How to implement an HRIS plan in 6 weeks or less

A human resources information system (HRIS) is designed to manage and automate HR processes. It helps to streamline administrative tasks, improve data accuracy, and enhance decision-making capabilities. By centralising HR data, an HRIS enables better compliance, reporting, and overall efficiency.

An HRIS implementation involves introducing new HR software in your organisation, encompassing evaluation, selection, testing and integration into your tech stack.

The process of implementing an HRIS of any kind starts by evaluating your needs and selecting the right solution. For most teams, that process is going to look fairly similar and will follow a structured approach:

• Making a list of potential providers

• Speaking with those providers

• Conducting research through free trials or personalised demos

• Considering your budget and 

• Making the final decision

The process of implementing a new HRIS takes place in five unique steps:

Create a detailed HRIS implementation plan with a clear vision, realistic timeline and communication strategy. 

Ask yourself some of the following:

• Are you looking to digitise your administrative tasks?

• Do you need a digital solution that helps ?

• Would you rather have many complex functions or a user-friendly interface?

It’s not just about the individual questions, though, but about the collective needs of your HR team and what a tool would be able to provide. In that sense, it helps to think about what you need today, what you might like, and what you might need or like in the future. Any prospective tool should have a little bit from each column.

Configure the HRIS to meet organisational needs and prepare for data migration. This involves discussing unique needs and required customisations to ensure the system aligns with your processes.

Transfer important employee data into the new system. The data migration phase during HRIS implementation doesn’t have to go from 0 to 100. It can be done gradually and over time, and with the help of Employee Self-Service (ESS).

The time required for data migration, overall, will depend generally on:

• The size of the company

• The complexity of the chosen HRIS software

• The quality of current data

Data migration with Personio takes an average of four to eight weeks, from start to finish depending on the size of the company. During this time, HR and employees can continue to work normally, but it’s the kind of up-front investment that truly pays dividends in the long run.

Here’s an example: A recent customer has almost 1,000 employees, and the entire implementation (including data migration) was completed in six weeks flat. From then on, everything worked in the new system!

Pilot the HRIS with people from across your organisation to ensure everything works correctly. Testing is crucial to identify and resolve any issues before the full rollout.

To adequately prepare for any prospective HRIS implementation, take the time to test and involve stakeholders (executives, managers, employees) who would theoretically work with any incoming tool.

Introduce the new system to the wider organisation and employees. Ensure a smooth rollout by conducting risk assessments, providing thorough training and communicating the benefits effectively.

Evaluate the implementation process and the success of the HRIS. Continuous support and updates are essential to ensure the system meets evolving business needs. Regularly review and optimise the HRIS to maintain its effectiveness.

Even the best-planned projects face unique hurdles to overcome. And the implementation of an HRIS has its own set of potential challenges, such as:

• Data quality issues: The system runs into inconsistent or incomplete records

• Low user adoption: There’s resistance from employees or managers

• Integration complexity: The HRIS encounters trouble integrating with payroll, applicant tracking, or resource planning

• Timeline overruns: This can be caused by poor planning or lack of resources

Overcoming these challenges can be simple as investing in upfront data cleansing before the migration, involving stakeholders early providing clear training to improve adoption. Set realistic implementation timeline for the HRIS and work closely with your provider to avoid delays and integration issues.

We put together this quick checklist to help guide your team through the process of implementing a new HRIS.

• Define the project lead and stakeholders

• Choose the right provider

• Map your current HR processes

• Plan the data migration (what to transfer, how, and when)

• Test system functions thoroughly

• Train employees and managers

• Confirm go-live support

• Schedule post-launch testing and evaluations

To be clear, this is just a starting point and is not an exhaustive list of how implementation might look at your company. The most important thing is to partner with an HRIS provider that can help map out a journey that makes sense for your organisation.

H2: Best practices for HRIS implementation

On average, Personio can be implemented as a new HRIS in around six weeks, depending on the needs of your organisation.

That said, a proper implementation process will always be fully transparent and completely mapped out. There should always be a game plan in place.

Your ability to implement a new HRIS will depend on some additional key factors worth considering:

• Technical requirements – A strong HRIS will be user-friendly so that anyone on your HR team (or across your organisation) can use it with ease. No massive technical requirements or background knowledge is required. All it takes is a few lessons and you’re up and running!

• Implementation support – Even the best HRIS will flounder if the implementation process isn’t designed specifically to support both it and an organisation. At Personio, we place particular emphasis on the implementation process, with outlined steps and timeframes for maximum transparency for new customers.

• Employee self service (ESS) – Employees being able to add their own data to an HRIS is massive for HR teams everywhere, because the input process can be outsourced while still keeping a very high bar of quality. An HRIS with an ESS function is helpful because it can reduce the data transfer time drastically.

Best practice: A contact person is key. Who will lead the project? Who else will be involved? Try to plan by starting with six weeks of dedicated time to help make it a reality (and to avoid things lagging for too long).

There's a reason why Personio's HRIS focuses so heavily on the implementation process. That's because it helps our customers get back to doing impactful work, rather than feeling the pinch of overwhelming administrative work.

“From the field: Feedback from our own customers at Personio finds that the majority benefit from greater process clarity, automation, data storage and overall security. Personio also helps ‘raise the organisational profile’ of HR in the eyes of a company.

We know that great HR is better for business, and that HR does its best work when they're not bogged down. That's why we focus on a speedy and supportive process to get you up and running sooner than later.

Implementing an HRIS is a strategic process that requires careful planning and execution. By following this comprehensive guide, you can ensure a successful integration that enhances HR efficiency and supports organisational growth.

 Start a free trial or contact us for more information to see how our HRIS solution can benefit your organisation.