Managing your employees is much easier with the right technology. In this article, I’ve lined up the 12 best employee management software on the market today so you can make the best decision for your business.
Employee management software is designed specifically to take this weight off your shoulders and simplify tasks like scheduling, training, HR management, and task management.
For this article, I did extensive research on the employee management software on the market today so you can find the best one for your business needs.
Here’s a quick overview of my favorite employee management software solutions:
- Connecteam
- Zoho Workplace
- 15Five
- Gusto
- Employee Navigator
- Litmos
- Workday
- Weekdone
- Cornerstone
- Bullhorn
If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.
Our Top Picks
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Best all-in-one employee management software solution
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Good for employee engagement
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Good for performance management
Why trust us?
Our team of unbiased software reviewers follows strict editorial guidelines, and our methodology is clear and open to everyone.
See our complete methodology
37
Tools considered
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Tools reviewed
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Best tools
chosen
How I Chose the Best Employee Management Apps
Here’s what I looked for when doing my research:
Important core features:
- Employee database: You can manage all employee information in the system, such as contact details, job title, department, and HR documentation.
- Communication tools: You can instantly reach your employees and communicate through the software.
- Time & attendance management: You should be able to track employee work hours, generate accurate timesheets, and create work schedules.
- Knowledge management: The best employee management software offers tools for sharing company knowledge with employees, such as policies and guidelines, as well as for onboarding and training.
- Task management: You can create, assign, and track tasks and projects on daily tasks.
I looked for usability functions, like:
- Ease of use: It’s easy to set up and offers an intuitive user experience.
- Customizability: It’s customizable to suit your team structures.
- Price: It is cost-friendly and suits your budget.
- Support: It comes with good customer support to help you with any issues.
These are some other important features I also checked for:
- Employee time clock: A mobile time clock makes it possible for your employees to clock in and out of work right from their phones, even while on the go.
- Document storage: This makes it much easier to manage all staff documents and files and helps you stay compliant with industry regulations and labor laws.
- Polls and surveys: These are a great way to gather instant feedback from your employees.
- Onboarding and training: You should be able to create customized training materials and upload them right to the app so employees can complete training no matter where they’re located.
The 10 Best Employee Management Software Solutions of 2024
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Connecteam — Best all-in-one employee management software solution
At the top of my list is Connecteam’s all-in-one employee management software solution.
Why I chose Connecteam: This employee management app offers everything you need to easily and efficiently manage your frontline employees, even while on the go. And the great thing about Connecteam is that you can choose and pay only for the feature set(s) you need, which are grouped into three hubs: Communications, Business Operations, and HR & Skills.
Connecteam is also known for its outstanding customer support, intuitive user experience, and high customizability, so you can adjust the platform to suit your exact business needs.
Let’s dive deeper into the app’s capabilities to better understand how it can help improve your employee management.
Communications
Connecteam’s communication features allow you to keep your entire workforce connected, informed, and engaged. The main features include:
- In-app chat: Instantly communicate with your employees in secure individual, group, and company-wide chats. This allows your entire team to stay connected wherever you’re working from.
- Updates: Share news and announcements with your employees through your company feed on the app – just like on social media. See who views and reads your updates and easily ensure your message gets across.
- Employee directory: With this digital phonebook, you and your team can quickly look up and contact any work contact directly through the app without having to save the contact to your mobile phones.
- Knowledge base: Create, organize, and share all company knowledge in one place. This way, your employees will know exactly where they can quickly access up-to-date information, from policies to manuals.
- Surveys & live polls: Gather employee feedback on any topic through customizable surveys and live polls, even while on the go. This way, you can gain valuable insights, make informed decisions, and ensure employees feel heard.
Business operations
Connecteam’s operations tools make managing your daily operations easy and efficient. The main features include:
- Task management: Easily create tasks and assign these to employees to complete on the job. Attach relevant task information, forms, or checklists and maintain a clear overview of your team’s progress on each task in real-time.
