An HRIS selection checklist should test how a system handles your actual work, not how many features appear on a slide. Start with the records, exceptions and approvals your team deals with each cutoff. Then ask the provider to demonstrate the steps and identify anything that requires configuration or a separate service.
Define the problem before comparing products.
List the recurring problems you want to resolve: duplicate employee records, unclear attendance corrections or manual handovers into payroll preparation. Rank them by operational impact. A long feature list is less useful than knowing which daily problem a proposed setup addresses.
If the terminology is new to your team, begin with our HRIS overview. Agree on what belongs in this evaluation and what remains in another system. Do not assume that a shared brand means automatic integration.
Turn a demo into an evidence record.
A vendor comparison becomes unreliable when one presentation is scored on appearance and another on actual workflow behavior. Use the same scenario and record the observable result. Treat “available after configuration” as an open requirement until the proposed setup is clear.
For example, a presenter may show a correction screen without showing the reviewer’s role or the final report. Record that as a partial demonstration rather than assuming the rest of the workflow exists. This is an illustrative evaluation situation, not a report about a vendor.
| Requirement | Evidence to request | Decision status |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Show the same sample record through the intended user roles. | Confirmed only for the roles demonstrated. |
| Attendance correction | Show original input, reason, authorization and resulting record. | Open if any step is not demonstrated. |
| Reporting | Produce the output using the same sample period and records. | Check included fields and filters. |
| Implementation | Identify who owns data preparation, configuration and acceptance. | Confirm scope and responsibilities in writing. |
Ask for a complete demonstration.
Use sanitized sample information and a scenario you can explain without disclosing employee data. Follow one record through entry, correction, review and export or reporting. Ask the presenter to distinguish current functionality from planned work.
- Who can see and edit this record?
- What happens when an attendance input is incomplete?
- Where can a reviewer see the original value and correction?
- Which outputs support our next payroll preparation step?
- Which features depend on the package or configuration?
Check readiness as carefully as features.
Plan who will clean source records, review imported data, train users and handle questions. Microsoft’s implementation change-management checklist is a useful reference for readiness and ownership; it is not a certification of any software.
Use the spreadsheet-to-software readiness checklist to prepare a small pilot. Define the records and reports your team will check before accepting the setup.
Keep a short evaluation record.
Score the demonstrated scenarios using the same criteria for every provider. Separate confirmed behavior from assumptions, commercial questions and unresolved requirements. Include the people who will enter data and those who will review it.
Bring your shortlist of questions to a FilWorx HRIS demo. Ask for written clarification where scope is uncertain, and agree on the next review step before making a purchase decision.
Track unresolved requirements.
Track demonstrated requirements as a count: confirmed, unresolved and out of scope. Keep the requirement list fixed across vendors; do not assign a percentage score without defining its denominator.
Keep the period, population and definitions consistent when comparing results. These are suggested measures, not industry benchmarks or observed FilWorx customer outcomes.
The National Privacy Commission’s data-quality principles call for accurate personal data and appropriate handling of incomplete records. Keep the review proportionate to its purpose; a checklist does not establish legal compliance.
Sources & further reading.
Further reading from the original publishers. Product documentation describes that publisher’s product; it does not establish FilWorx capabilities.