In order to run a tight ship, a small business needs human resource management software. Companies of a certain size can afford to use on-premise software to handle their HR needs, but most startups and retailers can’t afford even a basic version of the same program. The high subscription price of SaaS applications is the main drawback of using them. The next critical step is settling on reliable payroll software from the vast array of products on the market.
Even though no two small businesses are exactly alike, they all have one thing in common: they could use a robust, all-inclusive Human Resources (HR) Management solution that works in tandem with their current accounting software.
The information presented here was originally published in 2021, but has since undergone extensive revision and updating to ensure accuracy and completeness. But before we find out what the best HR management software for small businesses is, let us consider its importance.
Why use HR Management Software?
Managers use HRM software on a daily basis to ensure that their employees are learning new skills, advancing in their careers, and keeping track of their performance, in addition to scheduling their employees for work and keeping records of any workplace issues that may arise. It is important for the finance team to receive reports on tax compliance, payroll and benefits expenditures, as well as headcount analysis to project future costs.
It is also important to note that in leading organisations, many people across the organisation use data and analytics from HR systems to better serve their employees.
Software Benefits for Canadian Small Businesses
There are a variety of components that are included in most HR programs that assist in streamlining and organizing internal business functions, including:
- Information on company procedures and handbooks
- Benefits, payroll, and insurance options
- Employee absences, time off requests, and time clocks
- Employer recruitment and onboarding – Recording employment applicants and new employees
- Tracking employee performance and maintaining employee records
- Courses and certifications for training and development
There are more benefits for Canadian companies that use HR software, such as self-service for employees, centralised communication between employees, and more HR automation.
Without further ado, the 15 top HR Management Software for small businesses in Canada are:
AssessTEAM
Using AssessTEAM, your employees will be encouraged to perform at the highest level thanks to our cloud-based performance management software.
With the help of the system, you have the ability to track and analyze the performance of your employees, which can help provide great insight into how to improve their performance. A great feature of the solution is that it has 1000s of pre-configured performance indicators that have been built by professionals, so evaluating it is very straightforward.
Moreover, this software enables employees to keep their timesheets up-to-date using a mobile app or a cloud-based timesheet system. The system is accessible from anywhere, at any time, and from any device. In real time, the information is synced with the system.
Features
- Helps with continuous feedback evaluation by collecting inputs in real-time
- Integrates with popular third-party applications like Zoho, Write, Basecamp, Google Apps, and more
- It is quite easy to set up and use
Knit people.
The Knit People Performance Management System is a complete performance management system designed especially for small and mid-sized businesses. Using it, you can handle everything from administering annual reviews to setting goals, to tracking employee performance, all in one place. As far as guidelines, details, objectives, and deadlines are concerned, it allows you to quickly change them to suit your specific business needs.
As a continuous performance management system, this system is used to create and evaluate goals on a recurring basis, which can be used to create and raise the bar for performance. By doing so, it will ensure that everyone is aligned towards the same goal so that there can be zero conflict. Aside from that, the process of setting up the system is quite straightforward.
Features
- Automatically reminds of deadlines and progress
- User-friendly interface for even non-techies
- Remotely conduct review sessions
Open HMRS
Best open source human resources software
OpenHRMS is a free open source HR software that provides a wealth of features that are helpful to small businesses. Throughout the site, you will find a range of features that will help you manage attendance, vacations, transfers, payroll, appraisals, and much more.
My favorite feature of this tool is that it is organized in modules so that you can customize it based on your own requirements. By doing this, you will ensure that you don’t get bogged down with functionality that you don’t need for a business of your size, and that won’t get in the way. There is a great deal of sense in arranging the HR tool in this manner since small businesses have different HR needs than larger ones, which makes a lot of sense to me. If you need more features, you can always add them to your application when the need arises.
It is an open source tool, so it is free to use. It means you can download it, install it on your own server, and manage it for free as long as you manage it on your own server.
GUSTO
The Gusto HR software is another famous software that is used across Canada and is very famous. The software was introduced in the year 2011 and in just a short period of time, its amazing features made it one of the most popular HR software packages in the world within a short period of time. Payroll management, HR management solutions for businesses, benefits administration, leave management are some of the services it provides. Despite the fact that this software is popular in the market and offers a number of impressive features for the HR department, it is one of the best of its kind.
Bitrix24
Best free web-based solution
BITRIX24 is a web-based HR system intended for small business owners. The software comes with a wide selection of features that are useful for companies without a large HR department to make use of. An employee directory, a time and attendance feature, and a document management module are some of these features.
