What to Consider When Choosing a HCM Software Platform

If you’re thinking about making the switch to a human capital management system, one of your biggest questions is “Which platform is the best?” As in many areas of business, the right answer is less about identifying the one with the most bells and whistles, and more about finding the right one for your particular situation. In this way, “Which platform?” breaks down to a series of more focused questions that can help you uncover your particular needs. Here are some questions to get you started.

Will this platform work with our hardware?

Due to their significant size, human capital management platforms are typically cloud-based. This means that most should work so long as you have a reliable internet connection. There will probably be some technology requirements, however. If your computers could politely be called “classics,” you may discover that not all HCM platforms will work for you.

You’ll also want to pay attention to the equipment you use to manage time and attendance. If you’re using magnetic badges, biometric scanners, or geolocation systems for tracking employees, you need to be certain that the HCM platform you choose can integrate this information.

Will this platform work for our current size, and will it scale with our growth?

This concern travels in both directions. Very large businesses with multiple locations need to be certain that the platform they use can handle the massive amount of data that your company produces every day. On the other hand, very small businesses can’t afford to pay for a capacity that outstrips their actual payroll by a factor of ten or even 100.

Particularly if a business is growing quickly, it makes sense to look at scalability. Are there plans (and, by extension, costs) for different sizes? Is it easy to scale up or down as needed?

Will this platform integrate with industry-specific software or tracking needs?

Every industry has its own quirks. Healthcare, for example has strict direct care provider to patient ratios that must be maintained and accounted for. Education has similar requirements. Nonprofits may have grant-specific tracking, and manufacturing may require employees with certain health and safety certifications to be present on the floor at all times.

Whatever the specifics are, you’ll need to make sure your HCM platform can handle these additional needs. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself with multiple systems for different processes, which is the precise situation human capital management platforms are designed to eliminate.

Can this platform be customized to meet our unique needs?

Beyond industry requirements, each business has its own reality. Do you need to communicate efficiently with a parent company? Quickly assemble reports for a very involved board of directors? Accommodate the educational goals of a steady stream of interns? You know your business the best.

Does this platform come with sufficient training and support?

A human capital management platform will be used, to some degree, by everyone in your company. While developing internal expertise is always a good idea, knowing that there is training and support available when needed can make a huge difference in usability, especially during the transition period from your previous system. Be sure to keep an eye on things like hours of availability and methods of communication; if support is only available by phone and outside of your normal hours of operation, it may not matter that the representatives are friendly and knowledgeable.

Will this platform reflect well on our company?

In the end, you want your technology to reflect your company’s values. If job candidates find your application system needlessly complex, if employees feel that information is challenging to locate or deliberately obtuse, if communications with stakeholders are delayed because the reporting tools are so challenging to use, you’re spreading the impression that these things are not your organization’s priorities.

You have the questions. What about the answers?

Complete Payroll can help with that. Contact us to learn more about how you can get your business started with human capital management.

Our complete guide on Human Capital Management is a comprehensive resource about how effective HCM helps organizations manage their workforce more effectively. Whether you're interested in seeing an HCM platform or just want to learn more about the practice of Human Capital Management, this page is for you.

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