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The Human Resources (HR) department is essential to every business. There’s no rule or legal requirement to have an official HR department. However, an HR department’s core HR processes and duties are extensive and challenging to manage without an HR team. 

Each aspect can be extremely time-consuming, requiring intense dedication to the details. Combined, it can quickly become overwhelming, even for an entire division of people. It’s becoming increasingly common for companies to embrace HR software to help ease some of the pressure.

Which is the best HR software in 2023?

It’s estimated that 54 percent of small businesses handle their HR responsibilities internally. Business owners typically take care of HR matters when there are only a few employees. With mid-size businesses and larger companies, human resource management often requires an HR manager and other admins. 

Aside from HR professionals, these companies frequently seek user-friendly HR management software to help streamline these services. Here is a list of the 10 best HR software services currently available in 2023.

1

Paycor

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Paycor software primarily focuses on the payroll management aspect of HR. It’s also a reasonably practical option for employee recruitment. 

The additional features can be a bit lacking compared to other software. However, Paycor is a reasonably priced option if you want help in these two areas. 

The best features of Paycor include the following: 

  • Employee record-keeping system
  • Time clock software and hour tracking
  • Performance management tools and real-time analytical reports
  • Employment recurring, screening, and onboarding assistance
  • Payroll and tax compliance

Paycor features three pricing plans that include a variety of features. Paycor Basic starts at $99 a month, Paycor Essential starts at $149 a month, and Paycor Complete begins at $199 a month. The exact price will be affected by the number of managed employees.

2

Gusto HR

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More than 200,000 businesses use Gusto as one of the best all-in-one HR services. Gusto functions closer to an outsourced professional employer organization (PEO) as opposed to software. As such, it can provide various benefits for your employees that you might not be able to afford elsewhere. For example, medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, as well as savings options such as 401(k)s, HSAs, FSAs, and 529 college plans. 

In addition to these incredible benefits, Gusto also provides the following features: 

  • Full-service payroll software that includes time tracking and time-off approvals
  • Modules to help your business stay in compliance and meet legal requirements
  • Tools to help correctly manage employee benefits and health insurance
  • Streamlined employee hiring, onboarding, and management
  • Actionable data reports, insights, and suggestions for improvement
  • Customer service via HR experts

Gusto offers three paid plans for businesses. The Simple plan is $40 a month plus $6 per person, whereas the Plus plan is $80 a month on top of $12 per person. The Premium plan has exclusive pricing that will depend on a few details about your specific company. 

You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your plan at any time.

3

BambooHR

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BambooHR is a web-based application service provider (ASP) that can help you to manage your HR responsibilities more efficiently. The all-in-one software collects various information about your employees and stores it in a single database. 

You’ll receive personalized insights into how to improve HR functionality and have easy access to the following features:

  • View and manage employee records and employee information
  • Payroll, PTO, and time-tracking management systems
  • Track employee benefits, insurance, and savings plans
  • Analyze the performance of your staff via detailed reports
  • Review job applications and efficiently manage onboarding and offboarding
  • Tools to help measure employee engagement and wellbeing
  • Automate various administrative tasks

BambooHR offers two pricing plans. The Essentials package is the more basic of the two, while the Advantage offers more comprehensive features. BambooHR doesn’t provide flat pricing plans; you will have to review your needs before quoting a price.

4

Zenefits

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Zenefits is a full-service HR software solution that can offer a variety of features from a simplified dashboard. Each of the primary HR responsibilities is streamlined together into one platform. You’ll be able to focus your time on more important matters while efficiently managing your company’s employees.

Some of the features offered by Zenefits include:

  • Employee payroll, benefit, and insurance administration
  • Track employee attendance, time off, and performance
  • Manage local, state, and federal taxes
  • Document management and intensive business reporting
  • Offer letters, background checks, and digital signatures for prospective hires
  • A centralized hub that can be used for employee engagement and collaboration
  • Portal access for onboarding employees to manage personal information and use HR resources

There are three pricing plans available with Zenefits, each of which charges a monthly rate per employee.

  • The Essentials plan is $8 a month when billed annually or $10 month-to-month
  • The Growth plan is $14 a month when billed annually or $18 month-to-month 
  • The Zen plan is $21 a month when billed annulled or $27 month-to-month

You can upgrade your plan as your business grows. It’s a simple way to begin without a lengthy contract.

5

Workable

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Workable doesn’t offer the same features as other HR software. However, it’s virtually unbeatable when simplifying the hiring process. 

Workable software allows you the ability to achieve the following:

  • Post your job advertisements on more than 200 different job boards 
  • Use more than 700 key phrases to create advertisements, descriptions, and interview questions 
  • Anonymously screen job applicants, review their data, and use interview scorecards to rank them
  • Automate onboarding procedures and manage hiring workflow more efficiently 
  • Use letter templates to create offer letters complete with e-signatures

There are three pricing plans for Workable and various additional features. The Paygo plan is $129 per month and pay-as-you-go. The Standard is $279 a month, and the Premier is $559 a month, but both require annual commitments. 

You also have the option to add candidate texting for $99 a month, assessments for $119 a month, and video interviews for $159 a month. Each of these add-on features requires an annual commitment.

6

PeopleHR

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The software provided by PeopleHR is designed to streamline common and important HR responsibilities. PeopleHR might lack comprehensive features, but it makes up for the inconvenience. PeopleHR software is available on smartphones, laptops, tablets, and PCs.