The self-service HR portal is one of the features that I really like about this application. This can be used by employees to access basic functions within HR without needing to talk to someone in HR about it. If you set up workflows for vacation requests as well as permissions for business trips, for example, you can accomplish these tasks.
The core features of Bitrix24 can be used for free, and this may be all the functionality a small business needs. Depending on what features you need, the price of your HR platform can be anywhere from free to $159 per month depending on your needs. As an added benefit to SMBs, all plans allow unlimited users, which is also a bonus.
Humi
Aside from being a comprehensive HR software, Humi also provides functionality to manage performance of employees. As part of the solution, it comes integrated with all aspects of employee management, including the ability to assign goals, gather feedback, and conduct performance appraisals.
The great thing about this application is that it allows you to collect anonymous surveys, which is one of its unique features. In this way, some employees are not likely to refrain from expressing their true feelings about the work environment and the culture in the company.
In addition to that, the tool also allows you to give your employees real-time feedback in order to enable them to continuously improve their skills and performance.
Features
- Provides advanced feedback tools, such as 360-degree feedback, to help employees improve
- Saves time and effort with pre-designed templates
- Supports customers actively and reliably
CRG emPerform
It is performance management software that comes integrated with a system that can be used to evaluate employee performance. By allowing continuous feedback throughout the year, performance is improved as well as satisfaction is boosted.
There is a comprehensive set of tools that come with this product which help with succession planning, goal management, compensation management, surveys, reporting, analytics, and much more. Using the system, you are able to create feedback forms tailored to the needs of your company and assess employees based on the goals and competencies specific to their job.
Apart from this, the program’s simple yet rich interface makes it easy for you to get started and get around the program. Members are allowed to focus on the most important aspects of their lives through it.
Features
- Setup and training support at every stage
- Easy data flow with your existing HR, ERP, or payroll system
- Transparency and accountability across the organization
BambooHR
Managing your employees and their performance has never been easier with BambooHR. A small to medium-sized business is ideally suited to use this software as it has been designed keeping their needs in mind.
Cloud-based solutions such as this one provide a complete set of HR functions, tracking capabilities, personnel data modules, as well as advanced reporting capabilities within a single platform.
Tracking the performance of the program is done through a stripped-down mechanism. As far as the performance is concerned, it is not analyzed on a six-month basis. Instead, it tracks and compares each individual’s actions every single day against common goals that are set. Further, it is possible to integrate it with more than 20 other HR management software solutions and apps as well.
Features
- Customized reports available
- Goal progress notifications and reminders
- Multiple goals can be set and tracked
Freshteam
The Freshworks Freshteam employee management solution is another popular choice. New employees can easily hire and onboard with all HR-related tasks.
The Freshteam software developed by Freshworks, one of the leading developers of support and sales software, is a product of Freshworks. It’s a platform that can be accessed by businesses and organizations worldwide for the purpose of conducting their business. Having been established in the year of 2010, the company offers its customers software solutions that are capable of enhancing the effectiveness of business management, and Freshteam is one such product that is part of the company’s offer. As part of the Freshteam services, the HR department will be able to better manage the employee relations in the organization. It is a very useful tool that provides features such as applicant tracking, employee recruitment, and CRM. As part of the software, HR can have a dashboard where all the recruitment and tracking processes can be managed. It is ensured on the platform that the data of the employees is secure and protected.
Users can communicate with their peers without leaving the application. The database is secure and unified, and all files related to employees can be stored there.
Also, it functions as an appraisal system by collecting feedback frequently. There’s a reason Freshteam is used by 3000 businesses.
Features
- Actively supports customers 24×7
- A personal account allows you to assign roles to employees
- Provides a rich user experience
15Five
The 15Five continuous performance management software offers robust functionality. Collaboration and productivity are boosted with its comprehensive set of tools.
Employee engagement can be measured anytime with the system. Furthermore, feedback can be collected during quarterly or bi-annual reviews, which can be quite useful.
In addition to this, coaching and development tools are offered to help managers become impactful coaches.
Features
- Integrate weekly check-ins with company-wide objectives
- High-fives help create a culture of recognition
- Easily integrates with Slack, Google Calendar, and more
ZOHO PEOPLE
Since its inception, Zoho People has been one of the most well-known programs of its kind thanks to the wealth of features it offers. The program is fantastic, and it has some of the best features, for small and medium-sized enterprises. Timekeeping, leave management, employee scheduling, and other similar functions are among Zoho’s most prominent offerings. All Human Resources needs can be met by this program, which is managed from one single location. In the human resources department, this product is a time and energy saver.
