GoCo Reviews

Pros

Using GoCo's embedded payroll with the built-in time and attendance app has been proven highly useful for our team. The onboarding process for new employees is also the best and the workflows keep our procedures consistent. I also rely on it heavily for storing and updating employee documents. Customer service has been wonderful in my experience, with quick and helpful responses whenever I need them. Navigation is simple too which makes bringing new hires up to speed very easy. There are so many features that we could integrate into multiple areas of our operations without much trouble. I also love their partnerships, such as JazzHR for applicant tracking and Gusto for payroll processing, which have both been helpful. Another feature I particularly like is the easy Google SSO integration. Plus the Time Off app has saved me a lot of time by making balances and accruals simple to manage, largely because it ties into Time & Attendance and Payroll. With the broad set of configuration options and continuous improvements, using this tool has been a very positive experience. Their support team was excellent during setup, helping us get everything running in about six weeks.

Cons

I would prefer it if we could access the benefits configuration directly so I would not have to open a support ticket every time a change is necessary. For example we have a company policy that restricts how much time an employee can use each year and that specific option is the only configuration in the Time Off app we can't set ourselves at least not yet. It would be much more efficient to have that control in the admin settings rather than relying on support for these routine adjustments.

Pros

The interface is clean and the whole system is user friendly and easy for me to learn quickly.

Cons

There is one feature from Deputy that lets employees post their shifts and automatically notify others when coverage is needed. If GoCo added this, it would be a more complete solution. Also I can't change pay period dates unless I use its payroll module and get help from support.

Pros

GoCo feels like a modern, sleek and extremely capable HRIS that aims to deliver a white-glove service to mid-market firms and rapidly expanding small businesses. Plus it excels as a single repository for employee information, with a strong emphasis on automation and going paperless.

Cons

I honestly do not have anything to complain about. I enjoy every aspect of it and using the software was a fantastic experience.

Pros

I am grateful for the amazing team who responds to my questions quickly when I am in a hurry to submit payroll.

Cons

It felt really jerky, if that makes sense. As the workflow never ran smoothly. Also there always seemed to be something different that had to be fixed or repaired, to the point that we ended up scheduling weekly meetings. On top of that, we have found Execupay terrible to work with.

Pros

George in payroll has been consistently kind. He is actually the only person who's communicated with me and been genuinely helpful throughout this process.

Cons

Everything about this has been terrible. To start the switch from Trinet was a mess. As they failed to honor the discount and insisted we would exceed their $3k annual minimum, even though we needed roughly half that level of service. The transition itself was chaotic, with poor communication and what felt like gaslighting as support kept directing me to their videos until I pointed out that no video promised the kind of timely, helpful responses I needed. We still have not been able to pay our CEO after three bi-monthly payrolls because of an import error they introduced on S-Corp benefits, which they cannot seem to resolve. As the COO, this has cost me and several others tens of hours and it's been nothing short of hellacious. I have zero confidence this will be fixed and I am worried our tax accuracy is at serious risk. After waiting days for a reply, I ended up running a third payroll but had to skip our top two executives due to its tax accounting inaccuracies. My recommendation is simple avoid, avoid, avoid.

Pros

I have nothing positive to say about this tool.

Cons

We were left feeling completely bait and switched by the implementation, support and transition. Our implementation advisor basically disappeared on us after signing, despite giving reassuring promises during onboarding. After the initial rollout, we did work with a few helpful people, but most interactions go through a generic support channel that rarely responds to our problems. Since coming onboard, we've run into a number of issues and the only way to reliably get a reply is to call repeatedly and be told, our team is working on a response right now. That line might fly once but lost credibility fast after happening multiple times. I was also told only three business days before our very first payroll that I couldn't submit an expedited ticket because there was a two-day minimum, and by then we had not even finalized our payroll cycles. At that crunch point, I couldn't get a real person to step in and help. Fortunately I still had access to my previous provider to fall back on, otherwise we would have missed payroll entirely. In short, the service felt misrepresented as they told us they integrated with our 401(k) provider and we only discovered after converting that they actually do not. There is a lot more I could add but if I had it to do over, I would have insisted on written confirmations about integrations and processes instead of relying on a video call. I also should have walked away at the first red flag. Even now, my team is still dealing with basic support problems.

Pros

I really liked how simple it was to switch our agency's HR platform over to GoCo. Their team handled all the details and kept me updated throughout the whole transition by sending progress emails. On top of that I find its HR solution excellent as it unlocks more features for our team for only a few extra dollars each month.

Cons

What I did not like was that when I needed help finishing a specific task and could not find guidance in their help library, there was not an option to get someone on the phone right away to walk me step by step through what I was trying to do. That lack of live phone support was frustrating.

Pros

Onboarding and gathering documents is where this platform really shines for me. It's cut down my workload and saved me a lot of time while keeping our procedures organized. Because it is packed with so many HR features, it removes a lot of the usual headaches. I mean I appreciate not needing multiple tools and I find myself relying on it every single day.

