The 15 Best HRIS Systems (2024)
Our HR tech experts demoed dozens of HRIS systems and researched many more to find the best tools on the market. Find pricing info, screenshots, pros & cons, and more below.
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Best HRIS Systems
Human Resources Information Software (HRIS) is critical to business operations. The job of an HRIS is to be the unified system to handle all people processes. This includes TA/recruiting, compensation, leave management, organizational management, and sometimes more. Before we delve deeper, please know that If you'd like help on choosing the right solution, you can schedule a complimentary call with an HR tech expert on our team, who will create a customized vendor shortlist for your organization.
Although HRISs tend to be fairly expensive with rigid contracts, and choosing the wrong one can be an operational disaster, it shouldn't be a nightmare of a process with the right guidance. This guide covers everything you need to know to make a highly-informed choice if you’re in the market. We discuss cost, contracts, common pitfalls, ROI, and tips for product demos.
We will also bring in the voices of three expert contributors: Phil Strazzulla (our founder and CEO), Stacey Richey (VP of People at Corvus Insurance, 18+ years in HR) and Danielle Jones (CEO of Pinnacle Consulting Services, 10+ years in business and HR).
To choose the best HRIS, we meet with vendors for product demos and ask tough questions based on user research statistics, expert feedback from HR thought leaders and the real-world expertise of our editorial team.
The crucial features on which we evaluate HRIS systems include scalability, integration, self-service functionality, compliance and security, and total cost.
Scalability: We test each HRIS system’s capacity to handle rapidly growing teams by looking for features such as single sign-on, enterprise system integration, batch processes, and automations.
Integration Capabilities: Integration is critical for an HRIS. Each of our top picks integrates with existing systems such as payroll, talent management, or recruitment software to ensure seamless data sharing.
Reporting and Analytics: The best HRIS systems feature robust reporting and analytics capabilities and provide actionable insights into employee data, HR metrics such as employee growth and retention, and workforce trends such as the number of female executives.
Employee Self-Service: Each HRIS is evaluated by our experts for the quality of their self-service functionality. These critical features empower employees to access and update their own information, request time off, view pay stubs, and participate in performance management processes.
Information Security: It is crucial that HRIS vendors undergo regular audits such as SOC2. In addition to ensuring measures were in place to protect sensitive employee data, we also evaluated each platform’s approach to compliance with relevant employment laws and data protection regulations.
Total Cost of Ownership: It is important to know the overall cost of implementing and maintaining an HRIS system, including licensing fees, customization, training, and ongoing support costs.
To gain deeper insights into how we build these lists, check out this article about how we evaluate HR tech vendors.
BambooHR
Deel
Bob
Paylocity
Monday.com
Paycor
Rippling
Lanteria
OnPay
Sage People
UKG
Kallidus
Namely
Zenefits
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BambooHR
BambooHR has been one of the go-to HR software for SMBs for years: It comes with stellar customer support, is easy to use, and gives companies some flexibility in purchasing the modules they want.
PROS
- Flexible packaging means you can pick out one or two packages and have other modules included as add-ons based on your needs.
- Straightforward platform that’s easy to navigate and customize.
- All plans/packages have custom pricing that most users think is reasonable.
- Integrates with some LMSs.
- Smooth onboarding workflow with many automation features.
- Has free trials.
- Flexible packaging and custom pricing is the way they roll. You can pick out one or two packages and pick other modules as add-ons based on your needs.
- Very simple and straightforward tool, easy to use.
CONS
- Payroll functionality is only available for US-based workers.
- Some popular integrations, such as QuickBooks, are missing from the platform.
- Customer support is excellent, but it is only accessible during business hours in U.S. time zones
- Desirable features like time monitoring, performance evaluation, and employee surveys can only be accessed as add-ons.
- According to some user reports, nothing prevents employees from scheduling vacation in excess of their allotted time
- Payroll is only available for US-based employees
- Customer support is only offered during US business hours.
- Some modules like time tracking, performance management, and surveys are only available as add-ons.
BambooHR’s platform has consistently been among the top choices for HR professionals in the US and beyond for over ten years. We gather this has to do with the fact that BambooHR spans the entire employee lifecycle. Aside from the Core HR functions like ATS, leave management, employee records, and a company calendar, they also have recruiting and performance management, and payroll available as add-ons. That said, the HRIS is offered as a small business package.
On top of their platform, BambooHR also has an app marketplace with integration options for dozens of HR/recruiting tools, as well as an HR glossary. They also host HR events from time to time.
Among the 20,000+ companies that use BambooHR, you’d find names like Quora, Universal Group, Reddit, Asana, Change.org, University of Maryland, and Grammarly.
- BambooHR uses the per-employee-per-month pricing model to charge teams with more than 20 employees and a monthly flat rate for ones having 20 employees or less.
- From our research, the HRIS cost is between $6 and 12 per employee per month plus 5-15% of the annual software cost as their one-time implementation fee.
- Volume discounts and free trials are available. No annual contract is required.
Pro tip: The team is open to extending the demo upon request or even giving you a free demo of advanced features.
Best For
US-based SMBs looking for a customizable HR product with pricing that reflects their needs. The platform is also quite popular among teams that are partially or even fully remote.
As the HR leader I use BambooHR for everything!! I store all of our important documents and records in Bamboo. I do all of our recruiting, offer letters, and onboarding through HR. Once we hire an employee they are given their own login information to be able to access the org chart as well as put their PTO in. I also run reports to track everyone's PTO, promotions, and other key performance indicators for employees.
- BambooHR is easy to use and train employees on. BambooHR makes it very easy to create offer letters and email templates when it comes to recruiting.
- BambooHR makes it easy to recruit and keep track of candidates, and the stages they are in in the interview process.
- The BambooHR 'how can we help button' makes it super easy when you have a problem or a question to get a resolution.
We are a small organization with roughly only 25 employees but we need a tool that could do it all. When making this decision we compared tools that could sit as an ATS system combined with an HRIS system. Not only can BambooHR fit in those factors, it can also have benefits and payroll implemented in their system if we wanted to stop using our other payroll system. We have been using BambooHR since March 2023 but I had used it at a prior organization so that was an easy decision to move forward with it.
- I wish BambooHR let you have candidate scorecards when recruiting.
- BambooHR makes it easy to create onboarding documents but it does not always simplify the packets for each job function.
- I wish BambooHR had the ability to open and close jobs more fluidly similar to Greenhouse - multiple openings in one job code for tracking purposes.
BambooHR is a great product for a small growing organization that needs a product to do it all. Because we have a limited budget we needed to find an ATS that could also onboard and fit as a people management system. I think that BambooHR is cheaper and easier to use.
When buying a tool like BambooHR I think they should consider price (this was our number one driving factor), and scalability. As we continue to grow, BambooHR will be able to grow with us.
BambooHR has evolved over the years since I last used it. They have developed their reporting capabilities, added payroll and benefits to their system, as well as created a system to organize a 'talent pool'.
BambooHR is good for a company with less than 400 employees that is looking to grow their organization, and manage current employees.
BambooHR might not be a fit for companies that are larger than 600 employees or trying to make a lot of hires at any given time.
Deel
Deel is a fantastic (did we mention free?) HRIS for remote and international teams that need a way to compensate their employees, and a system for record.
PROS
- Their HRIS is literally free
- You can pay employees and contractors globally through one system
- Employee experience features such as 1:1's and pulse surveys
- One of the best features of Deel is its customer service. They offer 24/7 in-app support and the fastest-in-class onboarding speed of 2-3 days. Users get access to local payroll experts in each jurisdiction, and support is available for contractors facing challenges setting themselves up as an LLC.
- Integrates seamlessly with common platforms like Quickbooks, Bamboo, Greenhouse, and more. They also offer custom integrations to automate and sync processes.
- Self-service approach; tech-enabled features so customers can jump in quickly and easily. Our user researchers found it quite easy to set up: the identity verification process consistently took less than 24 hours, and in some cases, it took mere minutes.
- Automated invoices, which are a breeze to do as long as they’re in English, both on the company and the contractor or employee’s side.
CONS
- This system can be expensive if you are a small remote team and using it to pay international employees (for example if you're a 10 person team with colleagues in 10 different countries, it will be close to $50k/yr, but this is the cost of paying people compliantly)
- Their HR suite is new, and therefore lacks a lot of features that you would expect in a Bamboo, Bob or other solution that's been on the market for years
- Some of Deel’s best and most powerful services, like onboarding automation, appear to be add-ons, which might be too costly for some companies
- There is little to no flexibility when it comes to altering their contracts or service agreements, so many changes would require an addendum.
- There is a $5 fee per payout
- As far as we’ve seen, it’s not possible to generate invoices in another language.
We added Deel's HRIS to this page as it's really the first free HRIS with a global focus. Deel has a number of very large companies (Nike, DropBox, Shopify) using their global payroll platform. However, we view this HRIS as more focused on SMB and mid market companies that need a solution for a global team. This is different than their global payroll solution which companies of all sizes can leverage.
Deel is a leader in the global payroll space, and this new HRIS functionality allows them to go deeper into the HR Tech stack of smaller companies. It's an easy, free, and adequate solution. That said, it reminds us of Gusto a bit in that the functionality isn't as robust as many HRIS's. Just like Gusto added some HRIS like features to their payroll offering, Deel is doing the same.
So - this is great for companies that are global, smaller, cost conscious. But, there will be tradeoffs with more robust systems (which of course will cost a lot more!).
- Brex
- Doogle
- Duffel
- Andela
- HomeLight
- Makerpad
Pricing for Deel's HRIS is completely free! However, they do make money as a business, mostly on their global payroll offering:
- Contractors: At $49 per contractor per month, Deel takes care of payroll and compliance for contracts in 150 countries.
- Full-time: From $500, this plan lets you hire full-time employees in a new country without having to set up a legal entity there. Deel becomes an Employer of Record and hires the employee for you.
Best For
Their HRIS is best for smaller companies that have global payroll needs.
We use it to track our contractors, pay their invoices, collect W9s. As our EOR, it allowed us to bypass the financial and time costs with establishing a subsidiary overseas. It keeps us in compliance with international labor laws, includes global payroll, offers benefits/participates in local social welfare programs and ultimately retains key employees we would have lost as 1099 contractors.
I like that the process and layout is very similar regardless of which product and service you use from them - quite intuitive. It supports employers ability to maintain compliance by listing out requirements and flagging missing items or expired items. Lastly, being able to file 1099s digitally is a luxury I hadn't had previously. A total time saver.
We implemented Deel initially as a way to pay our onshore 1099 contractors, track their contracts and contact information outside of our HRIS. After two years, we had a new problem to address and changed our Deel platform to include an EOR. We had offshore contractors that we wanted to bring on as full-time employees to retain them and ensure compliance with the IRS. The change was seamless and the EOR is intuitive, informative and our offshore employees have been satisfied with the service from their end.
I think there is room to improve the connection between employer and the EOR service representatives in that a dedicated point-of-contact that is in house with Deel and not an international partner. Another consideration for EOR is having to pay a month's salary deposit up front for payroll is not ideal for cash flow. Lastly, I would love to see more employee and contractor features that you might find on a traditional HRIS because I believe it would be a better and more enriched experience for them.
