employee

Businesses who need a sophisticated, all-in-one HRIS 

A Workable integration allows you to automatically import hired candidates to your HR platform from Workable, an applicant recruiting system.  

Manage & run payroll (in specific countries)

Enables organisations to run payroll by themselves, removing the need to pay a 3rd party service provider. It takes employee data you’ve uploaded into your HRIS (such as salary, tax code, bank details, pensions benefits and absences) and automatically calculates the taxes and net pay per employee, produces payslips and files taxes with the relevant local authority

A JazzHR integration allows you to automatically import hired candidates to your HR platform from JazzHR, an applicant recruiting system.  

Automate reminders to update expired documents 

Be able to set up reminders and associate them with a specific employee (a "Flag" system)  - e.g. to flag that a right to work expires in 2 years, or to remind that a drug screening is due etc

A Slack integration allows you to receive notifications and summaries of important events (e.g., who's away, anniversaries, birthdays) within your company's Slack. Some HRIS can also send you automated reminders for approvals needed in Slack.

Create, deliver, and manage training and development programs for employees.

A Quickbooks integration allows you to automatically sync people and payroll data to streamline accounting and financial management. 

Review employee expenses and reimburse employees.

An API (Application Programming Interface) in the context of a HRIS refers to a set of rules and specifications that define how external applications can interact with the HRIS. This allows you to connect your HRIS to other software applications and services, expanding its functionality and integration capabilities.

Standardize workflows (e.g. on/offboarding, promotion, probation interview) with reusable checklists, where you can assign tasks to different employees. 

Enable Contractors (& employees) to check-in and check-out of work, edit their hours and track how much time they've worked on specific projects or tasks.

Create custom fields for storing employee information e.g. T-shirt size, buddy, skills. 

A Xero integration allows you to automatically sync people and payroll data to streamline accounting and financial management. 

A Ravio integration allows you to sync people data into Ravio, a compensation benchmarking tool for European tech companies. 

A Lattice integration allows you to run performance reviews, send engagement surveys and structure 1:1's based on people data in your HR platform. 

A Google Calendar integration allows you to view time-off and important events from your calendar.


Automate custom emails to employees/ new hires

Draft any custom email with placeholders, and automate them to new hires or employees within the platform. 

Store employee documents - such as Passport, VISA, Employment Contract, Share Option Contract etc

Enable employees to e-sign documents, such as employment contracts.

Store data on where an employee predominantly works - e.g. 'Remote' or 'New York Office' etc

Track holidays, sick days, work from home, parental
leave or unpaid holiday. This typically includes the ability for employees to request an absence and for managers to then approve it.

Automate the collection of personal, payroll & tax information from new hires

At onboarding, automate the collection of personal, payroll & tax information (e.g. Bank Details, National Insurance Number, Tax Code, P60 etc).

Manage employee benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans, and other perks.

Create and share a graphic representation of the structure of an organization showing the relationships of the positions or jobs within it.

Track headcount, salary and time-off trends

Create and share engagement surveys with your employees.

Create and share OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) or Goals with employees.

Create, run (on a recurring basis) and store employee performance reviews.

Integrated functionality that helps you hire employees and contractors. Core Applicant Tracking system functionality includes the ability to create job ads, store candidate information, and manage and track candidate progress via a pipeline.

Use your HRIS as the unified place to order, configure and manage devices (laptops, monitors, phones etc) 

Use your HRIS as the unified place to set up, manage and disable (or most) of your employee apps, such as Google Workspace, Slack and Microsoft 365. 

Access one-to-one HR advice from HR professionals. Typically, they can help you create and implement Policies (e.g. Sick leave, Parental leave, Remote work) and Company Handbooks, as well as offering guidance on hiring and firing employees.

Store employee information - such as Name, Title, Compensation, Start Date, Probation End Data etc

An Outlook Calendar integration allows you to view time-off and important events from your calendar.

Able to manage compliance with labor laws by generating necessary reports for internal and external audits and/ or alerts for potential compliance issues.

A Guideline integration allows you to connect your HR platform with Guideline automate and manage 401(k) contributions for US companies. 

Businesses based in other countries who only need basic HRIS functionality

Rippling HR Cloud

Integrated Applicant Tracking System

Rippling Recruiting 

Expense management 

Spend Management

Manage employee hardware (devices)

Device Management

Manage learning & development

Learning Management

Run performance reviews 

Set OKRs/goals

Performance Management

Payroll 

Manage & administer employee benefits

Benefits Admin 

Send employee engagement surveys

Pulse Surveys 

Manage employee software (SaaS apps)

App Management

Time tracking system

Time & Attendance

Standardize HR workflows via checklists 

Create custom fields 

Store employee documents

E-sign documents

Store employee work locations 

Manage employee time-off 

Create org charts

Store employee information

Manage compliance

Unity Core

Unity Pro

Unity Unlimited 

Unity Enterprise

For businesses who can stomach the price tag and initial learning curve, Rippling brings unmatched power. It is highly customisable, and offers unparalleled functionality and best-in-class automation and reporting functionality - making it ideal for data-driven teams seeking a powerful all-in-one HRIS + ATS + Payroll solution.

