The Best HR Software For Small Business
Here is a list of the top HR resources for small businesses that I’ll discuss in this article. You have everything you need to get started with each tool.
For small businesses that want the essentials without spending any money, I’ve listed a ton of free solutions. Paid products, however, can provide greater support, a cleaner interface, and more sophisticated functionality.
It’s simple for a small business owner to overlook HR. It’s not as interesting as business operations that prioritise income or growth, and having an HR department is not required by law.
However, even companies with a small staff must perform some HR-related tasks. And if you don’t do them effectively, they might easily consume all of your time.
HR software is really beneficial. These technologies assist you in developing HR processes and automating crucial operations for a nominal monthly price. You’ll spend a lot less time on them and a lot more time working on the things you enjoy.
Additionally, the tools work well. In 2020, 74% of the businesses questioned by PWC stated that they intended to increase their investment on HR technology. Their ability to boost productivity, offer worker intelligence, and enhance employee satisfaction are their main advantages.
The top ten HR tools for small enterprises will be the topic of this article. I’ll also discuss why you might require one and what to watch out for when making your choice.
My Small Business HR Software Comparison Criteria
What criteria do I use to choose the top HR solutions for SMBs? Here is a list of my evaluation standards:
User Interface (UI): Any software must have a good user interface (UI) and user experience. The finest tools feature a simple user interface that is simple to use on desktop or mobile.
Usability: Small business HR systems need to be simple to use so that anyone can utilise them. Good customer service and documentation are also beneficial.
Integrations: Automating chores is made easier by integrating with other programmes. When you create an employee profile, you might configure an integration to automatically add users to a Slack channel. or one that connects your accounting software with payroll software.
Value for $:Budgets for HR software solutions are typically small for small organisations. These resources are either inexpensive or totally free.
Key Features of Small Business HR Software
A comprehensive collection of cutting-edge human resources features is not necessary for small organisations. Consider your company’s demands when selecting the best HR software, and go for a programme that excels in these areas. By doing this, you can acquire the workforce management features you require without paying too much.
- Payroll automation: Payroll is the one HR task that every company must complete. With the help of payroll automation tools, you can create workflows that compile information on hours worked and then make payments with a single click.
- Self-service: Self-service features let your staff members handle basic HR duties on their own. For instance, they can create pay stubs without getting in touch with anyone at your company. This saves you time on these chores while enabling your team members to swiftly obtain what they require.
- Attendance tracking system: Utilize an attendance monitoring system to keep track of who is working when. In addition to connecting with payroll features to manage payment, it offers visibility into potential staffing concerns.
- Hiring management: If your small business is expanding quickly, you must hire management features. These enable you to produce job postings that you may distribute on social media platforms or job boards, gather applications, and manage applicants.
- Onboarding and offboarding: Setting up automatic employee onboarding and offboarding routines is another useful feature for small but expanding businesses. Simply make a list of everything that needs to be done before employees can begin, provide them a link to your tool, and they can complete the tasks on their own.
Overviews Of The 10 Best HR Software For Small Businesses
The top applications for each SMB HR software are highlighted along with some standout features and screenshots that provide an overview of the user interface.
The majority of the tools operate on a SaaS model, which requires a monthly subscription fee to access them. Nevertheless, we also provide several self-hosted and free choices.
1. monday.com
Best for customized data dashboards, forms and automations
The adaptable boards and built-in templates of Monday allow users to track and visualise any kind of business data.
Depending on your needs, Monday.com can expedite a wide range of data collecting procedures, which is a huge benefit for small enterprises. It’s quick and simple to migrate your data to their system with 200+ pre-built templates to pick from, and you can even transfer data from pre-existing Excel spreadsheets. Once everything is set up, you may choose to examine your data in a variety of graphic representations, such as bar and line graphs, pie charts, and Gantt charts.
Their current templates for hiring, onboarding, and HR service requests will be very helpful for small organisations, especially those with limited or no dedicated HR support. It can also be used for other tasks including organising corporate events, following up on sales leads, controlling outside contractors, or monitoring employee training and development. The Monday system also features configurable automations to lessen minor and repetitive administrative activities as well as Forms that gather information and feed it into dashboards in real-time.
Monday interacts with a wide range of productivity and communication platforms, like Google Drive, LinkedIn, Slack, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Outlook, Zoom, Zapier, and others, to further improve your internal procedures.
