Human capital management (HCM) software has become invaluable for efficiently managing today‘s workforce. But with countless options on the market, how do you determine what‘s best for your human resources (HR) team?
This guide examines 10 leading HCM systems to meet any budget or business requirement. You‘ll uncover what sets each platform apart along with pros, cons and ideal use cases. Let‘s dive in to explore the top solutions elevating HR.
What is HCM Software?
Before detailing the contenders for best HCM software, let‘s level-set what these systems entail.
HCM software is the catch-all term for cloud-based technology that digitizes HR processes which were traditionally manual or inefficient across:
- Recruitment: Attracting, engaging and hiring talent
- Onboarding: Getting new staff up to speed seamlessly
- Payroll: Compensating employees accurately and on-time
- Benefits: Administration of wellbeing perks like healthcare
- Performance management: Facilitating reviews, goal setting, feedback
- Learning: Enabling ongoing employee education and growth
- Analytics: Offering data-backed insights on your workforce
The overarching purpose is to develop your human capital – the collective skills, knowledge and experience that drive organizational success. Leading HCM platforms thus aim to improve employee experiences, productivity and retention.
Now let‘s explore the top all-in-one options on the market to realize these upside benefits while offloading manual processes from your HR team.
1. BambooHR – Best User Experience
Utah-based BambooHR sets itself apart with an incredibly intuitive interface focused on enhancing HR workflows. Its tools equip small and medium businesses to track the employee lifecycle from pre-boarding to offboarding.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Easy self-service onboarding fueled by templates
- Customizable applicant tracking for high-volume recruiting
- Employee directory and org chart management
- Time tracking and time-off functionality
- Robust reporting and analytics
- Over 85+ critical HR integrations
BambooHR accelerates HR by allowing both administrators and employees to handle relevant tasks directly in the well-designed system. While feature-rich, menus and options stay clean and uncluttered.
Well suited for SMBs seeking an affordable, user-friendly HCM platform that simplifies work rather than introducing complexity.
Ideal customer: Small/medium business with straightforward HR needs
Cost: $99+ per month
2. UKG Pro – Comprehensive Larger Business Solution
Formerly Ultimate Software, UKG Pro furnishes big business HR teams with extensive tools crafted over 30+ years specifically for larger, complex workforces and global organizations.
Noteworthy Features:
- Automation for everything from applicant tracking to terminations
- Intuitive payroll supporting complex pay rules
- Advanced benefits management and enrollment
- Customizable homepages and dashboards
- Configurable workflows, approvals and permissions
- Integrated surveys and pulse analysis
UKG Pro touts itself as a “single source of truth” for managing your greatest asset: human capital. With stellar training resources and change management assistance, UKG helps you optimize processes amid shifts like mergers, expansion or new PEO partnerships.
Well suited for large, multinational businesses seeking an incredibly robust platform with high configurability plus the guidance to match unique needs.
Ideal Customer: Large, complex global business
Cost: Custom quote
3. ADP Workforce Now – Top Integrations
Workforce Now allows both small and large employers to handle payroll, time tracking, benefits and more from a single portal. The platform shines when integrated with external programs vital to your tech stack.
Where ADP Excels:
- 350+ integrations with top accounting, recruiting, ERP, POS and HCM software
- Specialized platform editions for big industries: auto dealership, franchise, etc
- Payroll offered standalone or bundled into a full HCM suite
- Mobile access driving efficiency for remote/frontline staff
- Available expert services for outsourced tasks
Rather than rip-and-replace systems, ADP flexibly connects them for unified data visibility enabling streamlined HR workflows. Customization accommodates everything from niche tax codes to safety equipment tracking.
Ideal Customer: Any size business seeking a configurable, interoperable HCM system
Cost: Custom quote based on company size and needs
Get Details on ADP Workforce Now
4. Namely – Top-Notch Employee Experience
This forward-thinking HCM platform answers demand from employees themselves for engaging, user-friendly HR tools. Namely puts the same polish on its self-service portal that consumer brands do to drive adoption and usage.
Key Advantages:
- Visually stunning, easy-to-use employee app
- Custom surveys and feedback opportunities
- Personalized recommendations and nudges
- Voluntary benefits enrollment/management
- Automated review reminders and progress tracking
- Custom spot awards and peer recognition
These perks coupled with social media style interfaces offer employees exactly what they now expect. It‘s a strategic play in attracting digital native talent like Millennials and Gen Z.
Ideal Customer: Businesses focused on standing out to modern talent pools
Cost: Contact for quote
5. UKG Ready – Best for Cross-functional HR
UKG Ready offers similar tools as UKG Pro but in a preconfigured SaaS product streamlined for small to mid-sized businesses. It facilitates team collaboration across payroll, HR and finance.