- Scheduling: Build optimal employee work schedules based on your team’s submitted availability and registered qualifications. Use templates, drag and drop, recurring shifts, and other time-saving options. The system also flags discrepancies to help you avoid scheduling mistakes.
- Time clock: Employees can clock in and out from shifts with one tap and ensure they’re exactly where they need to be with GPS time stamps and geofencing capabilities. Work hours are automatically recorded on digital timesheets for your review and further payroll processing.
- Forms & checklists: Create customizable forms and checklists for every task. Share these directly with the relevant employees or add them to shifts. Receive and review your team members’ entries in real-time.
HR & skills management
Connecteam’s HR & Skills hub helps you manage your workforce from an HR perspective. The main features include:
- Training & onboarding: Easily create and deliver onboarding and training sessions for your team to complete right from the app. Include a quiz to ensure they understand the covered material and track their performance, progress, and course completion in real-time.
- Document management: Digitize, manage, and keep track of all employee documentation in one organized and secure location. Request and have your staff upload documents directly to the app.
- Recognition & rewards: Show employees appreciation with digital recognitions, words of gratitude, and rewards they can convert into their favorite gift cards. Recognize individuals privately or share it to your company feed to have your whole team join in on the excitement.
Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Get Started Now!
Key Features
Pros
Intuitive and easy to use
All-in-one solution
Great customer support
Budget-friendly
Cons
Needs internet or wifi access to work
Pricing
Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users
See Connecteam's App in Action
Request a Free Demo -
Zoho Workplace — Good for employee engagement
Zoho offers an extensive suite of tools to help businesses manage, automate, and streamline operations across various functions, including employee and HR management, sales, marketing, customer support, accounting, and human resources.
Why I chose Zoho: Zoho is divided into different suites for different areas of business. I particularly like Zoho People for its employee management features that are beneficial to businesses of all sizes.
Employee time and attendance tracking
The employee time tracking tool is easy to use and efficient. Employees can clock in and out of work from their phones and record the time they spend on various tasks and projects directly within the app. They can start and stop timers as they work or enter hours manually, ensuring hours are tracked correctly.
Employees can also submit time off requests directly through the app, which managers can approve or deny.
You can also categorize time by project, client, or any custom tags, which are printed clearly on reports for easy review. Managers can approve or adjust time entries, and the data can be integrated into invoices and payroll processing tools.
Employee engagement
Zoho places a strong emphasis on employee engagement by offering tools that facilitate regular feedback, recognition, and communication between teams.
Zoho People offers pulse surveys, where employees can anonymously share their opinions and feedback about their work environment. There’s also a kudos feature in which employees and managers can publicly recognize and reward team members for their achievements, which is great for creating a positive work environment.
Employee training
Managing employee training and development is another key feature of Zoho People. You can create your own training materials and assign courses to employees based on their roles or development needs. Then, employees can access these training materials directly through the app.
The system tracks progress and completion so managers can monitor the effectiveness of training programs and ensure that employees are developing the skills necessary for their roles. This feature supports ongoing employee development and helps businesses invest in their workforce’s growth.
Integrations
- Quickbooks
- Paybooks
- Adobe Sign
- DocuSign
- Microsoft Teams
- Zapier
- G Suite
- And more
Zoho offers very reasonable plans for small businesses like ours which has helped us reap the benefits without having to wait until we hire a couple dozen more people.
Learn more about Zoho WorkplaceFor users new to HR software, there might be a slight learning curve, especially when configuring complex workflows or customizing certain features. While Zoho People offers integrations with other Zoho products and a handful of third-party applications, expanding the list of integrations could provide greater flexibility.
Key Features
- Activity dashboard
- Customizable reports
- Task management
- CustomizableIn-app chat integration
Pros
- Mobile access
- Good customer service
Cons
- Can be difficult to use
- Users report the software has some bug issues
Pricing
Starts at $2.97/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes
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15Five — Good for performance management
15Five is an HR and employee performance and management platform that focuses on employee productivity and retention.
Why I chose 15Five: I really like how it helps keep your entire team engaged and on the same page. It fosters open communication within teams and also has great customer support.
