The HRMS Project Debate: HR or IT?

If you ask 100 different companies about roles on their HRMS project and for on-going support tasks, you’ll receive a wide variety of answers to the question of, ‘Who does what?’ Is there no best practice model? The answer unfortunately is . . . it depends. What are the factors that define and assign responsibility to a particular group? Here are some points to keep in mind.

The Product Chosen Can Lend Itself to HR or IT

Some HRMS are built on earlier platforms that betray their IT-centric roots. Others clearly had a strong influence on usability design from the HR side of the house. The assignment of staffing then depends on your HRMS application in use, as well as the skillsets of your employees who use and support the systems.

Past History Sometimes Evolves to Create Current State

I have worked in an HRMS department that rolled up into HR. A strategic management decision was taken to move the entire group to IT, in order to consolidate the support of various systems into a hub. Three years later, it was decided that IT was too removed from the business users and the teams were re-deployed back into their respective business areas such as HR. Sometimes, an HRMS project can create a grey area of overlapping responsibility as both HR and IT bring skills to the table and both can perform many of the same tasks.

Do You Venture off-Shore or Remain in-House?

While both HR and IT will outsource tasks and responsibilities, historically, IT has been stronger in the area of software support, with many companies existing exclusively for this purpose. HR tends to outsource more higher level responsibilities, such as defining a new grading structure, but will leave daily, operational responsibilities in house, as they appreciate the ‘people aspect’ of HR.

Audit or SOX Responsibilities May Drive Certain Decisions

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act or SOX requires that a system of checks and balances exist in certain system tasks. While larger HR departments may have enough staff to separate responsibilities, it often becomes a joint effort with IT on tasks such as security administration or configuration changes during an HRMS project.

Whether you’re HR or IT, an HRMS project can be a challenge. For guidance in this area, check out the HRMS Selection Survival Guide.