HRIS Evaluation Checklist: 40 Questions That Prevent $20,000 Implementation Disasters
Score vendors on tax liability coverage, data migration guarantees, and true all-in costs. Weighted scoring prevents expensive mistakes.
Scoring Framework
Rate each answer 1–5 (1=major red flag, 5=exactly what you need). Multiply by the weight percentage to get weighted scores. Any vendor scoring below 3.5 overall will cost you thousands in hidden fees and implementation problems.
Evaluation Criteria
Payroll Tax Accuracy and Liability
25% weightWhether vendor takes financial responsibility for tax calculation errors vs. just helping you fix their mistakes. Tax penalties range from $2,000–8,000 per error.
Sample Questions
- Does vendor pay penalties caused by their tax calculation errors or just help resolve them?
- Can system handle employees working temporarily in different states without manual intervention?
- What's the guaranteed accuracy rate for payroll tax calculations and what happens when they're wrong?
- Does vendor carry liability insurance specifically for payroll tax errors?
- Can you see live tax calculation logic for multi-state scenarios during demo?
Data Migration and System Reliability
20% weightRollback capabilities, uptime guarantees during payroll cycles, and what happens when data imports fail. Migration disasters cost $15,000–25,000 to fix.
Sample Questions
- Can vendor restore your original data within 4 hours if migration corrupts records?
- What's the guaranteed uptime during payroll processing windows with penalties for failures?
- Do they maintain parallel systems for 90+ days during transition?
- What's the fixed price for data migration including cleanup of messy data?
- Can they show you examples of failed data imports and recovery procedures?
True All-In Pricing Transparency
20% weightFixed quotes for implementation, migration, add-ons, and professional services. Hidden costs typically double first-year expenses from advertised rates.
Sample Questions
- Is pricing quote all-inclusive with no 'TBD' professional services fees?
- What specific add-ons are required for core HR functions like performance reviews?
- Are multi-state payroll, benefits admin, and custom reporting included in base price?
- What's the maximum total cost for Year 1 including all possible fees?
- Can you get fixed-price guarantee for implementation with penalties for overruns?
Benefits Administration and Compliance
15% weightBusiness rule validation to prevent enrollment errors, integration with your specific carriers, and COBRA administration capabilities.
Sample Questions
- Does system prevent employees from making conflicting benefit elections?
- Can it handle your specific mix of medical plans, HSA, and voluntary benefits?
- What's the cost and timeline to integrate with your current insurance carriers?
- Does benefits administration work without manual HR intervention during open enrollment?
- Can system automatically handle COBRA notifications and premium collections?
Reporting and Mobile Functionality
10% weightSelf-service custom reporting capabilities, mobile app offline functionality, and data export options to prevent vendor lock-in.
Sample Questions
- Can non-technical HR staff build custom reports without calling support?
- Does mobile app work offline for core functions like PTO approval?
- Can you export all data in standard formats within 5 business days?
- What's the cost for custom integrations with accounting software like QuickBooks?
- Do managers have mobile access to team data and approval workflows?
Customer References and Support Quality
10% weightReferences from companies your size and industry, support response times during payroll emergencies, and escalation procedures for critical issues.
Sample Questions
- Can vendor provide 3+ references from your industry and company size?
- What's guaranteed response time for payroll-blocking issues?
- Is phone support included or does everything go through tickets?
- Can you speak with customers who've been through implementation in last 6 months?
- What's the escalation path when basic support can't resolve critical issues?
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