Best workforce management software in 2024

Small business owners recognize the need to keep their workers engaged and productive, but they’re usually short on time and often strapped for cash. Zoho People delivers the necessary HR functionality with plans that are quick and easy to set up and use, and that range in price from free to $10 per user per month. That’s an HR deal that many SMBs will find difficult to pass up.

Value

It doesn’t get cheaper than free, but unlike some teaser-free accounts that are little more than extended demos, Zoho People’s no-cost offering comes with document management, e-signature support, time-off management and 250 MB of storage. For small companies with more than five users, the Essential HR plan from Zoho People adds onboarding and other core features for only $1.50 per user per month.

The value delivered by Zoho People extends to larger organizations through the advanced HR tools in the Enterprise package that’s priced at $5 per user per month. Alternatively, you can step up to Zoho’s People Plus which costs $10 per user per month and adds recruiting, payroll, expense tracking and other tools.

Functionality

Many small businesses will be well served by Zoho People’s core functions, including office readiness, onboarding, time-off management and Zoho Analytics integration. The Professional plan adds attendance tracking, while the company’s Premium offering comes with performance management and employee engagement.

Businesses that want a soup-to-nuts workforce management solution that covers everything from recruitment to benefits administration will need to enhance Zoho People’s features with the company’s many add-ons.

For example, only the high-end Enterprise plan ships with learning management tools, which cost $2 per user per month as an add-on. Similarly, recruiting and expense management are offered only in the People Plus package but can be added to other plans.

Support

Zoho People offers customers three levels of support. Businesses using the company’s free version can submit questions by email that Zoho promises to respond to within eight hours. They can also access Zoho’s self-help resources, which include an employee handbook, a guide for administrators and training tools.

Premium support adds 24/5 live chat and telephone access to support staff for $114 per month, while Enterprise support comes with 24/7 live chat and phone support, as well as four hours of training for 25% of your recurring license fee.

One way small businesses can compete with larger firms for talent is by offering a solid benefits package. TriNet’s benefits administration features can be purchased separately and are included when a company signs with one of TriNet’s benefits broker partners.

The workforce management solutions sold by TriNet may not be the best choice for very small businesses because they have a five-user minimum. However, they give SMBs an abundance of HR options through TriNet’s HR Platform and HR Plus administrative services organization (ASO).

Value 

The full-featured workforce management products sold by TriNet encompass all aspects of employment, from recruiting and onboarding to benefits, payroll and compliance. SMBs that are looking for a comprehensive HR solution will appreciate the power and capabilities of TriNet’s Growth and Zen plans, which are priced at $20 and $33 per employee per month, respectively.

However, TriNet’s HR plans deliver less value to very small businesses that don’t need the packages’ full range of features, which include performance and compliance management, as well as talent acquisition and expense management in the Zen plan. Similarly, the HR Plus services sold by TriNet are most valuable to organizations with relatively large workforces requiring advanced tax and compliance support.

Functionality 

The strength of TriNet’s HR software is its ability to be configured with all the employee management tools your business needs. The company’s base Essentials, Growth and Zen plans are complemented by add-ons for collaboration and communication, benefits administration, recruiting and advisory services. However, the added features can quickly drive up your monthly bill for HR services.

The entry-level Essentials package meets the HR needs of businesses that require only scheduling, time-off tracking, onboarding and workforce analytics. Most SMBs are better served by the features in TriNet’s Growth and Zen plans, such as performance management, compensation management and talent acquisition.

As businesses grow, they can upgrade to the HR Plus services from TriNet that add payroll tax compliance, workers’ compensation payroll reporting and annual benefits reviews with brokers.

Support 

The TriNet support staff can be reached by live chat 24/7, and by telephone from 6 a.m. to midnight ET Monday to Friday. The company provides email support for administrators and employees, as well as a help center that features a getting-started guide, a training portal, e-guides and webinars.

Just like their larger counterparts, successful small businesses take advantage of every edge they can get. SAP SuccessFactors presents SMBs with a technology edge in the form of its Joule AI-based copilot that provides natural-language feedback to employees, answers their questions and facilitates the promotion process.

The company’s Employee Central HR platform empowers workers by providing self-service tools for time and attendance, benefits and other purposes.

Value 

SuccessFactors and SAP’s other human capital management (HCM) products are designed for midsize businesses and enterprises. SAP SuccessFactors is sold as the HR component of the company’s HCM solutions. The product’s value is in its ability to transform a business’s workforce management into a resource that drives productivity by automating HR processes and enhancing business decision-making.

