Last updated: December 5th, 2023
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What do you need your HRIS software to do? Let’s start with this most important question. Features and even the definition of a Human Resources Information System (HRIS) can differ depending on your business size and structure.
But many HRIS packages offer additional features, like visa management, Learning Management System (LMS) capabilities and performance management modules.
Do you need them? Let’s find an HR package with features that will deliver ROI in 2023 – without blowing the budget.
1. BambooHR.
Best overall HRIS in Australia.
BambooHR is a highly customizable HR software platform that spans the entire employee lifecycle, from automated onboarding and time tracking to performance management and employee engagement.
Pros.
The team behind this HR software say they built the platform specifically with SMBs in mind.
By enabling small and medium businesses to automate and streamline their workflows, BambooHR helps build strong cultures and thriving workplaces — two HR tasks smaller teams with limited resources often find challenging.
The numbers speak for themselves: 89% of the platform’s customers are SMBs. It looks like the team’s efforts to understand and meet the needs of smaller businesses have paid off.
Some notable features of this employee management software include:
- Applicant tracking: BambooHR allows hiring managers to create and post job ads and track applications as they come in. You can share and comment on resumes and add star ratings to applications without leaving the platform.
- Employee profiles: With this HR system, you can view employee data at a glance. Employees can also update their profiles and search the directory to check out their co-workers’ profiles. If this interface reminds you of a social media platform, that’s because the similarity is not accidental. Social media served as an inspiration for the BambooHR team, who wanted their HR software to foster a sense of community.
- Time tracking: Employees can use BambooHR to view the team calendar, request time off, and track holiday and sick days. HR managers can approve or refuse time off requests and receive time off reports.
- Payroll management: BambooHR makes payroll management streamlined and hassle free. The platform serves as a single source of truth for most, if not all, payroll services, including compensation management, comprehensive payroll reporting, and full-service tax filing.
- HR reports: With BambooHR, you’re free to use the platform’s ready-made HR report templates or create custom reports for a wide range of employee data types, from age and gender profiles to EEO-1 reports. You can export and convert all HR reports to CSV, PDF, or Excel format.
- Automated alerts: BambooHR allows you to set up automated email notifications (to yourself or any other staff member) to remind you and your HR teams of upcoming employee performance reviews, benefits eligibility, licence expirations, and even birthdays.
- Custom permissions: One of the best features of BambooHR is that you get to choose who has access to what within the HR software by giving varying access permissions to admins, managers, employees, and your HR team.
- Globally compatible: BambooHR is available in six languages and supports payroll data in multiple currencies.
Cons.
For all its advantages, BambooHR isn’t perfect. While the platform supports a large number of third-party integrations, it doesn’t currently integrate with QuickBooks and LinkedIn for job postings, so you may need to use LinkedIn externally for hiring purposes.
Going forward, I’d also like to see employees having more control over the calendar, including the option to add more items or change automatically generated entries.
Currently, if you request an hour of PTO, it shows on the calendar as a full day and cannot be altered.
Overall.
If you run a small or mid-sized business, BambooHR may be a good investment. The platform has everything most SMBs need and covers the entire employee lifecycle.
In addition to the many built-in features, you can tap into the numerous third-party integrations if you need extra functionalities or just want to continue using some of your current HR software.
- Easy-to-use, social media-like interface.
- Covers the entire employee lifecycle.
- Specially designed for the needs of SMBs.
- Missing integrations with popular third-party apps.
- Limited employee control over the calendar function.
(Related: Best Payroll Software For Your Business).
2. ELMO.
Best enterprise-level HRIS.
Unlike BambooHR, ELMO Software targets mid-size companies and large enterprises.
This cloud-based HR solution packs in a comprehensive suite of core HR and payroll systems that you can customise to your needs — all from a single dashboard.
Pros.
This HR software leads with employee data security.
From inception to final ideation, ELMO’s development team builds secure engineering principles into all software, systems, services, and architecture to provide your employee records and HR processes with a high level of protection.
Employee data security aside, you can use the platform to streamline operations across core HR processes, from recruitment, onboarding, and payroll to performance management and learning management.
