11 Best HRIS Systems of 2023 (Ranked & Reviewed)
Choosing the right HRIS system is crucial for every organization. From organizing your human resources efficiently to reducing unnecessary costs, the best HRIS systems can help you meet your goals. In this guide, I ranked and reviewed the 11 best HRIS systems, along with my top 5 choices, so that you can pick the best one for you.
Freshteam
Freshteam offers businesses the HRIS hiring and tracking tools they need to manage employee data, performance reviews, payroll, and more.
Rippling
Rippling helps recruiters automate a wide range of HR processes. From onboarding to off-boarding and everything in between, Rippling can act as your complete HR solution.
Monday HR
Monday HR provides some of the employee experience that larger enterprise HRIS systems offer, focusing on flexibility and scalability paired with metrics.
ADP PEO
Whether your business has a handful of employees or a few thousand, ADP PEO can help manage various HR needs with ease in different industries.
Namely HR
Namely HR makes employees’ life easier by offering a single platform for document management, benefits, time off, compliance training, payroll, and more.
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Want to get started with the best HRIS software today? Freshteam, Monday HR, and Rippling are my top recommendations.
Knowing your team’s pain points is one of the top challenges when managing a team.
The right Human Resource Information System (HRIS) software is beneficial to combat this.
Such a tool can help you manage every aspect of your employees – from recruitment and onboarding to training management and benefits analysis.
HRIS tools also share similarities to standard HR software, but tools in this category will have more features.
Naturally, many options are available in this category, so today, I’ll be your HRIS analyst and present the best options.
What Are The Best HRIS Systems?
Here is my vetted list of the best HRIS systems on the market.
1. Freshteam.
Best Overall.
Adam’s Take
I like Freshteam because powerful analytics, reporting tools, and data management capabilities back it. Freshteam is the perfect HRIS solution for businesses looking to streamline their recruiting and hiring processes. Whether a small or large company, Freshteam has all the features you need to manage your workforce and ensure employee success effectively.
If you’re looking for an HRIS solution that is powerful, easy to use, and backed by industry-leading data analytics, look no further than Freshteam.
Whether you’re a small or large business, Freshteam can help you manage your workforce effectively and ensure employee success.
With various modules related to applicant tracking, onboarding, employee information system, time off and mobile capabilities, and more, Freshteam has everything you need to streamline your HR processes and improve efficiency.
Plus, with a free option for up to 50 employees, you can try out Freshteam with no risk and see how this comprehensive HRIS solution can benefit your business.
Features:
One of the great features of Freshteam is that it allows you to collect structured feedback. This means you can target specific areas that need improvement and get actionable insights to help you make better decisions.
The following are some of the features that Freshteam can help you with:
- Roll out offers with ease which is great for attracting and retaining talent.
- Strategic HR reporting is another powerful feature that Freshteam offers.
- Freshteam’s virtual onboarding capabilities are also an excellent way to streamline the onboarding process for new employees.
- Follow-up with one-click reminders ensures that no task falls through the cracks.
- Last but not least, Freshteam’s capture of vital employee information functions is a great way to keep track of employee data.
Pricing:
There are four plans you can go for with Freshteam, as follows:
- Free: $0 up to 50 employees
- Growth: $1.20 per employee per month
- Pro: $2.40 per employee per month
- Enterprise: $4.80 per employee per month
There’s also a flat fee based on the plan you’re on. This is $71, $119, and $203 for the various plans.
Get started with Freshteam.
2. Rippling.
Best For Automated Employee Management.
Adam’s Take
Rippling is excellent for automating onboarding processes. With Rippling, you can add new hires to your company’s email lists, automatically generate employee ID numbers, and much more. I like RIppling because it makes the whole process much easier and faster. Off-boarding is also a breeze with Rippling, so if you’re looking for a complete HR solution, I recommend you check this platform out.
Rippling helps recruiters automate a wide range of HR processes by offering a soothing UI and complete employee management tools. Rippling can act as your complete HR solution from onboarding to offboarding and everything in between.