For 1099 contractor management, oftentimes you use an ERP or accounting SaaS which has limitations. Deel bridges the gap between accounting SaaS/ERPs and an HRIS. For EOR, Deel is middle of the road in value. It is a great option for smaller OPEX budgets, but there are other EOR companies who offer more desirable features and better in-house service partners.
Consider the number of contractors or employees you would need for the upfront and annual costs to be justified. Whether or not you are familiar with global payroll, consider how much compliance support you need or is desirable for you. Lastly, consider whether you are up to converting your local currency to the international currency. Deel does not currently offer this in the employee profile, they only show the employee's local currency.
There is better customer service and help tutorials. Further, I have found there is an increase in the amount of educational materials available through Deel in order to stay current on contractor and global payroll trends and compliance.
I have known it to be used by HR and Finance professionals alike. Payroll administrators, regardless of where they fall organizationally, will find this tool beneficial. I believe organizations where these contracts or payrolls are relatively straightforward can benefit. Running payroll and paying invoices takes 10 mins or less per pay period.
I believe complex and large organizations may not find Deel to be scalable to their needs. At volume, Deel is not the best for tracking or reporting. For smaller teams, these features are acceptable and function appropriately.
Bob
Bob is a global platform that can streamline pretty much everything an HR department needs to do, in a highly customizable manner.
PROS
- Offers excellent customization options for managing international operations, allowing seamless handling of diverse workflows such as time off requests, parental or other types of leave, and employment types across multiple countries.
- Notably, it includes intranet-like features that users appreciate, like posting 'shout-outs' and sharing content on a company home page.
- Robust integration capabilities enable the connection with other essential business tools.
- They have tons of modules, which makes them a real one-stop shop. Beyond Core HR, they have modules for most things People Ops-related.
- Bob is a fast-growing company and their product looks the part, as it has one of the sleekest-looking platforms in the HRMS space right now.
- Their payroll hub allows you to connect all your payroll systems, which works great if you want to pay people in multiple locations without switching providers.
CONS
- While functional, the reporting capabilities of Bob can be considered limited for an HRIS.
- As an HRIS, some users feel that certain modules, such as performance management and surveys, could benefit from more extensive options and customizable parameters.
- The user interface can be less intuitive in certain areas, requiring a slight learning curve for optimal utilization.
- Customer support is only offered via a chatbot and email.
- As to implementation, several users commented that they felt there could be more attention via personal walkthroughs provided at the beginning. Many had to resort to reading documentation and watching videos or just figuring things out by themselves.
- Pricing is only custom and available upon request, so you can’t just sign up, pay, and start using the tool.
Bob, or HiBob, is a really interesting contender in the HRMS space. Their philosophy is to put the employee first, and you can see that in how easy the product is to use. Also, in various ways, this solution engages employees to better understand and cultivate culture. This is a great fit for forward-thinking HR departments that need tools like onboarding, time-tracking, payroll reports, time-off management, surveys, benefits, and much more.
Tufin, Yotpo Ltd., Fiverr, Happy Socks, Taptica
Bob offers custom pricing. They have flexible plans for growing companies and will work with you to offer the best possible cost.
Best For
Bob offers custom pricing. They have flexible plans for growing companies and will work with you to offer the best possible cost.
I use Bob for storing and using employee data, and it is primarily used for onboarding and offboarding employees. I also use it for generating a monthly dashboard for the SLT which includes number of new starters, number of leavers, turnover, percentage of days worked and time to hire. One of the main features I use is the 360 performance review workflow, which allows me to roll out a seamless and simple process which encapsulates reviews from every angle (individual, manager, direct reports and peers). It binds everything including career history, goals and achievements into one place, so there's no need to search for previous conversations or documents in long-forgotten folders. The Your Voice tool is also a powerful tool which generates rich feedback in a safe, anonymous environment. The feedback received from this anonymous tool is then fed into the monthly and annual people strategy.
Unlike other HRIS's Bob allows the user to personalise, analyse and manipulate data to suit the business, rather than using a packaged up system that doesn't fully align to the business. The user experience on both the employee and employer's side is intuitive and engaging, meaning that even reminder emails are never ignored. Bob's built-in templates enable the business to measure Employee Net Promoter Score, along with other survey questions, which can then be accessed in a simple, easy to use dashboard with visual heatmaps to analyse findings instantly.
As our business grew, from 70 people to over 200, we wanted something that was able to organise personal data, generate detailed reports for analysis and run automated processes such as annual performance reviews. I would say that one of Bob's key benefits is its user experience for both the employer and the employee. Bob's self-service function is really easy to use, employees are able to input annual leave and sickness within a few clicks. From an employer perspective, it is simple to pull together reports based on personal data - for example, number of sick days taken in a year, or the average turnover of a segment of employees. Bob attempts to make the system somewhat "fun" at the onboarding stage by asking new starters what their hobbies are, and displaying that on their profile for other employees to view.
Whilst Bob's ability to use data to generate specific reports is great, workflows can be complex to set up, with many drop-down lists and options to select, so if it's quick data driven results that you're looking for, this could take a while to set-up. Another con is that Bob does not have a customer support team that is accessible by phone call, it is always an email or live chat system and sometimes it's just easier to chat to a real human and solve the problem. Like any robust system, it can take a while to initially set-up and get it working to what the business needs and not every business has that time to dedicate to rolling it out and there is little upfront training to support with this.
Bob is way ahead of the curve in terms of HRIS's on the market. Throughout my career I've always said that there's not a one-system-to-rule-them-all in the HR world, but Bob certainly comes close. For example, CharlieHR is great from an employee data-entry perspective and basic data storage, but there is very little it can do in the way of generating reports for analysis. Very few HRIS's on the market are able to link workflows and processes in the way that Bob can, for example, I can conduct a full recruitment process, hiring process and onboarding all within the same flow, seamlessness, whereas with other systems this can be really clunky.
Firstly, it's important that it covers core needs such as storing employee records, tracking annual and sick leave entitlements, communicating with payroll systems and software as well as benefits admin. Simple and visual data analysis is also essential for this type of tool - important metrics should be only a few clicks away. HRIS tools should be able to assist with recruitment processes and ideally offer an ATS which integrates with a solid employee onboarding process. The ability to run performance reviews and engagement surveys is also key to consider.
Bob is continually being updated, for example, Your Voice has been a new addition that we have added to our package which has proven to be an excellent way of gaining anonymous feedback, especially for a business of our size.
Bob is very good for organisations with 50+ employees, and ideally, someone within the HR department would have specific responsibility for this tool to get its full benefit.
Businesses smaller than 50, without a dedicated HR resource would probably not benefit from all of Bob's features.
Paylocity
Paylocity’s comprehensive and user-friendly HRIS offers a wide range of features to support the entire employee lifecycle. With its strong focus on automation, customization, and compliance, their platform is a great choice for businesses looking to optimize their HR operations.
PROS
- Paylocity offers an all in one platform for payroll, HR, benefits and more.
- The platform is user friendly with solutions tailored to different size businesses.
- There’s a mobile app for both employees and managers.
- Paylocity’s customer support is highly rated for always being available to answer questions.
- Global payroll support for 100+ countries.
- Provides free and unlimited training modules on the website.
- Paylocity’s mobile app has a good UI and functionality
- The tool is easy to use for both employees and employers.
- Has 350+ pre-built integrations.
CONS
- Pricing isn’t transparent. There isn’t a free trial or free plan either.
- There’s a slight learning curve due to Paylocity’s feature breadth.
- There’s room for improvement with report customization.
- Undisclosed pricing.
- It doesn’t have a free trial or free plan.
- Support is available in English only.
- It isn’t the best solution for remote teams looking for a tool to manage payroll and benefits for their contractors.
In addition to their stellar payroll solutions, Paylocity offers a robust HRIS that simplifies the management of employees, documents, and processes. One of the key strengths of their HRIS is the ability to streamline information collection and task completion across various users and workspaces. Whether it's confirming employee addresses, collecting proof of certification, or managing employee onboarding, Paylocity makes it easy to automate and centralize these processes.
We appreciate the attention that’s been put into Paylocity’s accessibility and data management. Employees can securely access their payroll and HR data anytime, anywhere, via desktop or the Paylocity mobile app. This means they can quickly access offer letters, paystubs, tax forms and benefits info, request time off, update personal information, collaborate with teammates and more. As for managers and HR professionals, they have full visibility into employee data at the position and seat level, can easily configure new positions, assign required skills and certifications, predict vacancies, and manage budget changes.
Paylocity also takes compliance seriously, with an intuitive dashboard that provides quick access to work authorizations, EEO and FLSA compliance data, industry news, and more. And if you need extra support, Paylocity's HR Edge service provides expert resources, including an account manager, to help you minimize risk and implement best practices.
Finally, You can make use of Paylocity's robust reporting and analytics capabilities to gain a deeper understanding of your workforce. With real-time, visualized data, you can monitor key metrics, identify trends, optimize your HR strategies and drive business success.
Paylocity is used by over 36,000 companies including Polywood, Momentus, and Watters,
Paylocity’s pricing depends on the features you need and the size of your business. The best way to get an estimate is to schedule a demo with their Sales team.
Best For
While Paylocity’s solutions can be used by businesses of all sizes and industries, medium and large companies are their ideal market because they’re able to put the platform to full use.
Paylocity is used for every aspect of the business and is the most complete HRIS for our needs:
- Easy, painless payroll that is automated and tax compliant.
- HR task automation.
- Recruiting and onboarding.
- Communication and collaboration, helping build a more connected and engaged culture.
- Operational efficiency - Time spent on administrative tasks is reduced, such as manual clocking, time-tracking, and costing out of labor rates.
- The Talent Acquisition module helps fill roles more quickly with top talent by leveraging modern tools like texting and QR scan codes.
- Cost-effective solutions for a variety of organizations, including education, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofit, restaurants/hospitality, retail, and technology. Solutions are available for small, midsized, and large enterprise organizations. Paylocity streamlines HR tasks, minimizes compliance risk, and drives communication and collaboration with tools to improve employee engagement.
Since 2000, I have used Paylocity. Our previous HR systems were numerous. We moved the following processes into Paylocity, which offers an all-in-one HR solution:
- Payroll - Automated processes, tax compliance, and overall simplification of payroll processing.
- Workforce Management - Improved efficiency by automating scheduling, time tracking, and ease of use for employees via their phones.
- Human Resources Software - Automation of manual tasks such as reviewing time management and I-9 Work Authorization tracking. Simplification and access to real-time information via the mobile app allow everyone to view their pay info, tax forms, time off requests, update personal information, and complete tasks that previously required paper.
- Talent Management - This tool helps shorten the time to hire during the recruiting cycle, expands the reach of finding top talent by posting and sharing openings across many job boards, and enhances the candidate experience through texts and QR code scanning.
This aids in finding talent faster and making engagement easier. Additionally, this module is excellent for onboarding new employees by eliminating hours of onboarding paperwork, as every aspect of onboarding is done online through Paylocity.
There is a performance management segment that provides employees with the tools they need for career development and conducting reviews. Also within this module, compensation and a Learning Management System (LMS) are robust and automated, with a wealth of tools built in to help with employee engagement and retention.
- Benefits - We moved from manual to automated processes, reducing confusion through simplified, flexible benefits management and employee usage. Key takeaways: access anywhere via mobile or desktop, real-time information, employee education with step-by-step guidance videos/scripts, compliance with federal and state regulations for COBRA, ACA, and HIPAA, and ease of error reduction through automation.
