Understanding the Different Types of HR Software

As an HR professional, you’re probably already using some sort of software application to manage employees within your organization, if you aren’t – how are you supposed to know which kind you need? There are so many different types of HR software available today, from employee engagement software to attendance tracking software, and when it comes to selecting one for your business/organization – staring at a wall of various software recommendations can be overwhelming.

In this light, the editors here at Solutions Review have searched the web high and low for content regarding the topic in order to provide this guide of all the types of HR software. Below, you’ll find the six most common types of HR technology.

Training Software

Training-focused software is designed for, well, training purposes. For an effective, knowledgeable and engaged workforce, this type of software platform ensures that your employees have had the appropriate training.

• Learning and Development Management Software: To deliver training courses and learning materials directly to employees. This kind of software allows them to take courses, training videos, tests, and so on in order to deliver effective training. It also allows employers and HR leaders to track their progress, award certifications, and more.
• Onboarding Software: Onboarding software is responsible for handling the effort of onboarding new employees, it helps digitize the long-form paperwork and stores important employee information. Most onboarding solutions also include functionalities for training new recruits and introducing them to the company’s culture and brand.

Talent Management Software

Because talent management is so big, it deserves its own section. Talent Management Software encompasses all the talent management suites, integrated HR systems and other all-in-one HR tools that attempt at doing it all: recruiting, training, payroll, scheduling, benefits, etc. These systems are integrated software solutions built to track and manage the recruitment, professional development and performance of employees and potential candidates. Talent Management platforms enable the automation of all the processes within the talent management realm and simplify workflows for HR and the company as a whole.

A Talent Management solution can also smooth the flow of information across HR, payroll, and benefits administration. This sharing of data can enable your business to better innovate and your employees to better perform. It doesn’t only help HR administrative needs however, talent management is a business strategy, so the software simplifies business processes and allows room for improvement in the top talent in the company.

If you find your organization or HR department struggling to keep up with competitors or find it difficult to track your employees lifecycle, it may be time to implement a talent management solution. Here are 5 reasons why your company needs a Talent Management Platform and the top 5 benefits of having one.

Benefits Software

Employees need to be paid, and as such, benefits trail right behind paychecks. This kind of software helps you handle that by enabling HR managers to administer benefits packages and encourage healthy usage among employees. With benefits-focused software, organizations can identify the benefits that provide the most value to employees and reduce overall costs.

• Benefits Administration Software: This helps you manage and track employee benefits such as: health insurance, paid time off, retirement accounts and compliance. Benefits Admin Software can be integrated with a larger HR software suite, so you have the convenience of all this data in a single location.
• Compensation Management Software: As previously mentioned, employees need to be paid – A.K.A. compensation. This includes overall pay, bonuses, incentive programs, commission and salary planning. This type of software allows you to manage it all and is typically integrated with a broader HR suite.
• Payroll Software: Not to be confused with compensation, Payroll Software manages the act of paying your employees, like direct deposit, checks, tax compliance and W-2 form printing.

Performance Management Software

Performance Management Software aids you in tracking, measuring, evaluating and rewarding employee performance and productivity – ensuring goals are met or trending issues are addressed preemptively. This kind of software is extremely useful when you get to performance reviews and so on.

• 360 Degree Feedback: This system allows anyone in an organization to give perfomance reviews of any other person – meaning employees can rate their managers, provide anonymous feedback, and people in different departments can review each other.
• Performance Appraisal Software: This platform allows you to track and manage employee and performance reviews, storing them in a single database. In turn, performance reviews are made faster and easier. Many Performance Appraisal platforms include support for goal tracking, learning and development, and compensation management.

Recruiting Software

• Applicant Tracking Software (ATS): This is a type of application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment needs: sourcing job applicants, tracking candidates, etc. An ATS can be implemented or accessed online on an enterprise or small business level, depending on the needs of the company and there is also free and open source ATS software available.
• Job Boards: This is a specialized version of recruiting software that allows you to post and track jobs to multiple online job boards such as Indeed and Monster. If preferred, it allows you to create your own job boards too (on your company website for instance).

Workforce Management Software

Workforce Management solutions help you handle the little intricate details of everyday HR work, daily tasks, managing employees and features for labor law compliance.

• Employee Engagement Software: Employee Engagement Software is important, as it helps to manage health and wellness programs and creates retention plans. Here are more reasons why you should implement Employee Engagement Software.
• Employee Scheduling Software: This platform is designed for companies that have hourly employees. It lets you easily track, assign and adjust which employees are scheduled to work and when.
• Attendance Tracking Software: Helps you manage paid time off, vacation, and sick days all in one platform.

Looking for more? Download our talent management buyers guide and check out the top-24 products available in the market with full page vendor profiles, key capabilities and questions to ask yourself and the vendor before purchasing a talent management solution. For those just starting the talent management software search process, this is truly the best resource to help get you going.

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook for all the latest in Work Tech space!