Compare the best HR software companies

Ciphr's HRIS system is an excellent choice for mid-size and large organisations in the UK, but it’s important for HR teams to explore alternative options to make sure they choose the best HR software for their needs.

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The crowded HR software market and profusion of vendors all claiming to offer similar solutions can cause confusion when HR teams and organisations are looking for the right platform. Our HRMS software comparison table, which shows a selection of the best HR software providers in the UK, aims to help simplify your selection process.

While many HR software comparison sites attempt to show the functionality available from each solution, our comparison table summarises the profile of each software vendor, their focus, background, and size of the organisation, which are important considerations for buyers.

	Ciphr	IRIS Software Group	Access	Bamboo	HiBob	Namely	Sage	Cezanne HR	Breathe
HR software known as	Ciphr Connect	Cascade HR	Select HR	Bamboo HR	Hibob	Namely	Sage People	Cezanne HR	Breathe
Integrated HR and payroll for UK?	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Year founded	1982	1978	1991	2008	2015	2012	1981	2013	2012
Country HQ	UK	UK	UK	USA	Israel	USA	UK	UK	UK
Overseas offices?	No	No	Yes - New York	No	Yes - London, New York	No	USA, France, Poland, Dublin	Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil	No
Glassdoor reviews	4.8 / 30 reviews	3.7 / 280 reviews	4.2 / 300 reviews	4.5 / 333 reviews	4.7 / 102 reviews	3.6 / 260 reviews	3.7 / 2,153 reviews	4.7 / 9 reviews	5 / 17 reviews
Software advice rating	4.2 / 19 reviews	4 / 13 reviews	4 / 1 review	4.5 / 1,263 reviews	4.6 / 50 reviews	4.2 / 405 reviews	4.3 / 18 reviews	4.5 / 82 reviews	4.5 / 26 reviews
Approx. customers	650	TBC	32,000	22,000	TBC	1,400	TBC	TBC	9,000
No. of employees	220	1,524	1,658	1,119	312	331	TBC	71	63
Typical customer size	< 50 ees 51 - 200 ees 201 - 500 ees 501 - 1,000 ees 1,001 - 5,000 ees 5,001 - 9,999 ees 10,000 ees +	< 50 ees 51 - 200 ees 201 - 500 ees 501 - 1,000 ees 1,001 - 5,000 ees 5,001 - 9,999 ees 10,000 ees +	< 50 ees 51 - 200 ees 201 - 500 ees 501 - 1,000 ees 1,001 - 5,000 ees 5,001 - 9,999 ees 10,000 ees +	< 50 ees 51 - 200 ees 201 - 500 ees 501 - 1,000 ees 1,001 - 5,000 ees 5,001 - 9,999 ees 10,000 ees +	< 50 ees 51 - 200 ees 201 - 500 ees 501 - 1,000 ees 1,001 - 5,000 ees 5,001 - 9,999 ees 10,000 ees +	< 50 ees 51 - 200 ees 201 - 500 ees 501 - 1,000 ees 1,001 - 5,000 ees 5,001 - 9,999 ees 10,000 ees +	< 50 ees 51 - 200 ees 201 - 500 ees 501 - 1,000 ees 1,001 - 5,000 ees 5,001 - 9,999 ees 10,000 ees +	< 50 ees 51 - 200 ees 201 - 500 ees 501 - 1,000 ees 1,001 - 5,000 ees 5,001 - 9,999 ees 10,000 ees +	< 50 ees 51 - 200 ees 201 - 500 ees 501 - 1,000 ees 1,001 - 5,000 ees 5,001 - 9,999 ees 10,000 ees +

When you choose an HR software provider, you’re entering into a partnership, so be prepared to ask challenging questions – our comparison table is a starting point. For example, if your main market is in the UK you may look to align with UK-based vendors, and you may also consider those of similar size in terms of the number of employees and/or customers.

Our table also highlights how each vendor is perceived by their employees and how their products are rated by review sites. Poor reviews on Glassdoor can show that there is a lack of direction and low engagement in the organisation. At the same time, an HR software vendor with thousands of reviews on Capterra, for instance, can show that the vendor has extensive market reach.

Ease of use

Usability should be high up on your requirements list to ensure that your people carry out their duties easily and seamlessly. Choose HR systems that are straightforward to log into and intuitive to use, so employees can quickly find the information and tasks that they need. For today’s remote, hybrid, and deskless teams, consider HR software with mobile-friendly user experiences.

Scalability

Select HR software that grows with you, so that in periods of change you’re always ready for the next challenge. This includes elements of automation, to streamline your hiring process with consistent and automated workflows, and the ability to onboard new starters digitally, offering must-know documentation and a glimpse of your organisational culture before their first day.

Accessibility

HR software today needs to be user-friendly and accessible for all. When you’re looking for new HR software vendors, ask them if they’re using accessible fonts and imagery, and the extent to which the platform can be customised. Ensure that your new HR system works seamlessly on mobile as well as desktop, so your people can carry out tasks anywhere and on any device.

Cloud-based HR software, which cuts down on overheads and allows for more rapid updates than on-premise platforms, usually comes with various add-ons, which enables you to be flexible when creating a solution that is right for you.

To cater to all the different stages in the employee lifecycle, consider HR software that incorporates recruitment functionality, to attract and retain the best talent, and onboarding, to engage your new starters with the right information at the right time. To help your people flourish, you’ll also want to look for HR software with talent management functionality.

Payroll

Automate your payroll and pay your people accurately and on-time. Payroll software can also help you stay compliant with failsafe workflows, and reminders, and the ability to download tax notices from HMRC. Integrating payroll with HR software can mean you avoid manual duplication of effort and errors by having one source of truth for all your people data.

Recruitment

To discover the best candidates, you’ll want the ability to auto-filter applications, cutting down on time-consuming manual labour. Ensure that your recruitment software can be fully customised with your branding and features video screening, offering your candidates a more personal way to introduce themselves.

Onboarding

A great onboarding experience sets the tone for employees’ careers at your organisation. Choosing an HCM platform with inbuilt employee onboarding functionality will help you create a smooth and engaging onboarding experience for all new starters, ensuring they get access to crucial documentation before their start date, and are able to gain an insight into your organisation’s ethos and culture.

Performance management / talent management

Performance management is just one aspect of talent management, enabling HR and line managers to set targets and align them to key performance indicators (KPIs). With talent management functionality within your HR software, your employees can update their records with their latest achievements while managers can measure success using the nine-box grid and discover new rising stars.

What should I look for when searching for a new HR system?

Is it easy to switch HR systems?

It depends on your people data and your current systems. Where is your data? Does it need to be cleaned or updated? An HR software vendor should have consultants to guide you every step of the way. Changing your HR system will require an investment of time and money, but should pay dividends when it comes to efficiency, time savings, and improved engagement with your HR solution.

What is self-service HR?

Is training required to use an HR system?

Most HR software vendors will train HR administrators and users on their new HR solution as part of the launch project, with the option to undertake additional training to develop more expertise. End-users and employees, on the other hand, will, in most cases, be able to get to grips with a new HR solution straight away – especially if you’ve chosen one that is very user friendly.

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Thinking of new HR software?

Download our ultimate guide to choosing HR software

Find out everything you need to know about choosing the right HR software in our comprehensive guide

In-house or outsourced payroll? Download our guide to find the best payroll service

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Webinar: choosing the right HR software for your growing organisation

If you’re looking to choose your first system or upgrade to more sophisticated software as your organisation grows, tune into this helpful webinar from HR software provider Ciphr in association with recruitment experts hireful.

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