3 common mistakes when replacing HRMS software

Are you considering a replacement HRMS? While slip-ups can happen, some are known and easily avoidable. Learn from veterans in the HRMS field to avoid these regular mistakes and the issues they can cause for your users and employees.

1. Avoid decision-making in ‘knee-jerk reaction’ mode

Often a bad experience with an HRMS can cause hasty or incomplete decision-making in the search for a new one. The need to leave one HRMS should not hurry the decision to another mismatched application. If you are replacing your HRMS due to dissatisfaction with the current offering, it is important to go through the whole due diligence and full software selection process. Why is your current application not appropriate for your organization? What issues do users have in daily operations and annual processes? If you do not document these challenges and then rate any potential replacement HRMS solutions against these requirements, possibly you’re just replacing one mismatched HRMS with an equivalent incompatible solution, causing frustration to your users and employees.

Recommended Reading: HRMS Selection Survival Guide - Avoid costly mistakes during your replacement HRMS selection

2. Take care to create realistic expectations to avoid later failure

Sometimes an opinion grows that ‘the new HRMS will solve everything’ when that is not the case. It is important to be thorough and not to present the new HRMS as a cure-all for every issue but instead to present the future state realistically. When the new HRMS is built up to inappropriate heights based on unhappiness with the current solution, then the immediate reaction to the new system can be disappointment and negativity. Set accurate expectations through roadshows and demos that show all of the features and functionality of your new HRMS so that users and other employees will have a clear picture of what will be delivered. Improvements over the old system in particular should be highlighted as added value.

3. Don’t allow old data and processes to overpower a replacement HRMS

There is often an opinion that we need to bring over as much historical data as possible into the new system, just in case. This type of thinking can also influence how we design processes in a replacement HRMS. A new system needs to be seen as a green field, the chance to start again in a better way. What data will you need in the future? Should it be incorporated into your new system or archived in a standalone system in case it is needed occasionally later? It is important not to unnecessarily influence the values and configuration of your new HRMS with the old values and way of working. Those of us who have been through multiple implementations can tell you that historical data rapidly goes out of date, in particular when new functionality can provide the foundation for well-maintained, accurate data in a user-friendly manner. As well, processes need to be looked at from a fresh standpoint to ensure the best design.