10+ Best Employee Management Software in 2025

I love their customer service, they always have an answer for you and make my job so much easier. The interface is fantastic, and the design is very appealing, which is a huge factor for someone that uses it quite often. I also really like the admin dashboard, Gusto will list outstanding tasks with their deadlines and will prompt you with helpful information to finish the task.

My company is a portfolio company for High Alpha Innovation. Gusto is the go-to HRIS for all portfolio companies. We have been using it since we started in 2020 and have even used it for one of our own portfolio companies. Gusto is a very easy-to-use tool that has fantastic customer support. When you're working for a start-up, you don't want to spend a long time on payroll and Gusto really helps with that. It's also very easy to set up a new instance of Gusto for a company - it took like two hours and was a painless experience due to Gusto's interface.

Sometimes the outstanding tasks aren't accurate, we recently had tasks pop up for an employee that has been gone for two years. This is very specific, but I wish that you could make some employee documents private to employees, all the documents you upload are automatically public and don't give you an option. I dislike their benefits -- we ran a quote before and it took a few weeks to get back the quote and it was incredibly expensive.

The only similar tool I've used is a PEO called Justworks. I'm not sure if it's a fair comparison, since PEOs pretty much do everything for you. I will say, it was nice that you could set up Gusto in a day and run payroll the next day if needed. For Justworks, you have to wait until the system start date, which can be weeks later.

I think that customer service is a huge buying criteria, especially if you have an inexperienced team. It's invaluable to have experts that you can call or chat with at any time. Cost is definitely a big factor that differs from organization to organization. It's sometimes worth it to pay a little bit more to make your life easier and that's what we've found with Gusto. Lastly, I think that it's important to have an easy-to-use system for both HR and employees. Payroll is VERY important which makes it vital to have a system that is easy to comprehend.

Gusto has become more well-rounded over the years. Last year, they added performance reviews into the mix. It's definitely not perfect and not very customizable, but it's a free add-on, which can be a huge value to organizations that don't have performance management built out.

Small to mid-sized organizations. I think it could work for a small start-up, but would be better for slightly more mature organizations.

• Leapsome’s user-friendly design makes it easy to recognize colleagues and boost morale with positive feedback.
• The platform functions as both a learning management system and an organizer for meetings, reviews, and surveys.
• It’s intuitive and quickly adopted by employees, improving morale by encouraging shared feedback and appreciation.

My organization adopted Leapsome to centralize and improve multiple HR functions within a single platform. We wanted a solution that could integrate goal-setting, OKRs, performance reviews, employee learning, and engagement into a cohesive system. Leapsome’s all-in-one design has been key in enabling streamlined performance tracking and employee development. It has also helped promote better communication and engagement with features like 360-degree feedback, surveys, and recognition tools. I have personally used Leapsome for two years, and it has consistently proven valuable to our team.

• The platform’s workflows could be better optimized for smoother use.
• The UI/UX for completing a learning path could be improved to provide a more seamless experience.
• Some internal management processes still rely on outdated methods.

Leapsome differentiates itself with customizable performance and 360° reviews that are straightforward to use. It supports goal alignment and tracking across the organization, fostering transparency and accountability.

Through employee engagement surveys, it provides insights into company culture that help in strategic decision-making. Leapsome also encourages a culture of continuous growth with real-time feedback and praise.

These features create a holistic approach to performance management, employee development, and engagement that stands out from competitors.

I recommend researching the platform’s functions to ensure it aligns with your organizational needs. Leapsome offers many valuable features, though some may require further development.

Leapsome has remained relatively consistent, though there is room for further updates to meet evolving user requirements.

The platform’s versatility makes it suitable for various types of organizations and industries.

Pros:

- The information you can get access to is extremely helpful

- The UI/UX is very clean

- All-in-one type solution

Workday was selected because it offered a comprehensive people solution. Instead of having different portals for compensation, performance management, recruiting, and people analytics, Workday allowed everything to live in one system of record. This reduced costs and ramp time in some ways because it allowed everyone to be in one place.