Key Cross-functional Benefits:
- Real-time data access improves financial forecasting
- Configurable roles and permissions enable secure data sharing
- Automated reporting and scheduling
- Tools supporting remote work collaboration
- Global availability supporting 125 currencies and 41 languages
Joint visibility empowers leadership and budget owners to make quick, informed calls. It also saves HR manual reporting and follow-ups when details like time tracking auto-populate the source systems needing them.
Ideal Customer: Growing SMBs who will benefit from cross-functional alignment in HCM
Cost: Starts at $99 per month
6. PeopleGoal – Top HR Process Automation
This talent management platform differentiates itself by enabling extensive customization, workflows and integrations critical for automating HR. PeopleGoal bills itself as HR software that works the way growing companies do.
Key Process Automation Features:
- Build unlimited custom apps and workflows without coding
- Zapier integration for connecting 1000+ software tools
- Configure custom fields, forms and approval chains
- Auto-generate org charts from active employee data
- Automate messaging and notifications based on triggers
- Generate reports and schedules to all stakeholders automatically
Leaders can model and evolve PeopleGoal as needs change without adding IT or dev overhead. The flexibility has fueled rapid growth as more mid-market companies move to automate HR.
Ideal Customer: Mid-market businesses seeking high automation and integrations
Cost: Custom quote based on company size
Get Started with PeopleGoal‘s HCM Platform
7. Oracle Cloud HCM – Full-scale Enterprise Option
Oracle has applied its prowess in mammoth cloud ERP deployments into HCM software billed for the largest global employers. The system handles intricate policy and compliance needs when advanced integrations and analytics come into play.
Where Oracle HCM Excels:
- Global payroll supporting 200+ countries
- Advanced multi-tier auditing and controls
- Automation reducing compliance penalties
- Predictive analytics guiding leadership decisions
- Mobile-first user interfaces
- Seamless integration across Oracle Cloud
Prescriptive insights even recommend next steps to managers for improving retention and performance based on real employee indicators.
Ideal Customer: Large global enterprises with thousands of employees
Cost: Contact for quote
Get Details on Oracle Cloud HCM
8. WebHR – Most Affordable Full-scale Option
This SMB-friendly system offers a full spectrum of HCM must-haves at a very palatable price point. It makes robust workforce optimization accessible even for smaller HR teams.
Key Features Delivered Affordably:
- Employee lifecycle management from pre-hire to retire
- Custom reporting and analytics
- Configurable dashboards
- Complete payroll automation
- Applicant tracking and onboarding
- Integrations with top apps like G Suite, Office 365 and Slack
Well suited for emerging enterprises that aim to scale operations without exploding payroll costs. The software grows as you do.
Ideal Customer: SMBs that need enterprise-level capabilities on a smaller budget
Cost: Starts at $1 per employee per month
Get Affordable HR Tools with WebHR
9. Zenefits – Easy, Automated HR Fundamentals
This intuitive platform makes it effortless for smaller companies to handle basic HR functions like payroll, benefits and compliance digitally versus spreadsheets.
Where Zenefits Simplifies Work:
- Streamlined dashboard centralizing HR data
- Auto-populated employee data saving manual entry
- Benefits enrollment and management
- Customizable online forms replacing paperwork
- Automated state/federal compliance filings
- Integrates with top accounting platforms
Well suited for small business owners and office managers rather than dedicated HR staff to remove hours of manual processes each month.
Ideal Customer: SMBs new to formal HR looking for an easy introductory system
Cost: Core HR platform free for under 10 employees
Get Started with Zenefits‘ HR Tools
Key Considerations for Selecting HCM Software
While this guide highlighted 10 capable options, you‘ll want to evaluate a few critical elements to determine the best fit. Consider these top criteria as you shop solutions:
Current/Future Headcount – Consider number of employees now and expected growth to right-size features.
Deployment Method – SaaS vs. on-premises hosting based on preferences.
Industry – Some systems cater their tools, integrations, templates, etc. toward specific industries.
Global Support – For multinationals, validate languages, currency and payroll complexity coverage.
Interfaces – Intuitive, mobile-supported UIs improve user adoption.
Configurability – Highly customizable systems enable unique workflows and branding.
Reporting – The ability to extract and analyze workforce data for optimization.
Implementation Approach – Factor in deployment timelines and change management assistance.
Budget – HCM costs can vary widely depending on system sophistication and company size. Shop accordingly.
Key Takeaways on HCM Software Selection
HCM software delivers immense advantages over manual HR processing – saving money while keeping employees engaged and empowered.
With the 10 capable options explored, identify the ideal platform fitting current needs and future goals. Factoring special requirements around budgets, workflows, analytics and ease of use leads to the best HR results.
Utilize free demos, cost calculators and custom quotes to quantify value and find affordable automation for any growth stage while optimizing the employee experience.