Detailed HR reporting
The customizable Dashboard feature aggregates data from performance reviews, check-in responses, and engagement surveys. It provides a visual overview of team health and individual employee performance and also allows you to filter and segment data to uncover trends, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions.
Employee performance and feedback
15five’s employee performance and daily check-in feature allows employees to regularly update their managers about their work progress, challenges, and achievements. Through a simple and intuitive interface, employees answer a set of questions to reflect on their weekly activities and goals.
This process facilitates ongoing communication between employees and managers, allowing for real-time feedback, recognition, and early detection of potential issues.
Employee engagement features
15five is specifically designed to boost employee engagement. The platform includes tools for peer recognition, where employees can acknowledge their colleagues’ contributions and achievements, fostering a positive work environment and strengthening team bonds.
Engagement surveys are another great feature in which you can create customizable questionnaires to determine employee satisfaction, workplace culture, and other critical aspects of employee wellbeing. These surveys provide anonymous feedback, ensuring that employees can share their thoughts openly.
Integrations
- Workday
- Namely
- API
- Deel
- HiBob
- Paycor
- Gusto
- Rippling
- And more
15Five is a compelling tool that bundles individual performance measurement assessment with team-wide positive feedback. It makes it easier to build healthy rhythms and checkpoints into the culture of your team.
Learn more about 15FiveI wish that associates were not allowed to see other responses before submitting their own each week. There are some on my team that seem to look at other responses before submitting their own – Associates should not be able to submit their responses before a pre-set date.
Key Features
- Surveys
- Question library
- Feedback
- Reporting
Pros
- Sends notifications and alerts
- Mobile access
Cons
- Not feature rich
- Goal-setting confusing to set up
Pricing
Starts at $4/user/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: No
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Gusto — Good for payroll management
Gusto (formerly ZenPayroll) is one of the best and most popular cloud-based staff management software payroll solutions out there.
Why I chose Gusto: Its payroll features are particularly good, allowing you to automatically file important tax documents right in the app and manage built-in benefits administration for small to medium-sized businesses at a reasonable cost.
The software also helps you remain compliant by filing your payroll with the right government agencies at no extea charge.
The Gusto platform has a surprisingly user-friendly interface and offers automation for many activities in the payroll process. This software includes an employee onboarding interface to let new employees enter all their information (like employee bank details) directly into the system.
For whom?
Good fit for any business, large or small.
Learn more about GustoKey Features
- Time tracking
- Payroll and benefits administration
- Task management
- Employee database
Pros
- Easy to use
- Good customer service
Cons
- Can be expensive for large teams
- Employee time tracking can be difficult
Pricing
Starts at $40/month + $6/person/month Trial: No Free Plan: No
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Employee Navigator — Good for benefits management
Available on
This employee software solution is a web-based comprehensive benefit and compliance administration software, aimed mostly at medium-sized businesses or bigger.
Why I chose Employee Navigator: Employee Navigator allows you manage all your employee benefits in one place. It assists with ACA reporting and compliance, includes integrated payroll, and also integrates with over 350 other apps. You can conduct all your new-hire onboarding and manage PTO and vacation.
Learn more about Employee NavigatorKey Features
- PTO
- Benefit administration
- Onboarding
- Payroll
Pros
- Mobile access
- Good customer service
Cons
- Hard to implement and use
- Can be expensive for small businesses
Pricing
Stats at $445/month Trial: No Free Plan: No
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Litmos — Good for onboarding
If training is your key area of concern, Litmos may be a good option.
Why I chose Litmos: Litmos is a full service learning management system (LMS) that allows you to deliver all your training online. It includes an integrated eCommerce solution, some gamification options, and is fairly affordable for small businesses.
Litmos also provides their own services to help you optimize your training programs.
