HRIS

Is It Time for an Automated HRIS/Payroll System?

As your restaurant group grows and evolves, your manual HR services and payroll processes may not be cutting it anymore.

Many operators have communicated to us that a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) or an automated HR/payroll system was notoriously exorbitant. We have also heard how some of those systems weren’t the most user-friendly either.

But, in this day and age, technology has come a long way.

Once you have at least a couple hundred employees, it is increasingly difficult to continue with manual human resources and payroll processes. The sheer number of HR regulations and HR laws makes it very difficult — almost impossible — to stay compliant when handling HR services and payroll processes manually.

An HRIS Checklist

When it’s time to let go of your manual processes, consider these points before investing in an HRIS or payroll platform:

Be honest about your needs and budget

We’ve all been there. Choosing between two innovative tech products — both brand new, shiny, holding so much promise about how easy and simple they’ll make our lives. It can be tempting to go for the “top of the line” product. But don’t get caught up in the hype. Determine your basic needs early on, including how the system will be used and the metrics and reports you’d like to generate. After your basics are covered, add one or two “upgrade” features to the list. Then, take a good hard look at your budget and identify the maximum you can comfortably invest in a new HR Platform.

Don’t go it alone

Make sure you seek input from pertinent departments so that the HRIS system fits the needs of all users. Individuals in IT, operations, accounting, recruiting, and senior management may be worth consulting as they will likely access the system on a regular basis.

Window shop

Don’t rush to make a decision. Just like hiring the wrong employee can be costly, buying into an ill-fitting platform can be incredibly expensive as well. Go into this understanding that it may take several months to find the right HR platform and that you’ll probably see more salesperson demonstrations than you care to admit. Don’t shrug off the demos though — they offer an excellent opportunity to ask questions, gain information, and pick the brain of subject matter experts. Once you have a good feel for all of the HRIS options out there, make a shortlist of your top vendors, and then drill deeper into each system’s offerings.

Coordinate the paperwork

Depending on how you wish to proceed, submitting a request for proposal (RFP) might apply to your situation. Basically, you’ll provide a summary of your project needs, minimum requirements, and budget to each vendor on your shortlist. Vendors will then bid on your project.

Make the call

Once you receive all of the quotes/proposals, now’s the time to make the call. You’ve spent months researching, completing demos on each HRIS platform, and obtaining buy-in from all users. Choose the platform, notify the vendor, and start reaping the benefits of automated Human Resources and payroll!

Need additional help?

Here at Restaurant HR Group, we don’t have an HRIS or payroll system to sell you. We work directly with our clients (or potential clients) to help them find the right system and payroll company for them! If you need further Business Human Resources or payroll system advice or guidance, don’t hesitate to contact us, we are happy to help.