I've used it for a combined 2-2.5 years in my career in all facets from selection to design and then every day use for reporting and recruiting.

Cons:

- The Recruiting module for recruiters and recruiting coordinators is not intuitive and user friendly

- The Recruiting module for candidates is lengthy and miserable. It does a terrible job of parsing resumes

- Job management versus position management makes data funky in some instances (for example, if you were hired into a position, it can look like you hired your whole team unless you put in specific calculated fields)

- If you don't have the right access controls, it is borderline impossible to do your job effectively.

The Workday Recruiting Module (their ATS) is one of the most reviled in the Recruiting space. It doesn't compare well to other ATS like Greenhouse, Lever, or Ashby because the latter offers better functionality, controls, and ease of use.

- Ease of use. Workday has the ability to be so much but you have to know exactly what to look for and how to configure it.

- Implementation time. Workday requires a focused implementation and testing period. Without it, you will run into a number of problems. If you need to roll out something quickly, Workday isn't the tool for you.

It is difficult to tell because they release big updates every 6 months so requests for solutions might be forgotten by that point.

HR Business Partners, HR Operations, Finance, Compensation, and C-Suite

I liked the comprehensive approach it provided. It allowed me to manage everything in one system without needing to use other platforms. The platform was very user-friendly.

I worked for a smaller start-up that used it to centralize all of its HR needs. They were using it to replace paper files, outsourced payroll, and similar services. BambooHR addressed these needs and allowed them to manage all of their HR work in one place.

I personally used BambooHR for a few months while helping the company implement the software. I found it to be a helpful tool, especially for smaller organizations.

I disliked the limited compliance information across different states. I was not able to use it for our international employees. Uploading large amounts of data was difficult for larger organizations.

BambooHR is great for smaller organizations that don't have a complex employee structure. It was very user-friendly.

Organizations should consider the complexity and size of their employee structure. They should also evaluate the cost in comparison to what they currently pay for other ad hoc services that this tool would replace.

Unknown, as I didn’t use it for a long time.

Smaller, more centralized organizations will find BambooHR a great fit.

It integrates with many systems. It is clear and nice layout. It is end user friendly.

My organization used UKG for time keeping. They wanted time clocks around the entire 7 Arce property. There were a lot of hourly staff and they wanted time to be easily captured. The goal was to have a time clock that integrated with the payroll system. The payroll system was supposed to pay incumbents accurately based on live time clock punches.

It is not easy to fix errors for end users. Tickets can take a long time to remedy. Interfaces can be buggy.

UKG is developed and large. It is used in integration with a lot of other systems. It stacks up well to similar tools.

The two criteria that people should think about when buying this type of tool is the size of the organization and the amount of user they would need to function their operation. The reason I say this is because UKG sells their product based on licenses needed for operation.

yes, their interface is more end-user friendly

I believe it is best for organizations with a lot of hourly time punch employees

• I like it because it helps us with accountability, we can support and appreciate our coworkers. We can communicate easily. I like it overall.
• It’s a great tool to keep track of the performances of employees.
• I like the fact I can create objectives and goals to work on

Our organization saw a need to have this tool because it helps to track our employees and their progress. As you can provide feedback to your manager or peers, there is transparency in the process and the employees can be heard. We have used this tool for over a year and it has impacted us in a positive way. When our employees feel appreciated, we see better results, we can show appreciation weekly and it’s noticed by everyone in the company.

• Well, I would say sometimes employees like privacy and as shown to everyone on the appreciation piece, some people might not like it.
• Also, the responses to questions, are not anonymous, and sometimes people won't be honest to the fullest, fearing they would lose their job.

It's the first time I use a tool like this. So, I can’t really comment on the competitors.

They need to think about how this tool will improve the culture, and environment and also understand that the business will be impacted in a positive way as the employees are being heard. If someone has an idea, they can communicate via 15five.

