Critical Questions for Choosing the Right HR Tech

Patrick Yearout, Director of Innovation, Recruitment & Training at Ivar's

When evaluating new human resources technology for your organization, your team will likely ask the obvious questions to suppliers about cost, implementation time, included features, customization options, security measures and their track record. While these areas are important to cover, there are other questions often overlooked during due diligence that can reveal key insights into whether a particular solution will be the right fit for your department, your employees and your budget.

To ensure you know exactly what you are getting into and avoid any post-purchase headaches, consider asking these less common but critical questions as you vet potential partners.

1. “If we adopt your platform/system, how many additional administrative hours will be created for my team per week?”

Don’t get so focused on how much work the implementation will require that you forget about the time needed afterward to keep the system running, monitor performance, deal with problems, assist users, run reports, etc. Automation does not equate to ‘no effort at all,’ so it’s essential to quantify the employee workload before committing.

2. “How much of our historic data can be imported vs. needing manual re-entry?”

Converting legacy information to new systems can be highly time-consuming, so ask about any data migration limitations. If the vendor says they will handle it all for you, ensure you know how much extra that might cost.

3. “What level of ongoing support, maintenance and service is included?”

When dealing with the sales team pre-purchase, you can usually expect great service and instant responses. But what will it be like after you sign on the dotted line? When you need assistance, will your HR team be able to reach out to a dedicated account representative who knows your company history and can get answers quickly, or will you be communicating through a generic support email address, helpline or chatbox with whichever random rep is available? Also, inquire about response times, especially on nights and weekends, and any costs for support so you don't get nickeled-and-dimed down the road.

4. “If we are unsatisfied and want to leave for another vendor, what is the process for getting out of the contract?”

Look into whether there is an out clause in case the tech turns out not to be aligned with your needs and find out what the conditions and costs are to leave before the agreed-upon term ends. If you need to signal your intention not to renew an agreement by a specific date, mark that date clearly on your calendar so it doesn’t slip past and you end up unintentionally paying for another year.

5. “How do you handle data/content ownership and portability?”

Following up on the previous point, if you decide to switch to another vendor, ask about the terms regarding data ownership, access and the ease of migrating. What will you be able to take with you when you leave? This question is especially important for systems with proprietary content creation tools. If you design content using their tool, will you be able to use that content elsewhere, or will it only work on their system, necessitating a redo when you switch?

“Automation does not equate to ‘no effort at all,’ so it’s essential to quantify the employee workload before committing.”

6. “How will you help drive employee adoption and properly train end users?”

My rule is that if a vendor doesn’t offer training for my team members, then I won’t do business with them. I will only select a partner that supports usage acceleration so that we achieve our ROI as rapidly as possible. Follow-up questions you might ask include the types of training available (live, self-guided, onsite or virtual) and any extra costs outside of what you are already paying.

7. “How many of your clients use all the features you demonstrated today?”

Most vendors will try to dazzle you in their demos by showcasing all the fancy features offered with their technology. You should cut through the hype and ask for real-world usage data on advanced functionalities. If you only require the core items and won’t be using all the extras, you might not need the more advanced version and can make do with a more basic one.

8. “What new features are on your product roadmap for the next 12-18 months?”

Speaking of features, get insights into the vendor's plans for product updates to ensure continual innovation and alignment with your long-term goals/needs. Make sure to ask about any additional costs for these improvements, and if frequent system upgrades are planned; understand the potential disruptions and any downtime involved.

9. “What sets you apart from your competitors?”

This question could lead to a variety of answers; the way they charge for their system, exemplary service levels, proprietary features or even their location, which can be helpful if they are nearby. Whatever makes them unique, assess if that selling point is valuable to your team.

10. “How does your company measure success/satisfaction among clients?”

My final question is one that we typically ask of ourselves as HR professionals, and it’s one we should also ask of the folks who supply our technology. Do they have benchmarks they are trying to achieve, or do they have measurable ways to track their performance? What happens if they do not meet those standards with your company?

Taking the time to dig deeper with vendors on these critical areas will ensure you find the strongest HR technology partner for your needs. By asking these critical questions during the discovery process, you can make informed decisions that align with your goals, enhance operational efficiency and promote long-term success.