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How to Choose an HR Core Platform: A Practical Guide

by Daniil Lokhanin

Choosing a CoreHR platform is a strategic decision that impacts the efficiency of the entire company. There are dozens of solutions on the market today, each offering a unique set of features. As the CEO of Skailer and someone who constantly communicates with HR professionals, I have compiled the key criteria to consider.

Geographical Distribution and Variety of Leave Policies

If your company operates in multiple regions, system flexibility in managing various leave policies is crucial. The platform should account for legal requirements in each country, automatically track changes in laws, and allow the addition of internal custom rules (e.g., bonus vacation days for top management or personalized holidays).

Recommended Solutions:

  • Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, Skailer — ideal for large companies with multiple policies.

  • Rippling, HiBob — suitable if you operate in fewer regions and have no critical legislative nuances.

Complex Organizational Structures and Cross-Functional Teams

Many modern companies work in a matrix structure, where an employee may have multiple managers: a resource manager, a functional manager, and a project team lead. In such cases, it is essential that the platform can reflect multiple management levels and support custom approval chains.

Recommended Solutions:

  • SAP SuccessFactors, Skailer, PeopleForce — these systems allow customization of complex multi-level structures and flexible approval processes.

Holding Structures and Multi-Account Capability

If your company is a holding, the system must enable access differentiation across different business units. Multi-account support and a flexible role model (Field-Based Permissions) are essential.

Recommended Solutions:

  • Workday, Skailer, HiBob — support multi-account capabilities and granular access control.

Internal Social Networks and Employee Engagement

If your goal is not only to automate processes but also to engage employees, foster a unified corporate culture, and simplify onboarding, choose HRM platforms with social networking features.

Recommended Solutions:

  • HiBob, Skailer, Zenefits — provide convenient social tools for active employee involvement in corporate life.

A Unified System for the Entire HR Cycle

If you need a single ecosystem for all HR processes, consider two approaches: choosing a platform with maximum integrations or an all-in-one solution that meets most of your needs without additional integrations.

Recommended Solutions:

  • Integration-based platforms: HiBob, BambooHR, Rippling — suitable for companies willing to set up integrations with external solutions (ATS, performance review platforms).

  • All-in-one platforms: Workday, Skailer, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM — provide a full set of tools, minimizing the need for additional integrations.

High Customization and Unique Processes

If your company’s processes and organizational structures differ significantly from standard HR practices, you need a platform that offers maximum flexibility in settings or allows functionality development. Most solutions are limited to standard scenarios, so look for those willing to customize the system for you.

Recommended Solutions:

  • SAP SuccessFactors, Skailer, Oracle HCM — offer deep customization options (interface settings, custom processes, integrations) and even platform extensions.

The Importance of Integrations

Seamless integration with other HR services is critical: ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems), performance review platforms, LMS (Learning Management System). Deep integration automates data exchange and significantly increases HR operations efficiency.

Scalability

When selecting a system, consider its ability to grow with your company. Assess how easily you can add new employees, departments, or even business units. Pay attention to flexible licensing, technical support, and the ability to quickly adapt the platform to new requirements.

Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Platform

Selecting an HR Core platform is not a one-time decision but a sequential process that requires careful consideration and involvement from different employees in your company. The guide below will help structure this process and avoid common mistakes.

Step 1: Conduct an Internal Audit of Processes

Before searching for a suitable platform, you need to clearly understand which HR processes are already working well and which require improvement and automation. List all HR processes (e.g., onboarding, recruitment, employee evaluation) and analyze their current efficiency. Involve employees directly working with the HR system to accurately capture their needs.

Step 2: Define Requirements

Based on the audit, determine the mandatory platform requirements. Describe your company's organizational structure, the number of approval levels, and the need for specific access rights. Consider regional specifics and leave policies. Think about how you will engage employees in corporate life—through social mechanics or other tools. Also, decide whether you need integration with other services or if you prefer a unified platform.

Step 3: Create a List of Suitable Platforms

Using your defined requirements, shortlist several solutions that best match your needs. Read reviews, consult recommendations from other HR professionals, and carefully study the platform's functionality. Consider the experiences of companies similar to yours.

Step 4: Arrange Demos

Organize individual demonstrations with each potential vendor. Prepare scenarios that reflect real HR cases in your company (e.g., leave application, role changes, or performance evaluation). During the demo, focus on interface usability, task execution speed, and how well it aligns with your processes.

Step 5: Conduct a Trial

Choose 2-3 platforms that impressed you the most during the demos and launch a pilot project. At this stage, you can test the system in real conditions but with a limited number of employees or departments. This will help identify potential issues that were not visible in the demo and assess the solution's actual efficiency.

Step 6: Evaluate Financial Conditions and Support Terms

After completing the pilot projects, request detailed commercial offers from vendors. Clarify license costs, implementation fees, customization pricing, and ongoing support expenses. Also, evaluate the responsiveness of vendor technical support, how frequently updates are released, and how convenient they are to implement.

Conclusion

Choose a system based not on brand popularity but on your business’s real needs. Engage with the HR community, gather feedback, and always conduct pilot testing.

Good luck with your selection!

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