Top 11 workforce management tools of 2022
Don’t get bogged down in an old-fashioned way of managing employee schedules, attendance, and tasks. It’s time to jumpstart your employee management processes. Say goodbye to the time-consuming pen and paper and hello to automated workforce management software.
Effective employee management isn't a simple task, no matter which side you look at it. From the subtleties of handling employee onboarding to dealing with their day-to-day needs, everything is, by all odds, challenging. More so, you must provide them with all needed resources in the fastest way possible, all while ensuring they understand your organisation’s policies.
Whether you’re just starting and needing a comprehensive solution or looking for a current system upgrade, getting the right app is a real challenge as tons claim to be the best. So, how do you find one application with all the features you need at a budget-friendly price?
Worry no more. We’ve got you covered!
We’ve rounded up some top-quality employee management software to help you choose the best application suited to your business needs.
Key features to look for in an employee management software
Honestly, there is much more to a workforce management tool than meets the eye. It can take the weight off your shoulders from manually handling numerous staff management tasks.
Depending on the needs of your business, there are different features these management tools have that you should consider. The following are the key features that a good staff management application must have:
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Streamlined usability
Its usability is the initial feature to note when looking for a management tool. Consumer expectations tend to expand as digital technology continues to evolve. Employees are now more familiar with using B2C apps for personal needs. Hence, the applications we share must be up to par.
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Mobile friendly
While it may not be advisable for staff to be on their phones during working hours, with today’s mobile-friendly innovation, it’s a must as it is more convenient to check updates, shift changes, and team communication. There’s a stark difference between employees using the software versus those who aren't.
That’s why implementing mobile workforce management is a must. The software you’ve chosen should be conveniently accessible to all employees. An app that functions across Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.
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Corporate-level security
One of the biggest concerns about implementing a new system is employee data. More so when they contain financial or confidential databases. Hence, a good workforce management tool must be highly secure and safe.
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Structured reporting
Having analytics is a crucial element of any business operation system. This will help you understand better what needs improvement and what’s working. An employee management software gives you detailed insights about staff availability and payroll.
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Timesheets (time and attendance)
Your chosen management tool should be inclusive of time and attendance features. This saves you from installing complex pieces of hardware and reduces the cost of time theft—a leading problem for shift-based organisations.
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Auto scheduling
This may not be so universal to all employee management systems, yet automation of your rostering report process is a powerful feature you wouldn’t want to miss. It uses an AI algorithm to create optimum staff scheduling and rostering, reducing headaches and frustrations related to the manual scheduling system.
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Process integration
It’ll require less time and money if your chosen management tool has system integration. This means it can consolidate different management solutions—payroll, labour budgeting, scheduling, etc.
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Built-in forecasting
Another vital feature to consider is demand forecasting. Scheduling systems, in general, enhance labour to match the demands of customers. This technology can foresee customer demand accurately for more spot-on rotas. This means NPS scores and conversion rates will increase.
1. RosterElf
RosterElf is perfectly designed for business owners made by business owners. It is one of the best employee management apps in the market.
It's challenging for business owners and managers to chase staff for available hours, make weekly rosters, and keep up on payroll, but RosterElf is made to do all that smoothly. You can save time creating a business budget to stick to all while making more time for employee engagement and customer satisfaction.
Not only that, you can save 4% on labour, set financial business targets, view labour costs in real-time, and approve staff schedules by minimising time theft via electronic clock in and out. Using RosterElf’s management software, your employees can keep their availability up to date.
Through clear and easy-to-manage staff communication features, staff are always aware of new rostered shifts.
Core features:
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Mobile friendly feature
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Scheduling
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Shift swapping
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Clock-in-out
Pros and cons:
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Simple to set up and use
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Fair pricing
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Highly rated customer service
Pricing:
2. Gusto
Formerly known as ZenPayroll, Gusto is one of the most popular cloud-based workforce management solutions. It offers integrated administration benefits for small to medium-sized businesses. The platform of Gusto consists of a user-friendly interface and automated processes (e.g., payroll process, scheduling, etc.).
With this software, you can access an employee onboarding interface for new employees to input their information straight into the system. This is ideal for small to large businesses.
Core features:
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Task management
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Time tracking
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Hiring and onboarding
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Employee database
Pros and cons:
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Good customer service
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User-friendly
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Can be pricey for large organisations
Pricing:
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Plans are $39/month base price, and $6/user each month
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No free trial
3. PeopleSoft
PeopleSoft is another business-grade solution for businesses with intricate processes operating worldwide. It is adopted by academic institutions, government agencies, and other similar organisations managing many employees.
Unlike recently developed services, you can rest assured that PeopleSoft won't go anywhere in the years to come. It has a long history of providing reliable management solutions for clients. Great for corporations, government and academic organisations, and private companies.
Core features:
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Task management
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Orders and inventory
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Capital management
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Compliance tracking
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Financial management
Pros and cons:
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Rich with features
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Not user-friendly
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Not ideal for businesses with less than 500 employees
Pricing:
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Only available by quote
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No free trial
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No free-for-life plan
4. Litmos
Litmos is a business solution aiming for an all-inclusive instruction and training platform. In addition, it includes a built-in eCommerce system and some options for gamification. For small business owners, this staff employee management tool is reasonably affordable. Great for corporations during onboarding.
