1. SHIFT THE FOCUS AWAY FROM INPUTS AND ADMINISTRATION. Concentrate on the outputs and the information derived from the HRM system and you will discover that the benefits are often far-reaching.

2. DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF EMPLOYEES’ WELL-BEING. Training, education, salary, benefits, incentives, career-path and performance criteria are important to the individual. Implementing HRM and Payroll software demonstrates the employer’s equally serious commitment to these aspects of the employer-employee relationship. A sound HRM base encourages excellence in products and customer services.

3. EFFECTIVE HRM SYSTEMS DON’T HAVE TO COST THE EARTH. It is a fallacy that HR software costs an unjustifiable amount to buy, and implement. While the market is hardly flooded with cost-effective entry level HR software, there are vendors who have successfully extended Payroll functionality into the realm of HR, providing a simple, easy, and logical starting point.

4. BOOST FLEXIBILITY, CREATIVITY AND DISCRETION.  Often entrepreneurs don’t want to formalise their HR systems because their perception is that it may result in issues through inconsistent approaches to the treatment of staff. In fact, HRM removes none of the flexibility, creativity and discretion in terms of employee reward, recognition or incentives. Rather, it assists by establishing clear performance criteria.

5. CLEAR, COHERENT PROMOTION AND SUCCESSION MANAGEMENT. Because reward is clearly linked with desired performance and behaviour, promotion, succession management, training and various other aspects of the employer-employee relationship are also clear-cut and known to all. Therefore the overall behaviour and motivation of the entire workforce is significantly improved.

6. HRM AND HR SYSTEMS ARE FOR EVERYONE. Labour legislation, competitive markets worldwide, increased competition for skilled human resources and generation gaps mean that sound HR strategies, coupled with flexible, easy-to-use and extendable software to support such functions, are no longer discretionary – they are essential.