10+ Best HCM Software To Manage Your HR Needs in One Place (2025)

Paylocity’s user-friendly design makes managing HR tasks incredibly easy. Tracking employee hours, processing payroll, and handling benefits is convenient and helps prevent errors. The reporting and analytics tools provide a clear overview of the team’s performance, enabling me to make informed decisions.

We chose Paylocity to address numerous issues with our previous HR and payroll system. The old system caused delays in paychecks and dissatisfaction among employees due to multiple errors.

We needed a solution that could manage everything from payroll to career development in a single platform. Paylocity stood out because of its simplicity and useful features, and it’s scalable to support our company's growth.

Since implementing Paylocity, we've seen significant improvements in payroll accuracy, compliance with statutory requirements, and employee satisfaction. Employees can now view their pay stubs and request leave on their own, streamlining HR tasks.

I've been using Paylocity for approximately two years, and it has transformed our HR processes, making everything more efficient.

Paylocity's customer service can be slow, which is frustrating when dealing with urgent issues. While the customization features are helpful, they can sometimes feel limited and don’t always fit our needs perfectly. The mobile app, though functional, could benefit from design improvements to make it more user-friendly and enjoyable to use.

Paylocity stands out because of its simple layout and ease of use, unlike other platforms that require extensive manuals just to understand basic functions. It offers a one-stop shop for HR tasks, including payroll and talent management, without being overly complex.

The self-service portal for employees, which allows them to manage their own information, is a great feature that fosters a sense of belonging and teamwork. Paylocity seems tailor-made to meet our organizational needs, ensuring smooth operations and employee satisfaction.

When choosing an HR and payroll system like Paylocity, usability and compatibility with other programs are key factors. Ensure the platform is easy to use for HR staff and employees alike, and that it integrates seamlessly with other tools your company uses.

Customer support is also crucial, as you’ll need reliable assistance during setup and daily use. Additionally, consider future scalability—choose a system that can grow with your company without requiring major overhauls down the road.

Paylocity has made several improvements over time, particularly by adding new analytics and reporting features that help companies better understand their employees. The platform has maintained its ease of use with a redesigned interface and a more intuitive mobile app.

They’ve also introduced social collaboration tools and personalized employee dashboards, making it easier for employees to access their work-related information and engage with colleagues. These updates reflect Paylocity’s commitment to meeting HR needs and keeping employees engaged and satisfied.

Paylocity is ideal for mid-sized businesses that need a comprehensive solution for HR and payroll tasks. It efficiently handles employee payments, time tracking, and benefits management on one simple platform.

The employee portal allows workers to access their data and communicate with others, making it a great fit for companies that value collaboration and satisfaction among their staff.

Additionally, HR professionals needing strong reporting and analytics tools will benefit from Paylocity's capabilities.

• BambooHR automates many tedious HR tasks, saving time for higher-value work.
• The system supports seamless collaboration across departments, keeping everyone aligned.
• The onboarding experience for new hires is smooth and creates a welcoming impression.

At the time, the organization was experiencing challenges with recruitment and was using an outdated HRIS. They adopted BambooHR, which was extremely helpful due to its built-in ATS. This enabled faster and more streamlined recruitment processes.

Over time, the organization transitioned away from the previous HRIS entirely, as BambooHR proved to be an effective all-in-one solution. It handled several key HR functions efficiently, which added value across the organization.

• More customization options would be beneficial, as there are limitations on the number of workflows that can be created.
• The ATS is fairly basic and lacks features like resume screening, which is a drawback.
• Pricing became a concern as the organization grew—while manageable at first, costs increased significantly with scale.

BambooHR is a strong option for small to mid-sized businesses that don't require complex systems. The simplicity and ease of use make it accessible and easy to adopt.

Scalability and customization are two important factors to consider. For small businesses needing a basic, user-friendly system, BambooHR is a great option that’s cost-effective and easy to learn.

I am unsure, as I have not used BambooHR recently.

BambooHR is well suited for small organizations and users with limited HRIS experience.

It performs the basics well, including housing resumes and candidate data. It stores attachments from applicants. I know it offers other platform integrations, though my client did not use them.

I appreciated the opportunity to experiment with AI-powered JD creation; although it wasn't entirely accurate, it was worth exploring to make the most of the pay-per-member subscription.

I worked with this client for eight months. I think they had only used it for a little over a year when I joined. They primarily used Paycor not just as an ATS but for its full functionality across other HR departments. It helped streamline HR processes by providing an integrated solution. This reduced the need for multiple platforms and simplified data management.

