HR software has proven its worth as an effective tool in managing your on-site employees, but now you may be wondering whether HR software can do the same job when it comes to managing your remote teams.
The answer is yes and no, depending on which HR software you choose. To decide whether HR software will work well with your remote teams, you need to consider both what type of HR software to use and the features you’ll need in that software in order to manage your remote employees successfully.
These are some important factors to consider when choosing the best HR software for your remote teams.
Why use HR software?
Before you buy an HR software, it’s important to consider why you’re buying one in the first place. If you already have a host of documents outlining your workplace policies and procedures (i.e., handbooks), and all your employees are located in one office, then hiring software may not be necessary.
However, if there are unique challenges to managing a remote team—such as communicating with employees spread across multiple time zones or ensuring compliance with tax laws—then you might want to invest in a more robust solution.
When deciding on which HR software is best for your needs, it can help to think about how much support you need from outside sources (for example, do you need professional advice on employment law?) and whether such support is readily available in your region.
This can affect where you choose to base yourself or even whether home-based contractors would be better suited than full-time employees to take advantage of local resources.
The other major consideration is how much flexibility and customization your business needs – how many different kinds of jobs do you need to manage? Are they all full-time positions? How detailed do roles need to be? Do employees need access codes so they can update their resumes while they’re traveling?
What features does it have?
There are four main areas that you’ll want to consider when evaluating your software options: performance management, employee files, time and attendance tracking, and reporting.
The best HR software will help you monitor employee progress and development. It should also give you a way to create policies and procedures so that managers can keep employees on track with company guidelines.
Employee files are important for keeping important documents on file including W-2s, reviews, goals, and other valuable information about each of your team members.
Time and attendance tracking let managers keep an eye on how long employees have been working—and for how many hours per day—as well as what they’re working on when they aren’t in an official work environment like a corporate office or remote work location.
What about advanced features like payroll, benefits and employee scheduling?
Each of these features is an additional expense, and small businesses don’t always need all three. If you do plan on doing payroll yourself and want to avoid third-party software fees.
It may be wise to spend more upfront on a more comprehensive platform like Gusto or Zenefits. But if you’re planning on using an outside provider, simple platforms may work best. In general, companies with fewer than 100 employees don’t have many other needs besides onboarding new hires.
Once that’s covered, they’ll rarely use other advanced features anyway. Instead of spending extra money up front or overpaying monthly, choose one that covers your specific needs now and see how you feel in six months when business really starts booming
Can you afford it?
Although it’s great that you want to help your employees, don’t forget that they are a huge expense. If you decide to outsource one aspect of HR (such as payroll), make sure that it won’t cost you more in lost productivity than what you save by not doing it in-house.
Outsourcing is only worth it if your remote workers aren’t being distracted by something as small as a 10-minute login process. So before deciding on any HR software, take a look at how much time and money it will cost you—and make sure those resources are well spent.
You also need to consider how much these services can really do for you. Don’t get caught up in all of the bells and whistles advertised because sometimes basic functionality trumps functionality you never use.
Is it compatible with your current technology stack?
As you begin exploring your software options, it’s essential that you think about whether it is compatible with any of your existing technology stacks.
Making sure a new platform is compatible with what you have currently in place can save tons of time and money down the road.
If it’s not going to work with something your company already has, why bother even investing? So be sure to take note of whether or not an option will integrate seamlessly with other programs and systems.
This will save you time in installation and training down the line.
Does it integrate with your other tools?
HR software is great at a lot of things, but it can be tough to integrate with a whole host of other tools you might use.
For example, if you want your employee training software integrated with your HR software and payroll tool, that’s not something that many apps do well.
A good remote-HR solution should let you import data from other programs and easily share information between tools.
If you’re looking for a solution that works with all your other HR programs, research which integrations are available and make sure they work smoothly before deciding on any particular app.
Don’t get stuck with tools that don’t have easy integrations or require manual uploads or downloads. You’ll spend too much time trying to get them working together instead of actually managing your employees’ lives.
Is there a trial period?
Make sure that there is a trial period on any software you are thinking of purchasing. Many companies offer free trials, or at least allow you to see whether or not something is right for your business with a free academic account.
You can also be smart about how you make use of your time during your trial period—if it’s clear that something isn’t working out, ask if there’s another option that might fit better.
The more options you have at your disposal, and higher quality those options are, the better off you’ll be in selecting an HR solution. In many cases, there are multiple products that could suit your needs—but only one will truly meet them. Don’t settle until you’ve found it.
How much training is required?
Some companies say they can get you up and running with their software immediately. Others recommend a full week of training before your first day on-the-job.
Get a clear understanding of how much training is required so you don’t end up overwhelmed—or worse, resentful—at your first day at work. Remember, it’s okay if there’s some onboarding involved.
The company should want to make sure you’re equipped with what you need to be successful from day one.
Who are you buying from?
When choosing a service, it’s important to make sure you know who you’re buying from. Make sure that you contact every vendor and find out who will be managing your account in case you have any questions or concerns.
You should also ask about their experience with businesses similar to yours, their approach to customer service, and what kind of online presence they have. It’s also helpful if your vendor has been around long enough that there are case studies of companies that have used them successfully—even if it isn’t exactly like your company.
Get everything in writing so there are no surprises later on when it comes time for implementation or support; although you want to be flexible in some areas, that flexibility shouldn’t compromise quality.
Does this make sense for your business?
Before you make a purchase, whether it’s office supplies or remote-HR software, ask yourself: Is it something that is going to benefit my business?
Just because an item fits your needs or budget doesn’t mean you should buy it. Before making any purchase, make sure that you’re buying something that will add value (and not just clutter) to your small business.
Don’t fall into the trap of buying something just because someone told you that you need it. Buying on a whim wastes money and can negatively impact other aspects of your business, including productivity and morale.