Is your company grappling with the complexities of essential HR functions like scheduling, performance tracking, recruiting and payroll management? In the ever-evolving HR landscape, the choice often boils down to traditional on-premise applications or the more accessible Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) web-based HR software.

Looking to join industry leaders like Equifax, Twitter and Hewlett-Packard and embrace the efficiency of web-based HR management software, a trend increasingly catching the eye of small businesses? We’ve got all the info you’ll need in this comprehensive buyer’s guide!

However, before diving in, it’s essential to explore the nuances of web-based HR software, weighing its pros and cons.

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Best Web-Based HR Software

Here’s the top cloud-based HR solutions to consider, based on our data and analysis of the market.

UKG Pro

UKG Pro is a unified, cloud-deployed suite that assists human capital management on a global level. It ensures data security, allows companies to track information globally on a single platform and handles vital HR functions like payroll, benefits and recruiting. Along with push notifications and real-time synchronization features, advanced machine learning and AI capabilities help optimize performance, streamline essential HR tasks and better understand your workforce.

A look into payroll management by UKG Pro.

Top Benefits

• Enhanced Employee Insights: Better understand your employees by leveraging AI-based predictions, suggested actions and sentiment analysis, empowering you to improve performance, address concerns, make informed hiring decisions and retain your top talent.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Utilize predictive analytics to understand data better and enhance your hiring, promotions and retention efforts.
• Cost Efficiency: Avoid and mitigate high turnover costs via a proactive focus on employee engagement and risk factor analysis.
• Seamless Mobility: Facilitate convenient access to pay information, employee details and more. Utilize touch and face ID for enhanced security, leverage push notifications and ensure real-time platform synchronization for up-to-date data.
• Efficient Employee Support: Optimize efficiency by providing employees with access to self-help resources, enabling them to find answers independently and save valuable time.

Primary Features

• InTouch Dx: A timeclock device designed for an hourly, mobile workforce that gives managers and employees flexible, real-time access to time and attendance processes. It also provides the mobile workforce with real-time access to time and attendance data along with native intelligence capabilities, a touchscreen and multiple integrated readers.
• BI Reporting: Users can monitor and analyze KPIs with custom, user-friendly pre-built reports for human resource metrics, recruiting costs, employee performance, employee engagement surveys and many others.
• Learning Management: Allow employees to access training materials in multiple languages. Offers a marketplace with 3,000 courses and facilitates engagement using gamification, rewards and social tools.
• Onboarding: Simplifies the onboarding process via a comprehensive dashboard, providing a task timeline, job-related videos, training materials and electronic forms for new hires. Additionally, new hires can set goals and foster connections with their teammates, ensuring a smooth transition into the company.
• Succession Management: Cultivate a strong talent pipeline by preparing employees for future roles. Access comprehensive plans for all company levels, along with talent evaluation, predictive analytics, reporting and personal development tools. Empower your workforce to thrive and grow within the organization.

Limitations

• Less user-friendly interface, resulting in a steep learning curve.
• Clunky and confusing design and navigation.
• Delayed customer support due to lengthy process.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Mobile Recruiting — Not supported
• Compensation Survey Management — Not supported
• Project Tracking — Not supported
• Expense Management — Supported with partner integrations
• Assessments — Not supported

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Oracle HCM Cloud

Oracle HCM Cloud is an all-in-one cloud HCM solution offering AI-driven modules for talent management, workforce management and employee information management. Real-time functionalities enhance business operations, supporting decisions with predictive analytics and data modeling. Key modules include Succession Management, Employee Self-service, and Payroll Management.

Performance management offered by Oracle HCM Cloud.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Succession Management – 98
• Employee Self-service – 98
• Applicant Tracking and Recruiting – 97
• Reporting and Dashboard – 97
• Payroll Management – 96

Top Benefits

• Maximize Business Efficiency: Streamline operations and make informed decisions with predictive analytics, data modeling and robust reporting tools. It also helps decision-makers optimize business choices and drive productivity.
• Accelerate Hiring Process: Reduce the time investment in hiring by leveraging employee referrals, employing recruitment marketing techniques and streamlining onboarding procedures. These capabilities ensure quick hiring and onboarding of talented candidates, minimizing vacancies and improving overall recruitment efficiency.
• Boost Employee Performance: Enhance employee performance with ongoing conversations, goal alignment, regular performance reviews and targeted training and coaching.
• Adaptability: Adapt to changing environments with enhanced flexibility and agility. Stay competitive by seamlessly reorganizing and restructuring your workforce using workforce modeling and organizational chart capabilities.
• Strategic Decision-Making: Access valuable insights and data-driven analytics to support strategic decision-making. The tool helps optimize resource allocation, improve operational efficiency and drive business success.