The interface could be improved, as it affects ease of use. It doesn't look modern and is not user-friendly. A new user may need guidance to navigate the system. Once set up, the functions and workflows are not customizable.

You are also unable to edit candidate profiles. I am not sure if this was a limitation of my client's subscription or a general system restriction, but it was not a function I could use. The sourcing feature is clunky.

Boolean string searches do not work efficiently, and the candidate matches are inconsistent—some are good, others are far off. The system is not visually appealing, but I heard it is candidate-friendly.

I think Paycor has certain strengths, but if I had other options, it is not one I would recommend. It offers the same functions as other ATS systems, such as maintaining a central candidate database, storing employee files, providing initially customizable workflows, and offering platform integrations, but it does not have a clear advantage over other systems. This is one of my least preferred ATS systems.

Consider company size and budget. I think this system works well for small to mid-size organizations and lean TA teams that need AI assistance for generating job offers and drafting job descriptions.

It also requires a technically capable HR team to navigate and maximize its features. The interface reminds me of Oracle Taleo from 2015. If that style doesn't bother you, the tool is functional.

I don't believe I have had enough experience or exposure to comment on this, but I do know that AI-generated JDs are an area they are aiming to improve.

Small to mid-size organizations can benefit from Paycor.

I like the features of Dayforce Dayforce. It's a very user-friendly HR tool that our hourly employees can maneuver effortlessly. The system troubleshoots itself if there's an error.

Our organization was in need of a more user-friendly timekeeping software for our hourly employees located across various plants in our US campuses. We required a consistent payroll and time management system that could be seamlessly implemented across all offices. After exploring multiple HR tools, we ultimately chose Dayforce. The impressive functionality and user-friendly features of Dayforce caught our attention, allowing us to streamline timekeeping processes for all employees nationwide without any issues. Specifically, we opted for the Dayforce version, and the transition to this HR tool has been highly satisfactory. In fact, we have enthusiastically recommended it to several partners and clients who collaborate with our individual plants.

Occasionally, the troubleshooting function of Dayforce can be somewhat perplexing when attempting to identify the root cause of an issue. In the past, we have encountered login problems where employees have had difficulties logging in correctly. Another minor inconvenience we have noticed is that when inputting time, the screen does not automatically display the current day but rather defaults to the beginning of the month.

Dayforce stands out as a highly user-friendly timekeeping software compared to many of its competitors. What sets Dayforce apart is its exceptional customer service, with its team readily available to address any inquiries or issues that may arise. Personally, I have a strong preference for Dayforce over other alternatives we have tested primarily due to its superior functionality.

The primary factors that influence our purchasing decision are the user-friendly nature of the software and its comprehensive features related to timekeeping. Additionally, the troubleshooting function performs effectively, even when dealing with a large group of hourly employees simultaneously logging in.

While I'm not entirely certain, I don't recall the HR tool having the troubleshooting function from the beginning, but I could be mistaken. It appears that Dayforce recognized the importance of addressing the timekeeping challenges faced by larger companies operating on a nationwide scale. They dedicated efforts to meet the specific requirements of such corporations and enhance their capabilities to effectively manage timekeeping across the entire country.

I think it fits larger organizations best.

I liked that you could pick and choose which solutions you wanted in your Criterion HCM. We selected every solution they offer ($35 per month per person), so we had a one-stop-shop/all-in-one solution, and at that price, it was a terrific value.

Not every person needed payroll, and not every person needed recruitment, so Criterion was very customizable. I liked that Criterion was simple and easy to use.

I used Criterion for one year. We bought it as an all-in-one solution for our HR needs. We were a small company that needed a simple solution to help with HR, payroll, recruitment, and data. Criterion is a clean, user-friendly platform. It is a great HCM for small companies and functions better than Workday.

If you are a larger company, Criterion is not robust enough. There was slowness in the payroll system, especially with timecards. There were glitches with the facial recognition feature when using timecards.

Criterion is different from its competitors because of the one-stop-shop/all-in-one solution it offers. Criterion HCM provides customizable solutions for the entire HR lifecycle, including recruitment, HR functions, and payroll. It has a great price point. Data and reporting are built-in, and you can create simple custom reports as well.

Small to medium-sized businesses, including startups, could successfully use Criterion HCM. It is affordable at $35 per month per employee (for the all-in-one solution), or cheaper for those who don't need every solution Criterion offers. Criterion is best for companies that want simple and seamless solutions, not complicated workflows or highly personalized requests.

The integrations and automations have improved. The ability to send product requests is a great option. Facial recognition for employee timecards has been added.

Small to mid-sized businesses, including startups and entrepreneurs will find Criterion a good fit.

