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Build a Custom HRIS For Small Business

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Cyrus Choy
Aug 25th, 2023
Blog
HRIS for small business

How Important Is an HRIS for a Small Business?

In today’s fast-paced business environment, managing human resources efficiently is key to an organization’s success. For a small and medium-sized business handling HR tasks can be time-consuming and complex. That’s where using a proper Human Resource Information System (HRIS) comes in. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore the typical challenges of HR teams and how to build your very own HRIS for small businesses using our free template to streamline your HR processes, improve compliance, and boost employee satisfaction, all while saving you valuable time and resources.

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The HR Challenge: Efficiency and Compliance

When we dive into HR management, we’re juggling a bunch of tasks. You’ve got stuff like bringing in new employees, managing leaves, giving performance feedback, and handling those all-important paychecks. But here’s the kicker: if we don’t do this efficiently, it can spell trouble. 

First off, let’s talk about time. Doing all this HR stuff manually takes forever. An example is when you still have paperwork that needs to be filled in by hand. You will end up with a bottleneck in your approval process and in the worst case missing documents that can cause further delay.

Then, there are the errors. When we’re punching in data manually, we’re just asking for trouble. One little mistake can set off a chain reaction of problems, from compliance headaches to some seriously unhappy employees. Or a really happy employee who got 330x his base salary from a salary processing error.

And let’s not forget about insights. Without a proper system to manage all this HR data, we’re flying blind. If we can’t see what’s happening with our workforce, their performance, or any other important HR stuff how can we make any informed decisions on matters like hiring decisions? Which by the way is by far the most time-consuming decision with multiple stakeholders.

Oh, and compliance. That’s a whole can of worms. Laws and rules change all the time, and keeping up with them manually is like chasing a moving target. If we mess up here, it’s penalty city.

Lastly, there are our employees. They prefer not to face extended waiting times or navigate through excessive bureaucratic procedures. It can be quite an arduous experience, understandably leading to frustration and fatigue.

So, in a nutshell, managing HR tasks can be a real challenge if we don’t have the right tools and processes in place. It’s all about efficiency, accuracy, insight, compliance, and keeping our employees happy.


What’s the Benefit of Having an HRIS for Small Business?

Staying ahead of the competition isn’t just about what you sell; it’s also about how you take care of your people. One such study has also found that businesses are taking advantage of an HRIS to maintain competitiveness in their markets.

For SMEs who are often dealing with tight budgets and have to make decisions quickly, having an HRIS can help handle critical HR functions like handling payroll, recruiting new talent, getting new employees up to speed, and keeping track of performance.

A basic HRIS software would have features that can…

Enhancement Efficiency

  • Employee Onboarding: Streamline the onboarding process with pre-built forms and checklists, reducing administrative overhead and ensuring a smooth experience for new hires.
  • Leave Management: Simplify leave requests and approvals, automate leave balance calculations, and reduce paperwork.
  • Performance Reviews: Standardize performance appraisal processes, making it easier to assess employee performance and identify areas for improvement.
  • Payroll Processing: Automate payroll calculations, minimizing errors and ensuring timely and accurate payments.

Data Management and Analysis

  • Employee Database: Maintain a centralized database of employee information, facilitating easy access and updates.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Generate reports on HR metrics, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and identify trends.

Compliance Assurance

  • Policy Enforcement: Ensure that your HR policies and procedures are consistently applied and up-to-date.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Stay informed about labor laws and regulations with built-in compliance checks and alerts.

Improve Employee Satisfaction

  • Self-Service: Empower employees to access and update their own information, reducing reliance on HR for routine requests.
  • Transparency: Increase transparency by providing employees with easy access to their HR data, enhancing trust and engagement.

Cost Savings:

  • Resource Optimization: Reduce the time and effort required to manage HR tasks, allowing HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives.
  • Reduced Errors: Minimize costly errors resulting from manual data entry and calculations.

How To Build Your Own HRIS

As businesses strive to adapt to the demands of the digital age, the idea of building your own Human Resource Information System (HRIS) has gained traction, especially for SMEs who have limited budget and time to opt for an off-the-shelf solution. You can check out our comprehensive build vs. buy guide here.

Getting started with our free Human Resource System Template is easy. Grab the template from our use case page here and sign up for a free download of Five.

After you install Five on your desktop, you can follow the instructions in our documentation on how to import the .fdf (Five Definition File) and start exploring the application.

This simple web application features a responsive front end that works on any screen size, a prebuilt database table for departments and employee lists, an employee leave request/approval system, and a payroll view.

HRIS for small businesses

What Does an HRIS Cost?

First things first, let’s address the elephant in the room – the price tag. A human resource information system come in all shapes and sizes, and their cost can range from a modest cup of coffee a day to something that might rival your dream vacation. This is because most off-the-shelf solutions charge by head count on a monthly basis and coding it from scratch is a big time sink on your software developer’s time.

The cost to get started on a low-code tool such as Five can be as low as $27.49 per month on the annual plan with unlimited end users.

Now you see why building your own HRIS with Five is not just a smart move; it’s the most sensible choice for small businesses that have limited budgets.

Final Thoughts:

Our free Human Resource System Template is a valuable resource for SMEs seeking to enhance HR efficiency, ensure compliance, and boost employee satisfaction. 

With the option to add custom code to further enhance the functionality of your HRIS build on Five, your HR team can focus on strategic initiatives and ultimately contribute to organizational success.

This template is just a starting point, and we encourage organizations to tailor it to their specific needs. As you embark on this journey, remember that efficient HR processes are not only about saving time and resources; they also play a crucial role in creating a positive workplace culture and driving employee engagement. Download our template today, and unlock the potential to transform your HR operations for the better. 


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