Best HRIS Systems April 2023

Forbes Advisor uses an unbiased five-star rating system to rank each company we researched. To determine the best human resource information systems for small businesses, we analyzed 27 different companies across five information categories and 34 unique criteria. Each of these categories were weighted to favor the features that small business owners find valuable in an HRIS provider.

Here are the categories we used to rank the providers that made the top of the list:

Pricing

When it came to pricing, we wanted to see if there was a free trial or free version available and then determined if the pricing was considered expensive, moderate or cheap. This accounted for 10% of our weighted scoring.

General Features

When considering general features, we looked to see if the software solution offered a mobile app as well as an online portal. Preference was given to solutions that offered applicant tracking, payroll and benefits administration, time tracking, e-signatures and learning management tools. We also considered if there were alerts or reminders offered. Access to creating org charts, the ability to provide contractor payments and performance reviews were other general features we considered important. General features accounted for 30% of our total score.

Additional Features

Additional features that we considered “nice to have” included software integrations to ease workflow, shift scheduling options and engagement tools. Bonus points were given to companies with PTO tracking, custom branding and live customer support. These additional features amounted to 20% of the total score.

Third-Party Reviews

We considered what customers on major review sites had to say about the software and what they were rated. Preference was given to companies that had a 3.5-star or better rating on G2 and Capterra, and we considered the number of reviews in our scoring as well to help reduce bias. Reviews accounted for 10% of the total score.

Expert Analysis

Finally, based on our market research and the categories listed above, we also ranked additional criteria from customer reviews such as any stand-out features, popularity, ease of use and value for the money. These final criteria made up 30% of the total score.