- Employee Experience - Employees have access to the HR platform, increasing self-service adoption, building confidence, collaboration, and connection.
- Data - Paylocity helps bring data to life while keeping in tune and up-to-date with your workforce. For example, AI is used to provide key insights for identifying gaps and actionable recommendations on how to improve employee productivity and reduce turnover.
I do not have any cons to share about Paylocity.
In comparison to Workday, the ease of implementation and support was better with Paylocity. When I used Workday with a large enterprise organization supporting 10,000 employees, the assigned team was larger and divided into various segments. Paylocity supported a small service organization with fewer than 2,500 employees.
The criteria should include the following:
- The available budget.
- Types of systems and applications being integrated.
- Company size.
- Readiness to move away from paper and files into software/automation. Paylocity simplifies and streamlines critical payroll and HR processes.
- Remember to allocate time and a team to help design the front end of the system and plan the rollout—this takes time and patience.
Paylocity has expanded and introduced the Modern Workforce Index (MWI), giving HR leaders real-time visibility into organizational health compared to similar companies based on NAICS codes and organization size.
Paylocity is primarily designed for small to medium-sized organizations. It simplifies and streamlines critical payroll and HR processes and functions.
Larger enterprise organizations won’t find Paylocity dynamic enough for their needs.
Monday.com
Monday.com offers a versatile platform that can help HR teams elevate their processes. While it may not be your typical HR software, its customizable templates, helpful automation, built-in integrations, and collaboration features make it a valuable asset for optimizing all sorts of workflows and managing employees effectively.
PROS
- Monday.com offers a high degree of customization and automation, empowering HR teams to adapt the platform to their unique requirements.
- There are over 200 pre-made templates that can be used immediately for various processes, saving you time and effort.
- There’s a free plan for SMBs and startups that lets you access all existing templates, create up to 3 boards, and have unlimited documents.
- Free plan available, and affordable, scalable plans for small to midsize businesses
- Easy to learn and use
- Customizable dashboard
- Collaborative document creation with the ability to turn content in docs into tasks in projects with a few clicks
- Gamified progress tracking with visual celebrations for users
- Workflow automation for repetitive tasks
- Built-in communication tools reduce reliance on email
- Customized forms for in-house or client use that can be easily turned into projects
CONS
- It can take some time to learn and set up the Monday because it’s not your typical HR software but rather a versatile platform with multiple use cases, including HR.
- There currently aren’t any features for payroll or benefits administration.
- Users need to upgrade to the Standard plan to access integrations and automation features, which are key to getting the most out of the platform.
- 3+ users are required to get on any of the paid plans
- Limited storage on the Basic plan
- Could be too complex for simple project management needs
- No phone customer support
- Tracking different conversations can be difficult because of all the clutter
Though Monday.com isn’t your typical HR software with payroll processing and benefits admin features, their powerful and user-friendly platform can be adapted to various HR scenarios, thanks to its wide range of customizable templates and helpful automation. Whether it's managing the recruitment pipeline, onboarding new employees, conducting performance reviews, or tracking employee development, Monday.com gives you the flexibility to create workflows that fit your organization's unique processes. For those who don’t feel like creating things from scratch, there are several ready-to-use templates covering various aspects of employee management, from employee lifecycle packages and cross-company event planning to employee directories and time-off requests.
Another area where Monday.com differs from traditional HR software (but in a good way) is native project management. The platform's Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and calendar views facilitate seamless collaboration among team members and ensure that everyone is always on the same page, knowing who is responsible for what tasks and where each project stands. The customizable automations further streamline processes by automatically updating timelines, assigning tasks, sending notifications, and more.
We appreciate Monday.com’s emphasis on data visualization and reporting. Its customizable dashboards provide a high-level overview of HR pipelines and tasks, allowing you to quickly identify areas that require attention. You can also generate custom reports and analytics and share them with relevant stakeholders to make collaborative decisions.
If you’re an HR professional looking to streamline workflow management and enhance collaboration, we think Monday.com is worth checking. While it may not be a one-stop-shop for all HR functions, its flexibility, customization options, and user-friendly interface make it a valuable addition to any HR team's toolkit.
Monday.com’s customer list boasts big names like Lionsgate, Glossier, and Oxy.
Monday.com offers flexible pricing options to suit different team needs. The pricing structure consists of 4 paid plans ranging from $9 to $19 per month. Additionally, there’s a free plan available, which allows users to have up to two user seats and three boards. For more information on the pricing options, visit the Monday.com Pricing page.
Best For
Monday.com's adaptable platform allows businesses of various sizes and industries to tailor it to their specific requirements. To accommodate startups and small businesses, it provides a flexible pricing structure, including a free plan.
Monday.com became the central hub for all HR management. We built boards to manage the recruitment pipeline, onboarding, and automated workflows, making it easier to welcome new hires and get them up to speed quickly. We also created dedicated boards for performance reviews, tracking goals, and gathering employee feedback. With all this information in one place, managing employee development and keeping everyone engaged became much simpler, and it turned out to be a great fit for the company's size.
Monday.com allowed them to automate repetitive tasks like sending interview invites or onboarding reminders, freeing up time for more strategic HR initiatives. Having all employee data, from recruitment pipelines to performance reviews, in one platform made it easy to identify the highest-priority team needs. I also appreciated the real-time updates and clear communication tools within Monday.com, which kept the entire HR team on the same page, fostering collaboration and ensuring everyone was aligned on priorities.
Keeping track of employee data, managing approvals, and aligning processes caused constant frustration and inefficiency for the team I supported. I recommended implementing Monday.com to consolidate their project management needs into one platform. I had used it with a prior client and worked with this client for three months. After it was implemented, they could see what was going on and move much faster.
Currently, Monday.com only allows one level of subtasks, which can make managing complex projects with multiple steps a bit cumbersome. The mobile app doesn't offer all the functionalities of the desktop version, making it less convenient for on-the-go updates or quick checks. While the interface is generally user-friendly, there can be a slight learning curve for new team members unfamiliar with the platform's terminology and features.
Monday.com became their central hub, and after a brief learning curve, its user-friendly interface helped keep everyone on the same page. Compared to other systems that were more robust, the client found Monday.com to be exactly what they needed for the near future. As they scale their business, they may need to consider upgrading to a more comprehensive program, but for now, this system provided clarity, visibility, and consistency, demonstrating the value of an HR system.
Prioritize the needs for your recruitment and onboarding workflows, and consider user-friendliness. The platform should be intuitive for both HR professionals and anyone interacting with it. As your team grows, consider whether the software can adapt to your evolving needs.
Monday.com has increasingly focused on automation, streamlining processes and enhancing collaboration systems. The platform has also improved user experience, resulting in faster loading times and overall better performance. However, it remains to be seen whether they will build resources to make it more scalable.
Monday.com is great for freelancers, small teams, non-profits, and creative agencies. Larger organizations may struggle with the limited features compared to more robust HRIS solutions.
While Monday.com is a powerful tool, it might not be the best fit for large enterprises with complex needs or highly regulated industries. Currently, Monday.com needs to improve its internal systems before it can be recommended for organizations with over 50 employees.
Paycor
Paycor is a robust mid-market HR software for leaders at US-based companies that want their teams to save time with HR transactional tasks.
PROS
- Paycor web app and mobile version have been easy for employees to use.
- The employee self-service portal has good functionalities and is easy to navigate.
- Straightforward payroll processing.
- Scalable product with multiple plans for businesses with under 50 employees and custom plans for bigger teams.
- Frequently runs discount programs that cover setup fees.
- Paycor payroll solution and mobile app are both straightforward to use.
- Intuitive self-service employee portal.
- Offers multiple modules for small businesses and custom plans for teams with 50-1000 employees.
- Unlimited payrolls.
- Offers discounts frequently. Though not listed on their site, a free trial is available to those who contact the support team directly.
- On-demand pay is available for all plans.
- With the acquisition of the people development platform Verb, it has improved its employee learning experience.
CONS
- Customer support can be slow to respond.
- Recruiting tool is underdeveloped compared to other similar products.
- Undisclosed pricing. Free trial is available, but you have to reach out and request.
- Reporting and analytics capabilities are limited on lower-priced plans.
- Undisclosed pricing.
- Customer support is reported to be slow at times.
- It is not a good fit for teams with 1000+ employees or those requiring advanced customization to meet their unique requirements.
Paycor ticks all the boxes for the features we look for in an HRIS. The employee self-service portal is excellent; it makes tasks like reviewing or signing contracts or choosing benefits straightforward. Admin users are automatically informed about any updates to sensitive employee information.
They didn’t invent the wheel by offering mobile apps, but they are well-built and well-liked. They make it easy to access payroll, time and attendance, and other HR features while on the go.
Though large enterprises can use Paycor, we feel it’s best for SMBs to use it in conjunction with other core HR tools as they grow. Paycor offers multiple plan options for companies with fewer than 50 employees, so whether you only need a payroll solution or a full HR suite, Paycor may have a plan for you.
But our biggest concern about the software is customer reports that support can be quite slow to respond. We’ve also found the reporting capabilities for the lower-tier plans are limited. However, Paycor recently acquired Verb, a behavioral microlearning platform. In addition to bolstering its training and development capabilities, we hope to see improvements across the board in the following months.
Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Detroit Zoo, The Cincinnati Bengals, The YMCA.
The pricing of Paycor isn’t disclosed upfront. Contact a sales representative to get a custom quote.
Best For
While Paycor has features for global teams, it is a better option for companies in the U.S. with up to 1,000 employees, specifically those in manufacturing, healthcare, food and beverage, nonprofits, and professional sports organizations.
- Payroll Processing: We leverage Paycor's comprehensive payroll processing system to automate the calculation and distribution of employee paychecks. This feature simplifies the payroll process, reduces errors, and ensures compliance with tax and labor laws.
- Time and Attendance Tracking: It lets us efficiently manage employee attendance, track hours worked, and monitor overtime. This provides me with accurate data for payroll calculations and streamlines the time-tracking process.
- Tax Management: Paycor's tax management system helps me automate tax calculations, withholding, and filing, ensuring compliance with tax regulations. This feature handles federal, state, and local taxes, reducing administrative burden and minimizing the risk of errors or penalties.
- Reporting and Analytics: I use Paycor's robust reporting and analytics capabilities daily and it allows me to gain insights into HR and payroll metrics. By customizing reports, I can track key performance indicators, analyze trends, and make data-driven decisions to improve my workforce management and operational efficiency.
- Paycor integrates with other business systems and software, such as accounting software, time and attendance systems, and applicant tracking systems. This seamless integration helps eliminate data entry duplication, enhances data accuracy, and improves overall workflow efficiency.
- It provides dedicated customer support to assist us with any questions or issues we may encounter. Whether it's technical support, training, or general inquiries, Paycor's support team is available to ensure to offer solutions.
- Its tax management system helps us stay compliant with tax regulations by automating tax calculations, withholding, and filing. It handles federal, state, and local taxes, reducing the administrative burden and minimizing the risk of errors or penalties. They still make errors sometimes but they will do extensive research and resolve the situation.
