Best Workforce Management Software Of 2024 (2024)

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• monday.com: Best overall
• Paycor: Best for all-in-one management
• Zenefits: Best for small business affordability
• Rippling: Best for companies with remote workers
• Click Up: Best for ease of use
• BambooHR: Best for payroll integration
• Workday: Best for intuitive layout
• UKG Pro: Best for companies that want to promote employee communication
• Sage HR: Best for customizing workflows
• ADP Workforce Now: Best for payroll for international employees

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To find the best workforce management for small businesses, we considered more than 30 of the leading providers in the space and narrowed it down to 26, which we then evaluated across five key categories and 34 different metrics. Our ratings consider factors, such as transparent pricing, employee self-sufficiency, compatibility with third-party integrations, access to customer support and ratings. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

At its best, a workforce management system consolidates all the core elements of an HR department by streamlining talent acquisition, time and attendance tracking, benefits administration, task management, payroll and talent management. When all tasks are done from a single, centralized platform, you can improve efficiency, eliminate errors and facilitate a more positive employee experience. The benefits of a proper workforce management software include:

• Streamlining talent acquisition: Workforce management software can enhance the process of finding and hiring new talent by automating tasks, such as job postings, résumé screening and interview scheduling. This streamlined process can help companies secure top talent more efficiently.
• Time tracking: Workforce management software eliminates the errors associated with manual tracking by accurately tracking employees’ working hours. Time tracking helps companies reduce labor costs, increase productivity and confidently manage compliance risks. It can even help identify patterns in absences or tardiness.
• Scheduling: Scheduling features ensure that shifts are adequately staffed according to the company’s needs. Most software platforms can also track employee attendance, manage leave and absence and monitor compliance with labor laws. Advanced features, such as real-time analytics, that provide managers with instant key workforce insight are also available with certain providers.
• Benefits administration: Workforce management software simplifies the time-consuming process of benefits administration by consolidating all benefits information into a single platform.
• Accurate payroll: Workforce management software can automate payroll processing. This minimizes the occurrence of human errors that tends to arise from repetitive data entry and manual calculations. It also ensures employees are paid on time.
• Control costs: Certain workforce management software systems can eliminate expensive overtime or overstaffing by forecasting labor needs.
• Talent management: Certain workforce management software systems have features that monitor all aspects of an employee’s career from performance reviews to skill development programs. These talent management tools help employers retain top talent, motivate employees and help them grow within the organization.

It is crucial to consider several key factors when selecting a workforce management software system for your company. First, prioritize ease of use with an intuitive interface for all users from HR managers to general employees. Secondly, it is important to identify the essential features that your organization needs, such as scheduling, labor forecasting, attendance tracking or performance management. Make sure the software you select includes features that can fulfill those requirements. The third consideration is scalability. As your business grows, the software should have the capacity to scale and adapt to an increasing number of employees without becoming cost-prohibitive. Finally, consider integrations. You want to ensure that the new software can integrate with your existing systems or platforms.

Another basic area you should consider when choosing a workforce management system is cost, as every company needs to find something that fits into its overall budget. When considering cost, look at the monthly costs and cost per employee as well as the cost for any add-ons. For example, some workforce management software platforms include functions, such as payroll, in their monthly plan automatically while others charge an additional monthly price for payroll.

Ease of Use

In addition to essential features, ease of use is another critical factor to consider when selecting workforce management software. Opt for a platform with an intuitive interface that is user-friendly not only for HR managers but also for every employee who will be using the software to track projects, hours or payroll. A software solution that balances sophisticated features with user-friendly design can significantly enhance your team’s efficiency and productivity.

Essential Features

Before you begin shopping for a workforce management software system, it is important to first identify the specific problems that the software should address. Is a scheduling tool that can optimize the allocation of personnel your company’s number one issue or are you more concerned with finding a platform that contains performance management tools to evaluate and enhance your employees’ performance? Or are you interested in labor forecasting tools that can help avoid potential issues, such as understaffing or overstaffing? Many of the workforce management software platforms offer a range of features, while some excel in specific areas. It is best to know what you are looking for before you begin the search for the right software for your company.

