10+ Best Employee Management Software Solutions (2024)

The UI is clean, intuitive, and (mostly) easy to use. I very seldom had issues with automated processes. They make onboarding new employees incredibly simple. I also really like the friendly tone of the brand's "voice." The marching pig on the loading screen that changes with the seasons never gets old; it still sparks joy each time, even after all these years!

I have used Gusto since 2018 in 3 different early-stage tech startups. Gusto has a reputation as the go-to in Silicon Valley incubators and accelerators, although I've seen Rippling gradually gaining market share in the past few years. In all 3 cases, we selected Gusto because of their breadth of services. Gusto makes it easy to set up everything our organization needed to begin hiring and paying employees. What's nice about Gusto is that it makes processes that are intimidating to many founders into a "set it and forget it" task. Automating payroll, benefits, filing government forms, and quarterly taxes helped free up time for our founding team to focus on a growing set of other responsibilities.

Gusto's benefits department is unresponsive and it's nearly impossible to get answers from support about even simple benefits questions.

I have seen quite a few concerning errors across the platform (mostly with benefits), including employees not being enrolled in benefits programs, dismissed employees not being removed from benefits programs, incomplete COBRA enrollment, and late tax filings.

The information from Support is unreliable and often inaccurate.

The dismissal payroll workflow is misleading and we've had a few serious problems as a result.

When a Gusto admin is dismissed, their admin privileges are not removed automatically, which is a serious privacy concern.

I wish Gusto made it easier to set up a business entity in new states. They partner with a company called CorpNet, but I found the level of service wasn't worth the price and went back to handling state registration myself.

I love Gusto's friendly casual-but-professional tone compared to other providers in the space.

Gusto is best for small teams, the smaller the better. It is a great option for founders and single-person People teams who have less time to dedicate to payroll, benefits, and compliance. It makes many benefits available and affordable for small groups that would not have the numbers to access plans through traditional providers.

Gusto becomes less useful as a team grows and compensation & benefits become more complex. I would definitely recommend Gusto to founders, but I recommend moving off of their benefits platform as soon as you have a full-time person to manage benefits administration. Its payroll functionality is solid, but payroll administrators should be aware that they will get limited guidance from the Gusto support team.

Gusto's functionality has grown over the time I've used the platform as they've added additional features and integrations. However, the accuracy and quality of support have suffered over time. I used to be a Gusto evangelist, but these days I recommend that growing companies move off of Gusto as soon as is practical. New features have become less useful over time, and I wish they would focus on maintaining the quality of their core product rather than trying to expand into new services.

Company founders or admins inexperienced in payroll and benefits. Very small teams with a single person managing payroll and benefits administration among many other HR responsibilities.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pros:

- The information you can get access to is extremely helpful

- The UI/UX is very clean

- All-in-one type solution

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

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

Cons:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. BambooHR is an incredibly user-friendly HR platform that has made it easier than ever to manage employee data.
2. it makes onboarding new employees a breeze, allowing us to quickly and accurately collect important documents with just a few clicks.
3. The powerful analytics BambooHR provides are also great for keeping tabs on performance, compensation, and attendance.

We chose BambooHR as our Human Resources software because of its expansive, easy-to-use capabilities. We wanted to automate HR processes and initially used Zoho but we found a problem integrating Zoho to meet our expectations since Zoho requires knowledge of IT. BambooHR allows us to easily manage employee timesheets, track new hire onboarding processes, create interactive checklists, and track performance goals with ease. We have been using BambooHR for almost two years now and have seen a great ROI. BambooHR has moved our HR processes into the 21st century and enabled us to make changes quickly while keeping track of valuable data that would have taken us significantly longer to include manually.

1. BambooHR does not offer a significant number of options when it comes to customizing your dashboard or user profiles.
2. BambooHR lacks many advanced reporting features.
3. BambooHR does not currently offer the ability to track vacation hours for individual employees.

Its strong suite of features make it stand out from similar tools. BambooHR simplifies the onboarding process by helping to manage employee data, providing an effective way to track hours and attendance, or designing custom workflows for tasks like vacation requests. What I particularly appreciate about BambooHR is its ability to create employee reports that are fast, intuitive, and easy to use. BambooHR also integrates seamlessly with other software such as payroll, benefits management, and mailing services. Overall in comparison to other HR tools available today, BambooHR stands above many of them. Its intuitive design and robust functionality make it my preferred choice for managing my HR processes; it gives me everything I need in one place without any hassle.