Primary Features

• Worker Lifecycle: Simplify all HR processes through the employee lifecycle, from hiring through termination.
• Rule-driven Processing: Ensure compliance with legislation and global industry practices like union management, collective labor, worker policies and more.
• Advanced HCM Controls: Users can track and modify workflows to avoid errors and automate analysis to comply with privacy regulations.
• Talent Management: Access powerful tools that empower every stage of the talent lifecycle — from attracting and selecting the right candidates to nurturing their growth and development. It also helps manage succession planning.
• Workforce Management: Build and maintain an agile workforce with time and labor tracking, work hours calculation, cost control, and practical compliance handling.

Limitations

• Tedious integration and data extraction.
• Complicated user interface.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• AI-based Benefits Advisor – Not supported
• Automatic Leave Request – Not supported
• Project Tracking – Supported with additional modules
• Multiple Appraisal Cycle – Not supported
• Penalty Alerts – Not supported

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Dayforce

Dayforce is a cloud-based solution that caters to core HR, payroll processing, benefits administration, talent management and workforce management. Ideal for small and mid-sized businesses, its main pros are a centralized employee record system and real-time updates for its unified time and payroll processing module.

Employee onboarding and administration module by Dayforce.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Succession Management – 100
• Employee Engagement – 100
• Reporting and Dashboard Capabilities – 100
• Workforce Management – 90
• Compensation Management – 88

Top Benefits

• Enhanced Team Engagement: Foster stronger team engagement and communication with TeamRelate. Managers can track employee engagement daily, offer personalized coaching and gain insights into employee communication styles and motivators through the TeamRelate survey.
• Seamless Integration: Integrate time and pay processes seamlessly and eliminate common roadblocks in payroll processing. By enabling continuous calculation, administrators can access and analyze real-time data at any point during the pay period. It also frees up valuable time for verification, review and audit tasks to ensure accurate payroll processes.
• Centralized Employee Information: Consolidate all employee information in a single location. Users can access a comprehensive view of each employee, including compensation levels, performance metrics and more, ensuring that accurate and up-to-date employee records are readily available.
• Accurate Time-Tracking: Access various options for accurately capturing time and attendance information. Employees can conveniently record their time using the mobile app, making time tracking effortless and efficient.
• Gain Actionable Insights: Monitor crucial indicators throughout your organization with workforce insights. Track turnover rates based on location and age to stay informed about trends impacting your company.

Primary Features

• Dayforce Wallet: Simplify payroll processes and allow employees to access their earned wages on demand. It also automates deductions, remittances and garnishments to minimize errors and the workload of payroll administrators.
• Payroll Tax Filing: Stay updated on tax legislation and ensure efficient processing of payroll taxes to avoid late or inaccurate returns fines.
• Assistant: This feature streamlines communication using natural language processing to provide voice and chat support for employee and manager responsibilities. It also simplifies manager tasks like streamlining approvals and managing absenteeism.
• Talent Management: Manage every phase of an employee’s journey within your organization — from efficient recruiting to seamless onboarding — without cumbersome paperwork. This capability helps optimize talent management processes and drive employee success.
• Workforce Management: Managers can enable alerts about overspending to reduce labor costs and optimize resource allocation. Additionally, the tool streamlines processes related to scheduling, performance reviews and pay approval, enhancing operational efficiency.

Limitations

• Lacks robust reporting capabilities but offers a new business intelligence tool to fill the gaps.
• Lacks automatic reminders, custom fields, data filtering, email notifications, multi-currency or signature capture.
• Tedious navigation between modules.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Interview Management – Not supported
• Automated Email Notifications – Not supported
• Lifetime Accounts – Not supported
• Expense Requests – Not supported
• Penalty Alerts – Not supported

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SuccessFactors

SuccessFactors is a web-based platform that uses AI and machine learning to manage the workforce globally. It is a comprehensive suite of capabilities — HR analytics, performance compensation, learning and development, workforce planning and others, integrated for HCM. Along with a mobile app, it offers its Employee Central solution and a digital boardroom.

