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Tired of endless demos and confusing vendor pitches? Here's how OutSail's structured HRIS vendor comparison process turns software selection from a months-long ordeal into a streamlined, confident decision.
Choosing an HRIS shouldn't feel like a second job.
Yet for most HR leaders, that's exactly what happens. You start with good intentions—maybe a spreadsheet, a few vendor demos, some G2 reviews. But within weeks, you're drowning in conflicting information, biased sales pitches, and a creeping sense that you're comparing apples to orangutans.
The reality? There are over 200 HRIS vendors in the market. Most HR teams have the bandwidth to properly evaluate maybe five or six. How do you know you're looking at the right five?
That's the problem OutSail was built to solve.
Before diving into how OutSail helps, let's acknowledge why HRIS vendor comparison causes so many headaches in the first place.
Information overload meets information asymmetry. Vendors control their demos. They highlight strengths, gloss over weaknesses, and tailor their pitch to tell you exactly what you want to hear. Meanwhile, you're trying to remember what Vendor A said about payroll integrations while Vendor B is showing you their onboarding module.
The stakes are high. A bad HRIS decision doesn't just waste money—it creates years of workarounds, frustrated employees, and HR teams spending more time fighting their software than actually doing HR work. The average HRIS implementation costs between $15,000 and $150,000+ depending on company size. That's not a decision you want to get wrong.
No one teaches you how to do this. Most HR professionals buy HRIS software once every five to seven years. You're not a software procurement expert—and you shouldn't have to be.
OutSail operates differently than anything else in the HR tech space. As the industry's first HR technology broker, OutSail partners with over 220 vendors (including every market leader) while remaining completely vendor-agnostic.
How does that work? OutSail receives a commission from whichever vendor you ultimately choose. This means their services cost you nothing, and their only incentive is to match you with the right solution—not push you toward whoever pays the highest referral fee.
It's the same model that works in insurance, real estate, and dozens of other industries. And it's finally available for HR software.
OutSail has helped over 1,000 companies—from high-growth startups to enterprises like DoorDash, Hudl, and Aurora—find the right HRIS. Their process breaks down into four clear stages:
Most companies make a common mistake: they start watching demos before knowing what they actually need. This leads to "shiny object syndrome"—where the vendor with the best presentation wins, not the vendor with the best fit.
OutSail flips this script. Before you engage with any vendor, OutSail's advisors work with you to build a detailed requirements document that separates must-haves from nice-to-haves.
This includes questions like:
This upfront work prevents the most expensive mistake in HRIS selection: buying a system that doesn't actually solve your problems.
Here's where the HR tech broker benefits become tangible.
Within days of defining your requirements, OutSail delivers a detailed shortlist report. This isn't a generic list of "top HRIS vendors." It's a curated selection of three to five vendors specifically matched to your requirements, complete with:
This shortlist report alone can save weeks of research. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping for the best, you're starting with vendors who are already strong candidates.
This is where OutSail's proprietary evaluation tools shine.
Most vendor evaluations fail because they rely on memory and instinct. You watch three demos over two weeks, compare notes, and realize everyone remembers different things. The person who liked Vendor B's interface is arguing with the person who preferred Vendor A's reporting. There's no common framework.
OutSail's evaluation platform provides:
Shared Scorecard Tools: Your entire evaluation team scores vendors against the same weighted criteria. No more subjective debates—just objective data showing where each vendor excels and falls short.
Pre-Built Question Libraries: OutSail's scorecards come loaded with challenging questions that vendors don't expect. These aren't softball questions from a marketing FAQ. They're designed to surface real capabilities and limitations.
Structured Milestones: The platform provides clear next steps at every stage. You always know what you've completed and what's coming next.
Collaborative Workspace: Deep-dive into each vendor's profile, build your shortlist collaboratively, download reports for offline review, and request demos—all from one central hub.
The result? An objective, documented evaluation process that gets your entire team aligned around data rather than opinions.
Once you've selected a finalist, the work isn't done. HRIS contracts are negotiable—but only if you know what to ask for.
OutSail's advisors review your proposals, benchmark costs against their database of thousands of HRIS contracts, and provide specific talking points for negotiations. They know what discounts are realistic, what implementation fees are inflated, and what contract terms you should push back on.
Companies routinely save 10–20% on their HRIS contracts simply by having this information at the negotiating table.
Let's contrast this with how most companies buy HRIS software today:
DIY Research: HR leaders spend dozens of hours on G2, Capterra, and vendor websites trying to build their own shortlist. The problem? Review sites are heavily gamed, and vendor websites are marketing material—not objective analysis.
The "Ask Around" Method: You poll your LinkedIn network or HR community for recommendations. But their company isn't your company. What works for a 500-person fintech startup might be terrible for a 500-person manufacturing company.
Vendor-Led Discovery: You fill out a few "get a demo" forms and let vendors come to you. Now you're on the receiving end of aggressive sales cycles, and your shortlist is determined by whoever has the biggest marketing budget—not the best fit.
Consulting Firms: Traditional HR consultants charge $20,000–$100,000+ for vendor selection projects. They do thorough work, but the price puts them out of reach for most mid-market companies.
OutSail offers the expertise of a consulting engagement with the cost structure of... nothing.
Consider a mid-market company evaluating HRIS platforms. Using scorecards and OutSail's structured approach, they reviewed 12 different options. The evaluation revealed something surprising: their needs were actually best served by a mid-market solution rather than the enterprise platforms they initially considered.
The result? A better-fit system and over $200,000 in unnecessary costs avoided.
That's the power of an objective, requirements-first approach. Without it, that company would have purchased a bigger, more expensive system simply because it "seemed more robust" during flashy demos.
OutSail works with companies across industries, geographies, and sizes. That said, the service is particularly valuable for:
Companies buying HRIS for the first time. If you're transitioning from a PEO or moving beyond spreadsheets, OutSail helps you avoid the rookie mistakes that plague first-time buyers.
Companies replacing an existing HRIS. You know what doesn't work about your current system. OutSail helps you articulate those requirements and find vendors who actually solve those problems.
Lean HR teams. If you don't have a dedicated HRIS analyst or procurement specialist, OutSail becomes that expertise on your team.
Companies under time pressure. Need to make a decision before open enrollment? Before a merger closes? OutSail's structured process accelerates timelines without sacrificing quality.
OutSail's process begins with a brief intake survey about your organization—size, industry, requirements, timeline, and budget. From there, you're matched with a dedicated advisor who becomes your guide throughout the process.
Within days, you receive your customized shortlist report. If you're already partway through vendor evaluations, that's fine too—OutSail can step in at any point and provide tools, data, and guidance to strengthen whatever progress you've made.
The entire process—from first conversation to signed contract—typically takes four to eight weeks, depending on your organization's complexity and decision-making timeline.
HRIS vendor comparison doesn't have to be a headache. With the right process, the right data, and the right guidance, you can make a confident decision in weeks instead of months—and end up with a system that actually fits your needs.
OutSail built its entire business around making that possible. No fees. No vendor bias. Just expertise aimed at finding you the right solution.
Ready to skip the spreadsheet chaos and vendor runaround? Try OutSail's Vendor Comparison Tools
OutSail is a free HR technology broker that helps companies research, evaluate, and select the right HRIS. With partnerships across 220+ vendors and a database of thousands of HRIS contracts, OutSail provides the expertise and tools to turn vendor selection from a guessing game into a structured, confident process.
