11 Mistakes You Should Avoid When Implementing Hr Software

The introduction of HR software is an important project and should be recognized as such by all parties involved. After all, this usually involves a certain investment, and not only HR managers but also employees are affected.

So for this project to be successful and all parties to be satisfied in the end, there are some mistakes that they should absolutely avoid.

Responsible person

Similar to other projects, there should be someone with primary responsibility, such as a type of project manager. After all, the introduction of HR software also includes managing the budget and entails a lot of responsibility. If you don't specify anyone specifically, it always remains unclear who you can contact with questions, and important steps in the onboarding of the software may remain open, as everyone assumes that one of the colleagues will take care of it.

So there must be a role of the project manager who is in contact with all important people, including the managing director, the IT department and of course the HR department, if this person is not already the HR manager acts.

The HR department alone decides on the software.

Following on from this, we come to the next point. Of course, the tool has to cover the processes and needs of the HR manager, but the HR department should not alone decide on the selection of HR software. If there is its own IT department, it should definitely be included.

Often a company already has other software for which there must be interfaces with the HR software. In addition to the integration into the software landscape, the IT specialists also ensure the security and data protection of the software.

The IT department implements the software alone.

Neither can the IT department alone decide which HR software is selected, because Human Resource Management is the department that ultimately works with the software the most and the aim is to have work done for them. So it should be an interaction of both parties.

Because it is also important that the application is not too complicated and does not require any special IT knowledge.

You can no longer see the forest for the trees.

When choosing the right software for your HR department, it can quickly happen that you lose track of the large number of providers on the market. The amount of information can be overwhelming and may lead you to choose the provider that will be used by the majority. But does this even fit your company?

The various HR software often differ in the scope of the functionalities offered as well as the prices. It is important to choose the provider who best meets your requirements.

You do not define a catalogue of requirements and goals.

The point catalogue of requirements accompanies this. Have you already got to the point that you need an HR tool, but haven't really thought about which specific aspects and functions it should cover? Big mistake!

You should definitely consider whether you need a complete solution, or possibly software that is only used to record working hours. Should there be an employee portal that your entire team can access? Would you like a cloud solution or software that is installed on the computer?

In any case, you should record what your software has to be able to do, what problems your company has and what needs to be solved.

You do not set a budget.

Right from the start, you should find out about the costs of software that covers all of your desired functions and set a fixed budget for it. In this way, you avoid a last-minute decision against the introduction of HR software, and the use of Excel templates remains a habit.

Besides, you shouldn't save on the wrong side and go for a particular tool just because it was the cheapest. After all, this can only lead to more problems in the future than it actually solves.

You are not reading the terms of the contract carefully.

It is also essential that you read the terms and conditions for the software carefully. This includes, in particular the term and the termination conditions. Are all the functions you need already included in the price, or are there additional costs? But also possible extra costs that could be incurred during the implementation can ultimately fail the HR software project. Be sure to read the terms and conditions in detail and check with the provider if there are any questions.

You are not considering data protection.

When it comes to data protection, all data of your company and your employees must be processed by the GDPR. You should definitely inquire about this at the beginning. If you choose a cloud solution, the server on which the personal data is stored must also be located in the EU. Failure to do so can result in fines being paid in the end.

You do not adequately inform your employees.

The introduction of HR software is not only about the HR manager, but also about their employees. Therefore, you must not forget these during the process. As soon as you have decided on software and introduce it in your company, it is important to inform your employees about it and give them detailed training on how to use the functions and your employee portal. If you do not do this, it can lead to dissatisfaction among the staff and employees may not use the software at all or not correctly, which means you have all the more work in the end.

They do not take into account the potential growth of the company.

The software you choose may be appropriate for the current size and needs of your business, but will it be soon? If your company is growing rapidly, new problems and processes can arise in a short time that also need to be automated. Besides, some software is only suitable for a certain number of employees and is unsuitable for company growth. So choose software that grows with you or that can be easily upgraded with additional features. This avoids having to go through the entire software implementation process again from the beginning.

You do not test the software extensively beforehand.

In addition to the detailed research of the providers, you should also test the software. This is the best way to see how easy it is to use the tool and whether you can use it to run your processes as expected. Product descriptions and videos do not always correspond to actual use. Only when you are delighted with the functions from direct interaction and use should you introduce HR software in your company!