11 Best HR workflow software

Tristan Ovington
By Tristan Ovington
Updated July 4, 2024

If you’ve noticed your staff feeling bogged down by paperwork, you’re not alone. 

HR departments spend an average of 40% of their time on administrative work, hindering their ability to focus on strategic initiatives. The good news? HR workflow software can be your hero. 

average 40% of time HR spend on administrative work

Organizations will likely spend USD 6.25 billion by 2025 on core HR applications related to core functions and people management

HR leaders must target this investment correctly to align with organizational goals, achieve ROI, and optimize employee experience. HR workflow software is a great place to start.

Selecting the best HR workflow software can be challenging because HR workflows are diverse. They include every aspect of the staff cycle, from employee onboarding to outboarding. It’s essential to take the time to ensure you choose the right tool for your organization and staff to boost employee retention and maintain staff well-being.

This list unveils the top ten HR workflow software solutions and describes what makes each solution unique. It will boost your team’s efficiency and empower you to create a thriving workplace.

The 11 best HR workflow software choices

The 11 best HR workflow software choices (1)

Choosing the right HR workflow software is always worth taking your time. It is crucial for optimizing processes, improving efficiency, enhancing employee experience, and ensuring compliance.

We utilize G2 ratings to help you choose the best HR tools to optimize workflows. 

Pricing may reflect enterprise-level subscriptions. Please note that the pricing shown is likely for enterprise-level subscriptions. 

We assess ease of use and effectiveness using ‘good,’ bad,’ or ‘excellent.’

  1. WalkMe Workflow Automation 
  • Review Rating: 4.9/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

WalkMe is the leading digital adoption platform (DAP), revolutionizing employees’ interactions with HR software and processes. 

Designed to simplify complex workflows, boost employee productivity, and accelerate the adoption of new HR technologies, WalkMe provides real-time, step-by-step guidance within any HR software application, reducing the need for extensive training and support. 

The platform delivers tailored guidance to each user based on their role, experience level, and specific tasks, ensuring a seamless and relevant user experience. WalkMe automates repetitive tasks and simplifies complex processes, freeing up HR staff to focus on strategic initiatives and employee engagement. 

The platform also provides detailed analytics on user behavior and software usage, allowing HR teams to identify bottlenecks, optimize processes, and measure the impact of their digital adoption initiatives. WalkMe easily integrates with various HR software systems, including Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, and many more. 

WalkMe is a game-changer for HR teams looking to drive digital transformation and create a more efficient and employee-centric HR experience. 

  1. Workday HR
  • Review Rating: 4.1/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Workday HR is a cloud-based human capital management system (HCMS). It streamlines HR processes like payroll, benefits, and talent management. Businesses of all sizes use it for its user-friendly interface, mobile accessibility, and focus on analytics-driven insights for informed decision-making.

  1. Lattice 
  • Review Rating: 4.7/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Lattice HR software caters to businesses of all sizes, offering a platform for performance management, feedback, and employee engagement. Unique features include goal tracking, continuous feedback loops, and personalized development plans for user-centered employee training. These features foster a culture of transparency, growth, and alignment between employees and organizational goals.

  1. BambooHR
  • Review Rating: 4.4/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Bambohttps://www.walkme.com/glossary/hr-technology/oHR is a cloud-based HR technology that allows an accessible overview of HR functions. It centralizes HR tasks like employee onboarding, time-off tracking, and performance management. It is unique for its user-friendly interface, customizable features, and emphasis on employee experience to enhance organizational efficiency.

  1. ADP Workforce Now
  • Review Rating: 4.1/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

ADP Workforce Now is a comprehensive cloud-based HR platform suitable for large businesses. It integrates payroll, HR, time tracking, and benefits administration. Unique features include compliance support, scalability, and a unified user experience, enhancing workforce management efficiency and compliance adherence.

  1. Paycom
  • Review Rating: 4.2/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Paycom is a cloud-based HR and payroll software serving businesses of all sizes. It offers a unified platform for managing employee data, payroll processing, talent acquisition, and timekeeping. Unique features include self-service functionality, real-time analytics, and customizable reporting, streamlining HR operations effectively.

  1. UKG Ready
  • Review Rating: 4.1/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

UKG Ready HR software is crafted for businesses of all sizes, integrating HR, payroll, and talent management functions. Unique features include AI-driven insights, predictive analytics, and configurable workflows, enhancing workforce productivity and enabling data-driven decision-making to drive organizational success in today’s dynamic business landscape.

  1. SAP SuccessFactors
  • Review Rating: 3.9/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

SAP SuccessFactors is a cloud-based HR software suite tailored for enterprises. It integrates various HR functions, including talent management, payroll, and workforce analytics. Unique features include scalability, global compliance, and AI-driven insights, empowering organizations to manage their workforce and drive business success effectively.

  1. Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM
  • Review Rating: 3.5/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM is a comprehensive HR management solution ideal for large enterprises. It combines HR, talent management, payroll, and workforce planning. Unique features include AI-driven insights, personalized employee experiences, and seamless integration with other Oracle Cloud applications, enhancing organizational agility and performance.

