The 10 Best HRIS Systems for Mid-Sized Companies

For companies that are trying to find the best HRIS systems, it can be helpful to understand the best options, so you can start building a shortlist

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Adding names to a shortlist is easy, but what becomes challenging is how to efficiently narrow the list down. Most, if not all, HR teams are too strapped for time to sit on ten to fifteen introductory demonstrations just to find the best HRIS systems.

We believe the key to finding the best HRIS systems is identifying the technology provider whose strengths align most with your biggest needs. So, below we've listed 10 different HRIS systems for mid-sized buyers, and what types of organizations see the most success on their platforms.

Best Human Capital Management Systems (HCM) for Mid-Sized Companies:

Learn More: Use our free HR Software Solution matching tool to see which vendors are most aligned with your project goals

Ceridian

Ceridian's flagship product is called Dayforce, a highly automated and scalable platform for all organizations. Ceridian's biggest strengths are in Core HR where they offer leading expertise and automation around payroll, time tracking, accruals and taxes, all of which can save admins a lot of time due to the accuracy and velocity of employee engagement and data in the system, while still offering an enjoyable employee-facing experience too.

UKG Pro

UKG Pro (formerly UltiPro) needs no introduction for most HR professionals. They helped pioneer the Human Capital Management industry and have continued to build on their market leadership by offering an end-to-end HRIS platform that can automate many of HR's most nightmarish headaches. In addition to a long track record, UKG also has a large, diverse client base and an experienced staff, so there isn't much they haven't seen and can't handle.

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Paycor

Paycor is similar to many other HCM companies, in that they started offering payroll software for medium-sized businesses and then added additional modules later. However, Paycor stands out in the SMB space by offering one of the most well-rounded offerings in the market. Their ATS (Newton) is a true market leader and the value of their total package is often hard to beat.

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BambooHR

Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, BambooHR's popularity has skyrocketed because they've focused on doing fewer things, better. Traditionally, this has meant offering a very modern, easy-to-use and affordable human resource information system. They also give buyers the flexibility to buy their in-house talent modules or to easily integrate standalone tools instead. Recently, BambooHR acquired a payroll company and is transitioning into being a fully end-to-end HRIS. Bamboo tends to be a great small business HRIS.

Blog: How Much Does BambooHR Cost?

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Paycom

Paycom is one of the few true, single-database Human Capital Management platforms in the marketplace. Their entire system has been built in-house, rather than acquired via acquisition, which drastically reduces the amount of manual entry that administrators need to do. Not only do admins enjoy the simplicity and automation, but end users also find the technology approachable, modern and intuitive.

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Rippling

Rippling can give you a glimpse into the future of where HR technology is heading. Rippling's technology brings IT and HR processes together, like never before. Onboarding a new employee in Rippling not only brings them live in the payroll system but will also add the employee to other apps like Slack, Salesforce, email and more. Rippling can help reduce the hundred minor steps that can add up to hours of an HR leader's day. Rippling has become one of the best HRIS for small businesses.

Shopping for an HRIS? Use OutSail's free HR Software tools to enhance your evaluations!

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ADP

ADP's flagship product in the mid-market is called Workforce Now (WFN). WFN is an end-to-end offering that provides a robust payroll and timekeeping suite that you would expect from ADP. Workforce Now also recently invested heavily into opening up their APIs. In addition to their software, ADP provides a variety of outsourced services that can minimize a team's Core HR management needs and provide best practices for HR processes

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UKG Ready

UKG Ready (formerly Kronos) has always been a market leader in workforce management technology. The most complex organizations in the world use Kronos to simplify their time collection, scheduling and workforce forecasting capabilities. And Kronos has continued to build on this foundation by developing a modern end-to-end HRIS, with their workforce management expertise at the heart of the entire system.

Paylocity

Paylocity is a strong choice for mid-sized companies looking for a well-rounded partner. Paylocity has been recognized for their strong Core HR offering (payroll, time and benefits), and they have continued to expand the talent management functionality to layer on top of it. In addition to offering a capable platform, Paylocity is often a great value and one of the quickest HRIS's to deploy too.

Namely

Namely sets the standard in the HRIS space for employee self-service. Their interface was modeled after social networks and employees find it easy-to-use and enjoyable. Namely has a nearly end-to-end offering and, for the modules that they don't make in-house (ATS, LMS), they have pre-built integrations with market leaders.

