Onboarding is a crucial phase in the employee lifecycle, shaping their initial interactions and long-term engagement with the company. Well-designed strategies reflect positively on organizations. Small businesses, however, can find this task challenging because of certain factors, limited expertise being one of them. Onboarding software helps streamline all these tasks and more.
The use of onboarding software helps small companies in numerous ways. However, narrowing down your research and finalizing one platform can also be a tussle, especially with so many options available. Taking this into consideration, our team of experts at Software Finder has compiled a list of the best onboarding software for small businesses in 2024, which we’ll be discussing in this blog:
- Paycor - Best for centralizing various administrative tasks
- Paylocity HR - Best for providing comprehensive HRIS
- TriNet Zenefits - Best for customizable onboarding plans
- Rippling - Best for automated onboarding and other HR tasks
- BambooHR - Best for customized preboarding plans and analytical insights
- Namely Payroll - Best for streamlining hiring tasks
- Gusto HR - Best for comprehensive employee self-service portals
| Company | Stand Out Functionalities | Main Features | Pricing |
| Paycor | Efficient mobile app functionalities |
| Contact us to get a price! |
| Paylocity HR | Comprehensive digital onboarding |
| Get a free quote today! |
| TriNet Zenefits | Centralized platform for diverse HR tasks |
| The pricing starts from $10/month and moves up to $33/month. |
| Rippling | Saves time and boosts strategic implementation |
| Contact us to get a cost! |
| BambooHR | Full-service platform |
| Get a free quote today! |
| Namely Payroll | Unified platform to attract and retain talent |
| Pricing starts from $9/month. |
| Gusto HR | Facilitates data-driven decisions with analytical reports |
| The cost starts from $40/month with additional charges. |
Paycor does an ideal job in employee onboarding. It provides mobile-optimized experience that allows new hires to fill in the requisite information and submit documents at any time, from anywhere. It automates the onboarding tasks that saves HR staff’s time and resources. Additionally, the software’s customized welcome messages, handbooks, and company information ensure a good start for the new employees.
The platform helps small businesses save time and cut costs by streamlining diverse administrative tasks. Be it automating workflows, detailed insights into employee turnover and retention rates, or monitoring payroll management – Paycor does it all.
These cost-effective functionalities help small companies invest resources in other strategic ventures to boost organizational growth.
Pros
- Complete access to employees’ performance details
- Easy access to recent pay stubs and wage calculations
- Great customer support
Cons
- The user interface design can be improved
- The time and attendance feature may experience slight delays
Pricing
The software offers varying pricing plans. Contact us to get a free quote!
Paylocity HR provides an online onboarding portal that empowers new hires to register their information digitally. This eliminates the need for manual data submission, thereby saving organizational resources and time.
The software facilitates customized experiences, setting up new hires for success and ensuring they remain compliant with company rules. Employees can complete their pre-boarding tasks from Paylocity mobile application, without any location restriction.
Furthermore, organizations can tailor experiences for various roles and locations or leverage Paylocity HR templates to streamline the onboarding process. All these features reduce small businesses’ manual workload and save resources.
Pros
- Automated administrative tasks that save time and facilitate company growth
- Diverse scheduling feature that streamlines weekly and monthly routine
- Comprehensive employee self-service portal to save HR’s time and resources
Cons
- Limited mobile app functionality
- The third-party integration can be improved
Pricing
The platform provides tailored pricing plans. Request your free quote today!
TriNet Zenefits is a comprehensive HR platform that streamlines all administrative functions, especially the onboarding. By integrating it with other administrating functions, it saves HR’s time and makes onboarding easier. Its customizable offer letters, efficient Background Check Software ability, and e-signatures collection makes it a smart choice for small businesses.
Moreover, TriNet Zenefits synchronizes new employees’ information with employee benefits and payroll. This is another effective way to manage tasks, save time, and improve efficiency.
Pros
- Efficient data storing and Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting functionalities
- Easy-to-use onboarding template
- Seamless time and attendance feature
Cons
- The state tax filing feature can be improved
- The customer support can be slow sometimes
Pricing
The pricing varies from $10/employee/month to $33/employee/month.
Rippling automates onboarding by sending welcome emails to new hires, streamlining the paperwork and data administration, and monitoring training progress. It sends offer letters and onboards new employees. These functionalities save HR’s time and resources that can be invested in crafting and implementing other business strategies.
The software regulates human resources functions and workflows, automates approvals, and ensures law compliance. It helps small businesses save time, cut costs, and focus on employees’ development and growth.
Pros
- Comprehensive third-party integrations possibilities
- Efficient hiring and termination processes
- Easy-to-use layout for all features
Cons
- Return on equity (ROEs) cannot be updated easily
- Paid time off (PTO) tracking may not always run smoothly
Pricing
Rippling offers different pricing plans. Contact us to get a free quote!