We used Paycor for 3 years. We used to outsource payroll to a third party vendor but wanted to bring it in-house and needed to ensure that it integrates with other tools that we use (401k, health insurance, expenses, etc). The key benefits it provides are: payroll administration, integration capabilities, time and attendance tracking, reporting and analytics tools, tax management, performance management, employee self-service, ATS, and onboarding. Paycor helps us streamline our processes and keep them all under one roof. They also handle compliance for us (garnishment setup, tax filings, etc). All we need to do is submit a case with a government notice we received and they will do the research and best efforts to resolve it.
- It can get very expensive. For each integration they charge a one-time fee of $1000, there are too many fees for conducting audits, edits and corrections.
- If there is an error on their end they will not admit it until we fight against it and then Paycor may waive it.
- Lately their support members have been all newbies and lack knowledge to help with complicated issues.
- They make internal changes way too often and it's hard to keep up. At the beginning of this year they completely revamped the user interface without warning and it was very hard to find things. It took them a while to update all of their SOPs to reflect the new layout.
It's not so different in what they can offer and how much they charge but I've used other HRISs that offer dedicated account manager support instead of a general 1-800 phone number.
- Think of what tools you actually need because they have a great sales team that will entice you to pay for additional tools you may not even need or use.
- Each integration costs $1000 so think twice and ensure that the cost is worth it for your company.
- You should have a dedicated person at your company to handle Paycor for you because it can be a full-time job to keep up with them and to babysit the support team.
They change way too often and too much. Just when I learned it well, they change it without warning. They keep adding new integrations (which is good). They grow rapidly and are trying to get better and meet their customers’ expectations.
Medium to large companies. It’s good for big corporations too.
Start-ups and small businesses.
Rippling
Rippling is an HRIS platform with a pleasing design and thoughtful UX that handles everything between onboarding and offboarding.
PROS
- All-in-one HRIS platform for employee management, PEO services, and IT management.
- 500 integrations.
- US and global full-service payroll.
- Responsive chat support.
- Straightforward payroll function.
- Has a mobile app.
- Does a great job catching compliance issues.
- All-in-one platform for employee management + PEO services offered, and even a suite of other IT products
- With 500 integrations, it’s very likely that they integrate with other key tools from your tech stack.
- Operates globally with any currency
- Workflow automation
- Analytics opportunities
- Provides a holistic view of company outflows—headcount costs included
CONS
- Very SMB-oriented.
- No phone support.
- Decent prices for the core HR tools, yet extra features (sold as add-ons) can be too pricey for some.
- The reporting function is not the most user-friendly.
- Some shortcomings are reported with benefit carriers, and users are limited to their partner ecosystem.
- Total buy-in to Rippling is essential
- Very SMB-oriented, in case you’re a larger company.
- New features tend to be buggy in ways that tech teams are not accustomed to fixing
Rippling has gained traction with their product that focuses on helping SMBs manage HR and IT news with one platform.
Rippling’s focus is on automation and ease of use. In response to user feedback about problematic UX/UI, Rippling made significant improvements to the design of the web and app-based versions. The new design is a massive improvement and a big hit with our user testers.
Proxy, Dwell, Superhuman, Expensify, Checkr.
Rippling pricing starts at $8 per user per month. Rippling uses a per-employee-per-month pricing subscription model and has monthly base fees for some of its products.
Best For
Rippling works best for small and mid-sized businesses looking to manage HR, IT, and payroll in one place. The HRIS’s average customer size is between 25-150 employees.
We used Rippling as the source of truth for all HR reporting and documentation. The prior system we used did not have the storage and reporting capabilities to be our source of truth.
The key workflows we used were onboarding, offboarding, and document signature and retention. We were able to get most of the functionality we needed for these processes, but there were a few things that didn't work the way we needed them to without buying additional workflows.
There were some basic workflows, which were unlimited and free, but there were others that required upgrades and extra charges. The core plan included one workflow, so if you needed more than that, you had to purchase additional or upgrade your plan. The way that we set up our onboarding workflow (which was specific to location), we needed several workflows to accommodate our different locations, which was not a cost-feasible upgrade. Also, if you change the trigger on the free workflow, it changes to an upgraded workflow.
Rippling is user-friendly; you do not need to be a programmer to be able to program functions on this platform. You can contribute ideas for new features or functionality. Their customer service is better than most HRIS systems.
The organization had been using an HRIS system that did not have the robust reporting, automations, or customer service they were looking for. I used Rippling with the company for about a year and a half as a super admin. We found Rippling's customer service superior to the previous system we had been using.
Implementation was easy, but I strongly recommend that someone who has done implementations previously spearhead an implementation to help bridge where you were with a previous system to where you want to go with Rippling. Setting up workflows and automations is easy in Rippling, and their technical advisors are always willing to hop on a call to walk you through any issues that you may need additional help with.
We started using Rippling as the HRIS/payroll for our US team but quickly added the Canadian team. We used it largely for headcount and reporting for all other global teams.
Only one workflow in the core plan; everything else is an upgrade. Rippling often uses their customers for BETA testing without letting them know (Rippling told us they had functionality for payroll in another country when they did NOT). It feels like they are constantly trying to upsell you and get more money out of you.
The tool is one of my favorites so far. It is very easy to use, but when you get stuck on something, they will provide live support to walk you through. Most other HRIS systems are very helpful through implementation but are hard to reach once you have completed.
People need to think about the implementation process; the new tool is probably not going to look or act like the old tool. Definitely ask if there is a demo account and work through it to see how it works.
Think about where your company is now versus where you expect to be in five years. Will the tool grow with you? How much additional expenditure will be required to scale it with your business? If there are new functions you will need to purchase in the future, will the additional expense work with your scaling budget?
Rippling is very good at taking requests from customers for new functionality. For the most part, Rippling employees only know Rippling; they don't know other platforms. So they don't know how you used XYZ brand prior and how the change in process affected your business.
Rippling is good for organizations with a growing or evolving workforce. It can house all historical HR documents, send revised documents out with the click of a button, and update workflows easily.
Rippling would not be a good fit for a small, cost-conscious organization that doesn't need all the functionality it provides or would have to pay substantially more for the add-ons.
Lanteria
Lanteria covers multiple areas of HR: Central repository for employee data, recruiting, performance, compensation, time and absence management, and learning. The system is highly bespoke and is built on Microsoft SharePoint, making it a favorite for 100+ employee organizations.
PROS
- Good customization capabilities with advanced configuration.
- Knowledgeable and responsive customer support.
- Seamless integration with Microsoft suite.
- Mobile-friendly self-service portal.
- Advanced reporting and analytics.
- Good customization capabilities with advanced configuration.
- Knowledgeable and responsive customer support.
- Seamless integration with Microsoft suite.
- Mobile-friendly self-service portal.
- Advanced reporting and analytics.
CONS
- No in-app communication feature yet.
- There’s a learning curve with initial setup and configuration.
- Payment on an annual basis.
- No in-app communication feature yet.
- There’s a learning curve with initial setup and configuration.
- Payment on an annual basis.
Lanteria is not the only vendor that offers a full HR suite, but it’s by far the one and only that is based on Microsoft SharePoint. This enables the HRIS to not only have a deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem but also inherit the security level and the familiar UI of SharePoint—a huge plus for long-term users of Microsoft products.
The ability to FULLY customize HR process flow, be it onboarding, offboarding, employee suspension, and anything in between, has long been known as Lanteria’s signature. Additionally, you can modify the user interface with your logo and brand, add custom fields to match your employee data sets, and create automation workflows to match your internal HR processes.
We also like the varying user permission levels Lanteria offers. By default, you get HR, local HR, manager, and employee, which are sufficient for many already. If you need further customized roles like payroll or training, you can do so right within your admin account.
Manager self-service is another cool touch of the HR software. This allows managers to have quick access to their direct and employee data, absence requests, performance review feedback, and development plans.
Lanteria’s employee self-service portal is pretty solid, too. Both the web version and mobile apps are user-friendly. Plus, employees can access and update their data, request time off, check approval, and do feedback within a few fill-ins and clicks.
However, as a trade-off of its rich feature set and customization, implementing Lanteria can take some time, typically two to three months, for a standard set-up. Like most mid-market HR software, Lanteria’s pricing is on an annual basis and only available post-demo (but the vendor is willing to provide alternative payment schedules upon request and/or discussion).
Lacking in-app communication is another drawback of this HR solution, though a version with enhanced Microsoft Teams integration is coming by the end of 2024, and unfortunately, support in Spanish is also not available yet.
Lanteria HR has been used by over 300 companies in over 40 countries.
Lanteria’s pricing and access to a free trial are available for demo takers upon request.
Best For
Lanteria is great for companies with at least 100 employees (being Microsoft users is a plus) to manage all their HR tasks on one platform.
We used Lanteria in three ways. Our HR department was divided into three categories: learning, performance, and talent. Each team used Lanteria’s specific functions to match their use cases. Lanteria allowed us to create goals for employees and set them on a career path aligned with those goals. We were also able to develop learning catalogs and plan the training process for new hires and active employees who required continuous learning. Additionally, we used it to source candidates, manage job openings, and allow applicants to apply through the career portal.
- User-friendly: The platform’s user experience and design ensure that you don't feel overwhelmed while working.
- Comprehensive: Lanteria makes managing the entire HR lifecycle simple.
- Seamless integration: Lanteria allows for a smooth integration process, making it easy to add new features over time.
I worked at a fashion startup in the HR department. We researched various HR platforms to find one that fit our needs and preferences. Lanteria met and exceeded our expectations for an HR platform. While I was on contract with this startup, we implemented the platform in February 2023, and it is still in use today. Lanteria provides a wide range of resources to meet a company's needs.
While my team and I prefer this platform, we believe Lanteria’s technical support could be improved, given the broad range of features. The integration support, both during and after implementation, needs to be more robust so customers feel supported throughout their experience.
Lanteria stands out from its competitors because it offers a wide range of features at a reasonable price. I also believe Lanteria is a better option because it can work well for companies of various sizes, team dynamics, and industry sectors.
People should carefully evaluate any HR platform before selecting one, as these systems handle sensitive information. Before choosing Lanteria, I recommend ensuring that its integration options align with your company’s needs and confirming that you will use all of the services it offers, as the platform provides various features.
Lanteria has evolved to meet its customers’ needs by offering more services, such as learning management, performance tracking, and more.
Lanteria is well-suited for most organizations but is particularly good for companies with 200 or fewer employees.
Lanteria would not be ideal for companies that need to set up the platform quickly. Given the current support system, I recommend implementing it at a slower pace to ensure full understanding of its features.
OnPay
OnPay has transparent pricing and is quite affordable for a solution that combines payroll, HR, and benefits. You get the setup and employee data migration for free. The platform won’t ever charge additional fees except when you add more employees.
PROS
- The employee self-service portal allows employees to view and manage basic payroll preferences, review HR documents, and request time off.
- Six permission levels allow you to grant specific users certain access to the software’s data.
- Automated onboarding within the employee self-service portal.
- Built-in essential HR tools include e-signing, customizable offer letters, I-9 and W-4 forms, HR guides, and legal templates.
- Auto centralizes employee database and company documents.
- Benefits include health and dental benefits in 50 states, in-house licensed brokers to handle life, vision, and disability insurance, and integrated 401(k) plans.