Despite being new in the HR software market, Rippling has captured user interest due to its intuitive usability. The software works well for HR professionals and can help anyone from a team member to the CEO.
The software can easily integrate with other business tools such as GitHub and Slack and over 500 more tools. In this manner, you can enhance the capabilities of Rippling and ensure that it can integrate with any business tools you’re currently using.
Features:
When it comes to features, Rippling puts a combined focus on HR as well as IT. Using it, you can enable or disable an employee’s access to company systems with fewer clicks. And as it provides you with a single underlying employee database, changes get reflected seamlessly.
Take a quick look at the features provided by the tool:
- Payroll, benefits, and talent management
- Attendance and time tracking
- Detailed, customizable reports
- Digital document management and signing
- Automated onboarding of new employees
- Process automation and task management
- Integrated LMS (Learning Management System)
- Centralized app and device management
Pricing:
Rippling’s pricing plans start at $8 per user per month and increase according to the number of people you want to include and the modules you need for your business. The Employee Management Platform is the base plan; you can add HR and IT management.
You can purchase each plan, module, and core platform separately.
Get started with Rippling.
3. Monday HR.
Best For Ease Of Use.
Adam’s Take
I like Monday because it’s visual and easy to use while also focusing on businesses that are scaling their employee headcount. In addition, the platform has various features you would only expect to find in more powerful, expensive software. Overall, it’s one of the best tools for small to medium-sized businesses.
Monday HR provides some of the employee experience that larger enterprise HRIS systems offer, focusing on flexibility and scalability. This system provides an exemplary interface for employees who need to manage benefits enrollment and tracking.
If you want to track your talent pipeline and measure hiring efficiencies, Monday HR offers customizable dashboards that let you track metrics relevant to your company’s recruiting efforts.
In addition, you can keep track of your employees well-being and development by creating a custom benefits package and tracking the usage of your chosen wellness resources.
Features:
Monday HR is more than just an HRIS system. It has many features that help you manage your onboarding, recruiting, training and development, benefits packages, documentation, employee engagement, compliance, social collaboration, and more.
The following are some of the features that Monday HR can help you with:
- Plan, organize, and monitor your team’s activities in one location.
- Managers and their direct reporters can converse confidentially within the platform.
- Visual super tables help with the analysis of data in the system.
- Streamline your onboarding process with recruits
- iOS and Android apps help with real-time data sharing.
- You can digitize your company’s essential documents using Monday work docs and provide instant access to them from anywhere.
Pricing:
There are five different pricing plans available for you to choose from:
- Individual: $0 free forever
- Basic: $8 /seat/month
- Standard: $10 /seat/month
- Pro: $16 /seat/month
- Enterprise: Contact them for a custom quote
Get started with Monday HR.
4. ADP Payroll.
Best For Payroll Solutions.
Adam’s Take
One key thing I like about ADP PEO is that they help manage your HR needs easily – whether you have a few employees or a few thousand. This can save business owners a lot of time and energy, which one can spend on other areas of the business. With various features in their services (such as payroll, benefits, and compliance), ADP PEO can help take some of the burdens of business owners regarding HR.
Whether your business has a handful of employees or a few thousand, ADP PEO can quickly help manage your HR needs. It’s a company with a rich history of putting out quality HR products and has suitable ones for all sizes and kinds of businesses.
With over 70 years of experience, ADP is one of the pioneers in the payroll management software niche. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a PEO company or an HRIS; ADP can help you get there.
ADP’s HRIS solutions seamlessly integrate with other popular business software and financial systems. With it, you can manage essential HR operations such as time tracking, scheduling, benefits management, and even retirement accounts.
Features:
ADP is more than a simple HRIS provider; it’s a complete HRMS (Human Resource Management System) equipped with artificially intelligent automation. Using it, you can lessen administrative tasks, streamline employee workflows and enhance engagement.
