Want to buy a new HR tool in 2025? Here's how to avoid #purchaseregret

Picture the scene. You’re on a good old-fashioned British staycation with your family.

The kids are sulking because they expected golden, sun-kissed shores this year, and all they’ve seen is a drizzly, rocky beach. Your significant other hasn’t stopped reminding you that you probably could have gone for an all-inclusive trip to the continent for the same price.

It’s fine, you convince yourself. This is good. Everyone else is just ungrateful and you know it was definitely the right decision... and then the heavens open, washing away your disposable barbecue dreams. Cue total meltdown.

Making the wrong decision for big purchases is a universally frustrating experience, particularly when you know that you’ve let others down in the process. It’s tricky to keep everyone happy, but back in the world of HR technology – the enterprise software market with the widest-reaching impact on employees – making the wrong purchase decision has catastrophic consequences.

If the staycation analogy didn’t resonate (lucky you), the underlying tale of an HR software purchase gone awry will surely stir some discomfort. 83% of HR tech buyers have experienced some type of regret after a purchase, a 2024 Gartner study found.

Prevention, as ever, is better than cure. So, how can HR professionals planning to buy new software in 2025 avoid the headache and get the purchase decision right the first time around?

Don’t rely solely on vendor-based information

According to Capterra’s 2025 Tech Trends survey, a whopping 90% of HR software buyers who regret a technology purchase admitted they relied solely on vendor-provided information.

While undoubtedly vendors have useful information to offer – and plenty are open about the support they can and cannot provide – it would be like ordering a new flatscreen TV without checking the customer or third-party reviews.

A staggering 90% of regretful HR software buyers in Capterra’s survey said they are likely to buy software based solely on vendor-provided information, neglecting to consult independent sources.