- Compensation management features unlimited monthly pay runs, multiple pay rates and schedules, and various options to pay employees with no extra fee.
- Free tax form handling for W-2 employees and 1099 contractors.
- Some HR services included within the plan at no additional cost.
- 30-day free trial available (starts after OnPay verification).
- Well-developed online help resources.
CONS
- Accounting and time tracking are available when using third-party integrations.
- The mobile app version for employees is poorly rated for its incompetency.
- Limited integration options.
- No available features for learning management, recruiting functions, and training.
- Poor functioned employee mobile app.
- Requires payment four days before payday for direct deposit.
- Doesn’t support automatic payroll.
- Customer support sometimes hard to reach.
OnPay is an excellent option for teams with up to 500 employees due to its wealth of features and simple, affordable pricing. With one monthly fee, you get HR management, benefits administration, and payroll services.
Our favorite feature of the software is its compensation and benefits management capabilities. You don't have to calculate state and federal taxes and withholdings, as the platform will do it for you in compliance with regulations automatically. We encountered no issues when testing the software's payroll features, but what impresses us even more is its tax accuracy guarantee. If an OnPay error occurs, the platform takes responsibility for all the work with the tax agency, penalties, and fees to resolve the issue. We also used OnPay for tax form filing and payments and found it to be highly reliable. As for benefits tools, the platform is an excellent licensed health insurance broker and can help you select the right plans in all 50 states. We also noticed some well-known names, such as Vestwell and Guideline, listed as OnPay's 401(k) providers if you need retirement benefits for your employees.
OnPay's HR features include e-signing, sending offer letters, customizable checklists, PTO management, and self-onboarding, covering most essential HR tools. However, it lacks a native time tracking system, so you'll need to integrate it with software such as Deputy or QuickBooks Time for that capability. Another limitation to note is its integration options. Apart from the two time tracking tools mentioned, the software only connects to a few others: Xero, When I Work, Mineral, PosterElite, and Magnify.
- OnPay pricing consists of a base fee of $40 and $6 per employee per month.
- Software setup and employee data migration are offered for free.
- There’s a price calculator on the website for you to get the estimated cost.
- OnPay also has a one-month free trial.
Best For
SMBs looking for a budget-friendly solution that handles essential HR functions, advanced payroll, and benefits — simply and well. Agriculture businesses, churches, clergy, and nonprofits will likely get the most out of the software’s special payroll services for businesses in such industries.
We use Onpay for all our payroll needs. We process payroll every two weeks and appreciate that they offer unlimited payroll runs. We manage both contracted and full-time workers, and Onpay makes handling both types simple. Tracking and completing payroll is easy, which has saved us significant time in managing payroll tasks. It has freed up a lot of time on our backend for more efficient time management.
The process of adding a new employee to the payroll system is straightforward and efficient. The system alerts are manageable and provide proactive notifications of any potential issues before payroll is finalized. Additionally, tax documents and year-end statements are mailed automatically without any extra fees, making it a hassle-free service.
We decided to switch to Onpay because it had a strong reputation. During our research, many recommendations pointed toward this system. Once we began learning it, we found it very easy to use. We appreciated that it offered a comprehensive package for all our payroll needs. A bonus was that it’s a cloud-based program with lifetime access, which is crucial for HR as we often need to access past records. Onpay is affordable and overall very user-friendly.
The manual check process can be time-consuming for companies that issue a lot of manual checks. Setting up 401(k) deductions can be confusing if there are unusual requests. Payroll education and support for new employees could be improved with better FAQs or online tutorials.
Onpay is very easy to navigate, and the cloud-based functionality adds extra convenience and security. I prefer cloud-based services as they offer better protection, especially in case of risks to your HRIS systems or databases.
Consider how many paychecks are processed each month and the total number of employees. Are your current processes streamlined, and how complex are your payroll deductions? It's also important to review how many errors typically occur during payroll runs and whether the tool can minimize those.
Onpay listens to user suggestions and continuously adapts to improve over time.
Onpay is ideal for medium-sized organizations with fewer than 1,000 employees.
Onpay may not be suitable for large organizations with many different paycheck types and pay periods.
Sage People
Sage People is a scalable and highly configurable cloud HR solution that helps manage People processes for global workforces. The tool features a recruitment module as well automation for essential HR workflows.
PROS
- Good range of workflows for globally-distributed teams
- Lots of local expertise from payroll and compliance consultants
- Good range of workflows for globally-distributed teams
- Lots of local expertise from payroll and compliance consultants
CONS
- Not many integrations
- Some users have found the mobile app to lack core functionalities
- Not many integrations
- Some users have found the mobile app to lack core functionalities
Sage's HRIS is a customizable core HR suite built on top of Salesforce. Their product covers applicants through alumni and is a great option for companies in the small to medium enterprise range (150 - 5k employees) that have a global presence. They boast a 95% retention rate across their 500 customers, the result of a broad product that also integrates with the rest of Sage's ERP suite.
CRU, Lovehoney, Showbrook Bank, Enigma Industrial Services
While the pricing for Sage People isn't disclosed, you can take an interactive tour and see the tool for yourself. Afterwards, you can get in touch with their team to get a customized quote.
Best For
SMBs with a distributed team, especially those that use Salesforce. Also medium enterprises with a global workforce.
I use Sage People,
- to record employees and all their employment history.
- to give employees access to their own information page.
- to provide various reports for internal teams and human resources teams.
- to feed databases and generate human resources dashboards.
- for managing employee databases from various countries and integration with other internal applications like DocuSign, Bonusly, payroll, etc.
I like Sage People,
- as it has many features for example it generates extremely comprehensive and complete reports.
- as it has tools that allow me to batch-load data in a very easy and practical way.
- because it has very complete and functional support available to the user.
The tool was acquired for the registration database of employees. It was necessary to have a tool that could globally attend several countries. The tool had to be integrated with several applications like slack, DocuSign, financial force, etc. The system needs to be very complete in terms of reports and automation. I have been using the system for more than 1 year and 3 months.
Despite being complete the system has some limitations and in some countries with specific legislation is difficult to adapt to local rules. I can say that the system is quite complex and therefore some activities are quite difficult to perform and require some steps of attention.
I can say that the system has a lot of integrations with several other applications and platforms. Sage also stands out for its complete functionality in terms of reports. I also see the support offered to understand the system as a great differential, it is very complete.
Take into consideration a tool that can be globally adapted to many countries. Consider a tool that is widely possible to connect to other human resources applications and systems such as benefits, payroll, and other applications. Also, consider a tool that is easy to use and has a potential range of reports to generate.
I highlight that SAGE has released an updated version that can be used in parallel to the classic version, they call it Lightening with a more modern interface and some improved features.
In my point of view this tool is ideal for global organizations, with a human resources department that looks and takes care of your database and needs consistency and a reliable system with the ability to manage large volumes of data and generate practical reports and dashboards and requires integration with other internal systems in the company.
Small companies that do not need such a complex and complete system may not make much sense to use SAGE.
UKG
We picked Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) because their platform represents decades of collective experience in HR ops and tech. UKG was the company formed from the merger of two well-established HR titans: Ultimate Software and Kronos Incorporated.
PROS
- Highly reliable, robust, well-thought-out suite of HR tools and 70 years cumulative experience in people tech
- Deep knowledge and context related to HCM and workforce management technology.
- Super robust product, packing years of experience with HCM and Workforce Management technology
- Since they offer UKG Pro for HRMS and UKG Ready for workforce management, you could arrive at a combination of products that suits many of your HR needs from the same set of tools.
CONS
- Lacks a unique selling point or specific focus compared to newer tools, making it less suitable for highly specialized or niche businesses.
- Relatively pricey, particularly for businesses with limited budgets.
- Most features are built for standard business operations, so niche industries or one-off needs cannot be accommodated.
- The platform may be overwhelming for those seeking a limited set of specific use cases
- Compared to newer tools, UKG Pro and UKG Ready tend to miss a unique selling point or a specific focus on a certain type of business. While they work great for bigger companies in all sorts of industries, very niche operations might have a hard time adapting to the tool.
- Similarly, UKG offers many solutions under one umbrella, so it's not the best fit if you're looking for only a handful of specific use cases.
Specializing in core HR management functions, UKG is a highly renowned and widely adopted HCM suite. Over the years, it has undergone extensive testing and continuous development, resulting in an impressive array of modules that fully cover the standard set of HR tech necessities, such as payroll, benefits management, onboarding, and time-tracking.
This tool is highly configurable, allowing users to customize the platform to their specific administrative needs. This adaptability, coupled with the reliable support from the Ultimate Community, are the characteristics that impressed us most.
Admin users will appreciate the fine-grained control over user access, which enables robust data security by enabling tailored access permissions for different individuals and user groups.
Overall, the UI is visually appealing, but new users may be overwhelmed by option-saturated screens. To their credit, this overabundance of the interface signals a wealth of features and options.
The Ultimate Community feature offers a massive repository of information and insights drawn from the questions and answers of other users. Beyond being a simple record, it also allows users to seek assistance and interact with other current platform users, fostering a sense of collaboration.
This platform is great for most businesses with typical HR ops needs, but it is unable to address the needs of highly specialized teams. This shortcoming applies to edge cases, but lacking this adaptability means they cannot compete with some of the newer, more agile tools in this space.
It follows that the cost of the platform is aligned with their typical customer: the standardized organization operating in a well-known field. Some reports indicate that the starting price for every 5 users is approximately $600 annually, but with no pricing info available online we were unable to confirm.
Tesla, Marriott, Yamaha, Aramark, Puma, Sony Music, Samsung.
- Pricing for UKG is not available on their website. However, it is usually per-employee-per-month, either billed annually or monthly.
- Based on our research, UKG Pro licenses start around $600.00 per year for every 5 users.
- For detailed pricing information and a personalized quote, it is recommended to reach out to a sales representative at UKG Pro.
Best For
UKG is an excellent HR solution specifically designed for companies with a minimum of 51 employees in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia/Pacific regions.
Firstly, UKG helps us manage our payroll and benefits administration, to ensure employees are paid accurately and on time. Secondly, it streamlines recruiting and onboarding processes, making it easier to find and hire new talent. Thirdly, it provides a performance management tool, allowing us to set goals, evaluate employee progress, and provide feedback. Fourthly, it offers learning and career development modules, for our employees to upskill and advance in their careers. Lastly, it helps us remain compliant with HR regulations and mitigate risks related to workforce management. I used the system a few times a week.
UKG Pro offers a platform for employee recruiting, compliance, and file management, which can help businesses save time and streamline their HR processes. Additionally, its robust reporting and analytics capabilities enable data-driven decision-making, while its focus on diversity and inclusion can promote a positive workplace culture.
Our HR team was facing an administrative burden and we aimed to streamline our HR processes. For this, we needed a tool with HR features that could be customized for a large company. Our goal was to enhance the employee experience. We also wanted to ensure compliance with HR regulations, which is where UKG came in handy. With its customizable HR features and compliance tools, UKG helped us achieve our goals. In summary, we chose UKG to reduce administrative burden, optimize the employee experience, and maintain compliance with HR regulations. I have personally used UKG for 1 year.
UGK's customer service could be improved. Currently, making even simple changes within their systems requires submitting a ticket to the helpdesk. However, there are times when it can feel like too many tickets are being submitted. It would be helpful if they streamlined the process for updating passwords so that users/admins don't have to go through so many tedious steps.
