Framework for HRIS Selection
Perhaps your charter has realized that it is time to graduate from the days of paper and pen and hard copy HR files galore. Your HR record keeping is ready to launch into the world of electronic records! But where to start?!? To help you tackle a task that may seem daunting at first, today’s tip covers the ideal framework for selecting the best Human Resources Information System (HRIS) for your charter.
In general, there are four guiding principles that should be considered when finding the perfect HRIS solution: confidentiality, integrity, bang for the buck, and availability. To dive deeper beyond the initial considerations, Charter School Success suggests 8 tangible steps to navigate along your journey to finding the best HRIS for your charter.
Step 1: Initial Assessment
This step involves looking at the 30,000ft view. Acknowledge that the task of vetting and securing an HRIS can be time consuming and challenging. Determine who should be involved? Will this be in-house or outsourced?
Step 2
Assessing Organizational Needs – In this step, you will think through further logistics. How does this fit into the charters strategic plan? What are the minimum system requirements versus wish list features and wants? What processes and procedures need to be accomplished within this system?
Step 3
Assessing the Project Parameters – Define any limitations that may exist, such as budgetary considerations, technology capability constraints, and time limitations for implementation. Assess and plan to work within these limits.
Step 4
Evaluating Available Packages Against Needs and Project Parameters – This is a highly critical step in the process. Key factors to assess include interface/integration with other systems in use (ex: the payroll system), reporting capabilities, historical tracking and record keeping, employee self-service features, cost, hardware requirements, training/support opportunities, and more. These data points for assessment should be compared and contrasted for all HRIS solutions being explored. A scoring matrix is a goodtool to organize the comparison of system aspects.
Step 5
Selecting the Project Committee – HR should organize a project committee to view the project beyond the scope of the HR department. Possible ideas of who should be on the committee are IT, Payroll/Finance, and misc. Operations.
Step 6
Request for Proposal – Request an RFP from the HRIS vendors who have made the final cut. The RFP should include information about the organization as well as the project specifications such as minimum requirements, budgetary constraints, and targeted selection and implementation schedule.
Step 7
Demonstration and Evaluation – HR should select vendors to present an in-depth demonstration of the HRIS system. Each member on the project committee should attend the presentation. A scorecard may be utilized by each project committee member to evaluate the demonstrations, where scores on aspects such as system navigation, help functions, data entry functionality, reporting and data table capabilities, and search functionality are kept.
Step 8
Choosing Between the Finalists – Have a final committee meeting and measure vendor software systems against each other. The committee should make a final decision of which HRIS to recommend the charter moves forward with.
After such a thorough evaluation has been made, you can feel confident that the correct HRIS system has been selected for your charter school.
Have questions or need assistance?
Contact us!
Jordan Elliott – jelliott@charterschoolsuccess.com
Need more information?
Visit the Charter School Community Roundtable to ask questions, get answers and more!