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Key benefits of this HR software solution include:
- Recruitment: ELMO’s recruitment and applicant tracking system is highly customizable and spans the entire hiring process all the way to offer acceptance. Your HR department can create job requisitions in minutes, start recruiting instantly on both internal and external careers portals and job boards, build talent pools, track and manage candidates, and more — all from a single dashboard.
- Employee onboarding: With ELMO Software, your HR team can build automated pre-boarding and onboarding experiences that save time and eliminate paperwork. You can also configure the onboarding process in real time, send reminders, track employee metrics, and assign due dates for tasks, courses, and documents.
- Payroll: ELMO’s native payroll solution enables HR professionals to create and manage timesheets, manage staff pay, and guarantee compliance with SuperStream and Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 (STP2) in Australia.
- Core HR: The Employee Self-Service (ESS) and Manager Self-Service functionalities allow you and your team to access and update employee information, request time off, track remaining PTO allowance, get real-time updates and payslips, and find the information you need on any device.
- Performance: ELMO Software automates and streamlines performance management. You can configure requirements, set goals, create competency models and development plans, incorporate appraisal cycle periods, access employee reports, and a lot more.
- Learning management: ELMO helps you and your team keep your skills up to date with customisable training and development courses. You can access, customise, and repurpose over 400+ online courses.
I particularly like ELMO’s modular approach, which enables you to start your experience with this HR software using just the modules you require and without getting overwhelmed by a huge suite of functionalities you don’t want or need.
If your needs change over time, integrating additional HR functions is easy.
Cons.
Some users have noted that ELMO has limitations in the rostering software and takes more time and effort to set up than competitor products.
However, my main issue with this HRIS software is that it requires prior HTML knowledge and coding skills, so consider your technical capabilities before purchasing — especially if you are an SMB.
Additionally, the mobile version has limited working flash memory and is restrictive on pictures, videos, and file attachments.
Finally, ELMO doesn’t currently offer a free trial or a freemium version, but this could be more of a stumbling block for smaller businesses with limited budgets.
Overall.
All things considered, ELMO is a fantastic human resource application for larger enterprises.
It requires no special hardware, maintenance, or network administration, which can eliminate many of the costs associated with large-scale software implementations of HRIS systems in mid-sized and large businesses.
ELMO also integrates seamlessly with legacy HRIS systems, so you don’t need to worry about migrating from your existing HRIS software, no matter how old or complex it may be.
- Best-in-class information security protocols and certifications.
- Ideally suited to the needs of mid-sized (50-500 staff) and large (500+ staff) organisations.
- Built-in compliance with SuperStream and Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 (STP2).
- Requires prior technical knowledge and coding experience.
- The initial set-up can be time consuming.
3. Deel.
Best HRIS for remote teams.
If your team is spread all over the globe, Deel might be the answer to your HR and payroll management woes.
The platform handles full payroll and benefits across various jurisdictions, often eliminating the need to set up a foreign entity.
Pros.
15,000+ businesses globally use Deel for international hiring, HR, and payroll in one system.
Global team and talent management is Deel’s forte — from hiring contractors and employees in other countries without opening foreign entities to streamlining HR processes and payroll systems for your global team, all while ensuring compliance with local regulations.
- Global recruitment: Hiring international employees can be a legal and logistical nightmare, but Deel makes it easy to find and recruit top talent from all over the world. Deel assumes the legal liability for international employment and partners with 200+ labour law and accounting experts to ensure compliance with local taxes, benefits, and regulations. You can even use Deel’s global mobility service to streamline visa sponsorship and bring in candidates from abroad.
- Working with contractors: Deel makes hiring and managing contractors easy. The platform helps HR professionals avoid misclassifying contractors with legally vetted contracts and provides multiple withdrawal options.
- Easy payments: Deel integrates with major payment providers, including ACH, SWIFT, PayPal, Wise, Payoneer, and Revolut, to provide seamless and reliable international payment experiences. The system supports payments and withdrawals in more than 120 currencies, including cryptocurrency. Contractors can withdraw funds immediately or load them to a Deel prepaid credit card.
- Benefits administration: With Deel,you get a comprehensive and easy-to-understand overview of local benefits, perks, withholdings, and salary expenses. You can compare country costs to identify the most cost-effective market for your hiring needs and set up employees with local pension plans, health insurance, or stipends. The system automatically calculates payroll deductions and withholdings for you, enabling you to simply schedule a lump payment in one click.