There were several things I appreciated about Oracle. One attribute I appreciated was the simplicity of display on each page. There was not too much to sort through on each page that would distract or confuse me about what I needed to review or change. Another aspect I appreciated was the processing of transactions. The forms were simple, so processing was simple, and transactions would very rarely get "stuck" waiting on a particular user's approval the way it was implemented in our company. Lastly, I appreciate how the system would load quickly, and rarely was the system down, disrupting or delaying HR processes that needed to happen in a timely manner.

I worked for a Fortune 500 company that purchased Oracle PeopleSoft for their HCM software. I had used it for approximately seven years during my time there as the HRIS/HRMS system. My company purchased Oracle PeopleSoft with the intention to manage all People transactions, from pay, transfers, and all job-related information, in a timely and efficient manner. When you are managing tens of thousands of employees' data quality, ease of use and efficiency are key. The benefit of this system was having most of our employee data in one place for HR to manage employee information for the duration of the employee lifecycle.

There were a few things I disliked about the version of Oracle we had. It was limited to HR professionals to make changes to employees. For example, if HR was on training or vacation, managers were unable to make changes such as temporary upgrades or transfers. A second limiting factor was the lack of help tests. Without someone training you, you might not know how to navigate to the correct form you need. Lastly, Oracle seemed limited in its configurability options, so we had to use outside systems to manage all our HR processes (such as performance management ATS (recruiting)).

Oracle seems pretty antiquated to me and lags a bit behind the competition. While most HCM software is constantly evolving, the version of Oracle I used seemed to be a bit behind the competition. If I were deciding between various HCM systems, I would certainly add Oracle to my list to consider and compare for my needs, but I'm not sure it would make it to the top of the list for what we need.

There are a lot of criteria people should think about when purchasing human capital software. Cost, features, useability, tech support, and configurability are at the top of mind when considering unique business needs.

During the seven years I used Oracle at my company, I did not see much evolution. It remained pretty stable and served its purpose for that time.

I would say Oracle is a good fit for mid-sized organizations that are pretty stable (not in a high growth stage) and don't need a lot of customer support or configuration.

• Rippling is an all-in-one platform that manages the entire employee journey, from interviewing to offboarding.
• It has direct integrations with Carta.
• It offers a seamless payroll process through its flexible benefits platform.

We adopted Rippling in 2021 as a small tech startup with fewer than 15 people, seeking a solution to manage essential HR functions without a dedicated HR or Finance team member. We needed software that could efficiently handle payroll, onboarding, and offboarding while ensuring compliance with local and federal laws and regulations.

Over the past three years, we have expanded our use of Rippling to include its recruiting platform and ASO services, which provide enhanced support for federal and state filings and reporting. Most recently, to integrate benefit deductions seamlessly into payroll, we appointed Rippling as our Broker of Record and began using its Flexible Benefits module.

• The support process can be overly complex and too dependent on AI.
• The Recruiting Module does not allow the exclusion of specific job boards, such as Indeed, which often results in a high-volume but low-quality applicant pool.
• Rippling’s step-by-step wizard makes it difficult to view entire processes, like employee offboarding, in one comprehensive view.

Rippling is a robust all-in-one platform that has consolidated services we previously outsourced. Before using Rippling, we managed separate vendors for applicant tracking and flexible benefits administration. Rippling has enabled us to bring all these functions together in a single, integrated system.

Companies should evaluate whether they prefer an all-in-one system or specialized tools that integrate throughout the employee lifecycle. It’s important to assess the team's capacity and willingness to learn and manage the platform. While Rippling is intuitive, it requires a time investment to fully leverage its features.

During our time with Rippling, we have seen enhancements to the recruiting platform, including improved resume screening and stronger communication automation.

Rippling has introduced customizable workflows and in-platform app customization options, allowing us to tailor the platform to our needs. Its expanded support and compliance features led us to adopt its ASO service in early 2025.

Rippling is ideal for companies seeking a strong, user-friendly, all-in-one HRIS solution. It provides value even for users without payroll or HR expertise due to its intuitive interface.

It suits small to mid-sized businesses and is especially beneficial for companies with remote teams or global employees, as it includes device management and global payroll features.

I like that Workday can be your one stop shop for all HR and recruiting needs. It is easily customizable to your organizations preferences. I love the reporting capabilities that Workday can provide. I also like the main screen user interface. I think it is very user friendly and easy to learn.

My organization implemented Workday for the reporting and metrics functionalities. Workday is so robust and can do so much, especially for a big organization like the one I am in. The key benefits are that you can personalize Workday to your company's needs. There are no shortages of capabilities and functions Workday can serve. If you want recruitment metrics and reports, Workday is your tool. I have used Workday personally for 5 years in 2 different organizations. Both companies needed better reporting metrics around hiring and Workday solved these needs.