A peek into the leave and absence management module by Successfactors.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Document Management – 100
• Succession Management – 95
• Applicant Tracking and Recruiting – 95
• Reporting and Dashboard – 92
• Performance Management – 87

Top Benefits

• Integrated Business Insights: Revolutionize decision-making by aggregating data from multiple sources, providing executives with a comprehensive view across departments with the digital boardroom.
• Enhanced Employee Experience: Empower your employees with real-time access to important information such as overtime, accruals and more. They can conveniently reach the HR department through various channels like tickets, phone, email, or chat, ensuring a seamless and responsive employee experience.
• On-the-Go HR: Stay connected with HR anytime, anywhere, through the mobile app. With mobile options for various suite modules, employees can effortlessly view their information, access training materials, fill out timesheets and request time off, making HR processes convenient and accessible on-the-go.
• Streamlined Time Management: Handle the complexities of a global workforce efficiently with the Time Management app from Kronos. Drive employee engagement and ensure transparency, maximizing productivity and aligning workforce management with business objectives.
• Closing the Skills Gap: Empower your employees with continuous learning opportunities to bridge any skills gaps within your organization. Employees can acquire the necessary skills to progress in their roles and fill any potential voids by providing access to ongoing training and development.

Primary Features

• Talent Management: Handle the entire employee lifecycle from recruitment, onboarding, learning and development, performance management, talent management and other aspects that ensure efficiency and improved overall productivity.
• Digital Workplace: Provide an employee-centric workplace that drives engagement through communication. It allows employees to access actionable insights and business applications in one centralized system.
• Learning and Development: Provide employees various opportunities to foster their professional growth and development. Additionally, the solution offers succession management, ensuring a pipeline of skilled individuals ready to take on future leadership roles. Utilize continuous learning to stay ahead of the curve and drive organizational success.
• HR Analytics: Access robust HR analytics capabilities to gain valuable insights into critical elements such as performance, turnover, diversity and more. With benchmarking capabilities, you can compare your organization’s metrics against industry peers, enabling data-driven decision-making.
• Workforce Planning: Anticipate talent shortages and plan for them strategically. Gain valuable insights into financials and scenario-based outcomes through modeling and analysis. Drive informed hiring decisions with headcount planning capabilities.

Limitations

• Doesn’t support data synchronization with other systems.
• Lacks a drag-and-drop interface.
• UI isn’t intuitive and doesn’t fully support the data import feature.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Employee Comments Analysis – Not supported
• AI-Based Workforce Scheduling – Not supported
• Pay Previews – Not supported
• Fraud Protection – Not supported
• Learning Channel – Not Supported

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ADP Workforce Now

ADP Workforce Now is a cloud-based HR platform that offers a centralized database that synchronizes data across modules. It simplifies the employee lifecycle and enhances data security and privacy. Modules include document management, employee self-service, and reporting and dashboard capabilities.

Payroll management module by ADP Workforce Now.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Document Management – 94
• Payroll Management – 94
• Employee Self-Service – 89
• Employee Onboarding and Administration – 88
• Reporting and Dashboard – 86

Top Benefits

• Automation: Streamline critical processes such as onboarding, record-keeping, and employee status changes through automation. Ensure compliance by tracking and reporting certifications, licenses and compliance data effortlessly.
• Enhanced Employee Experience: Offer employees self-service capabilities to access their pay, benefits and time information. Enable employees to request time off, view work schedules, download pay statements and more, fostering quality employee experience.
• Real-Time Data Insights: Gain valuable insights into key metrics like labor costs, overtime, actual vs. scheduled hours, turnover rate and other KPIs using robust data analysis tools. Make informed decisions based on real-time data to drive operational efficiency and optimize workforce management.
• Seamless Integration: Ensure smooth data flow and collaboration across platforms like Workday, Litmos, ZipRecruiter, TSheets, QuickBooks, Slack, Microsoft Teams and more to enhance overall productivity and system interoperability.
• Accessibility: Access essential features like time and attendance, benefits data, and more on the go with a mobile app for iOS and Android platforms.

