Choosing the Right HCM Software Vendor
Technologies once considered staples in Human Capital Management (HCM) software are no longer sufficient enough in the age of HR due to new emerging technologies, innovations and trends. As a result, solution providers have had to shift their focus and develop tools that meet the needs of organizations dealing with increasingly large data, process, and people volumes.
The process of searching, evaluating, purchasing, and deploying an HCM or talent management solution is not as simple as it once was. There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to HCM software suites. Solutions today come in a variety of different flavors, each features a particular set of capabilities, strengths, and drawbacks. Choosing the right vendor and solution is a complicated process—one that requires in-depth research and often comes down to more than just the solution and its technical capabilities.
Simplifying the selection process
Here at Solutions Review, it’s our job to help simplify that process. To that end, we’ve created a variety of buyer resources and articles to speed the evaluation of enterprise technology solutions. In our Talent Management Buyer’s Guide, we offer readers a full talent management and HCM technology market overview. This includes company and product profiles and best use cases for the top-24 providers, ten questions for prospective talent management software buyers, and our bottom line analysis.
We also offer an HR Tech Best Practices eBook to help those just starting out to discover the basics of talent management, talent management software and how HR technology can help organizations grow in general. It also touches upon what talent management software can do for HR professionals and even provides details of some of the top HR tech and talent management solutions available on the market today.
Pair these great resources with Solutions Review online directory of talent management vendors, platforms and software solutions. It includes an abbreviated overview, contact information and links to each company’s social media handles for the top-24 talent management providers. If you would like a printed version of this page including complete solutions profiles and a list of the top questions to ask in an RFP, click here for a free PDF.
4 elements to help in choosing the right software provider
- Customer Reviews / References: Customer reviews can go a long way, so don’t be afraid to ask for customer references to get their opinions, first hand, whether or not the HCM tool you are looking at fits the description. But make sure these customers actually purchased the vendor’s software. Were they happy with the software and services? Why or why not?
- Support: Test the vendor’s support systems. A good solution provider should go out of their way to make sure you are completely satisfied with the software. Do they respond quickly? How will these support services scale when you onboard your firm?
- Technical Resources: Take a look at provided learning materials such as knowledge bases, documentation, or wikis. What does the vendor provide for customers to educate themselves?
- Advisory Capability: Look for a provider that understands your business situation or industry, and whose people seek to be more of a long-term partner rather than just make the sale. If they can provide guidance rather than simply product specs, you will have a better chance at working through whatever challenges lie ahead.
For more information on how to smooth the selection process, read our 5 Best Practices for Selecting Talent Management Software.