- Compliance: Deel has some of the most robust compliance standards in the industry. The company works with local legal and accounting experts to create ready-to-use local employment contracts that cover taxes, mandatory benefits, and pensions.
- Integrations: The platform integrates with major ATS, HR, and accounting applications, including BambooHR and Workable, which I’ve covered in this review, as well as QuickBooks, Ashby, Okta, OneLogin, SCIM, Expensify, NetSuite, Greenhouse, Hibob, Xero, Workday, and many more. If you want to build your own connections, you can — Deel has an Open API solution that allows developers to build their own connections.
- Slack plugin: Your HR teams can useDeel’s built-in Slack plugin to connect quickly with employees, contractors, and other team members.
Cons.
For some organisations, Deel’s costs, including the subscription and transaction fees and the cost per employee, can be a downside.
You can often save money by employing internationally, but the monthly maintenance fees could offset some of your savings.
Expert Tip.
This is something you should consider if you run a small business for which every penny makes a difference. If you process a lot of transactions, you might be better with direct wire.
I’ve also seen some users note that Deel’s customer support can be slow and that the platform has too many default features they don’t really need or use.
Overall.
If you are looking for a solution to manage your international team, especially if you work with contractors, be sure to look into Deel’s human resources management system.
The platform can save you a lot of hassle and stress in terms of international payments, legal compliance, benefits, and compensation management.
- Supports 150+ countries and multiple currencies.
- Global hiring without setting up a foreign legal entity.
- Hassle-free international payments and benefits administration.
- You may not need all of the functionalities.
- The costs can outweigh the savings of hiring abroad.
4. Monday.com
Best HRIS software that borders on ERP.
Monday.com is an attempt to create an all-in-one software business package. It attempts to be a CRM, a HRIS, and Jira, all in one. A baby ERP, then.
5. Employment Hero.
Best HRIS software for the smallest businesses.
Employment Hero is one of Australia’s best HRIS systems and fastest-growing companies. The platform specialises in servicing small to mid-sized businesses.
The reasonable pricing, coupled with a wide range of people management tools, make Employment Hero a sensible choice for up-and-coming SMBs, startups, and cost-conscious HR teams.
Pros.
Employment Hero is a popular choice not just in Australia.
More than 200k organisations globally use the platform to manage over one million employees, and no wonder — this end-to-end solution covers every stage of the employee lifecycle, from hiring and onboarding to employee engagement and productivity management.
The company has an ISO 27001 certification and enforces the same encryption and technology standards that banks use to manage and safeguard employee records.
Employment Hero has four pricing tiers ranging between $4 and $14 per employee/month. The Payroll tier starts at just $4 per employee/month and includes:
- Online payroll management that integrates with HR functions.
- Comprehensive reporting.
- Accounting integration.
The HR Standard tier starts at $7 per employee/month and is ideally suited for businesses making their first foray into cloud-based HR tools and payroll. You get:
- Paperless employee onboarding.
- Leave management.
- HR document library.
- Visa details checks.
- Benefits and discounts.
The higher-priced HR Premium starts at $10 per employee/month and includes:
- Applicant tracking.
- Employee onboarding.
- Reporting and surveys.
- Performance reviews.
- Employee engagement.
- Document management.
Starting at $14 per employee/month, the HR Platinum plan gives you everything in the lower tiers plus:
- Advanced features.
- Custom fields.
- Custom branding.
- Goal setting.
- API access.
- One-on-ones.
Cons.
A criticism I see consistently in customer reviews is the need for more customisation, especially for the company feed formatting options, such as colours, font, and spacing, and the performance review functionality.
Some users have also noted that customer support can be slow and that some of the latest features, such as the recruitment and independent contractor function, are still rough around the edges.
Overall.
Employment Hero is a great budget-friendly option for SMBs. It may not be the best HR software and experiences occasional glitches, but the pricing and end-to-end functionalities are hard to beat.
- Specially developed for the needs of SMBs and new businesses.
- Sensible and flexible pricing tier
- End-to-end human resource management software.
- Slow customer support.
- Insufficient customisation options.
6. Zenefits.
Good HRIS software (but getting old).