BambooHR helps small businesses speed up the onboarding process with e-signatures and custom preboarding plans. This allows administrators to dedicate more time to meaningful introductions with new hires and help them connect smoothly with the rest of the team. This way, new candidates feel welcomed right from the beginning.
The platform automates integration and key tasks with a single data source. It streamlines employee management by collecting and tracking e-signatures and organizes all workforce tasks—payroll, employee benefits, and attendance—within a single platform.
Pros
- Efficient paid time off (PTO) tracking
- Training and certifications ensure that employee records stay up to date
- Comprehensive report generation process
Cons
- The payroll management can be improved
- Limited e-signature document customization
Pricing
The platform offers varying pricing plans. Get a free quote now!
Namely Payroll provides end-to-end paperless onboarding. It empowers small businesses to personalize their human resources processes while integrating them into a single platform. Additionally, the software reduces administrative burden by automating new hires onboarding and saves time. This facilitates better engagement and helps the new employees adhere to the company culture and job duties.
Additionally, Namely provides end-to-end paperless onboarding. It leverages electronic signatures to collect all the necessary employee information and stores the data in comprehensive individual profiles. Companies can tailor customized onboarding experiences, ensure data security, and stay compliant – all with best global payroll software, Namely Payroll.
Pros
- Automated workflows eliminate the need for paper documents
- Easy access to employees’ performance data
- The analytical functionality is easily navigable
Cons
- The review process can be streamlined
- The reporting feature can be improved
Pricing
The platform’s pricing starts at $9/user/month.
Gusto makes onboarding a seamless experience by screening new employees, collecting and storing essential data, and more. It saves your time by consolidating all the requisite information in one place and eliminates the need for manual sifting through different tabs or files.
The platform is a one-stop shop that equips organizations with modern HR features, including hiring, onboarding, competitive management tools, and Payroll Software. It integrates all these tasks and more into a single platform, optimizing all functions and saving time.
Last but not least, Gusto provides custom onboarding checklists that boost hiring process efficiency.
Pros
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) feature for log-in
- Efficient automatic payments and filings
- Versatile employee self-service portal that saves small businesses’ time by facilitating employees to register and track their information themselves
Cons
- The employee status is not updated immediately as their job position is changed
- The scheduling feature can be improved
Pricing
The pricing starts at $40/month with an additional $6/user/month.
Different factors have to be weighed in when choosing onboarding software for small companies. These can vary from organization to organization, but the basic criterion remains similar. Let's discuss the specific details we considered during our selection of best onboarding software in the following section:
Customization Capabilities
This is one of the most vital features, as customizing onboarding for different candidates ensures better adherence to company rules from day one. The employee lifecycle in the workplace is crucial, and how they take their first step makes a significant impact. Personalizing their onboarding experience simplifies this process, setting the stage for a smoother journey ahead.
E-Signatures
Electronic signatures are an efficient way to speed up the onboarding process and make the new employee a part of the team. New hires can access, sign, and submit the requisite documents directly from the onboarding platform. This eliminates the need for HR staff to manually administer data and saves time.
Mobile App
The digitalization of the modern business landscape is quite evident. Mobile apps are an efficient source to streamline the onboarding process as they help save time and resources that can be invested in other ventures. All the HR platforms we have shortlisted provide mobile applications with comprehensive functionalities for seamless onboarding and data administration.
Some of the features that efficiently complement the onboarding process for small businesses are:
- Mobile app functionalities and their efficiency for varying tasks
- Customization capabilities to tailor offer letter, preboarding, onboarding, and welcome emails
- Compliance for better legal protection and following regulations
- Workflow automation for streamlining administrative tasks
- User-friendly interface for easy navigation
- Customer support for timely assistance
- Scalability to accommodate changing or growing organizational needs
Onboarding software help small businesses in numerous ways, such as:
- Streamline the onboarding process with e-signature, automated workflows, and digital documentation
- Save time and resources that can be better invested in expanding workforce or implementing new strategies
- Help new hires adhere to new workplace culture and increase employee retention rate
- Enhance new employees’ experience and make them feel valued and satisfied
- Efficient law compliance and easily accessible record-keeping
- Customized onboarding plans to accommodate new hires for different positions
The importance of effective onboarding cannot be understated. As per a Bersin study, 4% of new hires leave the job after the first day and 22% of employee turnover takes place within the first 45 days of the job. This emphasizes the significance of an engaging onboarding platform that streamlines employers’ tasks while keeping employees engaged.
Despite the overwhelming nature of this task for small businesses, the aforementioned HR platforms can assist you execute this task efficiently. You can also contact our team of experts and let them guide you in the right direction!