The following are some of the features that ADP can help you with:
- Applicant tracking and recruitment
- Onboarding functionality
- Employee data management
- Time tracking
- Employee benefits management
- Payroll management
- HR outsourcing and PEO
- Dedicated app marketplace
- Resource center for all business sizes
Pricing:
Similar to BambooHR, ADP’s pricing plans are not publicly disclosed on its website. You’d need to contact the company for its pricing plans and decide which of its offerings best suits your business. You can also request a demo for each product.
Get started with ADP Payroll.
5. Namely HR.
Best for Ensuring Employee Happiness.
Adam’s Take
Namely is worth considering if you’re looking for a comprehensive yet affordable HR solution. Its user-friendly interface and intuitive design make it a breeze, even for those with little HR experience. Its robust feature set ensures you’ll have all the tools you need to manage your workforce effectively.
Namely HR makes employees’ life easier by offering a single platform for document management, benefits, time off, and payroll.
It also lets you manage compliance training and employee engagement simultaneously. In addition, Namely offers intuitive HR technology that simplifies many of the tasks your HR department has to do daily.
Employee engagement is prioritized in Namely, which offers features to help you build positive relationships with your employees.
Key Features:
Enhanced payroll services mean that day-to-day tasks are handled automatically, reducing your HR team’s time on payroll administration.
The system also makes onboarding easier with its guide for new hires, which helps them get up to speed on company policies and procedures.
Other features that Namely can help you with:
- Save time when searching for documents by organizing them in a searchable library.
- Avoid errors that can cause compliance issues with new hire documentation.
- Stay on track of employee requests for time off, resulting in better planning.
- Build a culture of transparency across your organization with messaging features.
- Stop missing out on top talent because of a difficult-to-use application process.
Pricing:
You’ll have to request a call to get a quote for Namely’s HRIS system.
6. Paycor HR.
Best HR Software For Business Leaders.
Paycor HR comes in at various stages in the HRIS evolution. It is a good option for businesses starting with their HR software, but it is also flexible enough to help more established companies implement new systems.
Paycor helps executives create outstanding workplaces by assisting them in all stages of the employment process, from recruiting to onboarding and beyond.
Paycor also builds the firm’s culture and performance, focusing on individual and organizational learning, engagement, and development.
Key Features:
Providing a single source of truth, Paycor HR helps you get connected to your employees.
Help new hires hit the ground running with a new hire portal, which helps them get up to speed quickly on company policies and procedures.
An intuitive dashboard offers an at-a-glance overview of everything happening in your organization.
Additional features that make Paycor HR a top-notch software include:
- Talent management allows you to identify the best employees, retain them and develop them into the best they can be
- A personalized onboarding experience that engages employees to deliver right from the start.
- Actionable insights help you align your strategies with your business priorities.
- Workforce management capabilities track all critical data, including FTEs, absences, and turnover.
- Employee experience management features that let you track engagement and satisfaction.
- Benefits administration streamlines your benefits system, giving you more time to focus on what’s truly important.
Pricing:
You can take a guided tour or contact their sales team to learn more about Paycor HR.
Get started with Paycor HR.
7. BambooHR.
Best For Customizability.
BambooHR is a fully customizable HRIS solution that can benefit organizations of all sizes. Whether you’re working with an on-site team, a remote one, or a hybrid model, this HR software can get the job done efficiently.
The most significant advantage of using BambooHR is that you can modify the tool according to your business needs instead of making procedural changes to suit the software. It spans the entire lifecycle of employees, from the initial applicant tracking to performance analysis.
If that doesn’t seem suitable enough for you, I recommend you check out the vast number of apps that integrate with it. Overall, it’s an easy-to-use tool that lets you safely and securely organize your HR data and use it for any purpose.
Features:
Besides the many customizations and integrations, BambooHR has several other exciting features.
