What’s on your HR software wish list?

I love window shopping! I’m drawn to the sparkly, perfectly staged displays. Sometimes I just stand outside, wishing and hoping.

From the other side of the window (or from inside an office somewhere), those of us who are creating and offering a product to buyers wonder who those people are—the wishers and hopers wondering about what you have staged in the window.

Most companies have a particular potential customer base that we’d love to learn more about, right? Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a sneak peek to learn more about them? Who are they? What do they really need? What do they want? What are they currently using to get by?

Because we are in the market of making customers (and potential customers) happy about our HR software, we were interested in learning about online HR technology reviewer Software Advice’s recent survey that shows who is currently researching HR software.

We love knowing those who are out there wishing and hoping for something that can make their lives easier. And we want to make sure we’re filling their wishlists. Here is what we learned about those wishers and hopers:

48 percent of buyers are still using manual processes for their HR needs.

We all want to be more efficient and effective in our jobs—oh, and just have it be easier to do. Especially when we feel like we can never quite catch up, as many HR pros do. HR software swoops in and takes all those manual processes that used to take hours and automates them. It’s automating the parts of our job that must get done.

Then it frees up our time for so much more. What do you do? Well, the sky’s the limit. This is where we can step up and start being more strategic in the value we’re bringing to our companies. We can focus where our companies need it most—whether that’s building a sustainable culture, focusing on keeping people engaged or developing and training them. We’re helping to grow our business in a way we couldn’t when we were bogged down with manual processes.

But we must be thinking around the corner as well. What will your company need tomorrow? Whatever HR software you choose must still do the job as your company grows. From the survey, 19 percent of those actively searching for HR software were already using it, which probably means that their current HR software wasn’t cutting it or they outgrew it. Another 13 percent were using some sort of HR software while still using some manual processes (which can only mean that HR software wasn’t doing its job).

Forty-four percent of buyers want to be more efficient and organized. HR software is great for taking all of that HR data that’s been filling up filing cabinets and spreadsheets and putting it all in one centralized location. Once it’s all brought together like that (dare I say packaged together like a gift), it’s so much easier to search for, access and update employee information.

Where does HR software bring the most value?

The top three areas where buyers most needed help are the following:

· Personnel tracking. First and foremost, we’ve got to get all our employee information organized and then track what’s going on with those employees moving forward. This is where the automating part paves the way for so much more. That’s why most buyers (45 percent) needed help with personnel tracking of information as well as tracking time off.

· Recruiting. We also need to be organized and efficient with tracking applicants. That’s where an ATS brings so much value, so you’re focusing more on hiring the right person than wondering: Now where was that applicant’s resume and did the rest of the team think she had the right skills and would fit in well? Buyers would also like help with posting jobs and storing resumes electronically. Thirty percent of buyers need help from HR software with recruiting in some capacity.

· Performance reviews. The trick is that performance management should benefit employees while helping your company. This is where software can help because it sheds new ideas on an old method of doing things. Nineteen percent of buyers are looking for help with performance reviews.

Any business knows it’s important to understand who needs what you’re offering. When you can fill a hole and truly help people, it makes your job—no matter if you’re a manager, a janitor or a developer (and, of course, our favorite, an HR professional), you can go to work knowing you’re making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Want to try out HR software for free to see if it could fit your company’s needs? We may be able to fill your wish list!

Anything on your wish list you don’t see? Let us know!