Primary Features

• ADP DataCloud: Access credible industry data and compare your business trends with competitors for actionable insights. It also offers a Turnover Probability Explorer to predict voluntary turnover and its contributing factors.
• ADP AE Snapshot: Allow managers to access employee metrics regarding an employee’s enrollment preferences and decisions.
• PlanFit: Employees can compare and rank different benefit plans, helping evaluate different scenarios and offering added capabilities to configure plan selections.
• ADP StandOut: Personalize coaching with digital content and 15-minute strength assessments. Its key features include real-time team engagement, custom surveys, performance pulse surveys, light-touch employee check-ins, and coaching intelligence for valuable insights.
• Workforce Management: Simplify time collection and employee scheduling with mobile capabilities. Empower employee PTO requests and efficiently process them for accurate accruals. Access valuable analytics and overtime and absence reports.

Limitations

• Lacks robust reporting functionality.
• Customer service requires improvement.
• Lacks job application tracking capabilities.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Employee Engagement – Supported with partner integrations
• Penalty Alerts – Not supported
• Workforce Forecasting – Supported with additional modules
• Absence Management – Supported with additional modules
• Feedback Reports – Not supported

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How We Choose Products

Our team of writers and analysts at SelectHub is committed to giving you the best recommendations based on our data. To make our list, products had to meet two criteria:

1. Closely match the topic
2. Earn a top-5 analyst score in our selection platform

Our analyst scores are based on an in-depth research process using primary and secondary sources. This includes SelectHub Analyst Briefings, direct communication with vendors, and reviewing materials such as user reviews, product brochures, specification sheets, case studies, user manuals, and technical documentation.

Our platform’s Scoring Engine processes the research and computes the analyst score. The score also factors in platform settings such as industry and company size.

Learn more about our research methodology and editorial standards

What Is Web-Based HR Software?

Web-based HR software is a tool that helps manage HR operations with any web-enabled device and internet connectivity, consolidating and processing all your HR-related data within a unified software solution.

How do web-based HR solutions work? To put it simply, web-based HR software is your gateway to seamlessly manage HR operations using any web-enabled device with internet connectivity. Imagine a platform that’s as flexible as your business needs it to be.

How will it affect your budget? You pay a monthly or annual fee, usually depending on the per-user/per-month subscription model. This model charges a monthly or yearly fee based on the number of administrative users of the solution.

Transforming the Workplace

On the surface, a web-based HR solution manages and centralizes multiple aspects of HRM like payroll management, recruiting, training and more.

But how does it help your workplace practically?

• Reduced paperwork, allowing employees to spend their time on more important tasks.
• Improved employee performance with frequent performance assessments.
• Enhanced employee engagement.
• Greater data security to prevent data loss or tampering on the cloud.

Key Features

Now that you’re well-versed with web-based HR solutions and you’ve probably decided to invest in a web-based HR system (rightly so), only one thing remains. A list of must-have features to consider while choosing a suitable solution:

• Digital tracking, approval and capturing of leave requests, benefit claims, onboarding and more.
• Centralized management of an employee’s personal information and data, along with self-service onboarding.
• Automated conditional workflows to ensure regulatory and policy compliance.
• Template-based built-in reporting for data-driven insights for effective decision-making.

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Advantages

Now that you’re familiar with the key features, let’s explore the advantages of web-based HR software.

Immediate Availability

Once you’ve paid for your new web-based solution, your HR professionals can use it immediately. Many of these platforms’ start-ups are as simple as running the program on a browser. There’s no need to wait to download huge files, run installations or implement a large-scale implementation project.

If your computer has a compatible web browser, you don’t even need to install any new applications to get your web-based HRIS management software up and running.
Conversely, an on-premise system requires extensive IT labor for implementation and infrastructure preparation in advance.

Easy Accessibility

You can use web-based technology on an internet-connected laptop from any location. Some providers also offer smartphone or tablet access.

The system stores your human resources information on a central server for easy accessibility. No need to copy files or applications from one computer to another.
Most web-based HRIS systems provide employee self-service, meaning your employees can log in to view their information. This transparency helps keep your employees engaged since they can easily track their time and attendance, vacation days, payments and other data.

