3 Ways to Rule Out HRIS Vendors Without Getting on a Demo

Selecting the right finalists for your HRIS evaluations can save businesses countless hours. But what is the best way to ensure you have the right finalists selected?

Brett Ungashick
OutSail HRIS Advisor
July 4, 2023
user comparing HRIS systems

You've been asked to kick-off a new HRIS evaluation process and your first job is to figure out where to start.

The HRIS software market has over 50 vendors today and nearly a dozen of those options have sprung up in the last decade.

You don't have time to evaluate all 50 or really even 5. So how do you find the best 3 options for your needs?

You could ask OutSail for help and our free services will speed up this process. But you're a self-starter and want to develop these skills yourself. So here's how to do it:

1.) Size Match & Scalability

The number one reason that businesses fail or succeed on an HRIS platform is because they end up with a platform that wasn't the right fit for their size and needs.

Either the technology was way too robust and they could never take advantage of the features, or the technology was too limiting and incapable of mapping to their needs.

In order to find out which vendors are the right fit for your company, you need to learn about their average customer size.

The challenge with this is that most vendors are not advertising their average customer size and most salespeople are willing to say 'Oh, we work with businesses like yours all the time.'

So the best way to find this information (aside from asking us) is to use software review websites. When you visit sites like G2 or Capterra, they will tell you what sized companies are reviewing the technologies.

For instance, almost 90% of all reviewers of Gusto have less than 50 employees, so you can infer Gusto is an SMB solution

Additionally, almost 90% of all reviewers of Workday have more than 1000 employees, so you can infer Workday is an enterprise solution.

Finding a system that is the right fit for your organization is the easiest way to ensure success and remove irrelevant vendors

2.) Missing Functionality

The next way to rule out vendors without getting on a demo is to peruse their website for missing modules.

Some vendors offer every module from hire-to-retire. But many vendors, especially ones that are relatively new to the market, cannot offer the full suite.

For example, many of our buyers are looking for payroll to be included in their HRIS, but many HRIS vendors don’t offer payroll. This can be another easy way to knock out

3.) Low Market Presence

A third and final way to remove unqualified vendors from your shortlist is to research their market presence.

This doesn't mean that the largest companies in the world are necessarily best equipped to meet your needs. However, there is a certain threshold of funding, employee size, customer reviews and buzz that you should expect from a vendor that will become the foundational platform for your HR operations.

Without a well-funded, talented team and large customer base, it's unlikely that a vendor will continue to have enough revenue to keep growing, adding new features and expanding their services.

A few ways to check on market presence include:

1.) Vendor headcount - Look at each vendor's LinkedIn company page to see how many employees they have and how that compares to your other options

2.) Vendor funding - Search the company to see if it is public or private. If it is private, use Crunchbase to search for their funding history.

3.) Market presence - Search the vendor on popular review sites to ensure that there are legitimate customers out there. Also ask your network.

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Meet the Author

Brett Ungashick
OutSail HRIS Advisor
Brett Ungashick, the friendly face behind OutSail, started his career at LinkedIn, selling HR software. This experience sparked an idea, leading him to create OutSail in 2018. Based in Denver, OutSail simplifies the HR software selection process, and Brett's hands-on approach has already helped over 1,000 companies, including SalesLoft, Hudl and DoorDash. He's a go-to guy for all things HR Tech, supporting companies in every industry and across 20+ countries. When he's not demystifying HR tech, you'll find Brett enjoying a round of golf or skiing down Colorado's slopes, always happy to chat about work or play.

FAQ

Everything you need to know about OutSail
What is OutSail?
OutSail is the first-ever broker of HR Software. We offer market insights, evaluation tools & advisory services to help organizations research, evaluate and select the right HR software. And best of all - OutSail is free!
How is OutSail free?
OutSail is free due to our one-of-a-kind software broker model. When a company makes a purchase through OutSail, the winning vendor owes us a small fee for making the introduction.

No Hidden Fees - You don't pay for our services and the vendors don't pass our costs along either
Vendor Agnostic - OutSail partners with 220+ HR Tech vendors including every market leader
What are the benefits of OutSail?
1.) Market Insights: Access the industry's most trusted data. Read user reviews of every leading HRIS vendor. Access verified pricing data. Use proprietary tools to sort & filter by your selection criteria.
2.) Evaluation Tools: Access to project plans & timelines. Customize your own scorecard tools. Leverage expert-generated demo questions. Collaborate with your team
3.) Advisory Services: Work with HRIS industry experts. Assistance during proposal review and guidance for negotiations. Implementation readiness
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