HR.My
Best Free Multi-Lingual Hr System
HR. My stands out since it is absolutely free. You get limitless free storage, access to all features, and the ability to hire an infinite number of staff. Because it is a cloud-based tool, you may access it from anywhere and do not need to bother about maintenance or setup.
The free edition, however, is ad-supported. The adverts have no effect on functionality, although they can be annoying. If you prefer to disable them, you may do so by donating $5 per month to the tool’s crowdfunding effort. When you make this payment, you will also receive an additional 3500 MB of file storage.
The program includes a comprehensive range of HR capabilities. You receive payroll to record salaries and bonuses and print payslips; a time clock and attendance to track when workers work; leave management to guarantee you’re never short-staffed; and expense reporting to track how employees spend company money.
To save time, you can design automated approval workflows in many of the features. When someone files an expense, for example, the software will tell you so you can accept or reject it
Small businesses can use Homebase as a tool for tracking employee time, scheduling employees, tracking payroll, and communicating with their team members. As for the free plan, Basic, it focuses on time tracking, scheduling, messaging, as well as hiring in addition to tracking time. This software differs from some other software products in that it does not limit your employees to a certain number, but you are only able to use it at one location at a time.
Homebase Basic features
- A single location, unlimited employees.
- Payroll-ready timesheets.
- Time-off requests and schedule creation.
- POS and payroll integrations.
- App for employees.
- Tracking and posting jobs.
- Advances for employees.
- Management of employee information.
Plan upgrades
Plan options include $20, $48 and $80 a month per location for team communication, performance tracking, labor cost controls, new-hire onboarding and certified HR advisors. Each employee costs $6 per month, plus $39 per month if payroll is added.
QuikHiring
Best free video interviewing platform
Recruiters can connect with candidates via video using QuickHiring’s online platform. With the help of smartphones and tablets, HR executives are able to conduct face-to-face interviews with candidates. There is an easy way to schedule interviews with predefined question and answer templates for each role on the website.
Video interviews have replaced the old-fashioned, slow resume and interview process with a new, fast and efficient method. Video interviews can be approved by executives if they see that they are promising candidates. When you need to hire quickly, QuickHiring is a great option for you.
Free to use QuikHiring.
Ceridian
Features
- Calculate, withhold, and file taxes automatically with our software
- An extensive range of HR tools are available
- Tracking attendance and time spent at work
Ceridian Dayforce is one of the best payroll plans on the market if you are looking for one that can handle almost any aspect of human resource management. Why? It should be noted that Ceridian offers much more than payroll deductions and remittances of payroll taxes. As part of this HCM solution, you will be able to manage payroll, employee benefits, workforce management, and most other HR-related tasks as well.
There are several other unique features and tools that Ceridian payroll services offer that many payroll providers neglect when it comes to payroll, which include the following:
- Calculate, withhold, and file taxes across jurisdictions
- Register in real-time (revisions can be made at any time)
- Onboarding and recruiting talent
- Management of the workforce, including labour management
Have you ever needed a payroll solution that was enterprise-level, but your company isn’t quite big enough? As a provider of HR and payroll solutions to companies with fewer than 100 employees, Ceridian Powerpay is a great choice.
It appears that most Ceridian payroll services customers are satisfied with their product, according to the customer review site Trustradius. There are, however, a few things they would like to see improved regarding customer service, better reporting features, and better employee monitoring.
Pros
- Self-service features for employees
- An extensive range of HR services
- App highly rated by users
Cons
- It takes time to learn software
- Service reputation is middling
Summary
Here we are! We have been able to cover up this post. Quick things to note:
HR software is widely used by most HR Managers and finance teams on a daily basis to ensure that their employees are learning new skills, advancing in their careers, and keeping track of their performance, in addition to scheduling their employees for work and keeping records of any workplace issues that may arise.
There are additional benefits of having an HR software for Canadian companies, including employee self-service, centralized employee communication, and increased HR automation.
AssessTeam, a cloud-based performance management software, tracks employee performances efficiently.
For SME’s, Knit people can handle everything from administering annual reviews to setting goals, to tracking employee performance, all in one place.
There are a lot of HR management software that offers distinct features that can be tailored to your specific need as mentioned above. However, we found that AssessTeam, Gusto and Knit people are the most used software amongst Canadian small business owners. But, like with other HR systems, they have their advantages and disadvantages too.
In conclusion, Canadian HR systems have gained popularity over the years. They can be a great way to manage your employees, control your workplace, and gather data. You can decide to start with a basic software like MyHR.ca today to keep track of the organisation.