Scalability

Scalability should be a key consideration especially for growing businesses. It’s important to assess whether the software can adapt to your changing needs as your team expands. For example, if your business grows from 10 employees to 1,000 employees, does the software have the ability to grow with you? If so, will the cost of the software remain within your budget constraints or could a surge in employee numbers render it financially impractical for your company’s budget?

Integrations

Companies should prioritize the software’s integration capabilities when choosing a workforce management software. Seamless integration of the software with existing systems, such as human resources, payroll and enterprise resource planning systems can improve operational efficiency and ensure consistent data across the organization. Integration can also simplify processes, such as time tracking, scheduling, task management and performance analytics by enabling real-time data sharing. Additionally, a well-integrated software solution can minimize manual entry errors, enhance decision-making through comprehensive reporting and improve the overall user experience.

The cost of workforce management software varies widely depending on several factors. The pricing can range from free versions designed for small businesses (though it is not common) to enterprise-level solutions that may cost several thousands of dollars annually. Typically, the pricing structure is based on a per-user, per-month model, although it can also be structured as a one-time license fee.

In terms of a per-user, per-month model, you can expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $200-plus per user per month. The cost increases depending on the features and functionality of the software. For instance, basic time tracking tools might be on the lower end of the spectrum, while comprehensive solutions that include scheduling, forecasting and compliance features may be on the higher end. ClickUp offers a free plan that includes unlimited tasks and members but caps the storage at 100MB. The company’s four paid plans start at $5 per user per month (if billed annually). Each additional plan offers an expanded range of features.

Several factors impact the cost of workforce management software. The number of users is a significant factor as most pricing models charge per user. For example, ADP has two sets of software pricing. One set is for companies that have 49 employees or less and another is for companies that have 50 or more employees.

Advanced features, such as automated scheduling, labor forecasting, real-time analytics and integration capabilities, will generally increase the price. Additionally, the level of customer support, the need for customization and the implementation process (whether it’s self-service or assisted) can also affect the price. Zenefits offers three paid plans starting at $8 per user per month (if billed annually); however, even the most expensive plan lacks payroll, advisory services and recruiting features. These additional services are considered add-ons. In addition to the monthly plan fee, users must pay $6 per month per employee for payroll, $8 per month per employee for advisory services and at least $35 per month for recruiting.

To determine which workforce management software is best for your business, we looked at an array of providers in the space and narrowed it down to the top 25. From there, we then analyzed these providers across five key categories for a total of 34 different metrics. With that, we scored and ranked each of the top 25 to find the best workforce management software.

Pricing – 10%

Pricing is key for most small businesses, so we considered the pricing and overall affordability of each of the providers. This includes not only the pricing for paid plans, but the availability of free trials and free plans.

Key Features – 30%

We considered a wide range of key features that businesses need out of a workforce management software. For example, we analyzed the availability of applicant tracking, benefits administration, payroll, time and attendance tracking, learning management tools, mobile apps, e-signature capabilities, alerts and reminders, org charts, task management, peer reviews and more.

Unique Features and Inclusions – 20%

On top of the standard feature set for workforce management software, we also considered extra features and inclusions to provide a bigger picture in terms of which software is not only the best, but the best for certain use cases and industries. For example, this included factors, such as the availability of software integrations, engagement tools, tax tools, shift scheduling, PTO tracking, custom branding and live customer support.

Third-party Ratings – 10%

To get a better understanding of how users feel about each of the providers, we looked at third-party ratings and user reviews. As part of this metric, we considered both the average rating for each provider, as well as the number of reviews each provider has.

Expert Score – 30%

In addition to the above categories, we also considered our own firsthand expertise when analyzing each of the top providers. This includes qualitative metrics, such as ease of use, support quality, value for price and popularity.

Learn how we evaluate HR management systems.

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