If you are considering new talent management software, it is likely that you have researched a number of providers and their solutions. Researching and comparing the offerings of various software providers can become a somewhat cumbersome task. After reading over multiple feature lists from various vendors, you may feel that the details blur together.

What can you do to lighten your research load? Here are some common questions about talent management software that you can use to whittle down your prospective vendor choices to a more manageable short list.

1) Why is talent management software needed?

Understanding the answer to this question will help you eliminate some software options from your list immediately. SHRM’s “Analyze Talent Needs before Buying Software” offers the following questions to help you narrow your search: “Are you looking for talent acquisitions? Talent management? What’s motivating the business change? Is it disruption? A shake-up, a challenge, or are you trying to evolve? Do you plan to change all of your technology? What’s driving your motivation?”

Making a detailed list of must-haves and nice-to-haves will help you reduce your list of possible options almost immediately, saving you time, energy, and money in the long run. TechTarget’s “Before Buying Talent Management System, Consider Talent Lifecycle” notes that your analysis of your needs must include:

  • recruiting functionality
  • onboarding capability
  • integrated performance and development capability
  • ease of integration with existing IT systems

2) Does your provider offer a demo of the software?

Exploring a list of features is nice, but a hands-on demonstration is better. Catherine Brown, of Mavenlink, observes in CIO: “Before committing to a new software solution, be sure to kick the tires. Most SaaS companies offer a free trial to test features, benefits and usability. You’ll want to make sure it’s a perfect fit for your company over the long haul.”

3) How difficult will the talent management software be to implement?

Once you have taken the software for a test drive to determine its usability, it is time to turn your attention to implementation. LinkedIn’s “Choosing a Talent Management Software System? Here’s What You Need to Know” suggests the following questions regarding implementation:

  • How long is a typical implementation?
  • Who should be part of the implementation project team?
  • What are some common mistakes made during implementation?

4) Does the software integrate well with your existing applications?

Ideally, your talent management software will play nicely with other applications your business is using. Ask your vendor specific questions about compatibility and integration before getting too far in the consideration process. Software which will not work with your current business processes may prove to be ineffective for your particular business.

Regarding integration, SHRM’s “How to Choose a Talent Management System” advises: “Test system integration claims. Suite providers often claim their various talent systems are well-integrated, but experts say it’s important to test that claim. That’s because definitions of integration vary and many vendors have acquired their systems from other companies rather than growing them organically.”

5) Will there be support to import data from your legacy talent management system, or will you have to rebuild from square one?

A transition from your legacy system to your new talent management system should be as seamless as possible. To ensure that you do not have to re-create all your information manually, choose a provider who includes data importation as part of their support services.

6) What type of data will be collected for all candidates?

It is important to ensure that the data captured by your talent management solution is the type of data that is relevant to your firm’s hiring and onboarding process. The more data your talent management system captures, the more useful your system will be in maintaining a deep talent pool.

The Bottom Line

While there are additional questions which may be specific to your firm to consider, these six questions will help you narrow down your list of potential software providers and find the one that works well for your firm.

ThriveTRM is a robust talent management solution that can be configured in as little as one day. Our Data Import Team ensures a smooth transition of your data from legacy systems to ThriveTRM. The software captures a wide range of data to help you keep your talent pool intact and scales with you according to your talent management needs at every stage. To see for yourself exactly what ThriveTRM can do for your firm, schedule a demo today.