These are a few of the features that you can use with PeopleHR software: 

  • Automated menial HR tasks and workforce management
  • Constructive and insightful graphic reports
  • Employee turnover reports and manages employee reviews
  • Track employee timesheets, sickness, and PTO usage
  • Employee database with performance appraisal
  • Benefits and training management
  • Onboarding and offboarding features
  • List job advertisements and track applications

PeopleHR offers four pricing plans. Each of them offers unique features, and the cost is monthly for each employee. The Team plan is $5, the Professional plan is $6, the Enterprise plan is $8, and the Elite plan is $10.

7

GoCo

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GoCo is a cloud-based HR, benefit, and payroll solution-oriented e-service. There is a little bit of everything regarding GoCo, but its specialty is the onboarding process. GoCo is one of the best options if you’re looking for assistance focusing on new hires. 

These are a few of the features offered by GoCo:

  • Automated document collecting for new hires
  • Onboarding assistance, such as enrolling new employees in benefits and adding them to the company payroll with appropriate deductions
  • Paper-free hiring and onboarding
  • Manage employee records, attendance, and PTO
  • Ease of use for employees with the mobile app

GoCo pricing will vary depending on the services that you need. The starting price is $5 per month per employee. However, the overall cost will depend on the apps and features you include in your subscription.

8

ADP Workforce

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ADP Workforce is an all-inclusive HR software option that features all the tools you need to manage employees efficiently. The cloud-based software includes employee management, payroll, benefits, and onboarding. 

The machine learning abilities of the software and analytical data will create detailed reports that can help you make informed HR decisions. 

Using ADP Workforce software will provide the following features:

  • Application tracker and streamlined onboarding process
  • Comprehensive employee database with customizable profiles
  • Payroll services and benefit management
  • Data security and compliance expertise

The pricing for ADP Workforce is wholly customized and varies for each company. You can expect to spend around $15 to $25 per month per employee, but it could be as high as $40. It will largely depend on the size of your company and the modules included in your software.

9

Namely

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Namely is an all-in-one cloud-based HR platform that can service companies with as many as several hundred employees. More than 1,400 companies of varying sizes employ the services of Namely. 

The user interface of Namely especially stands out and provides a variety of features, including:

  • Payroll and employee benefits management
  • Employee database with detailed employee profiles
  • Performance, time, and attendance tracking
  • Recruiting and onboarding assistance
  • Comprehensive engagement tools that include a library of training and compliance course

Namely features customized quote-based pricing that will vary depending on your business. The three plans are HR Fundamentals, HR Complete, and Enhance Services. Each plan offers distinct features and will likely be more expensive as you add additional options.

10

Freshteam

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Freshteam is an HR software created by the software company Freshworks. The all-in-one software is an excellent option for any business looking for HR assistance on a tight budget. 

These are some of the best features offered by Freshteam:

  • Comprehensive payroll management
  • Performance, time, and PTO request tracking 
  • Detailed employee data and information system
  • HR automation and workflow creation
  • An applicant tracking system with paperless onboarding and offboarding

Freshteam offers four pricing plans with varying features included. The Free plan can be used for up to 50 employees. The other three plans are charged monthly based on the number of employees. The Growth plan is $1.20, the Pro plan is $2.40, and the Enterprise plan is $4.80 when billed annually.

What are the responsibilities of an HR department?

Human resources departments carry out many functions that help keep their businesses going.

Some of these essential functions include:

  • Benefits administration and enrollment
  • Payroll processing
  • The recruitment process
  • Employee performance reviews
  • Employee onboarding 
  • Employee experience (ensuring employees feel safe and comfortable and any issues are addressed adequately through the HR system)

The HR department’s primary purpose is to manage the employee lifecycle properly. HR involves recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, compensating, disciplining, and firing employees. 

It’s also responsible for maintaining employee records, ensuring their safety, and meeting compliance with internal and external regulations. 

These responsibilities can be a lot of work, even for a whole department. That’s why businesses often rely on HR tools to help with the heavy work.

What is HR software?

The advancements in technology have made HR software a must-have for small businesses. You can outsource HR functions using specific tools instead of handling them in-house. 

The benefits are apparent regardless of your current HR setup:

  • You can save a ton of time if you’ve been holding the HR responsibilities by yourself; OR
  • You can save a ton of money if you’ve been looking into hiring a person or team to handle HR duties.

Each software service offers a unique blend of features and resources. In general, HR services will fall under one of these categories: 

Professional employer organization (PEO) 

A PEO will assume full responsibility for running your business’s HR department. You’ll essentially become a partner with the PEO, as they’ll have the final say in most employee-related matters.

Business process outsourcing (BPO)

A BPO refers to outsourcing several departments and isn’t exclusive to HR. A BPO focuses more on improving or installing technology that will help you manage HR more efficiently.

Application service providers (ASPs)

An ASP hosts the software on the internet and rents it out to its users for a cost. The various programs can help you or your team more easily manage HR responsibilities.

E-services

Technically, BPOs and ASPs are e-services as they fall under the broad definition of web-based HR services. Anything that doesn’t meet the specific definition of a BPO or ASP can be considered an HR e-service.

Use HR software for employee management.

Technology has revolutionized the way that every business is managed. There’s no reason not to embrace technology regarding employee management. Using HR software can be one of the easiest ways to save time and money while adequately managing your employees. 

The benefits far outweigh the potential downsides. It’s at least worth serious consideration.  

It’s not challenging to find HR software as dozens of options are available. Options like Rippling and Workday are also great HRMs that provide competitive HR features and deserve honorable mentions.

The tricky part is deciding which software to choose will be finding one that best meets your needs. Weigh your options and see where your business will best fit in. If you’re looking for more compelling business content, check out our website.

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