When considering BambooHR as the right software solution for your business, there are several key criteria to consider. Thoughtful evaluation of factors such as cost and implementation time frame should be taken into account to make BambooHR fits into your business plans and operations. Additionally, it’s important to understand BambooHR's functionality and its capacity for automation to guarantee you’re getting the most out of the software in terms of streamlining tasks and increasing efficiency.

By consistently listening to customer feedback, BambooHR continues to evolve and grow along with its users' needs. BambooHR now provides software solutions that allow companies to streamline their mundane, yet essential HR processes like record-keeping, onboarding, and more. BambooHR has also added more robust analytics and reporting functionality to offer real-time visibility into human capital metrics.

BambooHR is an incredibly valuable tool for businesses of all sizes looking to streamline their HR processes. It makes it simple to store employee information, set access permissions, and track important past and present data. From small independent businesses just getting started with their HR needs, to large organizations that have much more complicated paperwork requirements. because the software offers a high range of features and prices that can fit any type of business.

The time-off and scheduling features of Zenefits proved to be incredibly helpful. Before using Zenefits, coordinating time off and ensuring adequate coverage was a complex process, largely because it was managed by the HR team and then passed on to the managers.

The ability to allow managers to approve their team's time-off requests saved a lot of time. In addition, each professional, including teachers, paraprofessionals, and speech pathologists, had between 3-8 professional certifications that needed tracking.

Notifying, tracking, and following up with staff for updated certifications was very time-consuming. However, once we set up the notifications and employee self-service features, the process of tracking and ensuring compliance became much easier. It also allowed employees to upload their updated credentials.

Upon establishing the HR department, we only had ADP for payroll and employee tracking. Before introducing Zenefits, we expanded rapidly from 40 employees to over 100 within a few years. We initially managed everything manually via paper applications and Excel spreadsheets. Although Excel is beneficial for data management, it became increasingly difficult as the company grew.

Additionally, we had only two HR professionals, myself included. Tasks such as onboarding new employees, data management, payroll processing, and handling time-off requests became increasingly manual and time-consuming, detracting from our ability to focus on value-added activities. Over the past two years, automating many of these labor-intensive tasks has proven invaluable.

There is a lack of customization in reporting. Although the platform includes many preconfigured reports and templates, the ability to modify specific data points is somewhat limited.

The platform also has limited customization for the user interface and dashboards. You can change the layout, color schemes, branding, and hyperlinks on the user's homepage, but further customization is limited.

Onboarding and offboarding workflows have limitations. They follow pre-determined steps that align with a general process, but you can't make many modifications to these steps.

Suggestions for improvement include the ability to modify the tracking of onboarding task milestones, customize the onboarding workflows for different roles (e.g. teaching assistant vs. teacher), and add the ability to customize approval tasks when multiple supervisors need to approve a task or transaction.

Zenefits offers many benefits over other HRIS software, such as Workday. First, the cost is significantly lower and may be more appealing to smaller businesses with a limited budget. Second, if you don’t have a dedicated IT team, the implementation of Zenefits is significantly easier and may be more ideal for smaller HR departments. Third, while it may have some limitations relative to customizing workflows, it does significantly reduce the likelihood of running into challenges with workflow.

The pricing structure is a significant aspect to evaluate. The platform's cost hinges on a monthly or annual commitment and is determined per user. Furthermore, the expense of integrating additional features such as Learning Management Systems or Performance Management should be accounted for. Features like employee self-service might offset costs otherwise spent on a dedicated HR assistant managing data changes. Lastly, ensure the platform is user-friendly for both the end-user and administrator. This platform isn't overly complex and is suitable if your HR team includes a tech-savvy member.

Zenefits, once a standalone company, has been acquired by TriNet. This significant change in ownership has broadened the scope of what Zenefits can offer, particularly in terms of integrations with other platforms. The integrations now include prominent platforms like QuickBooks and 360 Learning, along with OKTA. These developments have enhanced the functionality and usability of Zenefits, making it a more versatile tool for businesses. Among these, the integration with OKTA has proven to be profoundly beneficial. OKTA is a platform that manages user access based on roles, a feature that has found applicability in a wide range of organizations. This has resulted in Zenefits becoming more scalable and adaptable, capable of meeting the needs of a wider array of businesses.

Zenefits is an outstanding choice for small to medium-sized businesses that are operating on a tight budget and can't afford to invest heavily in HRIS software. Furthermore, since TriNet acquired Zenefits, the PEO and HR outsourcing option can be very helpful for a company with a smaller/less sophisticated HR team. This can be an incredibly beneficial strategy, particularly for businesses that are in the growth phase.

UKG Pro’s greatest strength lies in its full-suite of payroll and HR tools. It’s all blended together in a “sandbox” environment so users can freely explore the system. In addition to these, it also includes extensive reporting tools which makes work much easier and quicker.

