Small business human resource software is one of the most critical day-to-day pieces of any enterprise. Finding the right talent, and ensuring they are properly onboarded, trained, and, of course, compensated is fundamental to the success of growing businesses. After all, you have no more valuable asset than your people.
But HR is also highly complex, involved, time-consuming, and expensive. As a small business, you may not have the capacity and/or resources to deal with such an enormous responsibility on your own – you are likely also juggling other roles and responsibilities at this point.
Fortunately, HR software for small businesses can make managing core processes easier and more streamlined. What are your best options?
Small Business Human Resource Software
Before we delve into specifics, here is a general rundown of what great HR solutions deliver:
- Intuitive User Experience. If you can’t use it – you won’t use it! It’s that simple. Solutions that are overly complex, intricate, and difficult to navigate are not solutions at all.
- Integrations. It is helpful if your HR software communicates and syncs with other tools to automate critical tasks and free up your time and resources for other work. For example, you may want to integrate your payroll solution with your accounting software.
- Budget-Friendly. When you need to focus your budget on other areas, an affordable HR solution is a must.
- Support. What if you run into issues or have questions? It is essential that the solutions provider be there to offer exceptional customer support.
- The Right Features. For a small business, these include payroll automation, self-service functionality (employees can do simple tasks like submitting timesheets or vacation requests), attendance tracking, hiring management (creating ads to share, managing applicants, etc.), and onboarding and offboarding workflows.
Best HR Software for Small Businesses
Your business needs are unique, so be sure to see which of these provides the features and functionality you need at a price point with which you are comfortable. Our top picks:
Rippling
This name is mentioned frequently when it comes to small business human resource software, and for good reason. It combines a lot of great functions and features to help streamline HR processes. These include recruiting, onboarding, payroll, time and attendance tracking, benefits administration, training, and employee performance tracking in one easy-to-use platform. Everything connects to one source, allowing you to automate much of the manual work you would typically have to do in terms of managing your team. The budget-friendly solution will free up your time so you can focus on what you do best – running your business.
Starts at $35/month plus $8/person.
Gusto
Another small business human resource software, Gusto helps you automate and manage recruiting and onboarding, time and attendance tracking, payroll, benefits administration, employee performance tracking, and training. Additionally, there are employee engagement features, such as surveys and the capability to do trend analysis, as well as compliance alerts. As mentioned, HR is complicated, and you need to ensure that you are meeting state and federal laws.
Gusto Simple starts at $40/month plus $6/person. Plus is $80/month and $12/person. Add-ons are also available.
Namely
This web-based platform is a core HR solution that includes payroll, benefits administration, time and attendance tracking, and employee performance reviews. You can also utilize the built-in social news feed and develop custom reports for individual employees and teams. Namely is user-friendly with excellent customer service. It is not as robust in terms of recruiting but for core HR functions, it’s a great fit.
Contact Namely for pricing. Solutions are customized for your business’s needs.
GoCo
What we love about GoCo is that you can explore this solution with a free tour of an actual account and play around with the data to see how it all works. This can make implementation that much easier. GoCo specializes in recruiting and onboarding, offering self-service onboarding, digital onboarding documents, forms, offer letters, time and attendance tracking, payroll integration or embedded option, benefits administration, and training. You can get advice from certified HR pros and live chat is offered when you need a hand.
Contact GoCo for pricing; they offer a 20% discount if you will pay an annual or multi-year contract.
TriNet Zenefits
This one specializes in benefits administration and employee collaboration. If these are core priorities, take a look at TriNet Zenefits. The all-in-one HR solution automates key functions and encourages collaboration through People Hub, a unique and useful feature. You’ll have all the bases covered from payroll and benefits administration to time tracking and performance evaluations.
Starts at $8/employee/month with a minimum charge of $40. Plans with more features start at $14/employee/month and $21/employee/month. Add-ons, such as payroll, benefits administration, etc., are $5 – $8/employee/month.
As you can see, small business human resource software doesn’t have to cost a fortune – and it will certainly deliver a strong return on investment.