Here’s a list of some excellent BambooHR features:
- Applicant tracking
- Automated onboarding
- Centralized database for all employee records
- Dedicated HR reporting and analytics
- Objective performance management
- Employee satisfaction management
- Time tracking
- Electronic signatures
- Paid time off (PTO) tracking
- Customized workflows
- Optimized mobile app
- Intuitive user interface
- Job post syndication
- Dedicated customer service
Pricing:
As for pricing, BambooHR does not disclose its plans upfront, and you’ll have to request a price quote according to your needs. However, you do get the option of trying the software out for free before you can settle on a paid plan that suits you.
8. Workday.
Best For Human Capital Management.
Workday is a company that provides you with complete HCM solutions, along with all of the tools your business needs for people management. It’s a cost-effective and highly efficient method of organizing your staff and enhancing employee engagement.
Its range of products spans every aspect of a business, from HRIS to financial management and enterprise planning. Using it, you can create automated payroll workflows, manage the entire employee lifecycle from hiring to retirement, and much more.
Workday also lets you analyze employee performance based on criteria such as designation, salary, and employment history. No matter your business niche, Workday has a solution for it.
Features:
One of the significant differences between Workday and other traditional HR systems is that it is entirely cloud-based. This means you can break free of data silos and manage your HR functions from anywhere and on any device.
Workday equips your business for success with the help of the following essential features:
- User-friendly interface
- A large number of financial and HR-related integrations
- Easy-to-navigate organizational charts
- Intuitive navigation
- HR task management
- Ability to adapt to multiple business processes
- Cloud-based ubiquitous access
- Easy-to-use feedback management system
- Available as a mobile app
- Detailed reporting and analytics
Pricing:
Again, Workday continues not to reveal its pricing plans on the website. You need to contact their sales team to get access to custom quotes for your business. You can also call the company representatives on the dedicated phone number.
9. Zenefits.
Best For Small And Medium Businesses.
Widely known among HR professionals due to its modern user interface and extreme ease of use, Zenefits is a Human Resources Information System designed for SMBs. If you’re a small business looking to automate HR processes, Zenefits is ideal.
It can easily take care of multiple HR department functions such as on and off-boarding, payroll management, and performance reviews. Employees can sign documents electronically; managers can track performance and scale operations as needed.
But perhaps the essential benefit of Zenefits is that it’s a highly affordable software solution for talent management. And despite being affordable, it doesn’t skimp on the number of features needed to manage everyone from new hires to veterans.
Features:
Zenefits provides SMBs with the tools they need to scale their HR operations at the lowest possible cost. Using its features, you can ensure that your workforce remains engaged and, at the same time, improve your HR department’s operational efficiency.
Please go through the features Zenefits offers to small and medium businesses:
- Easy HR administration
- End-to-end onboarding
- Payscale insights and workforce alignment
- Built-in performance management tools
- Advanced time tracking and scheduling
- Easy payroll administration
- Documentation management
- Automated tax compliance
- Integrated reporting tools
- Seamless benefits management
Pricing:
Unlike the previous options on my list, Zenefits offers a fixed number of pricing plans for its HR platform. You can choose base plans that offer core HR features and get add-ons per your needs. Plans are billable monthly as well as yearly.
Here’s a list of the annual pricing plans that Zenefits offers:
- Essentials plan at $8/month/employee
- Growth plan at $14/month/employee
- Zen plan at $21/month/employee
If you’re a larger organization that needs enterprise-level plans, please contact the Zenefits sales team. You can also schedule a customized demo or try out the tool for two weeks, free of cost.
10. UKG Pro.
Best For Large Organizations.
If you’re a business with over 100 employees, then UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) Pro HR Solution is your best option. With over seven decades of HR experience, UKG Pro provides an impeccable user experience and all essential HR tools.
Although the software focuses on Core HR management, it also doubles as a suitable Human Resources Management System. It has been tested extensively during its years of performance and has customizable modules for most workforce management tasks.
From payroll and benefits management to time-tracking, employee information management, and an applicant tracking system, UKG helps make your HR processes simple and effective. It’s also suitable for all industry verticals, regardless of the niche your business serves.
Features:
HR managers usually look for HRIS solutions centered around people. And UKG Pro offers precisely that. It has numerous features that make Human Capital Management an experience that helps your business grow better.
