Nearly every HR system sold today is delivered as a subscription service, so the label has stopped narrowing a shortlist. What it should prompt instead are the questions that still differ between vendors: where employee data sits, who inside the vendor can read it, what leaving looks like, and how configurable the product is without code.
Where the data sits and who can read it
Region, sub processors by name, and whether support staff outside that region can view records. An HR system holds health information, disciplinary records and salary together, which makes the internal permission model as important as the vendor's security. Ask to see the permission model in detail rather than a summary.
Configuration without code
The practical difference between products at this end is how much you can change yourself: fields, workflows, absence types, permissions. A product requiring vendor involvement for ordinary changes will slow every future adjustment and will quietly add cost through the life of the contract.
Leaving
Full export in a usable format, a stated period to retrieve it, and confirmed destruction afterwards. HR and payroll are the two systems where the exit clause matters most, because the history is long and the obligations to keep it outlast the supplier relationship. Negotiate it before signature, when it is still cheap.
Questions people ask about saas hr
Is on premise HR software still available?
Rarely for new purchases and the market has effectively moved. Where data residency is the concern, ask about region rather than hosting model.
What should we check on permissions?
Whether roles separate viewing from editing, and whether an administrator can read every record. Defaults are usually broader than anybody would choose.
How long does implementation take?
Weeks for configuration and longer for the decisions about your own policies, which is the real timeline.