An HRIS is a system for storing employee information and managing HR processes. This guide was updated on **** and covers five common user groups: employees, managers, HR administrators, payroll administrators, and system administrators.

Employees use an HRIS to complete onboarding, update personal details, request time off, access pay statements, enroll in benefits, and complete training. Managers use it to approve requests and manage team tasks. HR and payroll teams use it to maintain records, run processes, manage documents, and connect HR data with other systems.

The screens vary by provider and configuration, but the basic process is similar:

  1. Sign in and complete your profile.
  2. Select the workflow for the task you need to complete.
  3. Submit the action for approval when required.
  4. Check notifications and task lists.
  5. Keep employee data accurate and secure.
  6. Use reports and integrations to reduce duplicate data entry.

HRIS Use at a Glance

User Common HRIS tasks
Employee Update personal information, request time off, complete onboarding, access pay statements, enroll in benefits
Manager Approve time-off requests, review team information, complete performance reviews, initiate employee changes
HR administrator Add employees, manage records, configure workflows, maintain documents, run reports
Payroll administrator Review payroll data, validate deductions, manage pay-related changes and payroll integrations
System administrator Set permissions, manage integrations, configure security, audit activity and user access

How Employees Use an HRIS

Employees usually access an HRIS through a web browser or mobile app. The home screen may show outstanding tasks, announcements, payroll information, time-off balances, and shortcuts to common actions.

1. Complete Your Employee Profile

Open your employee profile and review:

  • Legal name
  • Preferred name
  • Home address
  • Phone number and email address
  • Emergency contacts
  • Tax information
  • Direct-deposit details
  • Employment information
  • Benefits elections
  • Uploaded documents

Only change information that your employer allows you to edit. Fields such as compensation, employment status, and job title may require HR approval.

Accurate employee records help HR teams maintain reliable workforce data and reduce errors across connected systems.

2. Complete Onboarding Tasks

New employees commonly use the HRIS to:

  • Complete personal and tax forms
  • Sign employment documents
  • Review company policies
  • Select benefits
  • Enter banking information
  • Complete compliance training
  • Confirm equipment or workplace requirements
  • Review their first-day schedule

Complete tasks in the order shown in the system. Some forms may remain unavailable until another task or approval is finished.

3. Request Time Off

To submit a time-off request:

  1. Open the Time Off, Leave, or Absence section.
  2. Select the type of leave.
  3. Enter the start and end dates.
  4. Review your available balance.
  5. Add a note if required.
  6. Submit the request.
  7. Check whether your manager approved or declined it.

Many HRIS platforms calculate leave balances and route requests to the appropriate manager.

A submitted request is not necessarily an approved request. Check its status before making non-refundable plans.

4. Access Payroll and Benefits Information

Depending on the system configuration, employees may be able to:

  • Download pay statements
  • Review tax withholding information
  • Update direct-deposit details
  • View benefit elections
  • Compare benefit plans during open enrollment
  • Access retirement-plan information
  • Review deductions

An HRIS may include payroll features, or it may send employee data to a separate payroll platform. HRIS, HRMS, and HCM are sometimes used interchangeably, but the features vary by provider and configuration.

5. Complete Performance and Training Tasks

Use the HRIS to:

  • Review performance goals
  • Complete self-assessments
  • Acknowledge manager feedback
  • Sign performance documents
  • Enroll in training
  • Complete assigned courses
  • Track certifications

Meet the stated deadlines. Automatic reminders can help, but employees should still check their task list regularly.

How Managers Use an HRIS

Managers usually receive additional access to information about their direct reports. That access should cover only the information required for the manager's role.

Approve Employee Requests

Managers may approve or reject:

  • Time-off requests
  • Timesheets
  • Schedule changes
  • Expense-related submissions
  • Job changes
  • Compensation changes
  • Training requests

Before approving a request, check the dates, policy requirements, available budget, and effect on team coverage.

Manage Team Information

A manager dashboard may show:

  • Direct reports
  • Job titles and departments
  • Start dates
  • Time-off calendars
  • Outstanding reviews
  • Required training
  • Reporting relationships
  • Team documents

Do not download or share employee information unless there is a legitimate business need and company policy permits it.

Complete Performance Reviews

A typical performance workflow includes:

  1. Confirm the employee's goals.
  2. Review progress and relevant evidence.
  3. Write specific feedback.
  4. Complete the evaluation form.
  5. Submit it for HR or higher-level review.
  6. Discuss the review with the employee.
  7. Record the employee's acknowledgment.

Use concrete examples instead of broad comments. Describe the project, the employee's behavior, the result, and the expected next step.

How HR Administrators Use an HRIS

HR administrators use the HRIS as the main system for employee records and HR workflows. Common data includes personal details, job information, department, manager, employment status, compensation, documents, and leave balances.

Add and Maintain Employee Records

When adding an employee, enter information consistently:

  • Legal identity
  • Employee ID
  • Employment type
  • Start date
  • Job title
  • Department
  • Location
  • Manager
  • Pay information
  • Work authorization details, where applicable
  • Benefits eligibility
  • Payroll and timekeeping settings

Use controlled values for departments, locations, employment types, and job titles. Consistent fields improve reports and reduce duplicate records.

Configure Workflows

HR administrators can configure workflows for:

  • New-hire onboarding
  • Employee changes
  • Time-off approval
  • Benefits enrollment
  • Performance reviews
  • Promotions
  • Transfers
  • Offboarding
  • Document acknowledgments

Each workflow should identify:

  • The person responsible for each step
  • The information the step requires
  • The approval rules
  • The notification method

Manage Employee Documents

Store each document in the correct employee record. Use clear naming conventions, such as:

EmployeeName_DocumentType_Date

Examples include:

  • Employment agreement
  • Handbook acknowledgment
  • Benefits confirmation
  • Performance review
  • Training certificate
  • Disciplinary documentation

Apply retention rules and access restrictions according to company policy and applicable legal requirements. An HRIS should not become an unrestricted file-sharing location.

Run Reports

Useful HRIS reports include:

  • Headcount by department
  • New hires and departures
  • Employee turnover
  • Time-off usage
  • Missing documents
  • Expiring certifications
  • Compensation changes
  • Training completion
  • Payroll data exceptions
  • Open performance reviews

A report is only as reliable as its underlying data. Check unusual results before using them for payroll, compliance, workforce planning, or executive decisions.

How to Use an HRIS for Common HR Processes

Employee Onboarding

A practical onboarding workflow is:

  1. Create the employee record.
  2. Assign the department, manager, location, and employment type.
  3. Trigger the required forms and documents.
  4. Connect payroll, benefits, timekeeping, and identity systems.
  5. Assign training.
  6. Monitor completion.
  7. Confirm that the employee is ready for the first day.
  8. Close incomplete tasks after follow-up.

HRIS implementation commonly includes process analysis, data gathering, integrations, stakeholder approval, infrastructure preparation, training, and change management.

Time and Attendance

Use the HRIS or connected timekeeping system to:

  • Record hours worked
  • Submit timesheets
  • Review overtime
  • Track attendance
  • Correct missed punches
  • Approve payroll time
  • Connect hours to payroll

Managers should review time records before payroll deadlines. Employees should report incorrect hours promptly instead of waiting until after payday.

Payroll Administration

Before payroll is finalized, verify:

  • New hires
  • Terminations
  • Pay-rate changes
  • Bonuses
  • Overtime
  • Unpaid leave
  • Benefit deductions
  • Tax information
  • Direct-deposit changes
  • Timesheet approvals

Only authorized personnel should review payroll data. A change to one employee record can affect payroll, benefits, accounting, and reporting systems.

Offboarding

When an employee leaves, use the HRIS to:

  1. Record the termination date and reason using the correct settings.
  2. Stop or schedule payroll and benefit changes.
  3. Assign exit tasks.
  4. Collect company property.
  5. Store final documents.
  6. Remove system access.
  7. Notify connected systems where required.
  8. Preserve records according to company policy.