UKG is not the best but it isn't the worst - more flexible than Workday but less flexible than Peoplesoft when it comes to reporting. I have a preference for UKG over its competitors. This is largely due to the convenience and efficiency of its payroll dashboard, open enrollment, and employee self-service features.
When looking to buy a tool like UKG, it is important to consider criteria such as integration, installation, security, support, and features that can bring ease to the admin users and employees. These factors can play a crucial role in the overall effectiveness and usability of the software. By evaluating these aspects carefully it will ensure you’re selecting the right tool to meet your needs.
In regards to maintaining the system, the type of user UKG would be good for is someone who is tech savvy. It could benefit a mid-size to large organization.
Someone who is not tech savvy and a smaller organization. There are too many configurations that could be time consuming.
Kallidus
Modern and user-friendly, the Sapling platform stands out as one of the few HRISs tailored to meet the needs of remote workplaces. Two standout elements are its exceptional onboarding capabilities and efficient workflow automation.
PROS
- The platform maintains a comprehensive record of all HR process changes, making it invaluable for audits and data compliance needs.
- It enables talent development through e-learning modules and gamified courses.
- The platform offers remarkable flexibility which makes it a great fit for small and scaling teams.
- The platform keeps track of all changes done to HR processes; useful in case of audits and to ensure data compliance.
- Includes talent-development features through the e-learning module, such as gamification of certain courses.
- Good bet for small and scaling teams given the flexibility of the platform.
- The tool also has remote team-focused features process auto-assigning.
CONS
- Some reports suggest the support team is slow to respond
- Users occasionally encountered troubles with integrations
- Integrations are somewhat limited and must be handled by staff that is comfortable working with the API or webhooks
- Several users have reported that the support team can be slow to respond to requests for assistance.
- Although it might not be completely on Sapling's hands, other users during are research reported troubles with the integrations to software like ADP.
- Additionally, the integrations are somewhat limited and you need to work with either an API or webhooks with some of the most trusted HR tools out there.
Although they started as an HR onboarding platform, Sapling has quickly grown into a remote-first HRIS with an impressive client list. Their full product keeps garnering zealous users and adding up features, currently offering tools like people admin, an intranet, a survey and feedback module, profile templates, and all sorts of integrations.
One of Sapling’s main strengths is their workflow automation. Their goal is to help People teams improve the employee experience while saving man hours and bringing remote teams together.
Coupa, Warby Parker, Webflow, Digital Ocean, PagerDuty
Sapling's pricing varies depending on which modules you'd get. You can start with the People Operations Platform, and then add the Essential and/or Premium modules. The final price will depend on the applicable platform fee, plus a per-user-per-month fee. To give you an idea, the minimum annual fee is $4,000 USD.
Best For
Sapling is aimed primarily at mid-sized organizations (50-2000 employees) distributed internationally.
Namely
Namely’s comprehensive HR software packs features for onboarding, talent management, time-off tracking, and performance management. On top of that, companies can opt for their managed services for payroll and benefits administration.
PROS
- The majority of users can navigate Namely without any issues. They find the UI to be intuitive and clean, even though the platform has lots of features.
- Namely’s employee onboarding module gets a lot of praise from users. It features an easy-to-follow wizard, which helps new hires get on quickly and be clear on what they need to do.
- Besides the platform’s built-in features for data management, recruiting, onboarding, time off tracking, payroll, and benefits administration, there are also managed payroll and benefits administration services you can opt for to reduce the burden on your internal teams.
- The majority of users are able to navigate Namely without any issues. They find the UI to be intuitive and clean, despite the fact that the platform has lots of features.
- Namely’s employee onboarding module gets a alot of praise from users. It features an easy-to-follow wizard, which helps new hires get on quickly and be clear on what they need to do.
- Besides the platform’s built in features for data management, recruiting, onboarding, time off tracking, payroll and benefits administration, there are also managed payroll and benefits administration services you can opt for to reduce the burden on your internal teams.
CONS
- Namely primarily operates in the U.S., so if you’re looking for a global payroll and benefits provider, this platform isn’t for you.
- Though many praise the platform’s ease of use, implementing it takes a long time. Namely’s own team says that an average implementation takes between 6-8 weeks.
- For a platform of Namely’s size, there currently aren’t any features that focus on employee development such as skill training, career pathing, succession planning, etc.
- You’ll need to check beforehand if Namely can work with your existing benefits provider if you have one. There have been a few reports (but not few enough to ignore) about Namely’s team convincing customers to change their benefits provider to providers that charged them more.
- Namely primarily operates in the U.S., which means if you’re looking for a global payroll and benefits provider, this platform isn’t for you.
- Though many praise the platform’s ease of use, it does take long to implement it. Namely’s own team says that an average implementation takes between 6-8 weeks.
- For a platform of Namely’s size, there currently aren’t any features that focus on employee development such as skill training, career pathing, succession planning etc.
- You’ll need to check beforehand if Namely can work with your existing benefits provider, if you have one. There have been a few reports (but not few enough to ignore) about Namely’s team convincing customers to change their benefits provider to providers that charged them more.
Namely has quickly become a top HR software for the mid-market. With built-in modules, Namely facilitates several HR processes, including employee data management, payroll processing, benefits administration, time and attendance tracking, and performance management. This integrated approach increases efficiency and reduces the need for multiple systems.
Besides what’s visible from the employer or admin side, Namely empowers employees to access and update their information, request time off, and view pay stubs through a dedicated employee self-service portal. Another near thing about Namely is its robust reporting and analytics module, giving you the reports you need and insights on the latest market trends.
Greenhouse, MacStadium, and OneLogin are among Namely’s 1000+ customers.
Namely’s pricing varies according to the modules you want to use. Their Sales team can give you a breakdown of how much it’ll cost you if you book a demo.
Best For
Mid-sized companies in any industry, but mostly in the United States.
My team and I used Namely every day for all our cloud-based HRIS needs. We used Namely for benefits, time tracking, housing HR policy and personnel documents, and, of course, onboarding. Namely is a functional tool with easy-to-set-up workflows for forms and processes. Also a payroll company, Namely does it all. Functions like e-forms and documents, which required passing through multiple departments, were made easy by the workflows offered in this tool. 10/10.
I like the aesthetic of the site; it is fun to use and user-friendly. The mobile version is functional during onboarding, unlike many other systems that claim to be mobile-friendly; Namely actually is! I like how things flow and the ease of uploading and storing documents. I like that our people enjoy using Namely.
We selected Namely because we wanted a personalized solution fit for our unique needs. We were tired of the same old runaround with big companies like ADP and being passed from one department to another to solve a simple issue. My company needed a better user experience for us as administrators and for our employees. Our primary pain point was transitioning off of a full-service PEO and needing a personalized touch and a good bit of handholding during setup. I used Namely for one year, and the company I was with is still using the product.
During the merger with Prism, there were some system bugs, but those seemed to get sorted out after a month or so. At times, the chat or help function can be slow to use, and I had to restart a few chats, which did not make me happy at that time. That said, the Namely reps were always courteous and went above and beyond to help us. Since we had no appointed contact team, I was always talking to a new person, which can be challenging when working through a long-term project like multi-state payroll tax setup or complex benefits.
I like that Namely allows the HR team to drive the bus. If someone is not tech-savvy, Namely will not be the best tool for them. Namely stacks up against its competitors well, and I loved using the system! I’d use it again.
Before investing in this platform, determine if your HR team is at least moderately tech-savvy; if not, look elsewhere. Do you have under 500 employees? If yes, Namely can easily accommodate your group. Do you have at least one HR person on staff per 75-100 employees? If not, you should consider adding an admin. Namely is a great tool, but it doesn’t think for you. People still need to do the work, especially benefits and payroll-related tasks.
Yes, it has, and they are doing a good job adjusting to market needs. Namely is cutting-edge and definitely improving over time.
Namely is a great tool for small to mid-sized businesses.
Someone needing active handholding daily or a lot of tech support will not do well using Namely.
Zenefits
Zenefits is oriented to businesses in the US market. The platform carries almost anything a startup or small team can ask for in an HRIS with an intuitive design and a very reasonable cost.
PROS
- Provides full-service management of employee records, automated payroll, and benefits.
- Eye-pleasing UI that is also highly rated for its ease of use.
- The pricing plans allow you to pay and add certain modules when you need them or eliminate them if you don’t.
- Relatively cheap compared to similar products.
- Payroll works for full-time employees, part-time employees, and 1099s.
- Offers a free trial and no setup fee.
- Has a mobile app.
- It’s one of the top names in HR tech and payroll software for American small businesses.
- Their platform is one of the best-looking and easiest to figure out among the sector.
- Zenefits can grow with you. Its pricing plans allow you to pay and tweak as you go, add certain modules when you need them, or get rid of them if you don’t.
CONS
- Oriented to small businesses in the US.
- Payroll with unlimited pay runs is offered as an add-on.
- Basic customization and integration options.
- Tax filings, at times, don’t work well for multi-state teams.
- Doesn’t provide phone support or dedicated account managers. Response time on customer service can be too lengthy.
- As oriented to small businesses as the tool is, it doesn’t give you the chance to create a custom bundle of the services and/or modules you’d like to have. For instance, Zenefits does not offer a standalone ACA module. Therefore, you will need to purchase an entire HRIS plan if you want to access that offering.
- In addition, Zenefits focuses on small to mid sized companies. If you're an enterprise organization, you may want to consider another option.
- Zenefits is also rather focused on the US market at this point. So, if your team is mostly in another country and you need more of a local know-how, it might not be the best bet for certain modules like payroll and benefits.
Zenefits can take care of HR processes like onboarding, offboarding, benefits, payroll, and performance reviews.
The HR software’s average customer size is under 50 employees, which means that the user experience is thought out not only for human resources staff but is easy and quick enough for managers or executives who need to take care of some HR tasks.
One of our favorite parts about demoing Zenefits was noticing the simplicity of the HRIS and its helpful employee directory. Zenefits is also known among small teams for its affordable price. While the software doesn’t offer a custom plan, it provides users with multiple add-on services, from Recruiting to Payroll, at a transparent price to enhance the platform’s base plan.
Quora, Universal Group, Reddit, Asana.
Zenefits has three base plans. When billed annually:
- Essentials plan costs $8 per month per employee.
- Growth plan costs $16 per month per employee.
- Zen plan costs $21 per month per employee.
- Add-ons are available at $5 per month per employee.
Best For
Zenefits is made for US-based startups and SMBs that are looking for a budget-friendly HRIS that can carry several HR services.
We use it for recruiting and onboarding. It is used whenever a new recruitment is required. Once the recruitment is completed, we use it for onboarding. The best part is that most of the information flows from recruitment into onboarding. As a start-up, the usage varies a lot and is more dependent on the needs of the year and clients.
- The recruitment and onboarding systems are very easy to use.
- The information flow from the recruitment system to onboarding is one of the features we like.
- The recruitment system helps us track applicants and makes posting on various platforms easy.
- They have a mobile app, which provides convenience.
- The recruitment system facilitates easy and trackable communication between different interviewers.
- For technology roles, when an assignment is given, the system tags the score with the candidate's profile, which is very helpful.
