HRIS Data Migration Simplified (+ Implementation Checklist)

As your company evolves, so do your HRIS (human resource information system) needs. You’re hiring more top talent, expanding into new countries, and soon enough, you’ve outgrown your current HR system functionality.

However, finding a new HRIS platform and migrating your entire HR database can often seem complex and overwhelming, causing human resources managers to stick with outdated or insufficient HRIS software for far too long. 

The good news is HR data migration can be simple. Companies of any size can easily migrate data with the right implementation plan and HR system while avoiding major workflow disruptions and critical errors. 

In this article, we walk you through the process and provide a template to help you build your HRIS migration plan.

How to migrate your core HR data in eight steps

The process of migrating contractor and employee data is fairly straightforward. It’s even easier for Deel clients, who receive support from our onboarding team and can leverage self-service functions to relieve HR professionals of manual data entry.

Here’s what the HR data migration process looks like:

1. Collect existing worker data for migration: Download a CSV file of the worker data from your legacy HRIS Collect other HR data sources for migration (such as Excel spreadsheets or PDFs)
2. Clean your data: Clean up the data to ensure consistency between the old and new platforms Deel’s onboarding team can help ratify data conflicts with field names or errors in worker profiles
3. Upload existing data: Upload your existing workforce data to Deel with the help of our onboarding team
4. Set managers and direct reports: Set up managers and direct reports to show the reporting structure of your organization Managers can be set during the onboarding process or through the individual profiles
5. Review the People List and make edits: Once all worker information has been migrated, review the People List to see a full view of all workers in one place and revise the data as required
6. Create time-off policies: Define types of time off allowances, accrual rules, approvers, etc.—with Deel, you have the option of using our pre-existing, legally configured suggested Time Off Policy Templates to ensure compliance with the country's requirements and save time when constructing the time off policy
7. Import past time-off data: Ensure that your new HRIS properly displays taken time off in the current holiday year—when onboarding to Deel's HRIS, you can send a list of past leave requests to transfer time-off history and to be able to set balances for workers correctly
8. Offboard workers from legacy HRIS: Communicate an internal deadline for when HR team members should stop using the legacy HR data systems Securely offboard the people data from your legacy HRIS and close accounts once they’re no longer needed

Post data migration requirements checklist

You’ve migrated all current worker data—now what? Take the following steps to ensure a smooth transition to the new system for your HR department and broader team.

Update your integrations

Make a list of the apps, SaaS products, and HR applications integrated with your legacy HRIS, such as:

• Applicant tracking systems
• Performance management platforms
• External payroll systems or payroll software
• Learning management systems
• Time tracking tools
• Workforce management integrations

Remove the integrations from your legacy HRIS and apply them to your new HR software. Deel integrates with 20+ popular HR tools for seamless use, or you can build custom integrations with Deel API. With our in-product setup, you can easily install new integrations and build automations in just a few minutes. No specialists or extra support is required.

Test the HRIS and train your team

As with any new software or integrations, ensuring correct setup and data transfer is essential. The right HRIS will be intuitive enough for users to navigate easily. Core team members will require basic training to complete the main HR functions, such as onboarding new employees during the hiring process, managing employee records, removing worker profiles, and running reports. You’ll receive walk-through videos and training resources from our onboarding team to make the transition easy.

Initiate company-wide HRIS rollout

Send a company-wide email introducing the new HRIS and enrollment instructions. Include action items for workers, training resources, and information on rollout timing and technical support. The messaging may differ depending on the recipient’s role or department (HR, finance, leadership) or their employment type (direct employee, EOR employee, independent contractor).

Gather feedback and enjoy your new HR platform

Gather feedback from your HR management team during the testing phase and from end-users after launch. Work with your HRIS vendor to communicate improvements, request adjustments, and develop a plan for future integrations and add-ons for scalability.

HRIS migration plan template

Before you migrate your HRIS data, you need an implementation plan. This plan should lay out the required tasks, who is responsible, who the task impacts, the actions necessary to complete each task, and the delivery date.

Establishing this HR process is required to successfully prepare team members for the upcoming migration and ensure a smooth employee experience. Below, you’ll find a template inspired by the plan we used to streamline migration from an external HR software to Deel's built-in HRIS.

Manage your entire global team with Deel

Looking for an HRIS that can evolve with you? What about one that’s a step ahead?

Deel is an all-in-one HR and payroll software solution that enables you to hire, manage, and pay your entire global workforce—EOR employees, direct employees, and independent contractors—in one powerful platform. Instead of using multiple platforms to manage contractor and employee lifecycles, Deel covers everything for everyone:

• Consolidated contractor and employee management that keeps expenses, time off approvals, worker records, and your entire people directory in one place
• Improved human capital management (HCM) with real-time dashboards, headcount metrics, payroll processing reports, and HR modules that provide relevant insights into your day-to-day business
• User-friendly worker onboarding that covers new hires’ equipment, workspaces, background checks, localized contracts, benefits administration, app provisioning, and a contractor/employee self-service portal
• Talent management system that enable organizations to manage development, performance, training, and engagement programs in one place.

Request a demo to see how your company can benefit from using Deel.