The HR industry has evolved significantly since 2020. Facing the challenges of remote working, dealing with the ‘Great Resignation,’ and trying to find talent in a highly competitive job market, have all contributed to the need for high performing HR software.

The development of HR tech has allowed many businesses to improve human resource functions and unleashed the power of teams to focus on strategic work, rather than administrative, time-consuming tasks.

In fact, in 2021, venture capitalists’ invested more than $12 billion in the HR technology market, making it one of the most promising trends for 2022.

But as a customer looking for the perfect platform amongst many, what are some of the key – and less obvious – considerations to take into account when choosing a HR tech provider?

Does it fit culturally with your organisation?

Doing some initial research into different providers is a given. You need to make sure the platform can cater to your HR department – no matter the size of the business or specific requirements.

But evaluating the cultural fit of your supplier is also crucial. They should demonstrate that they understand your needs and connect with the values of your business.

This will not only create a good working relationship but allow the provider to really invest in configuring the best solution for you, rather than supplying a restrictive off-the-shelf system that is not. In turn, this will increase employee engagement with the software and boost overall productivity.

An effective way to get a real feel for working with a supplier and whether they are true to their word is to ask for references. You can use demo meetings and workshops to see the software in action, but conversations with existing users allow you to establish what it is actually like working with the supplier.

How will it work for you and your team, now and in the future?

Working out exactly how it will work for your business is key. Therefore, it’s important to use a scorecard of functionality that includes the ‘how’ – not just a simple ticking box exercise.

Once you’ve identified whether the provider supports your must-have and nice-to-have features, ask to see examples of them in action, in the system. After all you’re going to be the one using this day in and day out, and there’s nothing worse than a piece of kit that isn’t user-friendly.

Talk about futureproofing too. No-one wants to invest in a solution and have to replace it in a matter of months because it is no longer fit for purpose. The decision should be made with a 3–5-year commitment in mind, and with the promise that the technology can scale with your business. Therefore, you need to be sure the solution has futureproofed capabilities – like APIs or the ability to reconfigure the system as your organisation changes. Ask specific questions about the product roadmap for this very reason.

If time allows, why not ask for an on-site demo or presentation, rather than virtual? This allows you to audit the commitment from the supplier and gather all important stakeholders together for immediate feedback after the sessions – making sure it’s fresh in your mind.

Project delivery

Although you may still be in the decision-making stage, it’s vital to start thinking about the project delivery process in advance.

This includes asking questions like:

• Is the project delivery done in house with a clear handover from sales to implementation, or is it outsourced?
• How do you ensure key messages are communicated during that handover process?
• Is there a named project manager?
• Do you have an account manager? Are they sales targeted, or do they operate in more of a customer success role? (Top tip: reporting lines will give this away. If they report to a sales role, there is a target!)
• How is training delivered? Is it a classroom demo system or can you work on your own system with your own data?
• Is there an SLA? Are there any service credits available should support fall short of expectations?
• What hours do support operate? Do you have any statistics on support fixes?

By getting into the nitty gritty early, you’ll be saving yourself a whole load of work further down the line.

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In a crowded market, finding the right HR technology provider can seem like a maze – especially if this is completely new to you – but help is at hand. At Natural HR, we have a friendly and approachable customer success team to provide ongoing support from demo to set-up – and beyond!

Get in touch to find out how Natural HR can transform the way your HR team works…

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