Your employees want to be paid, understand their benefits and know your vacation policy. If it’s tough to stay on top of those human resources tasks, make it easy with an online HR platform. HR software is the ideal next step to save you time—and keep you organized.

Perks of an HR platform

It’s all in one place. Your HR platform keeps it in the cloud: payroll management, scheduling, PTO, onboarding and signing contracts, eliminating the need for more staff devoting more hours to HR tasks.

Access from anywhere. Many HR platforms have apps to allow employees (and you) to check data from a smartphone or work tablet.

Onboarding is more efficient. Your HR platform can serve as a home for documents like employee handbooks, safety guidelines and health insurance information. When onboarding new staff, you can direct them to read through and sign off on documents digitally.

Secure data. Because HR platforms are cloud-based, they’re safe, encrypted environments. Always ask when you look for a vendor about their cybersecurity measures.

Swift compliance updates. Employment laws are changing constantly at both state and federal levels. When those changes occur, your HR platform will notify you so that you can evaluate and adapt your procedures as necessary.

Easy to modify. As you grow or change your policies and procedures, you can upgrade your HR platform plan as needed.

Employee evaluation. Clock-in features on HR platforms allow you to evaluate employee trends like tardiness or absenteeism in one place. If you need to access any information about employee behavior, these records are all stored and can be pulled up automatically.

The most popular features

HR platforms were all created with small business owners in mind, so they have many functions that will work for you. No matter your budget, make sure your choice of platform is user-friendly, so you and your employees can take full advantage of what it has to offer.

Accessibility – Check to see that the system has an app for mobile devices.

Self-help options – Employees can edit their personal information, so they can update their employee profile on their own.

Messaging – Through the app, you can send your staff company-wide announcements.

Recruiting functions – Post new job openings to a variety of job boards.

Compatibility with your existing systems – Another extra to consider, if you already have some type of existing online business software, is an interface between that and your HR platform. Some vendors can create interfaces with your existing technology on your behalf, so ask about solutions that are possible to link your existing business programs.

What are the top solutions for small businesses?

Consider the following HR platforms for the needs of your small business:

Zenefits – With a sleek design, Zenefits allows employees to view their PTO bank quickly and submit PTO requests to their managers in real time. Zenefits also has features that allow for seamless onboarding with contract and document review tools.

Homebase – Homebase is excellent for scheduling hourly employees with varying shifts and availability by the week. Find features like automatic time sheets and payroll management all available on an app.

Gusto – Gusto offers a seamless payroll interface that goes hand in hand with HR functions. There’s even a function to let employees use funds from their upcoming paycheck.

BambooHR – BambooHR has self-servicing built in for employee profiles and an accessible interface. It also has a particularly affordable price point.

Namely – Namely is especially helpful for evaluating metrics for teams within your small business, and it arranges employee data seamlessly for performance reviews. The platform also has a 24/7 customer service team for any issues that may pop up in administering the program.

An HR platform benefits your business and your employees, making for smooth operations for all.

Product features may have changed and are subject to change.