Another bonus of employee self-service is that it streamlines your HR processes. Rather than sending an email requesting time off, your employees can do it with a few clicks. Once received, all HR managers have to accept it. If accepted, it’s recorded in the employee database, saving valuable time and keeping an up-to-date record.

Regular Backups

Data stored in a web-based human resource management system (and any HRMS) is some of your organization’s most sensitive and regularly changing data. Most cloud software developers regularly back up your employees and HR data stored in their HR systems.

If a provider’s server fails, your data is at risk, but not when an office computer’s hard drive stops working. Staff can switch to another computer and continue working, which is especially beneficial for small businesses without the time or resources for regular backups, endangering their data.

Employees’ personal information needs to be secured and stored correctly. And, because addresses, phone numbers and other contact information often change, regular data backups are welcome.

Automatic Updates

Web-based programs automatically stay up to date. You — or your IT team — don’t need to download or install updates manually. This capability enhances reliability and saves time and labor.

Additionally, most of these platforms will perform updates in the background or when the system is not in use — zero inconveniences of the software being out of commission during the workday.

Automatic updates also help your company comply with new labor regulations and reduce human error. Being connected to the internet will keep the system on top of changing laws, tax rates and other HR-related acts, letting you change your processes as needed.

New Features

If you want the latest HR management features every year, you’ll want to use web-based HR software.

With web-based systems, your monthly subscription fee includes access to the newest updates as soon as they’re available. Super helpful if you need that new performance management, benefits administration or payroll feature.

With on-premise systems, the frequency of the updates depends on your contract. You may not receive free updates, forcing you to pay for each software addition.

Furthermore, web-based systems cut labor costs because employees don’t need to waste time installing or maintaining additional updates.

Consistent updates also mitigate the risk of your HR system becoming obsolete. You’ll have all the features you need for a comprehensive platform.

Depending on what upgrades the vendor provides, this can eliminate the need to implement additional systems, such as a separate time and attendance tool or workforce management software.

Global Compatibility

Web-based software is more suitable for companies with locations in multiple countries. Most programs allow users to select one of several languages, along with the ability to translate documents into another language when communicating with global collaborators.

Different options for currency simplify compensation for international employees. These systems also centralize your employee data, making it easy to access from offices worldwide.

Automatic updates also help keep your system globally compatible and account for worldwide regulations, tax considerations and local measures.

Compare HR Software Pricing & Costs with our Pricing Guide

Disadvantages

It is time to look at the disadvantages of web-based HR software.

Increased Risk

All your HR data has to travel through the internet before it reaches the vendor’s server. A downside of online file storage and global access is that it increase your risk of data breaches by external parties.

Although security software and encryption minimize the risk, hackers can still intercept your confidential data.

Added Internet Dependence

Web-based solutions make your business dependent on the internet. When an outage occurs, your HR professionals lose the ability to access data and perform general HR tasks. This drawback causes more problems for companies in remote regions or areas with frequent severe weather.

Unexpected Changes

Web-based HRIS systems have the possibility of undesirable changes. For example, the provider could raise its subscription fee or require a new browser and hardware upgrades.

However, your business can permanently acquire the current edition of a web-based system by making a one-time payment, so costs are more predictable. This software remains the same unless you replace or update it.

Complex or Incompatible Integration

It’s important to investigate your different system’s capabilities before attempting to use them all together. Some companies struggle to integrate web-based HR management software with other business applications. Using solutions from multiple providers can be difficult unless they integrate well with other systems.

Choosing a comprehensive system that includes all the functionality needed in an HRMS is another potential way to avoid complex integration attempts later.

No matter what, evaluating your current and projected needs before deciding on an HR software vendor is essential.

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Next Steps

It’s impossible to overstate the transformative power of modern-day web based HR software.
Offering unparalleled flexibility, convenience and accessibility, the right solutions empower organizations to adapt effortlessly to ever-changing industry needs. While traditional on-premise systems provide control over data, the decision ultimately hinges on your business’s specific requirements.

As you navigate the landscape of HR software vendors armed with a deep understanding of advantages, disadvantages, and key features, the path to an optimized HR operation becomes clearer. Begin your exploration by diving into our free, in-depth comparative report, providing insights into various options available in the market.

Share your experiences with web-based HR software and your thoughts on its advantages and disadvantages in the comments below!