HR or Human Resource software is a wide category of software that includes components related to human resources and personnel management. HR software is used in all phases of managing personnel including union interface, recruiting, employee productivity tracking, time clock and payroll tracking, etc.
Individual software components included in standard HR packages include:
- Recruiter software
- Applicant tracking software
- Staffing software
- Standard business form packages
- Time clock software
- Payroll software
- Time management software
- and others
Human resource management occurs in any organization. Businesses requirements often depend on the size and type of the organization with proportionately higher needs based on size. The human resource department in any government agency or public organization has extra tiers of requirements and reporting needs.
There are hundreds of human resource management software packages available today, each with different strengths and weaknesses. Most businesses only make use of a small portion of the functionality of even the small, inexpensive HR packages. There are also free HR software packages available, but these are often worth just what you pay for them.
Although there are business specific human resource management software solutions, generally a standard package will do.
Major entries in the Human Resource software market include:
- NuViewHR
- SAP
- Kronos
- Everest
- PeopleSoft
- Oracle E-Business
- ABS Software (Staff Files)
- And many others
In selecting the proper human resource package for your staffing needs, several factors come into play.
These factors are similar to those for selecting other software packages:
- Market usage: Do other organizations in the same business use a specific package (don't try to set trends unless it is your core business – very few companies have HR as a core business
- Availability of data: Can you easily extract all information needed for use in customized reporting, warehousing, integration to other packages, etc?
- Interfaces: Are there interfaces built into the software to allow for automated interfaces into other standard software such as other human resource software, business management software or accounting software?
- Operating system compatibility (don't change networks just for a generic application).
- Training: Training can be complicated, Human resource management software can be complex and difficult to become productive at, even for HR professionals.
- System resources: Not usually an issue, but sometimes small business environments are on under-powered hardware already. Since it contains private information, a server dedicated for HR applications only is desired.