Small and mid-sized business (SMB) owners lose more time to HR administration than they expect. Hiring, payroll, onboarding, recordkeeping, and employee questions pile up fast, especially without a unified system to manage them. That’s where a Human Resources Information System (HRIS) changes the equation. Centralizing data and automating routine tasks, an HRIS gives leaders a clearer, faster way to handle the work that keeps the business running.
This guide breaks down specific HRIS software features that save SMBs time every week, including:
For 2026 and beyond, understanding HRIS software will be critical for businesses trying to stay organized and build momentum. Let’s start by talking about what it is exactly.
An HRIS is a single system that stores employee information and automates the HR tasks that would otherwise eat up hours each week. For SMB owners, it’s the difference between juggling disconnected tools and running a clean, predictable workflow.
Common HRIS functions include:
Together, these features give SMBs a scalable foundation for handling HR without expanding headcount.
For BBSI clients, this functionality is available through myBBSI, with components such as BBSI U, and our applicant tracking system (ATS). Each connects to the others, helping businesses streamline HR processes and reduce the administrative strain that often falls on owners and managers. Let’s dive into a few HRIS components.
An ATS speeds up hiring by centralizing every step from posting the job to preparing a new hire for day one. It eliminates repetitive tasks, reduces manual communication, and moves candidates through the pipeline with far fewer delays.
Modern hiring breaks down when information lives in too many places. A strong applicant tracking system fixes that. Instead of juggling inboxes, spreadsheets, and job boards, you manage everything inside one workflow.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
A shift to ATS technology becomes even more meaningful when you consider scheduling, which can save hours during each hiring cycle and reduces candidate drop-off, as people receive timely updates rather than waiting for manual follow-up.
HRIS timekeeping tools reduce payroll pain by automating the capture, approval, and transfer of hours into payroll. They replace manual entry and inconsistent reporting with a clean, reliable flow of data that saves time every pay period.
Key HRIS timekeeping features that reduce payroll workload include:
Manual timekeeping forces constant oversight and repeated data entry; automated HRIS time tracking removes that friction entirely. The result is fewer corrections, fewer disputes, and far less scrambling on payroll day.
HR self-service portals allow employees to handle routine HR tasks on their own, reducing interruptions and giving managers and owners back hours each month. The goal is simple: fewer bottlenecks, fewer inbox requests, and more autonomy for everyone.
A well-designed portal becomes the everyday control panel for your workforce. Instead of sending emails for pay stubs, PTO balances, or benefits questions, employees log in and find the information instantly.
Employees can:
These capabilities reduce the day-to-day friction that usually slows teams down.
For managers, HR self-service portals offer streamlined HR administration (and headache prevention). They get easy access to:
These self-service HR functions appear throughout myBBSI, giving teams a straightforward way to stay informed, make updates, and complete required tasks without pulling leadership into administrative work.
A Learning Management System (LMS) accelerates training by delivering courses digitally, automatically tracking completion, and reducing the administrative overhead that slows down onboarding and compliance. It gives SMBs a predictable, repeatable way to train employees without constant scheduling or manual follow-up.
Training is one of the most time-consuming parts of people management. New hires need foundational instruction; existing employees need periodic compliance refreshers; teams need development opportunities to grow. Doing all of that manually quickly becomes unmanageable.
An LMS shifts this work into a structured online environment:
For BBSI clients, these efficiencies are built into BBSI U, which houses compliance content, job skill modules, and trackable course completion records, all integrated with the broader HRIS workflow.
HRIS software removes the friction from payroll and benefits by replacing repetitive manual tasks with steady, predictable workflows. When hours, deductions, and updates flow automatically, payroll stops feeling like a deadline-driven scramble and becomes a routine process you can trust.
Payroll errors (incorrect hours, outdated deductions, missing forms) usually stem from flawed human entry. An HRIS can reduce that risk by pulling timekeeping data directly into payroll calculations:
For BBSI clients, these functions appear in myBBSI, where payroll, timekeeping, and benefits administration live in a single ecosystem. Together, these features reduce administrative workload while helping businesses stay organized and compliant.
Modern HRIS tools reduce the administrative load that often slows down small and mid-sized businesses. From faster hiring to cleaner payroll cycles, HRIS software gives teams a structured, reliable way to manage everyday workforce needs.
The features covered in this guide, from ATS automation to integrated timekeeping, self-service portals, LMS tools, and streamlined payroll and benefits, are all designed to save hours each week and keep your operations running smoothly.
If you’re a BBSI client, you already have access to these capabilities. To get the most out of your partnership, contact your local BBSI representative today and explore how these tools can further support your business.
This blog explains how HRIS software helps small and mid-sized businesses save hours each week by automating the most time-consuming HR tasks. By centralizing hiring, timekeeping, training, self-service, payroll, and benefits administration, HRIS tools reduce errors, streamline workflows, and give leaders more time to focus on core operations. For BBSI clients, these capabilities are already built into myBBSI, the ATS, and BBSI U, offering a unified platform for HR management.
Key takeaways: