08 Sep What Does an HRIS Analyst Do?
A relatively new yet vital role for organizations, an HRIS analyst position provides businesses with the perfect sweet spot between IT and HR. But how does that blend work, and what does an HRIS analyst do, specifically?
That’s what this article is about – the main responsibilities of an HRIS analyst, what the job description should entail, and more.
Contents
What Is an HRIS Analyst?
Being an expert in data, IT, and HR, an HRIS analyst, primarily works with the company’s Human Resources Information System (HRIS), which is used to streamline HR processes and workflows to allow for record-keeping and reporting on personnel.
Ultimately, the HRIS analyst is in charge of maintaining the software, implementing process improvements and upgrades for it, ensuring data quality, and using the HRIS for data analysis and reporting purposes.
On that account, the HRIS analyst is usually the go-to IT person for inquiries, suggestions, or technicalities related to the HRIS software employed in the organization. In other words, they’re the subject-matter expert.
HRIS Analyst Job Responsibilities
While an HRIS analyst’s job responsibilities can certainly vary from one organization to another, they usually have a wide array of duties revolving around maintaining and updating HRIS software systems.
For instance, among their core responsibilities are closely monitoring the overall performance of the software, coming up with improvement suggestions, implement updates when needed, and serving as a focal point for technical queries regarding the HRIS.
To perform the job effectively, an HRIS analyst needs to be fully aware of the organization’s vision, mission, goals, and objectives at large and those of the different units or departments in the organization.
To put this into perspective, when an HRIS analyst is aware of the business objectives of the HR department, they’ll better be able to translate those objectives, and user needs into clearly written, technical requirements that can then be implemented and integrated into the software when feasible.
If the requirements aren’t feasible, the HRIS analyst should assist the unit or department in additional point solutions that would contribute to implementing these requirements in other different ways, like process-related improvements, policy changes, and similar.
HRIS Analyst Job Description
Although an HRIS analyst’s job description should be adapted to the needs and requirements of the particular organization, here are some fundamental points to include (or adjust as needed):
- Translate business goals and objectives into clearly defined technical requirements
- Serve as a system administrator for HRIS software systems
- Be the subject matter expert for the HRIS software system employed in the organization (SAP, Oracle, Workday, or other)
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop technical solutions that help streamline and automate HR processes
- Evaluate existing HRIS systems to identify areas of improvement and provide suggestions
- Implement any necessary changes or process improvements to HRIS software while keeping the user experience in mind
- Ensure data security, end-user access, and data integrity across all HR platforms
- Maintain and improve the HRIS software by catering to configurations, system efficiency enhancements, security checks, and similar tasks
- Support critical HRIS system maintenance and execute operational tasks
It’s also worth mentioning that although it’s common practice for HRIS analysis to rely on reporting and analytics within the work, they’re relatively “built-in” within the role but not precisely a “requirement” or “role” they essentially take on as part of their job description.
Instead, the focus of the job description should be geared towards tasks relevant to ensuring access, verifying data integrity, maintaining data security, and being a system administrator.
Required Qualifications and Skills for an HRIS Analyst
Essentially, the exact job description, seniority of the role, and IT and project management practices determine the required qualifications and skills for the position. Despite that, some core qualifications that any HRIS analyst should possess include:
- A bachelor’s (or master’s) degree in computer science, information systems, information technology, or related fields
- “X” years of experience in providing HRIS/HR system support
- Demonstrated experience in working in agile delivery environments
- Work experience with the organization’s HRIS system is a plus (Workday, SAP, Oracle, etc.)
- Familiarity with SQL is a plus
- Solid understanding of standard HR processes and data models
- Comprehensive understanding of the system development life cycle process
- Ability to work interdependently with other team members and stakeholders
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
HRIS Analyst Salary
An HRIS analyst’s salary range varies depending on location, seniority, education, experience, and other factors.
On average, a junior HRIS analyst should earn between $61,589 and $80,033 annually (according to Salary.com), while a senior HRIS analyst should earn between $97,695 and $127,670 annually. That’s taking New York as an example.
On a general level, the starting annual salary for an HRIS analyst is around $70,000 (gross), while the average annual salary is around $90,000 (gross). Those numbers can be around the $120,000 mark for seniors but can always be significantly higher or lower in particular cases, depending on the surrounding factors.
How Much Does a Freelance HRIS Analyst Charge?
When it comes to freelancers, a freelance HRIS analyst can charge approximately $89 per hour on average, which amounts to around $712 per day – according to FreelancerMap Index.
Final Thoughts
HRIS analysts are the IT arm of the HR field, in charge of maintaining the security and efficiency of HRIS software systems. To hire the right HRIS analyst for your organization, look for the person who can focus on the smallest of details and link them to technical information to provide suggestions on how the organization can operate efficiently.
Since these individuals are meant to have a comprehensive overview of both the technical and user-facing sides of HRIS, they’re a vital asset to employ. They can speak to both developers and clients without missing a beat.
With an HRIS analyst, the result should be innovative solutions to complicated problems made simple!