UK-based small businesses who need integrated HR & payroll

Zelt

Pro - Growth 

Pro - People 

Pro - Money 

Pro - Tech

Core

Zelt packs more punch than its minimalist look suggests. It's perfect for growing startups and small teams seeking cost-effective HR solutions. In particular, its built-in payroll and device management save on accountant fees and third-party subscriptions. The clean, uncluttered UI with abundant white space brings delight to users. The only letdowns are its limited global payroll functionality and occasional glitches reported by users.

Small businesses who want a best-in-class user experience

Businesses who need an all-in-one HR platform with more functionality natively

Humaans

Growth

Enterprise

Unlike all-in-one suites, Humaans is designed to act as the base of your HR tech stack. This means Humaans only offers strong core HR functionality (e.g. storing employee info, managing time-off, automating workflows). Additional functionality (e.g. performance management, payroll) are provided through easy integrations with 3rd party specialist tools. This makes it particularly ideal for growing startups looking to assemble their own integrated HR tech stack. Its delightful UI/ UX, excellent data management and DE&amp;I reporting are standout strengths. However, there are downsides like its expensive pricing and potential added costs of building a modular HR stack.&nbsp;

Businesses over 35 people who need integrated HR & payroll

Teams <35 employees who only need basic HRIS functionality

HiBob

Talent Package

Time and Attendance

For larger teams with more than 35 employees who need highly customizable yet still relatively user-friendly HRIS, HiBob could be a good choice. HiBob recently introduced its own applicant tracking system (ATS) and UK-based payroll, making it one of the most richly-featured HRIS's in our curation. However, smaller teams might find HiBob too expensive and time-consuming to set up for just the basic HR functions.

US-based small businesses who need affordable HR software

Businesses based outside of the US who are looking for a visually pleasing, lightweight HR product

BambooHR

Time Tracking System 

US Benefits Administration

US Payroll

Bamboo is a legacy player founded in 2008. Although it boasts a rich suite of features at a relatively low cost, a lot of its features are mediocre in quality and suffer from a lack of customization. It is best suited for US-based businesses looking for an integrated HRIS + ATS + payroll solution, and who don't need extensive customisability.

Any business based outside of the UK

Onfolk

Onfolk makes UK payroll and payslips delightfully simple for early stage startups lacking HR expertise. Its intuitive, user-friendly payroll approach is its key strength. However, Onfolk’s appeal is limited by very thin native functionality beyond payroll, a plain interface and the lack of pre-built integrations with specialised tools like performance management. For distributed teams or companies wanting a full-featured HRIS, you might need to look elsewhere.

European small businesses who need an integrated HRIS+ATS

Businesses based outside of the Europe who need a customisable HRIS

Personio

Performance and Development

Payroll (Germany) 

Recruiting - Up to 5 job openings

Surveys

Core Pro

Although Personio offers an integrated HRIS+ATS functionality with moderately rich functionality, it leaves much to be desired with mediocre performance across its modules and limited customisability.

European businesses who need integrated HR, payroll & ATS

Factorial

Expenses - Business

Recruitment - Business

Trainings - Business

Performance - Business

Time Tracking - Business

Time Off - Business

Engagement - Business

Factorial Core - Business

Factorial Core - Enterprise

Factorial's provides broad HRIS functionality at a relatively low cost, with time-tracking and shift management as standout features. Unfortunately, a lot of other modules, such as automations, goals, and leave management seem half-baked and buggy. Its also not as user-friendly and customisable compared to similar platforms e.g. HiBob.

UK-based small businesses who need integrated HR & ATS

Businesses based outside of the UK looking for a highly customisable HRIS

CharlieHR

Charlie Recruit (50-199 employees)

Charlie Recruit (1-14 employees)

Access HR advice

HR Advice service

Charlie Recruit (15-49 employees)

1-4 team members

5-14 team members

15-29 team members

30-49 team members

50-99 team members

100-149 team members

150-199 team members

200-249 team members

250+ team members

CharlieHR is best suited as an entry-level integrated HRIS + ATS solution for UK teams due to its limited functionality and customisability. Although its overall performance is mediocre, smaller teams that require less flexibility and value on-demand support with HR advisors may find CharlieHR to be a viable option for basic HR needs.

Remote businesses who need integrated HR & global payroll

Deel

Deel Plugins

Deel Engage

Global Payroll 

Free

Best known for its global hiring and payroll services, Deel has recently introduced an HRIS that's free up to 200 employees.While this sounds seductive, note that its free HRIS alone only offers basic HR functionality, such as storing employee information, managing time-off, automating HR workflows and analytics. However, this could still suffice for small teams who don't need a lot of functionality, and looking to minimize cost.For larger teams needing more functionality such as surveys, performance management and payroll, Deel offers "Deel Engage" ($20 per user/ month), and "Deel Payroll" (from $29 per user/ month). Though at these price points, larger teams might find better value in alternative HRIS solutions that provide more advanced functionality and customization options.

US-based small businesses who need integrated HR & payroll

Gusto

Priority Support & HR Resources

Simple

Plus

Premium

If you're a US company looking for a tool to automate painful US payroll on a budget, then Gusto could be an option. It offers excellent US payroll, benefits, and compliance functionality at a more affordable price than sophisticated HRIS's like Rippling. However, note that some of its additional functionality (e.g. performance management, surveys, ATS) are still quite basic in nature.