Monday.com provides a free forever subscription for two users (with restricted functionality) for very small organisations. Beyond that, they offer paid service tiers starting at $8 per user per month and a free 14-day trial.
14-day no-risk trial
$8 per user each month
2. Eddy
Best all-in-one HR software for local businesses with deskless workers
For deskless workers, Eddy makes it simple to access all HR data and tasks in one location.
The all-inclusive HR suite Eddy was created for small, neighbourhood enterprises. Businesses can use Eddy’s user-friendly software to hire, onboard, manage, and pay employees.
Travis Hansen, a former professional basketball player turned entrepreneur, founded Eddy in 2017. Since then, the company has expanded quickly thanks to its straightforward but effective product, stellar customer support, and emphasis on small, deskless businesses in the area.
A comprehensive application tracking system, candidate tracking, and job posting management are important elements (ATS). The onboarding system enables HR managers to effortlessly collect digital signatures, assign assignments, and build personalised onboarding packages.
People management is a key feature of Eddy; users have access to company directories and can store crucial employee files, performance notes, and training and certifications in employee profiles. Additionally, you can use their time tracking tool to easily clock in and out of employees’ shifts, create custom PTO policies, approve or deny requests, and manage payroll procedures using Eddy’s full-service payroll system, which supports multiple pay periods and handles end-of-year W-2 preparation, filing, and distribution.
Eddy offers a free demo and prices start at $8 per employee each month plus a $49 base cost.
$8 per employee each month
3. Open HMRS
Best open source human resources software
All the HR features small businesses require are in Open HRMS, including payroll.
Open HRMS is HR software that is available under the GPL and has a tonne of small business-friendly features. You may handle attendance, vacation, transfers, payroll, appraisals, and more with the help of the options available.
The tool’s modular structure makes it easy to tailor the solution to your own needs, which I find appealing. By doing this, you can avoid becoming weighed down with features that are unnecessary for a company your size. The tool’s organisation makes perfect sense given that small firms’ HR requirements differ from those of larger companies. And whenever you need new features, you can always add them.
It is an open source programme. This indicates that you are free to download, install, and manage it on your own server.
Free Always
Support packages starting at $499 per month
4. Bitrix24
Best free web-based solution
Track absences with Bitrix to make sure you never have a personnel shortage.
A web-based HR system for small firms is called Bitrix24. The software has a tonne of capabilities that are beneficial for businesses without sizable HR teams. These consist of document management, a time and attendance system, and an employee directory.
The self-service HR site is one of my favourite features. This allows employees to access essential HR services without having to speak with an HR representative. You might set up workflows for permits for business trips and vacation requests, for instance.
The basic functions of Bitrix24 are available for free use, which may be all that small enterprises require. Pricing for specialised HR functions can range from free to $159 per month. Users are unlimited for all plans (also a bonus for SMBs).
from $159 per month
5. HR.My
Best completely free HR software
You can create a free account on HR.MY with either a self-service employee portal or an HR administrator.
HR.My is unique because it is totally free. You have free access to all services, unlimited free employee additions, and free storage. Because it is cloud-based, you may access it from anywhere and don’t need to bother about setup or maintenance.
The free edition is ad-supported, which is the catch. Although they don’t interfere with operation, the adverts may be irritating. If you’d prefer to disable them, you may do so by making a $5 monthly donation to the tool’s crowdsourcing effort. When you make this donation, you’ll also get 3500 MB more file storage.
The HR functions of the software are comprehensive. You receive payroll to track wages and bonuses and produce payslips, a time clock and attendance to monitor employee attendance, leave management to make sure you never run short on workers, and expense reporting to monitor employee spending of company funds.
Many of the capabilities allow you to save time by allowing you to develop automated approval workflows. For instance, the software will alert you when someone submits an expense so you can accept or reject it.
On demand pricing
6. SnapHRM
Best free solution for businesses with under 5 employees
Utilizing task boards like Kanban or lists that make the most sense to your team, manage the entire hiring process from within SnapHRM.
With all the essential HR tools you require to manage your staff, SnapHRM is a cloud-based HR management system. You may manage payroll, keep track of attendance, plan vacations, and more. You can also establish an employee database.
The recruitment management system is a wonderful feature. It enables you to make job posts that you may distribute on external networks to attract interest in your position. Shortlists can then be made, and interviews can be scheduled, to advance candidates through the recruiting process. If your company is small but expanding, this is a very helpful tool.