Zenefits is another multifunctional HRIS platform offering core HR functions, employee scheduling, onboarding, payroll, leave tracking, and more in one easy-to-use system.
But group insurance and benefits administration is where Zenefits truly stands out.
Pros.
When you purchase Zenefits, you get access to the Zenefits Health Insurance Marketplace, where you can view and compare different group plans for your business.
Once you’ve narrowed down your top choices, you can request quotes through one of the platform’s certified insurance brokers.
Expert Tip.
The brokers can also help you with benefits management. If you already have an insurance broker, you can integrate them into your Zenefits portal for an extra monthly fee of $5 per employee/month.
The Zenefits commuter benefits are another unique feature. Your employees can pay for rides booked through UberPOOL with their Zenefits commuter benefits.
Zenefits automatically adds new employees to the employee portal and payroll system, adds their benefits, calculates any deductions, and prorates their first paycheck.
Zenefits also integrates with 45+ applications, including Google Suite, Office 356, Salesforce, Slack, Zapier, Expensify, Bonusly, BetterWorks, and many more.
Pricing for Zenefits starts at just $8 per employee/month for the Essentials plan, which includes:
- Automated onboarding.
- Employee management.
- Time tracking.
- Scheduling.
- Mobile app.
- Integrations.
- Analytics dashboards.
Zenefits’ most popular tier — the Growth plan — starts at $16 per employee/month and includes everything in the Essentials plan plus:
- Compensation management.
- Performance management.
- Configurable people analytics.
The most expensive Zen plan has everything in the lower tiers plus employee engagement surveys and access to Zenefits’ People Hub.
Cons.
Zenefits typically handles employee support digitally rather than over the phone, so keep that in mind if your HR team members prefer phone calls. Some users also report bugs with the clock-in/clock-out feature.
Overall.
Zenefits is the best HR software if you’re looking for a new insurance broker or are about to buy your first business group plan.
The Zenefits Health Insurance Marketplace and the insurance and benefits management support are available with all pricing tiers, so you should definitely check it out.
- View, compare, and buy insurance group plans.
- Insurance and benefits management support.
- Good all-around HR and payroll functionalities.
- No customer support over the phone.
- Possible bugs with the clock-in/clock-out feature.
3. Workable.
Best HRIS software .. if you don’t need a fully blown HRIS.
Workable is one of the top HRIS systems for recruitment and applicant tracking.
Whether you’re recruiting one or 100 new hires, Workable provides the process automation, scalable HR tools, and customer support you need to attract, evaluate, and hire the right people for the job.
Once again, the numbers speak for themselves: To date, over 27,000 companies in 100+ countries have used Workable’s talent management and applicant tracking system to hire over 1.5 million people.
Pros.
Workable has tools that simplify and streamline every stage of the recruitment process, from job description to offer letter.
I love that it takes just one click to post a job listing to 200+ career sites.
Then, the platform’s AI-powered sourcing takes over to scour the internet for the best-fit candidates, including not only those actively looking for work but also people who may not be on the lookout but match your ideal candidate profile.
After filling your pipeline with qualified candidates, Workable helps your hiring teams sift through the list quickly to hone in on the top talent.
Important!
The applicant tracking system is quick and streamlined but thorough, enabling you to evaluate candidates fairly and accurately and leave them with a positive impression.
Workable has two pricing tiers, so you can pick the one that works for you and your budget without having to pay for HR processes you don’t actually need or use.
The lower-priced tier (currently billed at $129 monthly) is a flexible option for short-term or occasional hiring needs. This plan includes:
- Access to 200+ free and premium job boards.
- 700+ customizable job description templates.
- Interview kits and scorecards.
- Automated passive candidate outreach.
- Mobile-friendly application forms.
- 40+ third-party integrations, including assessments and background checks.
- Offer letters with e-signatures.
- Branded careers pages.
- Email and calendar sync.
- Top-rated iOS/Android mobile app.
- Award-winning phone, email, and chat support.
Workable doesn’t publicise the prices for its advanced plan, so you may be able to negotiate a customised deal for your business upon request.
This tier includes access to the platform’s full suite of HRIS solutions. Billed annually, the advanced plan may deliver better value for larger enterprises that hire consistently. With it, you get:
- Access to 400 million searchable candidate profiles.
- One-click, AI-powered candidate sourcing.