The following are some of the features that UKG Pro offers its users:
- A comprehensive view of employee data
- Simplified payroll and tax management
- Personalized recruiting
- Effective onboarding
- Centralized and secure employee file management
- Intuitive benefit administration
- Robust workforce management
- Automated, scalable timing and scheduling
- Fully configurable compensation management
- Detailed performance review metrics
- Real-time employee sentiment analysis
- On-demand people assistance
- Predictive analytics
- Ability to leverage AI and ML
Pricing:
UKG Pro’s pricing plans are not available on the website. Like most SaaS-based HRIS solutions, you can obtain the price directly from their sales teams.
11. Sapling.
Best For Distributed Teams.
In the era of remote work, distributed teams are the norm rather than the exception. And Sapling is made for managing distributed teams. It’s best suited for businesses with a global footprint across multiple locations and offices.
Sapling allows you to automate the entire recruitment and onboarding process. Using HR technology across systems, you can assign automatic workflows based on criteria such as employee designation, department, and location.
It lets team members create, store and manage employee data and organizational charts. Sapling also integrates with most applicant tracking, employee training, and payroll systems on the market, ensuring you can save time on processes, not to mention money.
Features:
Apart from the above features, Sapling also provides a webhook and API for advanced integrations. Its various feature list makes it a popular choice for multiple industry verticals such as software, financial services, and healthcare.
Here are the features that Sapling has to offer:
- Seamless onboarding
- Unique employee record templates
- Fast access to team member information
- Ability to manage complicated time-off policies
- Fully accessible via mobile
- Consistent and efficient onboarding
- Faster e-signatures
- Bulk data changes
- Automated team management
- Smart emails, surveys, and webhooks
- Automated workflows
Pricing:
Similar to its peer software, Sapling doesn’t reveal its pricing plans. I got from the website pricing page that there are essentially three packages that you can choose from.
These are the three packages that Sapling offers:
- People Operations Platform
- Essential Modules
- Premium Modules
The People Operations Platform is the base plan; you can add the other modules for better flexibility. The starting annual agreement value is $4000 for the People Operations Platform.
What Are HRIS Systems?
An HRIS integrates HR functions with information technology. These tools allow better and more efficient data entry, performance tracking, and employee management across the organization.
In short, an HRIS allows you to manage and track all your employee data from a single, comprehensive interface.
What Are The Advantages Of Using HRIS Systems?
The right HRIS system can help your business in several ways.
Just like choosing the right HR system can help your business, there are also several advantages to using HRIS systems.
1. Better Organization
When you’re using an HRIS, you’ll never have to sift through old filing cabinets or reams of spreadsheets distributed across computers. All your employee data can be collected, tracked, and modified from a single place with just a few clicks.
2. Enhanced Compliance
Companies must store employee data for compliance and legal purposes. This can include theft and fraud identification materials, unauthorized access, and other misdemeanors.
Employee data storage might also be required for other purposes, such as tax compliance, first contact information, and certification expiry dates. Storing such disparate data using traditional database systems can make the task unmanageable.
An HRIS can come in handy here. As these systems use a centralized database for all employee data, you can use it to ensure that data is always accessible.
3. Saved Time
Time savings is one of the natural outcomes of using HRIS software. Cumbersome HR processes can be automated and simplified using HRIS. For instance, time-offs and leaves can take just seconds to get approval.
HRIS also ensures that leave accruals and balances get tracked and managed automatically. Once the HR professionals have set up the required policies in the system, they don’t have to spend time on them anymore.
4. Strategic HR Management
Since HRIS tools free up the time of your HR professionals, they can use their people skills to formulate HR strategies that help refine the performance of your workforce. Such strategic management only leads to improved business outcomes.
At the same time, it also increases employee retention and productivity.
5. Enhanced Employee Experience
A suitable employee experience is essential for business success. Stellar employees prefer to work in a stellar work environment, and a lack of it can lead to performance drops. A suitable HRIS can help enhance your employees’ organizational perception.
