It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the Human Resources department and the IT department are on opposite sides from how they operate within an organization. HR is involved in the people aspect of the business and how they perform various roles in the company. The IT department spends most of their time dealing with technology and how it is integrated seamlessly throughout the organization.

These two departments usually do not come in contact with each other, unless HR decides that they require a new HRMS system. Here are some key tips in choosing the right HRMS that meets the needs of both departments.

HR Goals and How to Meet Them
The HR department is expected to put together a great workforce that is content and operational. Organizations depend on HR to weed out the best applicants and create a diversified environment. HR is also responsible for managing employee and payroll, among many other things. Companies rely on HR departments to provide reports on everything from recruitment to management to retention and turnover. These reports need to be timely and error-free. Finding a system that can provide these types of reports – which both management and the HR department needs – is critical in the selection process.

IT Goals and How to Meet Them
IT departments need to stay well-informed to all of the new systems needed to give the organization its competitive edge. Once HR and management ask the IT department to obtain a new system that performs at a higher standard than the current system in place, the IT group must work with HR to research the new HRMS and how the system will be implemented. IT is more focused on how the system will be implemented and how easily it integrates with the other system the organization has.

The Joint Solution
Bringing the two groups together is the first step in the selection process. The best system is going to flexible enough for both groups to manipulate and expand with as little distraction as possible. An agreement must be made on the precise tasks the new HRMS should accomplish in order to meet the basic measures of the organization. There will also need to be a dialog around system requirements and if they are compatible with existing systems. The new system must be able to run on multiple systems and be easy to use.

At the end of the day, there should be a list of requirements needed in the selection process for the new system:

  • Expandable
    Can the system grow and expand with the needs of the organization?  Can the system add new functionality that integrates with the existing framework?
  • Reporting
    Can HR extract the data they need and create reports that are secure and compliant? From EEO to COBRA to OSHA reporting.
  • Automation and Eliminating Redundancy
    Choosing and implementing the right system will increase efficiency for both the HR and IT departments as well as decrease repetitive information and tasks, as everything is now integrated in one main system.
  • Import and Export Feature
    A robust HRMS must be able to easily import and export important data without any technical aid.

A joint decision is entirely possible for both HR and IT. The key is to plan, communicate and cooperate.