Learn more about LitmosKey Features
- Activity dashboard
- Workflow automation
- Surveys and feedback
- Training and onboarding
Pros
- Easy to use
- Full-service LMS
Cons
- Users note that the reporting feature is hard to use
- Users report some integrations don’t work well
Pricing
Starts at $59/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes
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Workday — Good for HR managers
If you work with remote teams or field workers that work in different locations, Workday is a good option for managing large, multiple teams and staying on top of complex payroll processes.
Why I chose Workday: Workday is multi-faceted and offers a ton of employee management features. For payroll, it provides integration with third-party payroll applications to manage payments across the globe.
A few of the other useful HR tools include employee experience analysis, workforce reporting and analytics, and vendor management.
In addition to HR tools, you get financial and operational planning tools and supply chain management. I also like that Workday has jumped on the AI bandwagon to help you make better data-driven decisions.
Although Workday lacks some components and is one of the most expensive products out there, is it entirely cloud based.
Learn more about WorkdayKey Features
- Financial management
- Human capital management
- Workforce management
- Payroll
Pros
- Easy to use
- Feature-rich for HR professionals
Cons
- Users report the software is costly
- Lacks basic managerial tools
Pricing
Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: No
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Weekdone — Good for goal tracking
Weekdone allows you to track employee goals and check in on goal status by creating reports.
Why I chose Weekdone: This software helps you to improve your employees focus, efficiency and productivity at work. Weekdone uses Objectives and Key Results (OKR), a popular, best-practice, strategic planning process for setting, communicating and tracking quarterly goals and results for business.
Learn more about WeekdoneKey Features
- Activity dashboard
- Communication management
- Reporting
- Surveys
Pros
- Increases efficiency on your team
- Easy to check in with your employees
Cons
- Not feature rich
- Users report that it’s not easy to use
Pricing
For 30 users it costs $288/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — Up to 3 users
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Cornerstone — Good for performance management
Cornerstone refers to itself as a “talent experience platform” and helps you create customized training and learning programs for your team.
Why I chose Cornerstone: I like that it’s incredibly customizable and AI-powered. This software is great for training and continued professional development.
Learn more about CornerstoneKey Features
- Training management
- LMS
- Engagement tracking
Pros
- Good customer service
- Store all training materials in one place
Cons
- Users report the software isn’t easy to use
- Hard to implement
Pricing
Starts at $6/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No
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Bullhorn — Good for recruitment
Bullhorn is a comprehensive software for recruitment process management.
Why I chose Bullhorn: Bullhorn is very customizable and user-friendly, with features like drag and drop to save you precious time. Granted, its pricing makes it somewhat unapproachable for small businesses, but if you have the budget, this is one of the best solutions out there to manage your employee recruitment process.
Bullhorn is made for recruiters to automate recruitment and find the best candidates for companies.
Learn more about BullhornKey Features
- Activity dashboard
- Workflows
- Task management
- Reporting
Pros
- User friendly
- Good customer service
Cons
- Not feature rich
- Doesn't integrate with other platforms
Pricing
Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: No
Compare the Best Employee Management Software Solutions
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Start for free
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Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
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Starts at $2.97/user/month
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Starts at $4/user/month
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Starts at $40/month + $6/person/month
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Stats at $445/month
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Starts at $59/month
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Contact vendor for price
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For 30 users it costs $288/month
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Starts at $6/user/month
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Contact vendor for price
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14-day
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14-day
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yes
Free Up to 10 users
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Up to 3 users
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Best all-in-one employee management software solution
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Good for employee engagement
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Good for performance management
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Good for payroll management
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Good for benefits management
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Good for onboarding
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Good for HR managers
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Good for goal tracking
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Good for performance management
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Good for recruitment
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| Available on |
What is Employee Management Software?
Employee management software streamlines and and automate HR-related tasks within a business. It serves as a centralized platform for managing employee information, attendance, payroll, and performance evaluations.
This software helps HR professionals and managers efficiently handle workforce-related processes, ultimately enhancing productivity and compliance with HR policies. With features like applicant tracking, benefits administration, and reporting capabilities, employee management software is crucial for effective HR management.
How Does Staff Management Software Work?
