6 Questions to Ask Vendors about HRMS Manager Self-Service

ATMs, clerkless checkouts, online shopping… pretty soon the whole world will be self-service. In the HR world, the first steps involved basic transactions at the employee level but managerial access followed soon after. Certainly, most HR applications these days should have a tier of functionality that allows direct engagement with the HR data by management from supervisors to the c-suite. What a vendor has to say on this subject can help you separate out the systems that will meet your needs.

Manager Self-Service Vendor Questions #1 – What improvement in data quality can I expect?

In a way, this question links back to employee self-service, data cleansing and migration at the implementation stage but it’s a foundation issue – the benefits of any system to managers directly depend on the system being populated with comprehensive and accurate data.

Manager Self-Service Vendor Questions #2 – How easy is the MSS functionality to use?

Contrary to rumor, managers are people too. And people are much more likely to use IT and technology if the user experience is both simple and intuitive. A system with familiar-looking interfaces, easy navigation and friendly help options goes a long way to being utilized across your organization.

Manager Self-Service Vendor Questions #3 – What impact will there be on workloads?

In the past, managers have been wary of MSS, seeing it as a way of devolving HR work by stealth, increasing their workload and distracting them from the day to day business of managing. The vendor should be able to provide reassurance (preferably backed by examples) that their system will make managers’ lives easier.

Manager Self-Service Vendor Questions #4 – How will it improve performance management?

Managers spend a lot of time managing performance, so any benefits in this arena are compelling. The vendor should be able to explain how quick (and even real-time) access to up to date employee information combined with effective reporting functionality will give managers what they need to make better decisions and assessments, leading to better training plans, resource deployment, compensation, and so on…

Manager Self-Service Vendor Questions #5 – How much paper can I get rid of?

We all want a paperless office and in the past, bureaucratic and form-based interactions with HR have been a constant management bugbear. Document management processes such as electronic transactions, e-forms and e-signatures should reduce the ‘form-filling’ culture.

Recommended Reading: HRMS Self Service - Steps to Success

Manager Self-Service Vendor Questions #6 – How will this system reduce my HR delivery costs?

Return on investment is the bottom line question on most technology service purchases and MSS is no different. At the least, expect the vendor to talk about quicker data access, less interaction with HR staff, system prompts that enable timely decision-making and integration with other business systems… plus expect them to be able to quantify some of these issues.