  1. Rippling
  • Review Rating: 4.8/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Rippling is an all-in-one HR platform for businesses that can improve HR workflow. It integrates HR, payroll, benefits, and IT management in a single solution. Unique for its automated onboarding, employee data syncing across systems, and customizable workflows, Rippling streamlines administrative tasks and enhances organizational efficiency.

  1. Paychex Flex
  • Review Rating: 4.2/5
  • Ease of Use: Excellent
  • Effectiveness: Excellent
  • Pricing: See the website

Paychex Flex is a comprehensive HR and payroll solution that offers payroll processing, HR administration, benefits management, and time-tracking features. Unique for its scalability, tax compliance services, and dedicated customer support, Paychex Flex simplifies HR processes for businesses, allowing them to prioritize growth.

What are the features of HR workflow software?

Understanding the features of HR workflow software before investing is crucial. This understanding helps ensure the software you choose aligns with specific organizational needs. 

Knowing how it streamlines processes effectively and enhances efficiency is essential to optimize your use of any HR software. Finally, it’s vital to appreciate how it maximizes return on investment in automating HR tasks.

Let’s examine the top features you should always look for in your HR software, beginning with recruiting features. 

Recruiting

Recruitment functionalities assist internal HR teams or external agencies in sourcing and hiring top-tier candidates. 

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) automate numerous recruitment tasks, such as posting on diverse job boards, sourcing promising candidate profiles, and resume screening based on keywords. They also facilitate interview scheduling and candidate rating and review processes.

While various standalone ATS options exist, some HR software platforms incorporate ATS capabilities. JazzHR, a prominent standalone ATS, simplifies team collaboration throughout the hiring process and provides additional features like candidate texting and custom report generation.

Talent management

Talent management involves forecasting and addressing future human resource requirements, encompassing various tasks such as recruitment and performance management. While some software integrates all HR functions within a “talent management” framework, others categorize them into distinct modules. 

For instance, Rippling’s talent management encompasses recruiting, onboarding, learning, and employee engagement tools. Clarifying the features included under “talent management” is vital when considering new HR software to ensure it meets your team’s requirements.

Onboarding and offboarding

While not glamorous, onboarding and offboarding are crucial stages in the employee lifecycle. HR software streamlines these processes by generating the necessary and offering e-signature functionality, eliminating the need for paper documents. Some systems also facilitate IT setup or decommissioning of employee devices.

Freshteam from Freshworks simplifies onboarding with checklists, welcome kits, automated emails, and document sharing. It also expedites offboarding through templates, easing the separation process for all parties.

Centralized database

It’s highly inconvenient when an organization scatters employee information across various platforms or physical files. A crucial HR system feature, such as BambooHR’s centralized database, consolidates employee documentation into a single digital space. This approach facilitates quick searches and smoother audits, saving valuable time and effort for the HR team.

HR professionals can swiftly retrieve and update information, facilitating efficient decision-making and enhancing productivity. Additionally, a centralized database ensures data integrity and security, reducing the risk of errors or unauthorized access. 

It employs robust data management techniques, including encryption and access controls, to safeguard sensitive information while providing authorized users seamless access to pertinent data.

Employee self-service

If your HR team is frequently overwhelmed by employee requests, seek HR software with an employee self-service portal. 

It empowers employees to manage their HR-related tasks independently, such as updating personal details, requesting time off, and accessing company policies. 

It’s crucial as it reduces HR administrative burden, enhances efficiency, and fosters employee autonomy and engagement. Employees can conveniently access and update information anytime, anywhere, leading to faster response times and improved accuracy. 

This HR workflow software feature benefits organizations by streamlining processes, reducing errors, and allowing HR to focus on strategic initiatives. Additionally, it enhances employee satisfaction, as individuals have greater control over their HR interactions, ultimately contributing to a more productive and positive workplace culture.

Employee engagement

Employee engagement features enable the collection of anonymous feedback, pinpointing areas for enhancement while gauging morale and satisfaction trends. These functionalities often foster peer recognition and other elements vital for robust employee engagement.

Workday’s workforce management platform introduces Workday Peakon Employee Voice, a continuous learning platform that integrates with any Human Capital Management (HCM) software. Peakon facilitates feedback collection and analysis, benchmarking against similar organizations to gauge performance.

Take time to choose the right HR workflow software

Before selecting the best software, consider what is essential to your organization: Do you need to increase efficiency, improve customer experience, or remain competitive through technological innovation? 

Consider these points when viewing the above list to select the best HR software for your needs. 

Choosing the optimal HR workflow software can present challenges due to the diverse nature of HR workflows that cover every aspect of the employee journey, from recruitment and onboarding to training and finally outboarding. 

Advanced consideration will save you time and money as you subscribe to the ideal HR workflow tool to satisfy your requirements.

Tristan Ovington
By Tristan Ovington
Tristan Ovington, an accomplished senior writer and journalist, typically contributes his expertise to the Enterprisers Project. Renowned for his valuable perspectives on digital adoption, digital transformation, change management, and Cloud applications.