Here are some questions you shouldconsider when interviewing HRMS vendors.
Are there any extra costs foradditional features, such as certain custom reports?
What types of installation fees andmaintenance fees do you charge?
Do you offer a higher one-timeinstallation fee in return for a smaller monthly maintenance fee (or viceversa)?
Do you hold your price for 180 days?*
Can you provide at least threereferences of recent implementations and include a nearby local user? *
Do you have experience with (fill inwith what’s important to you) – performance reviews, vacation accrual,stock options, etc?
What size company do you mainly workwith?
What is your revenue and how manyclients do you have?
How long have you been established?
How is customer service handled?Phone? If so, is it toll-free? Is it 24 hours? E-mail? Both?
What customer-service fees can Iexpect?
How many customer servicerepresentatives are available on weekdays? How many are available onweekends? In what types of technical support are they trained?
How long does it take to install? Isthere an extra charge for quicker installation?
Who on my end do you need to helpwith the installation? What will the process be like?
Do you require any third-partysoftware? *
Do you interface with my (payrollsystem, etc.)? Are they any hidden fees with making this work? Any possiblecomplications?
How often is data updated? Is iteach time an employee updates their data, or each time HR changes somethingon the back end?
What do you offer to non-traditionalworkforces?
Do you accommodate employee andmanager self-service?
Will employees at different sites beable to use the system?
What standard reports do you offer?
Do you offer custom reports? Thingsthat go beyond the standard. (Here, describe to the vendor the reportsyou’re most interested in).
Do you allow wireless connectivity?
Do you include a portal foremployees to take care of non-work-related needs while in the office? Ifnot, can the system interface with a third-party portal?
Can you describe/demonstrate yoursystem security? *
*Information with asterisks was providedby “How to Attain Your HRMS Vision,” by Rhonda Carlson with Michael W.McDonald, Copyright CCHInc., 1999. All rights reserved.
SOURCE: Compiled by Chan Tran andTodd Raphael of Workforce. For more information, use the Workforce HRMS Decision Guide to help research, choose, and compare systems.