Want more info on these HRIS systems? Talk to an advisor with firsthand experience

‍Important Features of a Human Resource Management System

Employee Self-Service Portal

An employee self-service portal is a tool that gives employees the ability to access their own employee data and employee files in a Human Capital Management system.

Employees can make changes to their profile, such as adding dependents or changing their addresses.

Employees can also use the HRIS software to view important employment information, such as previous pay stubs, time-off balances and pay rates.

Payroll Management & Tax Filing

The payroll module is responsible for calculating the correct pay for employees based on their hours worked, benefit selections and tax deductions

When the HRIS software processes payroll, it automatically deducts taxes from an employee's gross pay. The HRIS software will then take responsibility for payroll management by transferring funds to the appropriate tax authorities on behalf of your company.

Additionally, HRIS software can provide payroll management reports that can be easily accessed by both management and employees to track wages as well as other important information such as deductions and benefits offered during a given period of time. To help facilitate this process even further, most HRIS systems offer tools such as direct deposit, mobile wallets and pay stubs that allow you to manage all areas of your company's human resources with ease

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Benefits Administration & Benefits Enrollment

Benefits enrollment and benefits administration is a core functions of a Human Resource Management System. HR professionals use it to gather employee input on their benefits options, assess the employees’ needs, and enroll them in appropriate plans.

Common employee benefits include health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, and retirement plans. Employees will enter the Benefits Administration module during open enrollment and their new hire orientation to pick the right plans for their needs.

A good benefits administration tool will use employee data to provide decision support to help an employee pick the right benefits package; for example, it could suggest that a high-deductible health plan might be better than a low-deductible one if you have chronic health issues or are planning to start a family soon.

A good system will also integrate with insurance carriers and payroll systems so that employees are paid properly by taking into account any deductions related to their coverage (such as contributions towards COBRA payments).

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Employee Data

Employee database - The HRIS software serves as the single system of truth for businesses and is where they store all employee information. To be truly effective, it should allow employees to access their own personnel files at any time. Additionally, it should also allow managers and executives access to information about their subordinates so they can manage them effectively while giving HR professionals the ability to see a full picture of their department's work history and demographics.

Org chart - Finally, an employee database should have an org chart feature so you can see which employees report to which managers. This makes it easy to manage your staff without having to go through several layers of bureaucracy just because there's no centralized system in place with this type of functionality built-in already (which there usually isn't).

Compliance Tracking

In addition to HRIS software system features such as automation and data-sharing, compliance tracking is also important. A strong HRIS will ensure that you are tracking all fields that are required by law. This means reviewing your compliance reports on a regular basis and making adjustments if necessary. Examples of compliance reports include ACA (Affordable Care Act) reports and EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) reports.

Recruiting and Applicant Tracking

The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) should manage the entire recruitment process, from creating new job openings to closing the hiring process. Recruitment tends to be the initial step in the talent management journey

A good applicant tracking system should also be able to store resumes and cover letters, and it should create a new profile for applicants.

Recruiters should be able to create their own hiring experience with custom stages, and they can use this system to organize interviews by helping candidates get scheduled and by organizing managers to interview the candidates.

The Applicant Tracking System can generate an offer letter that can be signed by both parties.

Performance Management and Evaluations

Performance management and evaluations are formal processes that allow managers and employees to review their previous work and discuss their performance. A performance management review process will typically ask an employee to discuss their own performance, while the manager also reviews the employee's work. The manager will offer suggestions for how the employee can improve based on this evaluation of past work.

Some companies use more frequent reviews, such as quarterly or even weekly, rather than having annual reviews only once per year. Employees often like having regular check-ins about their performance because it helps them understand how they're doing in relation to what's expected from them by the company.

Time and Attendance Management

A great HRIS system will help you manage your employees' time and attendance.

You can track their hours, approve time-off requests, manage accruals, track compliance with state and federal laws, and more.

Dashboards and Reporting Tools

Dashboards are a popular feature of modern HRIS systems, and they’re used for many different reasons. They provide real-time information that can be used to monitor and measure performance, as well as provide insights into how the company is performing.

Dashboards also make it easy to show how the company is doing against its goals. For example, if you have a goal of improving attendance rates, then your dashboard could show your current average attendance rate along with historical data so you can see whether or not that goal is being met.

Reports are another key feature within an HRIS system. Many companies rely on reports in order to file taxes or file compliance reports more quickly than they would otherwise be able to do manually (or with less accurate results).