SuccessFactors pricing is based on a custom quote from SAP. The core Employee Central platform costs $75.60 per user per month with a minimum contract of one year. SAP’s focus on midsize and larger organizations is evident in its offerings for such industries as aerospace, chemicals, government, insurance and telecommunications.

Functionality 

Few workforce management products can match the scope of SAP SuccessFactors’ features. The Joule AI copilot helps HR run more efficiently by automating common tasks such as time-off requests and feedback, assisting with candidate interview preparation and mentoring staff members by suggesting learning opportunities and peer connections.

In addition to core HR features such as time-tracking, payroll and benefits administration, SuccessFactors supports employee performance monitoring and recognition, worker engagement and workforce planning. The product’s workforce analytics features allow businesses to identify trends and implement evidence-based decision-making.

Support 

SAP’s Customer Information Center provides non-technical assistance 24/7 using live chat, telephone, email and social media. Technical support is available through your SAP account, as well as by searching the company’s knowledge base and SAP Help Portal, which includes feature scope descriptions and getting-started guides.

The SAP Community lets businesses connect with other users to post questions or share experiences.

SMB managers know the importance of being proactive in keeping their valuable workforce engaged and motivated. Paycor’s workforce management software puts analytics tools in the hands of business decision-makers that enhance their ability to measure the effectiveness of operations and anticipate staff changes.

The company’s Core and Complete plans combine payroll processing with HR features that include expense management and one-on-one sessions with certified HR professionals.

Value 

Businesses looking to combine their HR and payroll operations will realize the greatest benefits from Paycor’s higher-end Core and Complete packages. The least expensive of the four solutions Paycor sells for SMBs is Basic, which supports only payroll operations.

The company’s Essential plan adds a handful of HR functions, but it lacks many features that SMBs require, such as expense management and employee engagement.

The Core plan from Paycor helps businesses take the pulse of their workforce so they can better anticipate and respond quickly to trends and operational changes. Stepping up to the top-of-the-line Complete package allows managers to assist employees in realizing their career goals, identify and develop talent, and optimize their compensation packages.

Functionality 

One of the greatest potential benefits of AI for businesses is the technology’s ability to enhance the effectiveness and productivity of managers and employees. Paycor’s AI Digital Assistant aims to make operations more accurate and efficient by allowing people to interact with analytics using natural language.

The company’s predictive data model anticipates staff resignations and employee turnover trends extending 12 months into the future.

Paycor analytics tools take advantage of public information sources to perform competitive analyses, predict absences and reduce overtime by anticipating and redirecting workloads. Managers are able to compare compensation across departments, locations and job titles to monitor compliance and pay equity.

Paycor’s Employee Summary Page features a tool that tracks employee exits and the likelihood of future departures.

Support 

Paycor administrators can contact the company’s support staff by telephone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday. The Paycor support page features FAQs for employees and administrators. The company’s support center provides knowledge bases for employees and administrators, while its resource center features webinars, case studies and an HR glossary.

Getting off on the right foot is as important in business relationships as it is in personal interactions. GoCo makes sure your company makes a good first impression with its new hires by automating much of the onboarding process, making it faster and more accurate.

The company saves HR staff time and effort by creating automated workflows for common tasks using templates and simple drag-and-drop tools.

Value 

Businesses looking to craft a custom HR solution will appreciate GoCo’s cafeteria-style approach to workforce management that lets them choose one of four base plans and then add the features they prefer. The Premium HR plan starts at $5 per employee per month and is designed to streamline HR processes.

The premium HR + Benefits Admin plan allows companies to combine their existing payroll service with GoCo’s HR tools, while the Premium HR + Payroll plan integrates with their current benefits providers.

Companies that want a soup-to-nuts solution can choose the top-of-the-line Premium HR + Benefits Admin + Payroll plan. Once you’ve decided on the most appropriate base plan, you select any of the eight add-on services GoCo offers, which include performance management, engagement surveys, advanced workflows and HR compliance. All prices are based on a custom quote generated by a company sales rep.

Functionality 

The workforce management tools offered by GoCo cover all aspects of HR management and payroll processing for SMBs. GoCo’s core Premium HR platform provides applicant tracking, offer letters, document management, self-service benefits enrollment, time tracking and scheduling, and reports for employee performance and engagement, diversity and turnover.

The company’s payroll services are powered by Gusto and include tax calculation and filing, custom payroll views and unlimited payroll runs. Benefits administration lets businesses work with their existing benefits provider or with a GoCo partner for health, dental, vision, insurance, retirement, commuter benefits and savings accounts. Its performance management tools feature customizable templates and checklists for monitoring tasks, due dates and team performance.