My company transitioned to UKG Pro after frustrations with our former HRIS. One of UKG’s greatest strengths is the program’s ease of use. Not only is it easy for our HR representatives to use, but for our employees as well. We’ve been using UKG Pro for a little over a year now and already it’s proven to be leaps and bounds above some other systems I’ve used. With UKG Pro, you’re getting an excellent value for your money.

UKG Pro is on the expensive side and, to boot, they’re not transparent about their pricing. I also did not appreciate the lack of a free or “trial” mode to try out the product before spending so much for it. Also, scaling up (or down) can be cumbersome as a custom set up is required.

UKG Pro is far more intuitive than other HRI Systems I’ve used in the past. It’s among my favorites for its ease of use and customizability.

When buying this type of tool you want to pay close attention to what is important for your company. You’ll always want to take into consideration pricing. But beyond this, look at the features provided. Does it include a full-suite? Does it integrate well with other systems you’re currently using? You’ll want to really do your research.

I can’t speak too heavily to its evolution. I can acknowledge that they have implemented a few smaller quality of life changes to make the experience run smoother.

This is a good software for larger, very typically structured, organizations. If you’ve got more than 200 employees, this software will make your life easier.

I like 15Five for the following reasons:

• Efficient and Effective Performance Management: With 15Five, it is easy to set and track goals, provide regular feedback, and recognize employee achievements, making the performance management process more efficient and effective.
• Improved Communication and Collaboration: 15Five provides a platform for employees to share their thoughts and ideas with managers, and for managers to communicate more effectively with their teams, leading to better collaboration and alignment.
• Analytics and Insights: The platform offers data and insights on employee engagement, satisfaction, and performance, allowing HR managers to make informed decisions and track progress over time.

Our organization decided to purchase 15Five for several reasons, primarily to address the pain points we were experiencing in the areas of employee engagement and performance management. We made the purchase in March 2021, and I have used it since then.

Specifically, we were struggling to keep track of employee goals, progress, and feedback in a streamlined and organized manner. This was leading to missed opportunities for recognition and development, as well as a lack of transparency between employees and their managers.

We were also facing challenges with regular check-ins and one-on-one meetings, as it was difficult to keep track of schedules and ensure that all employees were receiving the support and feedback they needed.

The key benefits of 15Five for our organization have been significant. With the platform, we are now able to track employee progress and provide feedback in real time, which has increased transparency and accountability across the organization. Regular check-ins and one-on-one meetings are now streamlined and easy to schedule, which has improved communication and support for our team.

Additionally, the platform's customizable features have allowed us to tailor the software to meet our specific needs, which has increased our efficiency and productivity. Overall, 15Five has been an invaluable tool for improving employee engagement, performance management, and organizational growth for our medium-sized organization.

While I find 15Five to be a valuable tool, there are a few areas where I feel it could improve:

• Limited Customization: While 15Five offers a range of features, the platform lacks the ability to fully customize certain features, such as the types of questions that can be asked in weekly check-ins, which may not meet the specific needs of all organizations.
• User Interface: Although the platform is easy to use overall, the user interface could benefit from some enhancements, such as more intuitive navigation, clearer labeling of features, and improved search functionality.
• Integrations: While 15Five offers some integrations with other HR tools, such as Slack and Zapier, I would like to see more options available to further streamline HR processes and improve overall efficiency.

I find that 15Five stands out from its competitors in several ways. Compared to similar tools, 15Five offers a more comprehensive platform for performance management, feedback, and employee engagement.

One of the key advantages of 15Five is its emphasis on regular check-ins and continuous feedback, which helps to foster a culture of open communication and transparency between managers and employees. The platform also offers a range of features for goal-setting, recognition, and feedback, all of which are essential components of a strong performance management program.

In terms of user experience, 15Five's platform is intuitive and easy to use, with a clean and modern design. It also offers a range of integrations with other HR tools, such as Slack and Zapier, which makes it easy to streamline HR processes and improve efficiency.

Compared to other tools I have used in the past, I find that 15Five is more user-friendly and offers more comprehensive features for performance management and employee engagement. I particularly appreciate the regular check-ins and the ability to track progress on goals over time, which helps to ensure that employees are aligned with organizational objectives and are continuously improving. Overall, I prefer 15Five because of its user-friendly interface, comprehensive features, and emphasis on regular feedback and communication.