- Customizable candidate profiles.
- Internal job platform.
- External recruiter portal.
- Advanced referrals.
- Custom pipelines.
- Offer letters and approval workflows.
- Self-scheduling and multi-part interviews.
- Dedicated account manager.
- Hiring team rights and roles.
- Requisition and budget planning, tracking, and management.
- GDPR & EEO/OFCCP compliance and reporting.
- Advanced reporting and analytics.
- API access and data export.
- Single sign-on (SSO).
Whichever tier you opt for, Workable’s talent management and applicant tracking system is customisable and scalable to suit the needs of teams of different sizes.
The interface is intuitive and user friendly. You don’t need special training, technical skills, or prior experience — you can jump right in and start recruiting.
Cons.
Workable’s user reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Apparently, the cost of the higher-priced tier can be a little steep, but you can always go for the monthly plan instead.
Also, the interface can get quite crowded when you have multiple open positions and candidates.
Of course, the main and obvious drawback of Workable is that it exclusively specialises in recruitment and applicant tracking. If that’s all you need then great, but if you’re looking for a more comprehensive HRIS system, Workable’s HR software might not be the best choice for you.
Overall.
Workable can be a game-changer for fast-growing businesses and large enterprises that hire often, especially if you can afford the advanced plan with AI-powered candidate sourcing.
However, if you run a small business on a tight budget or don’t recruit new employees often, this particular platform is probably not a wise investment.
I’d recommend getting a more comprehensive HRIS solution with additional HR, payroll, and performance management capabilities instead.
- AI-powered candidate sourcing.
- Access to millions of candidate profiles and hundreds of job boards.
- Customisable job descriptions, interview templates, offer letters, and more.
- Only focuses on recruitment and applicant tracking.
- The cost of the advanced plan can be prohibitive.
7. SAP SuccessFactors.
Good HRIS System for large global enterprises.
Over 242+ million users worldwide use SAP SuccessFactors daily. The company is one of the top vendors in Australia as well.
Trusted by industry leaders such as Vodafone and Whirlpool, SAP’s HRIS software has maintained its stronghold by offering a wide range of modules and innovative solutions.
Pros.
The SAP SuccessFactors HXM Suite is the latest iteration of the company’s HRIS software solution. HXM stands for human experience management, which is the next generation of human capital management (HCM).
The creators of the SAP SuccessFactors HXM Suite built the solution around employees — what they need, how they work, and what drives them — to provide personalised experiences that keep them happy, productive, and engaged.
SAP SuccessFactors HXM Suite provides solutions in four key HR processes:
- Employee experience management, including employee engagement surveys, feedback analysis, and guided action.
- Core HR and payroll, including a built-in employee information system, employee self-service, payroll software, compensation management, employee scheduling, time tracking, employee records management, and more.
- Talent management tools, including recruiting, applicant tracking, onboarding, learning management, performance management, and compensation planning.
- HR analytics and workforce planning, including AI-powered employee analytics strategic workforce planning, scenario modelling, and what-if analysis.
One of my favourite things about SAP SuccessFactors HXM Suite is the SAP SuccessFactors Mobile app. Available with every SAP solution subscription, it enables employees to access self-services and collaborate with other team members anytime, anywhere.
Cons.
SAP has been around for a long time, so the interface and user experience (UI) of its human resource information system can come across as dated. Certain sections of the employee portal could also do with a little more customisation, such as the user profile, employee level, and compensation details. At the moment they only include high-level employee information and are light on the details.
Another thing to keep in mind is that with SAP SuccessFactors, your HR department may not be able to hit the ground running. The general consensus seems to be that you need two weeks of onboarding to really feel comfortable with this HRIS software.
SAP SuccessFactors also doesn’t support e-learning creation and social learning. Keep that in mind if you are looking for a learning management solution.
Overall.
SAP’s human resource software can be a suitable option for large organisations and seems to be the platform of choice for many finance and supply chain teams. However, if you run an SMB, some of the other top HRIS systems I discussed earlier might be a better fit.
- Established, well-known, and trusted vendor.
- A wide range of cutting-edge HXM solutions.
- Built around the needs of employees, not employers.
- Not necessarily a good choice for SMBs.
- Relatively steep learning curve.
Steven
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