Be it better onboarding, app-based training on the go, or sharing information with co-workers, HRIS software can help boost the employee experience.
Overall, I think it’s safe to say that HRIS tools can help take your HR processes to the next level.
Top Features of a Great HRIS System
The following are the top features of an ideal HRIS system that you should look for when considering a purchase:
- Accurate and comprehensive data tracking: A great HRIS should be able to accurately track employee information, such as job titles, skills, performance reviews, wages, attendance records, and more.
- Flexible payroll processing: An HRIS should support multiple payment methods and integrate seamlessly with existing banking systems. It should also be able to quickly generate reports on payroll deductions, taxes, and benefits programs.
- Robust analytics: The best HRIS platforms offer powerful capabilities enabling employers to understand their workforce’s strengths and weaknesses better. This helps them make insightful decisions about recruitment strategies and other organizational objectives faster and more accurately.
- Automation: An HRIS should be able to automate mundane tasks, such as onboarding and offboarding processes, salary calculations, and vacation requests so that HR staff can focus on more important matters.
- Integrations with other systems: A great HRIS should be able to integrate with other business applications, such as employee scheduling software or customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, for a more holistic view of operations.
- Mobile access: The best HRIS solutions offer mobile-friendly experiences that enable users to manage their payrolls and personnel data from anywhere, anytime via smartphones and tablets.
- Security: It’s critical for an HRIS system to protect the privacy of employees’ data and maintain compliance with industry regulations. The best HRIS products should offer robust authentication protocols, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.
- Customizable reporting: A good HRIS allows employers to generate customized reports based on their unique needs, such as employee compensation trends or vacation usage. This makes it easier for them to track progress and make decisions quickly.
- Scalability: An ideal HRIS should be able to support a growing business by scaling up its capabilities over time without sacrificing performance or reliability.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who Is An HRIS Analyst?
At the beginning of this discussion, I mentioned that here I’d play the role of your personal HRIS analyst. Now, it’s time that I explained what that role entails.
An HRIS analyst helps your business make sense of and use the HRIS data better. HRIS analysts are usually responsible for HR research and team problem-solving based on the data and insights provided by the HRIS.
2. Is SAP An HRIS Software?
SAP is an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) tool with a dedicated HRIS module. You can use the tool to keep track of the company’s resources, financials, and employee data.
3. How Many Employees Can Be Managed By An HRIS?
The number of employees your HRIS of choice supports depends on the capabilities of the tool you’ve selected. Different HRIS tools target different-sized organizations and their needs.
After all, the requirements of a company with 30 employees are entirely separate from that of one with 3000.
To increase the sales of their software, many companies peddle one-size-fits-all HRIS solutions. However, I recommend you use a tool that supports your business size.
4. Why Are HRIS Tools Important For Any Business?
Managing people can be tricky, and most HR professionals struggle to manually make sense of the vast amounts of employee data. An HRIS helps to separate the wheat from the chaff and streamline your HR processes.
These tools help reduce human error and remove data redundancy from the equation by providing a single data store. HRISs also provide real-time information that can be invaluable in tracking employee performance.
Also, using HRIS automation functionalities, you can create better workflows that enhance the efficacy of your workforce. In short, an HRIS gives you all the tools you need to get a bird’s-eye-view of your organization and identify what needs to change for betterment.
5. Is HRIS The Same As HRMS?
Regarding functionality, there’s no difference between an HRIS and an HRMS. Both tools perform the same operations and have similar functions and features.
Wrap Up.
Like choosing the right employee for a designation, choosing suitable HRIS systems for a business is not easy. But after going through my detailed guide, I hope you can make a suitable choice.
If you’re confused regarding which HRIS solution to go with, take a pick from the following ones:
- Freshteam: Best Overall
- Rippling: Best For Automated Employee Management.
- Monday HR: Best Ease Of Use.
I’m sure you’ll find a suitable HRIS among the above options.
