What is HR software and what is it used for ?

People are without a doubt the most valuable asset of any company, which is why Human Resources management software has become an increasingly important tool. HR software improves the reliability of HR processes, increases productivity and puts people at the center of the organization. But each software has its specificities, so how to choose ? Get to know them better and get a head start on our Master Human Resources and Change Management.

What is HR software and what is it used for ?

Why use HR software ?

The “Human Resources” function is essentially administrative, and is part of the company’s support functions, in the same way as communication or legal affairs, for example. However, it is essential because it allows the organization of the company’s human resources (jobs) to ensure its proper functioning. It must therefore ensure that individual performance and team organization are aligned with the company’s performance objectives.

The first Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system was introduced in 1979, offering users the ability to combine enterprise data in real time. The first HR software itself appeared in 1987: it was the PeopleSoft software package from Oracle. Starting in the late 1990s, software companies like Softscape began offering cloud-hosted HR services to make the technology more accessible to remote teams.

Overall, HR software helps an organization’s human resources department automate repetitive manual tasks, organize employee information and create data-driven reports. For example, it supports employee data storage, payroll management, recruitment, benefits tracking and management (bonuses and awards), time and leave management, employee performance management, and skills and training tracking. All this is done electronically, eliminating the need for paper documents.

HR software typically comes in the form of a suite of modules, each designed for a specific HR process. The global HR platform is called a “human resources management system” (HRMS) or “human resources information system” (HRIS) and handles the administrative part of HR (payroll, expense reports, leave and absences, planning, etc.). It often incorporates a “human capital management” (HCM) module focused on career development management (recruitment, training, skills assessment, etc.).

What are the advantages of a human resources management software ?

As with most business software, the main benefit of HR software is to automate tasks that would otherwise have to be handled manually. However, HR applications bring many other benefits to companies :

Electronic invoicing offers many advantages :

• Efficiency and productivity : HR software facilitates information gathering and improves process efficiency. It allows you to centralize allthe data in a single interface: it facilitates collaboration between the various participants in the HR department (managers, assistants, payroll managers, etc.), who can thus make decisions more quickly.
• Employee retention : Talent management, from recruitment interviews to training programs, improves the life and well-being of employees within the company, and thus increases their loyalty.
• Forecasting needs : HR data analysis allows to anticipate recruitment needs but also to plan adapted training programs in order to ensure the development of skills in the company
• Cost savings : Management salary and benefit costs is a top priority for all companies. The systems of human resources management make it possible to control financial costs (dematerialization of pay slips, leave management, etc.) and to more easily identify opportunities to reduce expenses (for example, by optimizing recruitment).
• Reduce errors : Payroll automation eliminates the risk of manual data entry errors and the payment of tax penalties for late or incorrect calculations.
  Strengthening of strategic issues : The reduction of administrative tasks due to automation of tasks allows HR managers to focus on more strategic activities in the long term (development of skills, optimization of the overall experience at work …).
• Regulatory Compliance : Specific compliance areas where HR solutions can play an important role include RGPD compliance (particularly around data security and data retention periods), right-to-work controls and health and safety training compliance.

The most used HR software

There are several hundred HR software programs in France and around the world. Most are generalists and cover the whole range of human resources topics. Others are specialized, for example only dedicated to payroll management, planning or the recruitment process. Finally, there are modular software, which allow you to choose only the modules you need. No software is fundamentally better than all the others, but some of them are more successful :

Software n°1 : ADP

ADP is first and foremost an automated payroll manager for small, medium or large businesses. It can also manage, within a single system, all time and business management, planning and resource budgeting needs.

Software n°2 : Kelio

Kelio is originally specifically dedicated to monitoring employee attendance times, absences and activities. It offers many other administrative and talent management features, and can also manage access control and security of premises (supervision of access, reception of visitors, booking of meeting rooms, etc.).

Software n°3 : Cegid

Cegid is a French accounting software specialized in payroll and commercial management for small businesses and SMEs. Easy to use, it is also scalable and adapts to the monitoring of each sector ofactivity.

Software n°4 : Cegid TalentSoft

The other software of the company Cegid specialized in personnel management, from the selection of the best candidates in the recruitment phase to the development of talent (supervision of objectives and training programs) on an all-round platformen-one accessible on site or remotely.

Software n°5 : Combo

The HR Combo software package is more specifically dedicated to the management of personnel, especially in the field. It allows you to create and organize schedules in just a few clicks, measure productivity and record the hours of attendance to establish payslips.

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