Love It or Leave It? 5 HR Tech Selection Mistakes That Turn Excitement into Regret

1️⃣ Selecting a system for one “shiny” feature
Maybe it has a really cool reporting tool. Maybe a sleek mobile app. Or maybe a payroll workflow that feels simply magical. Choosing an HCM system for a single feature is one of the fastest paths from love to hate. 

HCM systems support interconnected HR and payroll processes. When decisions are made around one feature, teams often realize too late that critical needs are underpowered or overly complex for your organization.

Willory Recommendation 
Zoom out! Understand the system’s full capabilities and roadmap. You don’t need to implement everything at once, but you do need a plan to activate core modules early and layer in additional functionality with intention. 

2️⃣ Forgetting about your future (and the vendor’s)
Many organizations select technology based on where they are today, not where they’re headed. Growth plans, acquisitions, remote work, global expansion, and compliance complexity can quickly expose platform limitations.

Equally important: vendor direction. What are they investing in? Where are they innovating? And, what are they quietly deprioritizing?

Willory Recommendation
Take time to understand your future state before selection. Ask vendors direct questions about scalability, AI investments, mobility, and flexibility. If they can’t articulate what the next 3-5 years look like, that’s a red flag. 

3️⃣ Losing the humans in Human Resources
Payroll and HR tech decisions impact real people. When selections are made in isolation or driven solely by IT or finance, friction shows up. Fast. Adoption drops. Workarounds multiply. Frustrations grow.

Customer support matters too. When payroll breaks, will you talk to a human or wait in an automated ticket queue?

Willory Recommendation
Include process owners and end users early. Talk to references who resemble your organization. Ask what life looks like after go-live, not just during implementation. 

4️⃣Treating security and privacy as a checkbox
HR systems house highly sensitive employee data. Security and privacy should never be assumed or glossed over during selection.

Willory Recommendation
Dig into security protocols, compliance standards, and breach response plans. Ask how incidents are handled, communicated, and prevented going forward.

5️⃣ Skipping planning and implementation reality checks
A strong demo doesn’t guarantee a smooth rollout. Many organizations underestimate across systems and ask detailed questions about implementation timelines, internal effort, training needs, and integration complexity.

Willory Recommendation
Map your full tech ecosystem before finalizing your vendor. Understand how data flows across systems and ask detailed questions about implementation ownership, timelines, and ongoing support. 

From Love to Leverage

Saying yes to a payroll and HR technology vendor doesn’t have to feel risky. At Willory, we help organizations move from conflicted to confident with a proven, vendor-friendly, client-first selection process that includes: 

• Deep discovery of business and people needs
• Objective scorecards to cut through demo bias
• Honest, consultative conversations
• Support through contract negotiations and implementation readiness

Let’s hear from you!
Take our quick Love It or Leave It survey to see where your experience with your current vendor stands. The insights may just surprise.