The major challenge that the company was facing was the recruitment and onboarding alignment. Everything was done manually as a start-up, and it was taking too much time. Zenefits was one of the comprehensive HRIS tools that is integrable with Intuit QuickBooks Online, which was already in place. We were also looking for a long-term solution that would help us with leave and attendance management in the future if required.
- The pricing starts from 5 employees. Even though we weren't 5 employees when we started using it, we had to pay for 5 employees.
- The implementation of Zenefits normally takes about 4-6 weeks.
- There are a few things in onboarding that need to be tracked manually by the admin.
One of the major benefits of Zenefits is its pricing, which is an important factor for a start-up.
- Pricing.
- Ease of use - how easy it is to use not just for the admin but also for the employees.
- From a long-term perspective, what features they might need in the future.
- Mobile app - nowadays, it is important that the system is available on the go.
- Privacy and confidentiality.
I have not worked on it for a long time to know the changes.
Zenefits can be good for organizations that have more than 5 employees and where HR can be seen as a strategic partner instead of just an admin.
Zenefits is not great probably for companies with less than 5 employees and who have less frequent recruitment and onboarding needs.
Factorial HR
Factorial is a solid SaaS all-in-one HR platform that’s devoted to solving the daily challenges of HR teams while placing a strong emphasis on data security. Notable for a comprehensive HRIS, they are used by office and deskless workers alike.
PROS
- Flexible pricing scheme
- Complete HR Suite + ATS
- Strong SMB focus
- Good UX/UI and frequently updated design
- Flexible pricing scheme
- Complete HR Suite + ATS
- Strong SMB focus
- Good UX/UI and frequently updated design
CONS
- Some users have pointed out that the tools are not very customizable.
- Because it covers such a wide range of functions, we’ve found that modules like payroll and reporting could be further developed.
- Some users have pointed out that the tools are not very customizable.
- Because it covers such a wide range of functions, we’ve found that modules like payroll and reporting could be further developed.
Factorial is a great HR software solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Their offering gives human resources teams their time back through managing employee onboarding, time tracking, PTO, org charts, payroll, talent acquisition, and much more.
We also like that they place a good deal of importance on data security. With Factorial, all database information is encrypted and GDPR-compliant. They also use a Single Sign-On system and regularly perform vulnerability diagnostics.
The Power MBA, The Hotels Network, Nextail, Ulabox, Vicio
The Factorial Core HR platform starts at $60 per year, then it's $4 per additional user. There is a 14-day free trial and custom enterprise pricing is available for bigger teams. Their ATS is available as an add-on, starting at $39 per month for 10 job offers. Then you can upgrade to Pro, with unlimited job offers, for $119 per month (all if billed yearly).
Best For
Small and medium-sized businesses with many HR processes to streamline. It's specially suitable for organizations with a remote workforce and operations in Europe, the US, or Latin America.
What are the benefits of having a top HRIS system?
We like to start with the “why?” behind any piece of software. With the HRIS, many assume that the answer is simple: it’s a must-have because a database that tracks your employee information is necessary. In fact, buying and using an HRIS is not the no-brainer choice it’s made out to be. It is a major strategic decision that requires a lot of time, thought, and buy-in, and in some cases, it’s just not the right tool for the job. That said, we’ve seen HRIS systems offer tremendous benefits when they are adopted at the right place and time.
Here are the key benefits of using a top-notch HRIS, whether you're a small business or Fortune 500.
Save Time with Automation: By automating recurring tasks like benefits, payroll administration, employee onboarding, time tracking, and attendance management, your HRIS helps make tedious HR processes quick, simple, and less prone to error. According to Nucleus research, companies that do use HR automation reported 67% faster new hire onboarding and 90% time savings on admin work.
According to Jones, if an organization has at least one employee whose full-time job it is to manage people systems and benefits administration, then it is time to start using an HRIS.
Improve the Employee Experience: An HRIS doesn’t just benefit your business and bottom line. It’s also a direct asset for your employees. With a user-friendly employee portal, your employees can navigate benefits options easily, review and update personal information, manage requests for time off, and much more. Employees who feel their employers’ onboarding software is effective are five times more likely to report high levels of engagement
Employee Performance: Beyond simply reviewing conduct and achievements, your HR system can actually drive employee performance. Performance reviews, engagement surveys, performance management capabilities, and customizable integrations with other tools can all be used to build culture and turn company values from ideas to action. Statistically, 72% of HR generalists engaging in self-service HRIS reported a lighter workload.
Increase Compliance: If you are careful with the setup and initial data entry, an HRIS can significantly improve your data accuracy and accessibility. In addition to helping out in a pinch, data accuracy, and task automation support compliance year-round. Automation results in fewer human errors. Many vendors do a great job of staying on top of changes in laws and regulations, keeping you in the loop, and updating their products accordingly.
Better Organization: If a team’s starting point is pencil and paper, using an HRIS will alleviate some data security risks and the hassle of sifting through physical files. For teams who have moved beyond the paper files to a patchwork of spreadsheets and other tools, buying a complete HR suite will help keep everything in the same place.
Richey shared her personal experience with this problem, and how an HRIS solved it.
Early on, her company used multiple tools for people processes: one tool for payroll, one for benefits, one for LMS, one for performance management, etc. Does this sound familiar? She knew it was time for an HRIS.
First, she identified the needed features and set her team off with a headstart and a list of non-negotiables. The result: they identified the right tool for the right price, and today, they save hours each month by not having to switch from one app to another, build integrations, or transfer info.
Streamline the Hiring Process: Some HRIS tools can also act as lightweight ATS, and some have a full-fledged ATS built-in. These features allow you to easily collect resumes, review candidate info, and speed up employee onboarding and training, providing new hires with a seamless transition into your company. Custom workflows also help ensure that the onboarding process does not overlook key steps or necessary documents.
Business Intelligence: Analyzing data metrics becomes increasingly important as your business grows. By creating custom reports, your HRIS makes it easy for your HR team to analyze hiring costs, calculate turnover, employee engagement, and ultimately use data to help inform business decisions.
Workforce Management: The top tools come from best-in-class HR technology companies. Progressive, forward-thinking HR departments can count on an HRIS platform for human capital management.
For example, employee engagement is sometimes built right into an HRIS or HRMS (human resource management software), along with intuitive employee onboarding, easy-to-access payroll and benefits, mobile first-time and attendance, and payroll management. This is done through a cloud-based service that automatically updates as new modules roll out.
Common Pitfalls for HRIS Software
Making mistakes is a great way to learn, but with this complex and expensive software, sometimes it’s best to learn from the missteps of others.
The best way to avoid buying the wrong software is to ask the right questions. Keep this in mind as you start working with vendors – check out our suggested questions below, and take note of these shortcomings that are typical traits of bad HRIS software.
Lack of employee self-service: If your HRIS doesn’t allow employees to update their own personal information or choose their own benefits plans, then it’s not really saving your human resources team time. The tools that offer the greatest returns always include employee self-service capabilities.
Inability to integrate with other systems: If you really want to save time with an HRIS, make sure it integrates with your current tech stack. Manually transferring data from one system to another is the exact opposite of saving time.
Take, for example, the integration of a standalone ATS. Though there are some exceptions, most HRIS platforms don’t include an ATS that is sophisticated for high-volume hiring. Remember this as you shop: chances are good that your ATS and HIRS will be neighbors but not roommates. You can ensure they get along if you think ahead about integrations.
Lack of data accuracy: Your HRIS is only as good as the data it stores. A system full of inaccurate data is useless and potentially hazardous, so make sure your HRIS takes measures to ensure accuracy. This applies to data entered manually or via API from another HR or recruiting solution – be sure that your HRIS takes this step seriously.
Lack of consideration of application’s limits: The HRIS that is right for a business with 5,000 employees is not the right HRIS for a company with 100. Your company’s current size must be a major factor in your decision, and if your business is growing fast, you’ll want an HRIS that can grow with it.
For very large teams, the options are relatively limited compared to what is available for small groups. This owes to the fact that the latest and greatest tech often comes from small, boundary-breaking startups that are too curious (and sometimes distractible) to focus on making incremental improvements to the feature set needed by enterprise-size orgs.
Incorrect or rushed implementation: Take. Your. Time. There are few things worse than technical debt, one of which is technical debt that results from preventable (a.k.a “stupid”) mistakes. Do not rush the data transfer process when setting up a new HRIS. If you cut corners, data will likely be entered or transferred incorrectly. Without a doubt, you will meet that data again during a frustrating and preventable (a.k.a “stupid”) moment when you discover you’ve entered the wrong pay rate or manager permissions.
It’s advisable to get a consultant if you can afford it. Someone who “has been there, done that” when transitioning data from one system to another can be advantageous. And, of course, if your new HRIS comes with a ton of vendor support, use it all! Many companies offer tremendous support to their new clients to ensure a smooth implementation of their platform.
Non-user-friendly platform: An HRIS is only effective if employees actually use it. A poorly designed platform may generate net-negative productivity and net-positive frustration. Make sure your new system is designed for the humans who will use it: it must be easy on the eyes with good UX in all environments in which it will be used, whether an app, browser, or mobile web.
Insufficient data security: It will surprise nobody to read that a data breach on an HRIS is very, very bad. They store scads of sensitive, personal employee information, so even a minor instance of compromised security could cause irreparable damage to your business. Be cautious and methodical when setting up your system’s security measures – and remember the sometimes blurry difference between your HR pros and your IT pros. And one rule of thumb: be weary of vendors with fewer than 20 employees listed on LinkedIn.
Insufficient planning: HR teams who have not sufficiently mapped out the process of installing and introducing their HRIS will face tremendous struggles getting their solution off the ground. To prevent this, your team should create a concrete timeline that outlines each implementation phase in great detail. Communicate with the relevant set of employees/managers at each implementation stage. Ask and expect a lot of questions, and remember: no rushing! And remember to save some resources for your future.
Having led many HIRS implementations, Richey has “been there, done that''. In her experience, she found that one of the biggest mistakes companies make is purchasing a product that works only for where they are today, with little thought of where they may be in the near or distant future. She added, "Think of all the possible changes your company might experience in the next five years and plan for that. You want a system that scales with the company to ensure you won't switch HRIS for a long time."
New HRIS Internal Stakeholder Management
Any time you manage a significant purchase for your business, internal stakeholders will be watching. In fact, part of the process of buying a new HRIS is stakeholder management. You must justify your choices from start to finish, from vendor selection to buy-in to implementation.
Generating wholehearted stakeholder buy-in is particularly important because it is crucial to maximizing the solution's value.
Identify these key stakeholders early and understand how to maintain their support.
Below is a brief overview of the various important stakeholders and advice for managing each.
Company leadership (CEO and rest of C-Suite): If you want your HRIS to have the best chance for success, you’ll need to get buy-in and continuous support from the top leaders at your company. To accomplish this, present the business case to them and carefully lay out the ROI your new HRIS will drive. Present your plan for implementation and provide them with a detailed timeline. Throughout the life of the HRIS, provide leaders with updates about how the system is meeting the goals laid out for it, and how you plan to stay on track to achieve future goals.
Human Resources: The rest of your HR team is one of the biggest stakeholders involved in the implementation and must not be overlooked! A successful solution will make HR functions much easier, and a failed solution will make them much, much more difficult. It is important to use their help to get this right.