Businesses with fewer than five employees can use SnapHRM without paying a dime. You can use all the features with this plan, but you won’t get live assistance. Pricing for businesses with more employees still starts at $8 per month, which is reasonable.
from $8 per month
7. Fingercheck
Best for HR automation
Fingercheck provides reporting options that are simple to read.
Fingercheck is an HR solution with a broad feature set that includes expenditure tracking software, scheduling, payroll processing, and recruitment.
Onboarding is essential to an employee’s performance, and Fingercheck excels in this area, as any HR professional will tell you. It enables you to design onboarding processes that new hires can go through.
You can upload the pertinent documentation, and the programme will generate all the documents you require for compliance. The mobile app allows users to complete the entire onboarding process, including signing documents. Additionally, the dashboard will allow you to track progress as a manager.
Gusto and QuickBooks are two third-party accounting programmes that interface with Fingercheck. This keeps your HR department and finances on the same page. Pricing is $39 for a subscription plus $8 per employee per month.
Starting at $8 per employee per month with a $39 subscription price
8. Bright HR
Best vacation planner & PTO tracker
Every employee has a profile in the Bright HR employee hub.
Bright HR is user-friendly software for managing human resources. It has products developed for the markets in the UK, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Your employees are listed in the employee hub. It is simple to establish new members’ profiles and assign them to the appropriate team. Each profile includes all pertinent employee data, such as pay, job description, yearly leave, and absences.
Additionally, the calendar feature is helpful. You can plan ahead by viewing who will be taking impending leave here. For each employee, you can make a schedule so you can see who is working when. It’s simple to make the rota public, and the programme notifies the appropriate staff members when you do.
Granular reporting, a free software that automatically reports when employees clock in and exit, and a tracking and expense-approval app are further options. The base package for BrightHR costs $4.08 (£3) per employee each month.
$4.08 (£3)/month/employee
9. Sapling
Best for SMB scalability
Workflows for onboarding can be created to track employee progress.
A nice option for startups that are small yet expanding is the HR tool Sapling. It is adaptable enough to function with a variety of apps, including Google Drive, Slack, Asana, and Xero. This means that there is a good possibility that Sapling will be able to handle the shift if you need to switch systems as you expand.
The software contains capabilities that let you design workflows and processes for various HR tasks. You could, for instance, design an onboarding protocol that new hires would follow. Sending them the link will allow them to complete the entire procedure without the need for HR input. It helps your team work more efficiently and guarantees that workers complete projects on schedule.
Sapling also provides tools for handling payroll, personnel administration, offboarding, and vacation time. Pricing is not disclosed, but you can get a price by getting in touch with the business.
Onboarding with Sapling starts at $4.92 per user per month, and the entire core HRIS experience starts at $6.99 per user per month based on 100 users.
starting at $4.92/user/month (100 users)
10. Gusto
Best for freelance payroll accountants
Administration of employee benefits is simple with Gusto.
Gusto is a user-friendly HR management system. It includes all the typical tools. You can set up payroll to rapidly establish and authorise payments, or you can track paid and unpaid absences using time tracking software. The tools for benefits management assist you in setting up pensions, health, and savings plans for employees.
The concierge service is a fantastic option for companies without specialised HR expertise. A group of HR professionals are reachable through this by phone or email. The plan also includes notifications and tips to assist you in maintaining compliance with applicable laws.
Numerous other HR, accounting, and general apps, like Asana, Zoho, Bonusly, and Quickbooks, are integrated with the platform. In addition to the $39 monthly basic charge, Gusto costs $6 per employee each month. The version with the concierge service costs an additional $149 over and above $12 per person per month.
$6 per employee, every month
Need Expert Help Selecting The Right Human Resources (HR) Software?
For your convenience, People Managing People has partnered with the Crozdesk.com software comparison website to help you select the product that best suits your requirements. To assist you in choosing the software options that best meet your company’s needs, Crozdesk’s Human Resources (HR) Software advisers can compile a customised shortlist of options. You have free access to their personalised software selection assistance as a result of our agreement, saving you time and trouble when doing your search.
You can submit your requests in just a few minutes, and they will call you right away with no cost or obligation. You will receive personalised software shortlists from their staff of software advisers that are based on your demands and list the top solutions (via phone or email). Additionally, they can offer you savings negotiated by the local community and connect you with the vendors you choose.
