Understand Your Business Needs
It is very important to first determine what your organization wants to get out of a people analytics software. What are the key metrics in your organization? What are you trying to measure for employees? What goals are you trying to reach? Defining your business needs first will also help you to better evaluate the various offers from potential vendors.
Features and Functionality
The key features to consider when looking for software for people analytics to track employee performance, such as predictions, benchmarks and custom reports are all important to consider. It is also worth asking vendors about any integrations that are currently available with systems currently used by the organization. There may be more available than you think and these can save a lot of time and even prevent errors from occurring.
Data Privacy and Security Measures
Ask about the privacy policy and the security measures a vendor has put into place to protect the data you provide to them. It’s also worth asking if the vendor complies with any industry specific laws and regulations. Finding a vendor that has put adequate security in place will provide you with peace of mind.
User Experience and Training
Is the software going to be used by all employees? What kinds of support and training does the vendor offer to ensure that their software is going to be used to meet the objectives of your organization? What kind of onboarding support can users expect from the vendor? What kind of ongoing training and support does the vendor offer?
Customer Support and Community
A very important criterion when choosing software is the level of customer support the vendor provides. As a rule, you should ask about the average response time of the support team as well as about all the resources the user has access to. It is also important to find out whether there is a community or even a forum where users can exchange insights and also solutions to particular issues.
Cost and Value
Cost is a key factor to consider when buying people analytics software, with huge differences between individual products on the market. When you have selected a potential solution for people analytics, it is best to inquire about all costs that may have to be paid by you in the long term. Hidden additional costs, different subscription models and payment for additional features are just a few of the factors that you should take into account. Only when the features offered by the software have been compared with the costs, can you make a well-informed decision regarding whether you have got good value for your money.
Asking these questions before selecting a people analytics software will help you make the best choice and ensure your new tool effectively supports your organization in achieving its goals and fostering a great workplace culture.