Because they will lead in handling employee questions, issues, and possibly grievances with the system, make sure your People team feels good about the selection and is properly trained to use it. Communicate to all human resources team members how a new HRIS will change some employees’ duties, especially with the automation of tasks that we previously performed manually.
Benefits Brokers: Some of the HR professionals we talked to consider it essential to involve benefits brokers in the process. First, ensuring that the HRIS vendors you're considering work with the benefits carriers you currently use is vital. If they do not, part of your implementation process will include justifying to your employees why they are being forced to make a difficult change. In some (but not all) cases, a benefits broker can help with this.
Although keeping current benefits unchained may narrow down and simplify your search from the start, brokers can be helpful to help navigate the notoriously tricky ins and outs of benefits and coverage. Finally, some benefit brokers have an internal HRIS team you can partner with during the RFP (request for proposal) process.
Operations team: Your operations team will be involved in the budgeting, reporting, and legal compliance of your HRIS. They may also communicate with benefits management providers and external partners affected by your new HRIS. Communicating with your operations team is crucial to their continued support of your HRIS solution.
IT teams: Your tech teams will play an important role in helping implement and update new software, so involve them in the decision-making process to ensure they are comfortable with the technology and any security implications. It may also be helpful to open a communication channel between the vendor’s tech people and your IT team, so if they do run into problems, you are already one step closer to a solution. If the system will require a lot of updates, especially if they are not the automatic, cloud-based type, make sure that your tech team is aware and prepared.
All employees: Every employee has a stake in the success or failure of your HRIS. A successful, easy-to-use HRIS is a massive benefit to workers. At the same time, the success of your HRIS is dependent on your employees using it correctly, so be sure to provide the necessary training and communicate about the solution clearly and early. You should listen to your employees' feedback at every step of the road and take their complaints and concerns seriously.
Be sure to carefully explain the positive ways an HRIS will impact their day-to-day work and focus specifically on how the system will benefit them now and in the future.
HRIS System Pricing
Pricing of HRIS software depends on the breadth of the feature set offered and the size of your organization. Typically, it is charged on a per-employee/per-month basis.
Price ranges vary a lot for different solutions. You can find an HRIS that will charge you $2/employee/month and solutions that run as high as $30/employee/month (plus additional fees for payroll and benefits, as well as extra modules for hiring and onboarding).
As with many things in life, you get what you pay for. If you just need to check the box, a cheaper solution makes sense. Suppose you want to use your HRIS to be a tool for increasing employee engagement, retaining employees, and generally driving business value through human capital management. In that case, you’ll have to pay up for one of the better solutions.
Some vendors will also charge ancillary fees in addition to the recurring SaaS cost. Be aware that these add-ons can add up, and realize that you can often negotiate these fees much more easily than the recurring per employee/per month cost of the cloud-based solution. Setup, consulting, support, and software fees are all fair game for negotiation.
A quick note: we are continually crowdsourcing data on HRIS pricing through a survey. We do this to increase transparency and help HR teams better understand their options. It's anonymous and takes only two minutes; anyone who helps the community by filling it out will get access to the entire data set.
What Are Some Key Features Of An HRIS?
When looking for an HRIS, it’s essential to think about your goals and codify them into an organizer spreadsheet to make notes throughout your vetting process. In addition to the demo questions below, it’s worth thinking through some of the key features of your new system. Here are a few you’ll want to consider as you start watching demos for potential vendors.
Employee Self-service portal: Keeping employee information current can be a lot of work for your HR department. The self-service function of many human resource management tools helps eliminate this challenge by empowering employees to view and edit their own information, including benefits selection, time off, and more. It’s worth taking the product for a spin with the employee user in mind to make sure the system is set up for their ease of use.
Time and Attendance Management: An HRIS simplifies tracking time off and planned and unplanned absences due to sickness, injury, maternity leave, or unauthorized leave.
Onboarding Capability: While onboarding typically involves a lot of paperwork, with an HRIS, employees can complete much of the onboarding process electronically, including open enrollment. Most HRIS platforms even have electronic signature functionality, allowing employees to sign scanned documents that can be stored in the system.
Custom Reporting: As HR increasingly relies on data and trends, it’s crucial to have a system that can create reports to help improve business decisions. A powerful analytics system takes the manual labor out of preparing reports and replaces it with empirical evaluation speed, accuracy, and objectivity.
Learning Management: Though a learning management system (LMS) may be baked into your HRIS software, it's much more likely that, like the ATS, you’ll use this tool as a standalone solution. Whether integrated or built-in, the LMS is critical for managing educational materials during employee onboarding and throughout the employee lifecycle.
Employee Database: The employee database of an HRIS allows you to store all employee records and information in a centralized location. The data is searchable, making finding details on employee salary and position, performance appraisal histories, disciplinary histories, and training records easier.
Recruiting functions: Many HR solutions allow you to post new roles on job boards, manage interviews, store resumes, and transfer information when a new candidate is hired. While not all HRIS platforms have their own recruiting and applicant tracking functions, they should at least be able to integrate with your current ATS so that you can transfer new-hire information to your system quickly and smoothly.
Training and Development Management: Tracking employee training is essential, particularly in an industry where employees require specific certifications or licensing. An HRMS lets you see what training employees need or want and helps you stay current on any required recertifications.
Central Storage for Company Documents: As a centralized location for any information your employees might need, your HRIS should be where employees can find employee handbooks, emergency evacuation procedures, safety guidelines, and more.
Benefits Administration: Your HRIS software should enable employees to enroll in health insurance, manage their 401(k), and track their benefits information. Many systems also have built-in payroll solutions, so when employees update their benefits information, that information is automatically updated in the payroll system and reflected in their compensation. Often, the payroll feature is an additional charge that your HR department needs to be aware of.
Compensation management: To reduce the risk of error when handling employee compensation, HRISs often offer payroll and compensation management functions. This allows you to handle many forms of compensation including salaries, paid time off, overtime pay, and bonus programs automatically.
What Should You Ask During A Demo?
The next step is working with vendors and doing demos. For this step, it’s essential to come prepared with questions that address the core needs of your organization from a functional standpoint, as well as the various items internal stakeholders are looking for (security, data migration, self-service portals, etc.).
Here are questions you should have in your back pocket to ensure your company's needs are met by the tool your vendor is selling.
- How will information be exchanged with carriers (for benefits)?
- How can we put important data into this system? (API, Excel spreadsheets, documents, other databases, and paper documents)
- Does it accommodate benefits carriers’ rules?
- Does it integrate with ATS/payroll system/any other systems you might have that impact workforce management?
- What built-in security measures does it contain?
- Does this solution have SSO (single sign-on) capabilities?
- Are there multiple authorization levels for different types of users?
- Is there a maximum number of employees it will support?
- What types of reporting capabilities does it have?
- Does it include features to help HR communicate with employees, like mass emails or sophisticated message filtering?
- How much technical training will be required?
- What kinds of technical support are provided?
- What recruiting capabilities are built in?
- Which HR processes will be automated?
Richey points out, "Demoing software can be painful, but it pays to go into the weeds for every single module." When approaching a demo, Stacey likes to get a feel for what every workflow will feel like for her employees. She believes they must be getting a tool that makes their lives easier, and often, this commitment requires a trial version to test out the software after the demo.
Does Your Company Actually Need An HRIS?
While tiny businesses may be able to handle all of their employee information in spreadsheets, an HRIS becomes increasingly essential as your business grows. If you’re still not sure if an HRIS is right for your business, here are some key signs that you should be thinking about implementing one:
You have more than 25 employees: While 25 employees is not a rigid threshold, it is an excellent place to start thinking about using an HRIS. With more than 25 employees, keeping track of data becomes a chore, and at a certain point, it becomes impractical (and error-prone!) to manually enter and update all employee data.
Many of your jobs require licensing or certification: If you are in an industry where employees require up-to-date certifications for legal reasons, staying on top of the schedule is critical. An HRIS can streamline the process by setting up automated reminders when certificates are due to expire.
You’re growing fast: Companies face changing legal requirements as they pass different size thresholds. Keeping up with the legal requirements of a growing company is much easier to do automatically with an HRIS than by hand in spreadsheets.
You want your HR team to play a more strategic role: Having one easily searchable system that stores employee information, runs payroll, and handles benefits saves a lot of time for your HR team. It allows them to focus on more strategic projects for your business, like increasing employee engagement and retention or improving company culture.
You manage hourly employees: With hourly employees, you often have to track hours and manage changing schedules. This is another process that is made infinitely easier with an HIRS system.
You need custom data reports: As businesses become increasingly data-driven, accurate and readily available data-based reporting about the life of your company becomes more and more critical. Many HRIS solutions have features that easily create custom reports for you so you can get a better idea of your company's health.
HRIS Systems: FAQs
What is an HRIS?
An HRIS is an employee management platform that allows HR teams to store and manage employee records. They generally include or integrate with standalone tools that offer core HR functions like payroll, performance reviews, and ATS.
What does HRIS stand for?
HRIS stands for Human Resource Information System.
What’s the difference between HRIS, HCM, and HRMS?
HCM stands for Human Capital Management. HRMS stands for Human Resource Management System. On the surface level, there isn’t a massive difference between HRIS, HCM, and HRMS. They are all people management systems that help companies optimize their HR processes.
However, there can be some subtle differences.
- An HRIS is an all-encompassing in-house software for managing people, procedures, and policies.
- An HCM has all the features of an HRIS but often includes talent management capabilities.
- An HRMS is an end-to-end system with all of the features of an HRIS and HCM but often includes payroll and time and labor management capabilities.
Pro Tips For A Smooth Implementation Of HRIS + Final Thoughts
Here are some best practices to help you make sure the process of implementing this new technology is successful:
Fully commit: To take full advantage of the services your HRIS offers, you must fully understand all of its features and how to use them. Get your data migrated into your new system quickly (but do not rush!) and dedicate time to get used to the new processes.
Decide on an implementation team: Before you choose an HRIS, you should create a team who will take full responsibility for the rollout process of the product. This team should be in charge of communicating the new HRIS to employees and providing employees with training and support. Experts from different areas of the company should be equipped to take full ownership of the implementation process.
Concentrate on adoption: If people at your company aren’t using your HRIS, then its value is drastically decreased. To prevent poor adoption, ensure employees are aware of the new technology before you roll it out. It’s also essential to select a user-friendly HRIS and provide the necessary training so all employees, from new hires to executives, feel comfortable using the technology.
Pro tip: Get one leader from each functional area to communicate the new system is coming and ensure they highlight its benefits.
Don’t be afraid to seek support from the vendor: Choose a vendor who cares about your success with the product will help if you run into any significant issues. It’s unrealistic to rely entirely on the vendor to fix all your problems, but don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. Your vendor should be willing to help you if they care about their success as a business and happy to provide support if they care about yours. Understand in detail the support that will be offered, and get SLAs in place if you can.
Be able to adapt: Being adaptable is always important for an HR team, especially when it comes to implementing an HRIS. If the roll-out lacks energy or employees are responding negatively to the system, you need to be ready to change your approach to set your HRIS program up for success.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, the information here is helpful as you start to think about which HR software vendors to contact for demos, what questions you want to be answered, and which internal stakeholders need to be engaged to ensure a successful implementation of a new HRIS.
Good luck!
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