HRIS is an abbreviation for Human Resource Information System. HRIS is also known as:
- HRMS - Human Resource Management System
- HCMS - Human Capital Management System
- HRIMS - Human Resource Information Management System
Put simply, HRIS systems keep track of your employees and information about them. Good HRIS systems run on a database, with pages or screens that allow users to enter information without having to know database structure.
HRIS systems may contain the following about employees, and more:
- Recruiting data, i.e. job postings & applicants
- Demographical information for employees
- Training & Educational history
- Visa status
- Disabilities
- Veteran status
- Business Unit & Department
- Benefits
- Smoking history
- Compensation information, such as salary grade & step
- Union groups
- Job and job history
- Position history
- Supervisor
- Ethnicity
- Gender
- Absence information
- Vacation plans
- Sick time
- Payroll
- Personal tax documentation (such as T4s in Canada)
- Time tracking
- Performance management history
- Union affiliation, grievance information, and disciplinary action
How does a HRIS work? Generally, HRIS systems track employee data and any changes to the status of employees, and track any effects on salary, benefits rates, or payroll. From that data, the system does payroll, runs reports, or feeds information to other systems, such as that of a benefits provider.
Most HRIS systems interface to a financial system and, in some cases, can be part of a larger system called an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system, such as Oracle, PeopleSoft or SAP.
A HRIS can be simple or complicated depending on the workforce. If your organization is fairly small and homogeneous, has no unions and has a set benefits package for all employees, a simple HRIS may do the trick. The larger and more complicated the workforce, the more complex your HRIS will need to be in order to accommodate the requirements. And, the more complicated your workforce and the system, the more people you will need to support the system after it is installed.