Support 

GoCo’s telephone support hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, Monday to Friday. Support staff can also be reached by email and social media. The company’s help center includes a knowledge base and articles on more than a dozen topics, such as ACA compliance and tax withholdings.

Other support resources are webinars, ebooks and guides for onboarding, employee engagement and compliance.

A primary goal of workforce management is to ensure your business is maximizing the return it receives on its investment in labor. Workday’s focus on workforce optimization helps companies streamline employee scheduling, time and attendance, and the processing of time-off requests and other absences.

The product’s advanced workforce management features and complexity suggest it is best for midsize and large enterprises.

Value 

Workday’s workforce management products target specific industries that include finance, energy, communications, insurance and manufacturing. Because its solutions require an investment of time and money, the products deliver the greatest value to organizations that are large enough to convert this investment into productivity and efficiency enhancements. For most small businesses, Workday’s wide range of features and complexity won’t save much time or money anytime soon.

The only Workday product that offers a free trial is the company’s Adaptive Planning financial software, which can be used for free for 30 days.

Functionality 

It’s difficult to imagine an aspect of HR management that Workday’s workforce management solutions don’t support. They extend far beyond HR to serve as a complete enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform that puts a skills-based people strategy front and center.

The tools promise to enhance your organization’s resilience to changing work trends, improve employee experiences and support faster and more accurate decision-making.

The question for small businesses is whether Workday’s high-powered workforce management capabilities will deliver the improved HR processes they’re seeking quickly and affordably. Many companies with fewer than 100 employees may be overwhelmed by the complexity and investment required to implement Workday’s HR products.

For these businesses, a simpler and less expensive solution such as Zoho People or TriNet may be a more practical option.

Support 

The Workday support page states that the company’s experts are available “day and night,” but the company doesn’t post its live support hours. The company sells four support plans that feature online resources, collaboration forums and knowledge articles, as well as webinars and self-guided training, on-demand learning and one-on-one technical account management.

The support packages also provide access to the Workday Community,

UKG was formed in 2020 by the merger of Kronos and Ultimate Software. The company’s two products are UKG Pro for large enterprises and UKG Ready for SMBs. The strength of UKG Ready is its focus on maximizing the potential of your business’s workforce through comprehensive talent management.

The product’s workforce management tools track the progress of employees from their recruitment through succession planning as their careers proceed.

Value 

UKG Ready helps businesses convert the talent in their organization into a valuable asset and promotes collaboration for achieving your goals. The focus on talent starts with the company’s recruiting module, which makes it easy for candidates to apply and stay in touch with them through the hiring process. Employees and managers benefit from UKG Ready’s compensation planning that centralizes programs and guidelines to ensure compensation meets budget and other requirements.

Another way UKG Ready adds value to business operations is its ability to support teams by helping them define and meet goals. The product’s Performance module contributes to a company’s bottom line by providing consistent performance documentation and applying analytics to ensure unbiased assessments of results.

Functionality 

UKG Ready runs on the UKG Flex platform that centralizes all employee data. Companies build their workforce management solution by selecting the features they need: HR, payroll, talent, time and attendance, scheduling, compliance and analytics. They can ensure implementation within 100 days by using Ready Boost to bring all HR, payroll, time-keeping and other functions online quickly.

Employees can access their payroll, benefits and other information using UKG Ready’s HR Service Delivery that combines self-service with the ability to update information and find training and other resources relevant to their career goals.

Support 

UKG’s “premium support experience” promises 24/7 support and rapid responses for all subscribers using phone, live chat and online forms. The company’s community includes advice from its own product experts as well as from its customers and partners. The community conducts virtual and regional events throughout the year.

Empowering employees to manage their payroll and HR accounts is one of the best ways to transform a cost center into a revenue generator. Paycom’s Beti self-service tool allows workers to update, verify and troubleshoot their own payroll and HR records quickly and accurately.

Paycom’s self-service approach frees HR teams to focus on people rather than administration while giving employees a sense of ownership of their work environment.

Value 

Paycom’s payroll and workforce management software is priced based on a custom quote from the company. We determined its value to small and midsize businesses based on the product’s ability to boost a company’s profitability through more efficient operations and support for employees.

By these measures, Paycom demonstrates its value by allowing employees to review and update their own payroll and HR information, and by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of managers and HR teams.

For example, the company’s Manager on-the-Go app brings the workplace to managers, giving them the ability to make approvals, monitor projects and screen job applicants from any mobile device. Companies also realize value from Paycom’s Direct Data Exchange that automatically identifies opportunities for reducing labor and non-labor costs.

