What Makes a Great Global HRIS System? Key Considerations

More businesses than ever before are embracing a global employment strategy. With the advent of remote work and the talent scarcity in the US, businesses are happy to hire great talent wherever they can find it. But managing a global workforce requires a global HRIS and not every buyer knows what a global HRIS entails.

Brett Ungashick
OutSail HRIS Advisor
July 4, 2023
global HR image

In 2019 and early 2020, we would very occasionally hear from clients that they needed their HRIS to be globally capable.

However, ever since the world shut down in March of 2020 and remote / hybrid work took hold, the number of global HRIS requests that OutSail receives has gone through the roof.

Companies of all shapes, sizes and industries are increasingly looking to hire talent wherever they can find it. A global workforce used to be a rarity in the mid-market, but now it is becoming the norm.


We have posted many articles about global employment (global payroll, global PEOs, contractor management), but we haven't talked enough about Global HR management.

Most of the leading global payroll & global PEO platforms do not provide robust HR management capabilities, so most companies require two systems:  a global payment platform and a global HRIS.

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So what makes an HRIS more global or less global?

1.) Global Offices

One defining feature of the best global HRIS systems is that the vendors themselves are global organizations, and are often founded outside of the US.

The US market is so large that companies like Paycom and Paylocity can serve only domestic clients and build huge businesses, but companies that start outside of the US have to learn to serve multi-national organizations immediately.

These companies also tend to have support teams in most time zones across the globe which improves response times for your distributed teams

2.) Language Support

Another characteristic of a good global HRIS system is that the system has native language support for multiple languages. Many domestic

HRIS's will use Google Translate to offer additional languages to customers, but these translations can lead to less nuance and leaves non-US employees feeling de-prioritized

3.) Global Compliance

Maybe the most important feature of a good global HRIS is if it can help you stay compliant in multiple regions

A domestic HRIS that is pretending to be global will say 'Yes, you can store employees in our system and give them access to some modules.'

But what those systems can't do is ensure that the way your international employees are using the system is locally compliant. A great global system should have local rules engines built in to let you know if an employee's leave request or payment schedule is locally compliant.

4.) Global Payroll

Finally, very few, if any, global HRIS's also have global payroll built into the system. However, increasingly we are seeing companies like ADP and Paylocity buy global payroll platforms.

Other vendors, like Workday and UKG, are developing deep partnerships with global payroll solutions

If your company is going global and you need help finding the right partner, let us know!

FAQs
Q: Why is a global HRIS important?

A: A global HRIS is important for businesses with a global employment strategy because it helps streamline HR processes, ensures compliance with local regulations in multiple regions, supports a diverse workforce, and provides centralized data management for improved decision-making.

Q: What are the key features of a great global HRIS system?

A: The key features of a great global HRIS system include global offices and support, language support for multiple languages, robust global compliance capabilities, and integration with global payroll solutions.

Q: How does a global HRIS differ from a domestic HRIS?

A: A global HRIS is specifically designed to meet the needs of multinational organizations with employees located in multiple countries. It offers features such as multilingual support, global compliance management, and integration with global payroll systems, which may not be available in domestic HRIS systems primarily designed for businesses operating within a single country.

Q: How can businesses benefit from using a global HRIS?

A: Businesses can benefit from using a global HRIS by streamlining HR processes across multiple locations, ensuring compliance with local regulations, improving communication and collaboration among global teams, and gaining insights from centralized HR data for better decision-making.

Q: What factors should businesses consider when choosing a global HRIS system?

A: When choosing a global HRIS system, businesses should consider factors such as vendor's global presence and support, language support, compliance capabilities, integration with global payroll solutions, scalability, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. Evaluating these factors can help businesses select a solution that aligns with their global HR management needs and business goals

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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.

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