What’s an HR Information System — Why Should Recruiters Care?

Let’s be honest—if you’ve spent any time around HR folks or recruiters (or, heck, even just lurking on LinkedIn), you’ve probably heard HRIS (HR Information System) tossed around like it’s the holy grail of people management. But if you’re like I was back when I worked IT support for a staffing firm, you might still be thinking, “Okay, but what is it, really? And does it actually make a difference?” I’m here to break it down, minus the tech jargon.

What’s an HR Information System, Anyway?

HRIS is just fancy talk for “Human Resources Information System.” At its core, it’s a digital filing cabinet with superpowers. Picture all your employee stuff—contact details, pay info, sick days, you name it—living in one spot instead of scattered across spreadsheets, email chains, and sticky notes (you know who you are).

But here’s the thing: It’s not just about storage. The right HRIS can actually connect the dots for recruiters, making it easier to move someone from “Hey, you got the job!” to “Welcome aboard!” without losing track of important info (or your sanity).

What Do Companies Use an HR Information System For?

Here’s the real talk—most businesses, especially the small and midsize ones I usually work with, use their HRIS to:

• Keep employee data organized (no more missing emergency contacts…hopefully)
• Run payroll and handle benefits (without losing sleep over tax season)
• Track when people are in, out, or on vacation (that elusive work-life balance)
• Make onboarding and offboarding way less painful
• Stay out of legal trouble by keeping up with labor laws
• Crank out reports for audits or leadership meetings (not as fun, but necessary)
• Sometimes even track stuff like performance reviews and who’s overdue for training

And from a recruiting perspective? An HRIS is gold for:

• Pulling all your candidate and employee info together after a hire (no more toggling between ten tabs)
• Automating onboarding so you’re not chasing people for paperwork
• Keeping an eye on how many new hires stick around (retention, turnover—all the numbers your boss loves to ask for)
• Getting better data to actually improve your hiring

What Should You Look for When Picking an HRIS?

I’ve seen the inside of more HR systems than I care to admit (service desk life!), and honestly, not all HRIS platforms are created equal. Here’s what I’d keep an eye out for:

1. Can it play nice with your other tools?
   If your HRIS doesn’t “talk” to your recruiting system or payroll, you’re signing up for copy-paste hell.
2. Is it actually easy to use?
   If your team groans every time they log in, forget it. Look for something even your least techy coworker can handle.
3. Will it grow with you?
   Maybe you’re at 30 employees now, but what about when you hit 100? Or open a second office? Scalability matters.
4. Can you tweak it for your own weird workflows?
   Every company does things a bit differently. If you can’t customize basic stuff like how vacation requests get approved, you’ll be frustrated fast.
5. Does it keep you out of legal hot water?
   With privacy laws and compliance rules getting stricter every year, you need airtight security and built-in compliance help.
6. Are the reports actually useful?
   Dashboards should do more than look pretty—they should help you spot issues, like if your turnover suddenly spikes or you’re not hitting diversity goals.
7. Can you actually get help when you need it?
   If the only support is a chatbot that keeps saying “try turning it off and on again,” you’ll want to run.

Three HRIS Platforms People Actually Like

Alright, so what’s out there? Here are three I’ve bumped into the most (and heard the least grumbling about):

BambooHR
Best for: Small to midsize businesses who just want it to work and look good doing it

• Super easy record-keeping
• Digital onboarding (with e-signatures, so no more chasing people for paperwork)
• Time-off tracking that won’t make you cry
• Reports that are actually readable
• Integrates with lots of other recruiting and payroll tools

Workday
Best for: Companies that are growing fast or have a zillion HR processes to manage

• Tons of advanced features (think payroll, recruiting, talent management, all rolled together)
• Build-your-own workflows and reports
• Self-service for employees and managers (which means less email for you)
• Handles compliance globally (perfect if you’ve got teams in more than one country)
• Plays well with lots of other systems

Remote
Best for: Startups or anyone who wants HR and IT in one spot

• HR, payroll, and even device setup—yep, all in the same system
• Provides compliant employment contracts, handles tax filings, deductions, benefits, and IP protection per country 
• Maintains its own legal entities in each country for superior control and IP protection; ideal for risk-focused mid-size/enterprise firms
• Highly rated by users: intuitive interface, responsive customer service, reliable payroll and compliance management
• Connects with popular tools like Workday, QuickBooks, BambooHR, Greenhouse, Slack, plus API and Zapier

🔗 Book a remote.com demo.

Final Thoughts

So, is an HRIS worth it? In my experience, it’s the difference between running around like a headless chicken and actually having time to focus on the people part of HR. Picking the right one can smooth out your whole recruiting-to-onboarding process and save you from a lot of headaches down the line.

Maybe you would also like to check ATS vs. CRM: Which Recruiting Tech Should You Actually Use?

FAQ: What’s an HR Information System