Cons

I have to use a separate payroll provider which is a hassle. The reporting tools are also basic, so I cannot get the detailed data I sometimes need.

Pros

The tool is very comprehensive and I like that we only pay for the services we actually use. For HR professionals, it's incredible as it is easy to navigate and filled with helpful information. The onboarding process was outstanding as the team was well-informed, responsive and thorough. They went above and beyond to help us get payroll started quickly so we would not be double billed by both carriers. The GoCo Academy has been an excellent ongoing resource that we have returned to several times since we began. It provides a dependable orientation foundation for a small business like ours that does not have a dedicated HR person on staff. Because of that, completing the full cutover and implementing every feature during our transition period wasn't realistic and there are a few new features we haven't yet had time to fully develop. Still I am confident that as we find the time to roll them out, we will have a team of knowledgeable, helpful people to rely on. Someone on our team logs into it every day for one reason or another and any small problems we have had with onboarding employees or similar issues have been fixed within 24 hours of submitting a support request. I have even had a colleague from another non-profit implement it for their organization!

Cons

Where I am less satisfied is with the payroll reports from the integrated Gusto payroll processor. As the reports feel basic and messy. Yes you can set up custom reports but that process is not simple either. So far that's the only feature we're not thrilled with.

Pros

Our nonprofit has gone through rapid growth these past few years. We brought on our first HR Manager a few months ago and I started looking for an HRIS so we landed on GoCo. I was really impressed with all the front-end work which involved several months of thorough prep alongside our HR Manager. Plus the platform''s wide range of features continues to be a big benefit. Our HR Manager keeps telling me how happy she is that we chose this tool and honestly, having a real person to call is the cherry on top.

Cons

The one drawback I've come across is not actually softwares fault as it's an ADP problem during payroll sync setup. We are months into the process and ADP still is not pulling or showing the information that's in it which has been frustrating.

Pros

What I love most about GoCo is its support. As whenever I run into an issue or an error pops up, they jump on it and have always found a fix for me. I also really like the grid payroll feature because it lets me edit individual lines easily and go back to correct things when necessary. Bringing new hires onboard takes no time thanks to the workflows and the clearly organized system. Our company setup was not an issue too since it handled virtually all of it for us. We plan to start using more integrations as we get comfortable with the platform as the QuickBooks connection looks particularly useful. Overall it is a great choice for everyday people management, payroll and even company-wide announcements. In short I am very satisfied.

Cons

I am not sure I'd call it a real dislike, since the support team is always quick to step in, but we have run into a few temporary hiccups around the number of pay runs allowed and experienced occasional errors here and there. Still support seems capable of handling whatever comes up. They increased our allowed pay runs and on the rare occasion I hit an error, simply reloading the page usually fixes it. So it has not been a major problem overall.

Pros

I've never had the system go down and whenever I call I always reach a real person to talk to.

Cons

At the moment I cannot think of any complaints.

Pros

Using it has significantly improved how I handle HR tasks and made things more efficient overall. The interface is user friendly and easy to use, and what I appreciate most is the automation. As it's genuinely helped me simplify HR workflows and raise my team's productivity.

Cons

One drawback I noticed is with QBO integration as if I set it up to sync new hires, the data flows only from GoCo into QBO and won't synchronize from QBO back to GoCo which is limiting.

Pros

I always get fast replies and a great team atmosphere where everyone is willing to help.

Cons

Honestly I have not run into any issues yet and so far everything has been running smoothly.

Pros

My assigned implementer was outstanding. They guided me perfectly and gave invaluable support. The team was patient, always ready to help and arranged Zoom calls whenever needed. They know the HR software completely and customized it to meet our non-profit's unique needs. I was given clear guides, videos and quizzes that kept me on track.

Cons

There were occasions after regular hours when I got stuck on tasks and could not get help.

Pros

I really like not having to dig through our company server or my own computer for documents anymore. Logging into GoCo is incredibly simple and the employee handbook I signed during onboarding was right there and easy to open. What impresses me is how smoothly my onboarding steps link to the saved materials on the site. There is not any confusing process to go back and check our company policies or protocols when I'm using it. I use it frequently so I do not waste time searching for files or bothering our HR team as a new hire. Answers come instantly which I love!

Cons

For two-factor authentication, I wish I could mark my device by IP address as a remembered or trusted device in the app, just like I can on the regular desktop site. As it would save time and make mobile access less annoying. Right now the desktop site is quicker and easier to log into, but I'd prefer the same remembered-device option in the app.

Pros

One thing I really like is that it track PTO hours in an efficient way.

Cons

Overall I have no complaints as it works well and is easy to set up.

Pros

The payroll integration works smoothly, cutting down on errors and helping us stay compliant.

Cons

At the moment, I have not run into any drawbacks.

Pros

I find the interface so user-friendly and overall it is pretty easy to navigate.

Cons

Nothing major but I am not a fan of how email reminders for employees birthdays and anniversaries are handled.

Pros

It seamlessly integrated with our existing software and fulfilled all our requirements. It delivered precisely what was promised.

Cons

We had to switch to a different software from the one we were using previously.