Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing an HRIS (and How to Dodge Them)

Choosing an HRIS system can feel like shopping for a new car when you don’t speak car. There are a lot of acronyms, a lot of features you’re “supposed” to care about, and somehow every vendor says they’re the best. But steering clear of these two common mistakes? That’ll keep your search smooth, strategic, and totally avoid the regret spiral.

Mistake #1: Prioritizing Features Over Fit

Let’s be honest—it's tempting to get dazzled by the fancy stuff. "Ooooh, they’ve got AI-based succession planning and a dashboard that looks like a Tesla interface!" But here’s the truth: none of that matters if the system doesn’t fit the way your team works or thinks.

We once partnered with a client who chose a vendor known for its robust compliance engine and cost-effectiveness. Sounds great, right? But the vendor was so staunchly embedded in their way of doing things, they refused to adapt to the client’s nuanced internal processes or risk tolerance. No concessions. No flexibility. Just a hard “that’s not how we do it.”

The result? Constant friction, countless workarounds, and a lingering feeling of buyer’s remorse. The system might have looked perfect on paper, but it was a mismatch in practice—and the client wished they’d chosen a vendor who met them halfway.

The Fix:
Don’t just chase features—evaluate how the system fits your people, processes, and priorities. Make sure the vendor’s philosophy aligns with your company’s risk posture and operational realities. If 80% of your issues are around timekeeping and PTO, focus there. And if a vendor can’t flex to your needs during pre-sales, they’re not likely to get more flexible post-launch.

Mistake #2: Forgetting Key Stakeholders

We love HR. But making an HRIS decision in an HR-only vacuum? That’s a setup for confusion, rework, and, yes—muted Teams messages asking, “Wait, who approved this?”

We once walked into a project midstream where HR had picked a system they loved—great UI, strong core features—but hadn’t involved IT or payroll early on. Cue the chaos: payroll had to send a spreadsheet of adjustments to the vendor every payroll, and mistakes started to pile on. By the time we were called in, the HR team was exhausted, and employees were over it.

The Fix:
Bring in the people who will actually use or be affected by the system—IT, payroll, finance, maybe even a few hiring managers or frontline employees. Everyone sees different blind spots. Your IT team will flag integration concerns. Payroll will pressure-test whether the system can handle your weirdest comp scenarios. Managers can tell you whether self-service is actually intuitive or if it’ll generate five new helpdesk tickets a week.

Involving stakeholders early doesn’t just make the implementation smoother—it creates champions across the org. People are far more likely to adopt something they helped shape.

Mistake #3: Taking the Sales Rep’s Word as Gospel

Look, most sales reps are doing their best. However, they’re there to sell, not always to get deep into the operational weeds. I once made the mistake of believing everything a rep told me about a system’s capabilities—only to learn later that their version of the truth was… generously optimistic.

The platform could technically do what we needed. The rep said so. But when it came time to implement, their internal team (and especially legal) shut it down. Not because it was impossible—but because it “wasn’t their policy” or they considered it “out of compliance.” We’re still scratching our heads over that one.

In hindsight, we realized we should’ve pushed for a deeper discovery call—not just with the sales rep, but with someone on their implementation, product, or even legal team. The system itself wasn’t the issue; it was the vendor’s unwillingness to stretch or adapt their practices.

The Fix:
Don’t rely on one voice. If something sounds too good—or too vague—ask to speak with the actual people who would implement the system: the solution consultant, product manager, or compliance lead. Get specifics in writing, ask about edge cases, and confirm the vendor’s policies—not just the platform’s potential. Extra Tip: Ask for references in your industry. We did this and still didn’t anticipate this mistake.

Sales might open the door, but it’s the rest of the team that shows you what’s really inside.