Employee management software operates by centralizing and digitizing various HR processes. It typically begins by creating a comprehensive database to store employee information, including personal details, job history, and contact information.
Employees can often access self-service portals to update their information, request time off, or view pay stubs. The software automates tasks such as attendance tracking, leave management, and payroll processing, reducing manual effort and errors. It also generates reports and provides analytics to help HR professionals make data-driven decisions, ultimately streamlining HR operations and improving workforce management.
Benefits of Using Employee Management Software
The primary benefits of employee management software and apps include:
- Efficiency and automation: Employee management apps automate many HR processes, such as time tracking, leave requests, and payroll calculations, reducing manual data entry and administrative workload.
- Time savings: By streamlining administrative tasks, these apps free up HR professionals and managers to focus on strategic activities and employee engagement rather than routine paperwork.
- Accuracy: Automation reduces the likelihood of errors in processes like payroll, attendance tracking, and compliance, ensuring accurate and consistent data management.
- Cost reduction: By automating processes and reducing paperwork, organizations can lower operational costs associated with HR management.
- Improved communication: Many apps include features like employee self-service portals, making it easier for employees to access and update their information, view pay stubs, and request time off. This enhances communication between HR and employees.
- Data analysis: Employee management apps often provide analytics and reporting tools, enabling HR professionals to gain insights into workforce trends, performance metrics, and compliance data.
- Compliance and security: These apps help ensure that organizations adhere to labor laws and regulations, reducing the risk of compliance violations. They often include security features to protect sensitive employee data.
- Remote work support: In the age of remote and flexible work arrangements, these apps can facilitate remote HR tasks, such as virtual onboarding and remote attendance tracking.
- Employee engagement: Apps with self-service features empower employees to manage their own information, request time off, and access important HR documents, leading to increased employee engagement and satisfaction.
- Scalability: Employee management apps can often scale with an organization’s growth, accommodating an increasing number of employees and additional HR processes.
- Talent acquisition: Some apps include applicant tracking features, making it easier for HR departments to manage the recruitment and hiring process.
- Better decision-making: Data-driven insights provided by these apps can help HR professionals and managers make informed decisions related to workforce planning, performance management, and talent development.
How Much Does Staff Management Software Cost?
Employee management software varies depending on feature package and capabilities. For example, some software solutions such as 15five and Cornerstone start at $4 and $6 per user/month, respectively. Pricier options like Employee Navigator start from $445/month. Then there are solutions where you may need to contact a sales representative for more pricing information.
Solutions like Connecteam offer all the tools and features you need to manage your team on the go. Connecteam even offers a completely free plan for small businesses under 10 employees. The basic plan is $29/month for teams up to 30 users and is an incredibly affordable option.
Get started with Connecteam for free today!
FAQs
How Do I Choose the Right Employee Management Software?
Choosing the right employee management software is crucial for your organization’s HR efficiency. To make the right choice, start by identifying your specific needs and goals. Evaluate the size of your business, the complexity of HR processes, and any unique requirements you have.
Next, consider the features that are most essential for your organization, such as payroll management, attendance tracking, or performance evaluation. Prioritize software solutions that offer these core functionalities.
Additionally, assess the scalability, ease of use, and integration capabilities of the software to ensure it can grow with your organization and seamlessly integrate with existing systems. Finally, read user reviews, seek recommendations, and request demos or trials to get a hands-on feel for how the software aligns with your needs before making a final decision.
What Are The Most Common Employee Management App Features?
The most common and crucial features an employee management app should have include:
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The Bottom Line On Employee Management Software
With your needs and demands well defined, you should have an easier time navigating the seas of HR tech for your business. The fact that almost every single employee management solution is available on your smartphone means that you and your employees can do your tasks and work from anywhere, at any time. That’s the beauty of technology, it can help make your daily grind that much easier.
Using a management software software makes it easier to stay on top of things especially as a business owner, you have a million things going on at one time. By choosing the solution that’s right for you, it is easier to get things done, predict all risks and even improve overall efficiency – that can be achieved with the management software solution, just in case we haven’t made that point clear enough!