It has helped me to share my thoughts on how I feel or for any new ideas that can help the business.

Any company wanting to give feedback and appreciation to employees.

Creating reports in Namely is straightforward, even for users with limited technical experience. The time and labor module is intuitive and easy to demonstrate to employees. The visibility and layout of the homepage make navigating the system fast and user-friendly.

I worked for a small FinTech company that used Namely. They picked Namely because it was an easy-to-use tool and was perfect for our business structure. We (the HR Team) liked how it was easy to enter new employees and update existing employees' information.

We also had a few nonexempt employees, so we used their timekeeping system, which was also simple. We also used announcements like our social media, so we didn't have to design an Intranet.

The system lacks innovation and hasn’t kept up with some newer HR platforms in terms of features and design. The interface feels a bit outdated, especially compared to more modern alternatives. Customer support was sometimes difficult to reach, which could be frustrating when time-sensitive issues arose.

Namely is a smaller and more simplified platform compared to other tools like UKG or ADP. It works well for small companies that need a streamlined system without too many bells and whistles. While I prefer UKG or ADP for their broader functionality and scalability, Namely stands out for being approachable and easy to manage for less complex HR operations.

When evaluating this kind of tool, it's important to consider the size and complexity of your organization. Namely works best for small businesses that don’t require highly advanced features or custom-coded reports. If you're expecting rapid growth or need to manage complex data, you may quickly outgrow it. Simplicity and ease of use should be top considerations if you're leaning toward Namely.

One noticeable improvement has been quicker service request response times. The company seems to have made an effort to address support speed, which enhances the overall user experience, especially during critical periods.

Namely is ideal for HR teams and general employees in small to mid-sized companies. It suits organizations that need an easy-to-use system without requiring extensive setup or ongoing technical support.

• Zoho People is cloud-based, so it's globally accessible for all employees.
• Good value for money with flexible pricing plans.
• Easy to track attendance and work hours.
• Leave requests and approvals are quick and simple.
• Helps keep employee records organized in one place.

Our organization bought Zoho People as a cost management solution, as our previous HRIS had become too expensive for our mid-sized company. Zoho People makes it easier to manage employee records and attendance.

Everything is in one place and easy to access. It helps the HR team track leaves, work hours, and performance more efficiently. We also liked that it’s cloud-based, allowing our global team to access it from anywhere.

The features are simple to use and save us a lot of time. We have been using Zoho People for about two years.

• The initial setup can be confusing.
• Some features are only available in higher-priced plans.
• The mobile app lacks certain features available on the web version and can be slow at times.
• Not all customizations are easy to implement.
• Support response times can be delayed.

Zoho People is known for its cost competitiveness for small to mid-sized companies, offering many features at a lower price compared to some rivals, especially when bundled. Its attendance tracking, with various check-in methods and robust reporting dashboards, is more advanced than what simpler HRIS tools provide.

As part of the larger Zoho ecosystem, it integrates well with other tools such as Zoho Payroll and Zoho Recruit, which is beneficial for companies seeking multiple HR or business solutions.

Personio and HiBob, however, offer more sophisticated performance review features, including 360-degree reviews, better templates, and greater flexibility than Zoho People’s more basic review tools.

When buying an HR tool like Zoho People, companies should consider the financial return on investment. Choosing a tool that can scale and offer additional features over time is important.

Usability is critical—the tool should be intuitive and easy for employees to use. It should include essential features like attendance tracking and leave management and function well on both desktop and mobile devices.

Strong customer support and seamless integration with the existing HR tech stack are also key factors.

Zoho People has improved significantly over time to meet user needs. Overtime tracking was added to support compliance with labor laws. Leave and absence features have become more automated and intuitive. The mobile app now includes improved check-in options and works well across devices.

Zoho People is well-suited for small to mid-sized companies because it offers a wide range of features at a lower cost, especially when bundled with other Zoho products.