What an HRIS does
An HRIS answers questions about the workforce. How many people do we have at each location? Who reports to whom? Whose documents expire this quarter? Who joined, moved or left last month? It holds the employee master data, the org structure and the history of every change, and produces reports for management, auditors and statutory filings. Many HRIS products also include basic self-service, so employees can view and update their own details.
How HRIS differs from HRMS
The difference is emphasis. An HRIS focuses on information: storing it, securing it and reporting on it. An HRMS focuses on the processes that use that information, such as attendance capture, leave approvals, shift rosters and payroll runs. In practice the line has blurred. Many products sold as HRIS include processes, and every HRMS contains an HRIS at its core, so compare what the software does rather than what it is called.
- HRIS: records, org data, documents and reports
- HRMS: HRIS plus attendance, leave, shifts, payroll and approvals
- HCM: HRMS plus talent, succession and workforce planning
Where an HRIS fits in a growing company
Companies usually start with an HRIS of sorts: a master spreadsheet of employees and folders of documents. Trouble begins when three people keep three versions of that sheet. Moving to one system of record with role-based access is the first step, even before automating processes. ZeniaHR's employee records hold personal, job, bank, compliance, documents, payroll, leave, address, nominees and work terms tabs, with lifecycle history and role-based masking of salary, bank and contact fields.
See it on your own data
A 30-minute demo on a video call. We set up your departments, shifts and leave rules and show attendance, leave and payroll running for your team. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What is the full form of HRIS?
HRIS stands for human resource information system. It is software that keeps employee information, such as personal details, job data, documents and employment history, in one secure database and produces reports from it. It is the system of record for employee data that other HR processes, such as payroll and attendance, rely on.
Should an Indian company choose HRIS or HRMS?
It depends on the problem you need to solve. If the main issue is scattered employee records and reporting, an HRIS covers it. If you also need attendance, shifts, leave and payroll to run from those records, you need an HRMS, which includes HRIS functions. Employers with shift, branch or field staff usually need the HRMS features.