Workday can be a lot! It offers so many functions that it can get overwhelming. I have had candidates who have not liked the Workday experience when applying for a position. Workday's customer service has been weak at times and has not been the easiest to deal with.

WorkDay has a great brand name. Some of the largest and most profitable companies in the world use Workday which I think speaks for the brand itself. Workday’s functionalities can do so much more than a lot of their competitors. I have used similar tools and Workday by far has the largest arsenal of functionalities. You can utilize anything you decide you want to utilize and can offer almost everything from an HR, Recruiting, and Benefits standpoint.

Workday can be expensive. You get what you are paying for. If you want a complex product as a one stop shop then I would recommend Workday. I would figure out what you want your Workday to function as within your organization.

Workday has continuously made adjustments to the user interface to make it more user friendly. More training is always offered to new capabilities that are added monthly.

Very big organizations who want a system that can do a lot of different things. If you are an organization who has a high requisition load, a need for high level reporting, Workday would be a great fit.

UKG is ideal for complex organizations with multiple entities; payroll can be done with the click of a button. UKG is also optimal for organizations with complicated reporting structures, including dual reporting and multi-location reporting. Lastly, UKG is investing heavily in connecting all of their systems to create a seamless user experience.

My organization selected UKG as our HCM when comparing it against all mid-market products on the market. As a rapidly growing company via acquisition, our primary reason for selecting UKG was that we needed an HCM that allowed us to set up new component companies, new states, and new PTO and benefits plans independently without having to engage a UKG consultant.

The enterprise version of the UKG product allows us the flexibility to move as quickly as our business development team welcomes new partners into the fold. My team of HRIS and payroll experts leads the majority of the setup. We also selected UKG due to its focus on R&D and staying ahead of industry trends. With their robust network of partners, even if they aren't able to accommodate our needs directly, they have prebuilt integrations with many of the best boutique HR applications.

Three years after selecting them, I continue to be pleased with how our implementation and ongoing build-out of the system has gone.

As with all large organizations, getting in touch with customer service can be challenging, i.e., getting issues to the right department to be solved. Second, I wish that UKG Talk was fully integrated with UKG Pro so that our employees would have one interface. Third, I wish the text message functionality was more versatile.

UKG can handle complexity better than most of the other systems that I have used. The only platform that would compare would be Workday, but that's materially more expensive than UKG.

When making this investment, leaders should consider the size and complexity of their organization and have a good handle on all of their system requirements. Knowing how the company will grow or shrink is also important in determining whether UKG is the right price point for the company's trajectory.

For the three years that my team has used UKG, we have seen them invest in several areas. First, they are working to connect disparate modules on the backend to ease the user experience. Second, they have launched new systems in response to generational changes in the workplace. Third, in response to customer feedback, they have overhauled their approach to account management and customer care.

UKG is best for US-based companies with a minimum of 500 employees.

I liked Sage People because of the simplicity of managing time card data. It is a very user-friendly system for beginners to learn and navigate. The seamless connectivity with our accounting software was also a major plus.

We acquired Sage People long before I was employed, so I can’t speak to the specific issues that needed to be solved before deciding to use it. We were previously happy with Sage 100 as our primary finance management service, which is how we came to learn about Sage People. I believe a primary reason for adopting it was to reduce paper consumption. We had previously tracked everything in employee folders, which grew beyond our storage capacity. I'm also sure it was intended to make it easier to manage a growing business with a rapidly increasing employee population.

Sage People felt a little dated for our growing business, not allowing for much customization in reporting. There was no employee self-service function, which required our HR department to handle all issues related to timekeeping, PTO, and many other things. We felt like we were outgrowing Sage People and ultimately looked for something that allowed us to manage talent digitally, including training, performance discussions, and employee reviews.

Sage People was a basic and cost-friendly alternative to many other HRIS systems on the market. For those that don’t need many plug-ins, it is a wonderful tool.

When looking to buy Sage People, the primary considerations should be how many functions you are looking for in an HRIS system. For companies that primarily need help with recruiting and talent acquisition, Sage People may not be ideal, as it has limited compatibility with other programs we use often for recruiting. Consider the size of your business as well—Sage People is well-suited for a mid-sized business with around 200-1,000 employees.

Sage People has definitely improved the user-friendliness of its interface and added some functionality that most HR departments look for in an HRIS.

I think Sage People is useful for small corporate offices or organizations managing a small workforce of labor-intensive personnel.