Core features:
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Reporting
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Activity dashboard
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Training and onboarding
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Workflow automation
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Surveys and feedback
Pros and cons:
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User-friendly
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Good learning management system feature
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The feature is hard to use (as per the user’s note)
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Some integrations don’t function well (as per the user’s note)
Pricing:
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With free trial
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With free-for-life plan
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Only available by quote
5. 15Five
15Five is a workforce management application and performance solution that aims to help businesses obtain and give feedback. It seeks to be a digital replacement for teams and office meetings/communication. It got a good integration with Slack. Perhaps the coolest feature it has is that you can high-five colleagues. Great for different organisations regardless of size.
Core features:
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OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)
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Reporting
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Surveys and feedback
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Question library
Pros and cons:
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User-friendly
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Mobile access
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Not packed with features
Pricing:
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The basic plan is $4/user per month
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With free trial
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No free-for-life plan
6. Bullhorn
Bullhorn is an all-around SaaS (Software as a Service) employee management system. It is targeted at large staffing agencies and corporations. It’s super easy to use and is highly customisable, with features like drag and drop to save time. However, this software may not be on the friendliest side for small businesses, money-wise.
Core features:
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Workflows
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Task management
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Reporting
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Automated onboarding
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Activity dashboard
Pros and cons:
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User-friendly
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Good customer service
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Not packed with features
Pricing:
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Only available by quote
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No free trial
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No free-for-life plan
7. Workday
Workday is also a SaaS (Software as a Service) suitable for small to large-sized enterprises and businesses. If you’re running an international organisation with payrolls in different currencies, you might want to check Workday’s global payroll solution.
To better manage your payments worldwide, this software integrates with third-party payroll apps. Workday is one of the only human capital management systems that is entirely cloud-based.
Core features:
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Payroll integration
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Staff management
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Financial management
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Activity dashboard
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Human capital management
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Employee database
Pros and cons:
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User-friendly
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A bit pricey
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No free trial
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No free-for-life plan
Pricing:
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Starts at $99 per user/month
8. Clockify
When it comes to helping you make decisions about managing your workforce via time tracking data, Clockify is one of the ideal choices. The workforce management software helps you manage tasks and employee work schedules. Make use of these data to project and manage future project expenses.
Core features:
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Real-time tracking of tasks and projects
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Employee management
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Employee database
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Time tracking
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Timesheets
Pros and cons:
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User-friendly
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Simple
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With robust API
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Issues with features based on user report
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Less integration with other apps
Pricing:
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The basic plan is free for unlimited time and up to 50 users
9. Kissflow
Kissflow is another employee management tool that automates organisation tasks to prevent chaotic workflow. Best for medium to large-sized businesses. You can create a customised workload with its user-friendly interface and choose ready-made applications, such as purchase orders, employee onboarding, employee engagement, vendor payment, etc.
Core features:
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Reporting
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Time tracking
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Activity dashboard
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Payroll management
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Scheduling
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Project management
Pros and cons:
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Easy automation of workflow
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Mobile-friendly
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Not easy to use in terms of features based on user report
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Poor customer service
Pricing:
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The basic plan starts at $24/user per month (minimum of 10 users)
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With free trial
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No free-for-life plan
10. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is a comprehensive solution that caters to your company's needs. It boasts a wide range of essential features for different areas of your organisation. This includes tasks and projects, communications, contact centre, and CRM. This comprehensive method gains productive and effective collaboration between you and your team, regardless of size.
Core features:
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Project management
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Reporting
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Activity dashboard
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Communication management
Pros and cons:
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Simple integration of features
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Intuitive tool
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Some functions don't correctly work based on user report
Pricing:
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The basic plan starts at $14.40/user per month
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No free trial
11. Deputy
Deputy is another workforce management software that allows you to manage staff by improving employee engagement. You can also limit how many hours employees can work each day or week, preventing employees from overwork and fatigue.
In addition, you can set schedules for both field and remote workers, as well as new shift notifications, which are sent via mobile phones. You can quickly identify high-performance employees eligible for promotions and more work; this is award interpretation.
Core features:
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Reporting
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Scheduling
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Team management
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Time and attendance
Pros and cons:
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User-friendly
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Easy break timer for employees
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Some functions have bugs
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The user interface needs improvement
Pricing:
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The basic plan starts at $2.50 per user/month (scheduling feature only)
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No free trial
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No free-for-life plan
Takeaway
It's undoubtedly going to be easier for you to handle the needs of your employees when your needs and demands are well-balanced and well-defined. What’s great about the existence of these employee management solutions is that no matter where you are in the world, you can access them via your mobile device.
With the top solutions presented above, you can pick which one suits your business needs with ease and confidence. As business owners, we want nothing but the best for our organisation. Also, you can get things done seamlessly with less stress if you’re using the right software for your needs.
