Buyer worksheet
HR Software Evaluation Checklist
Complete this checklist separately for each candidate system. Verify the pass/fail requirements of data access, security/KVKK evidence, exports and budget before testing workflows with your own data. Mark work completed in your account, not a feature mentioned in a sales presentation.
Three decision rules
Pass/fail
Security, access, and data-return requirements need evidence
Trial
Import, approval flow, and period preparation
In writing
Twelve-month cost, support scope, and exit terms
1. Needs and workflow fit
- Three priority workflows are definedThe jobs to solve and their current owners are written down.
- Success is measurableEach workflow has a time, manual-touch, quality, or error baseline.
- The workflow is end to endData moves between steps without re-entry, not merely between adjacent modules.
- The two-year need is visibleThe next role, report, approval, or module requirement was verified.
2. Migration and data return
- Bulk import was testedA sample Excel/CSV showed field mapping and error reporting.
- Opening balances have a methodLeave, compensation, and other required starting values can be represented.
- Document migration is plannedFile types, limits, organization, and ownership are clear.
- Standard exports workEmployee and workflow data can be returned in usable form.
- Exit terms are writtenAccess period, format, and deletion path after termination are clear.
3. KVKK, security, and access
- Roles were tested in real accountsEmployee, manager, HR, and finance visibility was checked.
- Processor and subprocessors are identifiedContractual roles and supporting providers are documented.
- Hosting and transfers are explainedData location and any cross-border transfer mechanism are written down.
- Critical actions leave a recordWho changed what and when can be reviewed where needed.
- Retention and deletion have a workflowRequest handling, required retention, and deletion ownership are defined.
- Incident response has a routeNotification channel, responsibilities, and contractual process are clear.
4. Core employee operations
- Employee data has one sourceEmployment, contact, position, and status fields update in one record.
- Document access is controlledSensitive documents can be limited to appropriate roles.
- The leave flow completedRequest, approval, balance, cancellation, and correction were tested.
- Organization changes remain traceableManager, team, and position changes do not erase useful history.
- Employee self-service is understandableA user can access core information and submit a request without HR help.
5. Hiring, onboarding, and payroll preparation
- Candidate progress is visibleStages, owners, and communication can be tracked from application to offer.
- Hired data is not retypedThere is a clear route from candidate to pre-employment or employee setup.
- Onboarding owners are explicitNew-hire, manager, buddy, and HR tasks can be tracked separately.
- Period inputs meet in one placeLeave, time, compensation, and employee changes are visible during preparation.
- Completed periods are protectedThe permission or lock behavior for approved results is clear.
6. AI governance
- Authority boundaries are writtenWhat AI prepares, recommends, and never does alone is clear.
- Human approval is visibleA named role reviews work before it takes effect.
- Data use is explainedThe vendor explains what reaches a model and whether customer data trains it.
- Errors can be challengedUsers can reject, correct, and review important recommendations.
- Usage cost is understandableThe approximate unit cost and behavior at a limit are visible.
7. Price, support, and contract
- Twelve-month cost is calculatedPlan, employee capacity, add-ons, setup, training, and tax are included.
- Growth is pricedToday’s headcount and the next employee threshold are both modeled.
- Support is realLanguage, channel, hours, response commitment, and scope are written.
- Setup responsibilities are assignedData cleaning, import, and validation owners are known.
- Renewal and exit were readPrice changes, auto-renewal, termination, and data-return terms are understood.
8. Trial result
- Three real scenarios completedImport, approval, and period preparation finished in our account, not screen share.
- Setup effort was recordedHours and external support needs are visible.
- Users gave feedbackAt least one employee, one manager, and one process owner used the flow.
- Open questions have ownersEach gap has an answer, date, and any contractual commitment.
- Decision rationale is writtenOne paragraph records why the system was chosen and which limits were accepted.
How to use the checklist
Do not mark a pass/fail item complete when the answer is 'soon', 'on the roadmap', or verbal only. For other items, use complete, partial, and incomplete notes. Evaluate each candidate separately against your requirements. A public ranking cannot represent your workflows.
Do not hide gaps in the final decision. Every accepted limitation needs an owner and workaround. The written decision becomes the baseline for checking whether the product delivered six months later.
Where this checklist sits in how to choose HR software
The how to choose HR software guide explains the method. This checklist is that method's trial worksheet. Each candidate system is marked separately against your requirements. A named scorecard is not produced.
Comparison criteria are pass/fail filters, end-to-end scenarios, and written cost. Separate prepared work from a dashboard. On the AI item, see who keeps the stamp. The product face is the human resources software page.
About the checklist
Include the process owner or HR, finance, and the person responsible for data security. A manager and employee should also test daily use so self-service and approval paths are evaluated realistically.
No. Unacceptable access, data-return terms, unsupported security/KVKK mechanisms, and budget limits can be pass/fail. Usability and secondary reports carry different weight for different operating models.
A demo shows a provider’s chosen happy path. A trial asks you to complete your workflow with your data. The second is stronger purchase evidence. Use the demo to learn how to set up the trial scenario.
No. Use it to verify each candidate system separately against your requirements. Record completed scenarios and written terms rather than publishing named rankings that cannot represent every buyer’s context.
No. The list disciplines the trial. The method lives on the main guide. Read the how to choose HR software steps first, then mark these items in your own account for each candidate. We do not publish a ranking.
Related software
If you are comparing what an HR suite actually does, start with human resources software.
Apply the checklist
Hold Otto HR to the same evidence standard
Explore the sample company, then verify employee import, leave approval, period preparation, and current pricing in the live product.