Functionality 

Paycom’s workforce management products are sold modularly. SMBs can choose from among several payroll components that include Beti for self-service, the Vault Visa payroll card and Paycom Pay for using Paycom’s bank account for clearing paychecks.

Among the HR modules sold by Paycom are Documents and Checklists for secure storage and e-signatures, Global HCM, which supports workers in more than 180 countries, and Benefits Administration, which features automated enrollment and secure communications with carriers.

Small businesses can maximize the revenue-generating capacity of their workforce by taking advantage of Paycom’s talent acquisition, talent management and time and labor management tools. One such feature in the company’s time management software is the precision time clocks that prevent unauthorized punches and add a Microfence for proximity clocking in and out.

Support 

Paycom’s customer support relies on self-help resources that include an FAQ, about two dozen on-demand webinars on payroll and HR subjects, and podcasts featuring luminaries such as Neil deGrasse Tyson and Robin Roberts. The company doesn’t provide live chat support, telephone support or community support.

Businesses looking for as many workforce management options as possible will appreciate the range of payroll and HR services offered by Namely. The company’s managed payroll and managed benefits let SMBs take advantage of Namely’s HR platform while tapping the expertise of its broker partners to craft a workforce management solution tailored to your needs.

Value 

While very small businesses may have their HR and payroll needs met by Namely’s entry-level Now package, most SMBs will realize more value from the company’s higher-end Plus People and Complete plans. Namely Now charges extra for onboarding and large group benefits, and it lacks recruiting, time-tracking and other features many businesses require.

Companies that have between a dozen and several dozen employees may find value in the Namely Plus plan that comes with onboarding, recruiting and other standard HR tools, but it excludes Namely’s managed benefits and payroll services.

The company’s Plus People package adds these options, but only Namely’s high-end Complete plan features large group benefits and other workforce management tools many SMBs need.

Functionality 

Namely serves as an HR and payroll platform that businesses can build upon by combining the features they choose to create an integrated workforce management solution. At the platform’s base level come tools for onboarding new hires, talent management, analytics and reporting, and a compliance library.

Upon these base functions businesses can add recruiting, payroll and timekeeping, and benefits administration. Namely’s managed payroll and managed benefits services are included with its Plus People and Complete plans. Employees are able to access their pay and HR information, request time off and perform other HR tasks using the company’s self-service portal.

Support 

Namely relies on Service Pods to connect its customers to the company’s support staff during the implementation of the software and in day-to-day use. Its employee support page instructs employees to log into their Namely account to access their tax and other forms and information.

The Client Care page links to the Namely community that provides a list of upcoming events and a handful of other resources.

It’s not unusual for SMBs to outsource their workforce management operations to full-service staffing agencies that handle everything from applicant interviews to benefits administration. Uzio’s solution for the staffing industry promises to speed up new hire onboarding, automate the collection of employees’ payroll information and manage all compliance and tax matters.

The company also meets the HR and payroll needs of the cannabis industry, which has a long list of unique payroll and compliance requirements.

Value 

Companies that want to take a modular approach to workforce management can create their own HR and payroll bundle by combining Uzio’s offerings, each of which is priced separately.

For example, they can start with the company’s HR information system which costs $4.50 per employee per month and then add time-tracking for an additional $3 per employee per month, scheduling for $1.50 per employee per month and expense management for $3.00 per employee per month.

Conversely, a business could combine Uzio’s HRIS with the vendor’s payroll services that cost $6.50 per employee per month plus $55 a month, and then add benefits administration for another $4.50 a month.

The benefit of the cafeteria approach for SMBs is the ability to pay for only the workforce management features they need, but the downside is that a business’s monthly tab for HR and payroll can quickly skyrocket.

Functionality 

The two approaches most businesses take to workforce management are to either go with a top-to-bottom solution that covers all aspects of HR services and payroll processing, or to take a build-it-yourself stance that gives them more control over their management operations. Uzio’s strategy leans toward the latter but can also accommodate organizations that are looking for a single-vendor solution.

While Uzio’s services support nearly all HR and payroll functions, recruiting is one important exclusion. The company’s AI Copilot promises to enhance a business’s decision making by gleaning insights from its HR data that enhance the role of HR professionals in the organization.

Its solutions for benefits brokers, professional employer organizations (PEO), administrative service offerings (ASO) and CPAs are tailored to the needs of each industry.

Support 

Uzio’s support staff can be reached by telephone during normal business hours as well as by email and web form. The company promises to respond to questions within 24 hours. Other support resources include blog posts, infographics and videos on such topics as Uzio for accounting services, features of the company’s employer portal and its premium module for law firms.