking to understand the capabilities of your existing software, download the free Buyer’s Guide to Core HR software to help you side-step the painful part of purchasing software. In this guide you’ll find:
- Updates on the HR technology landscape, trends and the main categories of HR software
- More details about common capabilities and factors to consider when selecting Core HR software
- In-depth analysis (and vendor rankings) of 10 Core HR products based on over 290+ reviews and ratings by real, authenticated users.
Alan Cooke is a senior researcher at TrustRadius and is the author most recently of the TrustRadius Buyer's Guide to Business Intelligence. He is currently working on a series of guides on the HR software space.
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