Choosing your first Human Resource Information System (HRIS) can feel like a big step, but for fast-growing teams, it’s often the most important one.
As you hire across states or countries, spreadsheets, emails, and disconnected tools become inefficient and riskier. Managing people shouldn’t mean piecing together processes, you need a way to make everything work in sync.
In this article, Remote walks you through what an HRIS is, why it matters when you're building a scalable team, and how to choose your first platform that supports your growth.
What is an HRIS — and why does it matter?
Your HRIS is the system that keeps your operations running smoothly. It should act as the backbone of your business management system, built to help you scale without the chaos.
An HRIS helps businesses:
- Organize and manage employee data
- Automate repetitive tasks like onboarding, time off, and updates
- Run payroll without manual handovers or sync issues
- Stay compliant across locations
- Make decisions backed by real-time data
If your company is scaling fast, your first HRIS should do more than just keep records. It should bring everything together: people, policies, and payroll.
What to look for in your first HRIS
When choosing your first HRIS, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by features, pricing tiers, and technical jargon. Not every platform is built for growing teams.
Here’s what really matters when you’re setting up an HRIS for the first time:
One system for all worker types
Your HRIS should let you manage full-time employees, contractors, and globally hired workers in one place. If you need separate tools or workarounds for different employment types, you’ll end up duplicating effort and increasing risk. Look for a platform that supports a diverse workforce with unified workflows and reporting.
Built-in payroll
Many HRIS platforms require you to integrate with third-party payroll systems, which can create sync issues, manual exports, and added costs. When evaluating your HRIS options, look for payroll capabilities that are built-in, especially if you operate in multiple countries or plan to expand internationally.
Automation (that actually saves time)
A good HRIS reduces busywork, not just shifts it around. Look for platforms that let you automate repetitive tasks like onboarding, policy updates, time-off approvals, and role changes. Bonus points if you can set custom workflows based on location, department, or employment type, so there are no constant follow-ups.
Global compliance
Compliance is one of the biggest challenges for global teams. Your HRIS should make it easier to stay ahead of legal changes, track country-specific requirements, and manage documents in a way that’s secure and audit-ready. Features like built-in right-to-work checks, localized templates, and role-based access are especially valuable.
Visibility and insights
Your first HRIS should offer more than static or CSV exports. Look for real-time dashboards, pre-built reports, and customizable analytics that help you monitor headcount, compensation trends, turnover, and more.
The best HRIS for your first setup
Once you’ve defined the core features your HRIS needs, the next step is finding a platform that brings them all together in one place.
Remote HRIS is purpose-built for teams setting up their first global HR system. It’s everything you need — HR, payroll, and compliance — on one platform that scales with you.
Here’s how Remote delivers on what matters most:
Designed for global teams
Remote makes it easy to manage employees, contractors, and EOR hires in one platform. You can standardize roles, reporting lines, and compensation structures. Plus, you can visualize your organization across locations using interactive org charts and world maps.
Native payroll and HR
Payroll isn’t an afterthought — it’s built in. Remote HRIS lets you run payroll in 100+ countries directly from your HRIS, with no manual data transfers or disconnected systems. Employee data stays in sync automatically, so you can pay accurately and stay compliant with local requirements.
Automation and helpful AI
Automate onboarding flows, time-off approvals, alerts, and status changes based on location, role, or employment type. Smart guidance from AI helps reduce admin overhead, so HR teams can spend less time chasing tasks and more time supporting people.
Proactive global compliance
Stay ahead of legal and regulatory changes across markets. Remote Compliance Watchtower delivers real-time alerts, while built-in workflows handle localized onboarding, right-to-work checks, and audit-ready document storage.
Data you can act on
Remote HRIS provides real-time dashboards and pre-built reports that offer clear insights into headcount, turnover, compensation trends, time-off usage, and more. Custom reporting tools allow you to segment and analyze data based on your organization’s specific structure, regions, or roles.
For companies managing compensation across markets, Remote HRIS includes salary benchmarking for you to make informed, competitive decisions around hiring, budgeting, and retention.
How to get started with Remote HRIS
Choose an HRIS that’s easy to implement. A long, complicated rollout can slow your team down and make it harder to get everyone on board.
Remote HRIS is built to be quick to set up and simple to use, so you can get started without hiring consultants or spending weeks in configuration.
Here’s what the setup process looks like with Remote:
- Create your company account and define your organizational structure
- Import your existing workforce or onboard new hires using built-in, localized flows
- Set up your policies for time off, public holidays, and expenses
- Enable payroll and activate compliance monitoring with real-time alerts
- Give your team access to intuitive self-serve tools via desktop or mobile
Implementation is fast, with no drawn-out timelines or heavy consulting fees, so you can launch quickly and start saving immediately.
Make your first HRIS count
Choosing your first HRIS is a strategic move that sets the tone for how your company grows. The right system will simplify your operations, reduce manual work, and give you confidence that your HR, payroll, and compliance are all working in sync.
Remote HRIS gives you exactly that. It’s designed for growing teams with cross-border operations, easy to implement, intuitive to use, and powerful enough to grow with you.
To set up your first effortless HRIS, book a demo or get started with Remote HRIS today.