I would recommend that people consider the following criteria when buying a performance management tool like 15Five:

• Features: Look for a tool that offers a range of features for goal-setting, performance tracking, feedback, and recognition, as well as any other specific needs that your organization may have. It's important to assess which features are most important to your organization and ensure the tool you choose has them.
• User Experience: It's important to choose a tool that is easy to use and navigate for both managers and employees. A good user experience can encourage adoption and regular usage, helping to maximize the tool's effectiveness and ROI.
• Customization: Look for a tool that allows for some degree of customization, such as the ability to add custom questions or fields, as this can help to tailor the tool to your organization's unique needs.
• Integrations: Consider whether the tool integrates with other HR software or systems that your organization uses, such as ATS or payroll software, as this can help to streamline HR processes and improve overall efficiency.
• Pricing: Finally, it's important to consider the cost of the tool and whether it fits within your organization's budget. While cost is an important factor, it's also important to remember that the tool you choose will have a significant impact on your organization's performance management processes, and investing in the right tool can yield significant ROI over time.

I have seen that 15Five has continuously evolved over time to meet the changing needs of its users. Some of the notable changes and improvements I have observed include:

• Increased Customization: 15Five has introduced more customization options for users over time, such as the ability to create custom questions, customize performance review cycles, and add custom fields.
• Enhanced Integrations: The platform has expanded its integrations with other HR software and systems, such as ATS and payroll software, to provide a more streamlined experience for users.
• Enhanced Analytics and Insights: 15Five has added more advanced analytics and insights over time, providing users with more data and insights into employee performance and engagement, as well as actionable recommendations for improving performance and engagement.
• Improved User Experience: The platform has made several improvements to the user experience over time, such as more intuitive navigation, clearer labeling of features, and improved search functionality, to make it easier for users to find what they need.
• Expanded Features: 15Five has expanded its features over time to provide users with more options for goal-setting, feedback, recognition, and more. For example, they have added features such as High Fives, Objectives, and 1-on-1s to further enhance the platform's capabilities.

Overall, I have seen that 15Five has continuously evolved and improved over time to meet the needs of its users, which has helped to make it a valuable tool for performance management and employee engagement in many organizations.

I would recommend the following types of organizations use 15five,

• Small to medium-sized businesses that want to establish a more formalized performance management process without adding significant administrative overhead.
• Remote or distributed teams that need a tool to facilitate regular check-ins, goal-setting, and progress tracking.
• Organizations that prioritize employee engagement and want to create a culture of continuous feedback and improvement.
• Companies that are experiencing rapid growth and need a scalable system to manage performance across a large number of employees.
• Human resources departments that want to streamline performance reviews and track employee development over time.

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.

1. Zoho People helped us manage all employee data in a single location and made it easier to track employee records.
2. Zoho People has features for employee self-service, performance tracking, and goal setting, which have helped our employees stay engaged and motivated in their work.
3. Zoho People automates a lot of HR processes we used to do manually including attendance tracking, leave management, and payroll processing.

There are many reasons why my organization chose Zoho People: it has customizable features, it’s easy to use, and also cost-effective. It helped us to improve our HR operations and create a more engaged and efficient workforce. I must say Zoho People is worth buying as it streamlines all HR processes. I have been using the tool for 8 months.

1. Zoho People could benefit from a more intuitive interface to make it easier to use.
2. While Zoho People does have a strong mobile app, there’s room for improvement in functionality and speed.
3. Zoho People does offer online documentation and support but it doesn’t cover everything so we do end up reaching out to the support team now and then.

While there are several competitors in the HR software space, Zoho People has several advantages that set it apart from the competition in my opinion.

1. Zoho People integrates seamlessly with other Zoho apps, such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, and Zoho Books, which is great if you happen to use their other products too, and can keep virtually all of your employees on a single platform.
2. It is competitively priced and quite affordable for businesses of all sizes.

If anyone wants to buy a subscription to Zoho People, here are a few points to take into consideration:

1. Determine business requirements and the features you need from the HR management software to choose the appropriate subscription plan.
2. Check the pricing plans and select the one that fits the budget.
3. Before subscribing to Zoho People, take advantage of the free trial to test the software and its features to evaluate whether it meets your requirements or not.

When Zoho people was first released, it was only used by small-size organizations as this software was limited to employee database, leave, and time tracking. Zoho People has evolved over time to become a comprehensive HR management software that offers a wide range of features to businesses of all sizes. The software's integration with other Zoho applications and its focus on mobile accessibility and analytics have helped it stand out in the crowded HR management software market. It also added a few features recently like an onboarding management system and integration with Zoho Analytics.

Zoho People is a cost-effective HR management software that is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses that may not have fully staffed HR departments. Zoho People is also a great choice for remote-working employees to collaborate, track time, handle scheduling, and more.