Remove access promptly from the HRIS, payroll tools, benefits platforms, timekeeping systems, and other connected applications.

How to Set Up an HRIS Correctly

If you are implementing a new HRIS, use this sequence.

1. Define the System of Record

Decide which platform owns each type of information. For example:

  • HRIS: employee profile and job data
  • Payroll system: payroll calculations and tax filings
  • Applicant tracking system: candidate information
  • Learning management system: training records
  • Benefits platform: enrollment data

Clear ownership prevents conflicting records and unnecessary re-entry.

2. Clean Existing Data

Before importing spreadsheets or data from another system:

  • Remove duplicate employees.
  • Standardize job titles and departments.
  • Correct missing dates.
  • Verify manager relationships.
  • Check pay and benefits fields.
  • Archive obsolete records.
  • Confirm required document formats.

Data migration is a major implementation risk because inaccurate legacy data can carry errors into the new system.

3. Create Roles and Permissions

Use role-based access instead of giving every user administrator access. Typical roles include:

  • Employee
  • Manager
  • HR specialist
  • Payroll administrator
  • Benefits administrator
  • Finance user
  • System administrator

Base permissions on job responsibilities. Review access when someone changes roles and remove it when employment ends. Strong authentication, multi-factor authentication, permission controls, and audit logs help protect sensitive employee data.

4. Configure Integrations

Connect the HRIS to systems that require employee data, such as:

  • Payroll
  • Benefits
  • Time tracking
  • Accounting
  • Applicant tracking
  • Learning management
  • Identity and access management
  • Employee communication tools

Test data transfers in both directions before launch. Confirm how each integration handles new hires, employee changes, terminations, failed transfers, and duplicate records.

5. Test Real Workflows

Do not test individual fields only. Test complete scenarios, including:

  • Hiring a new employee
  • Approving a time-off request
  • Changing a manager
  • Processing a promotion
  • Updating direct deposit
  • Running payroll-related reports
  • Terminating an employee
  • Restoring or correcting an employee record

Use test users and sample data where possible.

6. Train Each User Group

Employees need task-based training for actions such as updating profiles and requesting leave. Managers need training on approvals, reporting, and performance reviews. HR administrators need training on configuration, data correction, security, reporting, and troubleshooting.

ADP identifies training, stakeholder communication, change management, data migration, and process analysis as core parts of HRIS implementation.

Common HRIS Mistakes to Avoid

Treating the HRIS as a Simple Database

An HRIS is most useful when it supports repeatable workflows, approvals, notifications, integrations, and reporting. Entering data without connecting it to the related process leaves much of the system unused.

Giving Users Excessive Access

Employees and managers should see only the information required for their responsibilities. Excessive access increases privacy and security risk.

Importing Unclean Data

A new HRIS does not correct old spreadsheets automatically. Clean, validate, and map data before migration.

Creating Too Many Custom Fields

Custom fields can make reporting and maintenance harder. Use standard fields unless a custom field supports a clearly defined business process.

Failing to Monitor Integrations

A connected system can fail silently or send incomplete data. Review integration logs, exception reports, and payroll or benefits reconciliation results.

Ignoring Employee Self-Service

Employee self-service lets users update permitted information, request leave, access documents, and complete routine HR tasks without contacting HR for every change.

HRIS Operating Checklist

  • Keep one authoritative employee record.
  • Use consistent naming and coding conventions.
  • Configure approval workflows before launch.
  • Limit permissions by role.
  • Require stronger authentication for sensitive access.
  • Review employee data regularly.
  • Set deadlines for payroll and approval tasks.
  • Reconcile HRIS data with payroll and benefits systems.
  • Document who owns each process.
  • Track incomplete tasks and failed integrations.
  • Train users when workflows change.
  • Audit access after promotions, transfers, and terminations.
  • Use reports to identify missing or inconsistent data.

Bottom Line

Use an HRIS to control employee data, HR workflows, approvals, documents, and reporting. Employees handle self-service tasks, managers handle approvals and team administration, and HR teams maintain records, protect sensitive information, and connect the HRIS with payroll, benefits, timekeeping, and other systems.