The abbreviation HR stands for Human Resources and describes the intangible resources such as knowledge and skills that a company receives from its employees. The administration and coordination of these resources are the task of the human resources department or the HR department. Of course, there are also suitable software solutions for this area: so-called HR software, also known as human resources software, personnel software, personnel administration software or personnel management software.

The purpose of such HR programs is to simplify and otherwise streamline people management processes and provide greater transparency. They are designed to help companies reach their full potential. Good HR software improves networking within the company and enables more efficient collaboration. It simplifies many processes in human resources and thus saves time and money.

Various providers compete for the favor of new customers with numerous HR programs – there are around 250 HR software solutions on the German-speaking market alone. This makes it difficult to get a well-founded overview and to identify the best possible offer for individual requirements.

We examined and compared eight popular HR programs. These include Recruitee , Peakon , Personio , Altair Media and a few more. This is followed by a comprehensive guide that explains what the HR software market has to offer and what to look out for when choosing an offer.

8 best HR softwares

Recruitee

 

Recruitee  is a popular recruitment platform specializing in recruiting and applicant management. Companies can choose between three complete packages:

  • Launch
  • Scale
  • Lead

The Launch package includes recruitment essentials and is aimed at new, small businesses. The candidate pipeline professionalizes and simplifies the application process so that you no longer have to create your own tables to manage candidates. In addition, the candidate profiles can be easily moved depending on the status of the application. Applicants can be contacted via the integrated video chat. The range of functions also includes live chat support, an app and access for an unlimited number of users.

The Scale and Lead packages build on these foundations and offer additional functions, especially in the area of ​​automation. They are aimed at larger companies that lack the functionality of Launch . These packs include even more vacancies and talent pools . Companies that opt ​​for the lead package receive individual advice from Recruitee in order to receive a subscription tailored to the company. Interested parties can initially test all three versions free of charge.

The range of functions of all Recruitee packages includes a separate domain for the company’s career site. Employees do not need any programming knowledge to create the site, because an intuitive website construction kit with a drag-and-drop system is also included. Vacancies can be automatically displayed on the careers page. Applicants upload their CV here. One-click applications are also possible via LinkedIn .

Special Feature

With Recruitee , a particularly large reach is possible when looking for new employees: companies use it to place job advertisements on up to 1,250 job exchanges or more worldwide. In addition, they can publish their job offers in social networks.

Recruitee offers various features that simplify recruiting and applicant management. For example, recruiters can place job advertisements with just one click. Numerous filter options facilitate the general search for qualified employees and the pre-selection of applicants. The HR solution automatically detects duplicate applicant profiles and combines them into one. Companies collect promising applicants for future vacancies in several talent pools and thus build up a network of qualified people.

Softgarden

 

Full focus on a good candidate experience, which should be reflected in a positive employer image – that is the credo of the recruiting and applicant management solution softgarden . The software is primarily intended to help candidates to experience the simplest possible application process and to receive quick feedback from the company, which in turn gives the company a good reputation in the medium and long term. Means of choice: Rating features and other controls that are strongly reminiscent of social media platforms.

The range of functions fully corresponds to what companies can expect from specialized recruiting and applicant management software. The developers deliberately forego an automatic matching function to prevent capable employees from falling through the cracks due to automated processes. If you want to find the hair in the soup, you will complain about the missing integration of a telephony function from the program.

Special Feature

Softgarden gives its users an important advantage in the War for Talents with the collaboration features based on social media: All those responsible for the decision-making process can view the application and the minutes of the job interview at the same time. Those entitled to vote use a voting system to decide which applicant goes into the next round, and they use a comment function to share their feedback with colleagues. Coordination takes place quickly, and the applicant receives feedback more quickly.

All five function packages are designed for an unlimited number of users and differ in terms of the number of job postings that can be activated and managed in the software at the same time. It is confusing that there is still a limit of 300 employees and only the largest package “Enterprise” is intended for the needs of companies with more than 300 employees. Softgarden adapts this individually to the needs of the customer company, including an individual, CI-compliant design for an individual price.

Four modules are available for additional booking: first, the Feedback Solution , which encourages applicants and employees to rate the company on kununu and thus give it a positive reputation as an attractive employer; second, the softgarden recommendation manager , which employees can use to spread job advertisements through their own social media accounts; third, an easy mobile app for job advertisements on posters, through which candidates can apply via QR code; Fourth, access to the softgarden Talent Network, a talent pool made up of employees and applicants from all softgarden customer companies for active sourcing.

Personio

 

The young Munich tech company Personio likes to refer to its HR solution as “The HR operating system”.

In fact, this is a comprehensive HR solution that, in addition to functions in the areas of applicant management and personnel administration, also has some useful tools in the employee-relevant fields of timekeeping, vacation requests, sick leave and employee feedback.

Job postings are quickly created with the included editor and published via multi-posting in all selected online job exchanges – up to 500 platforms are possible. Statistics tools register the applicant response via each channel and thus help the HR department to determine the most suitable publication channels for each advertisement in the future. The integrated CV parsing automatically reads the CVs of candidates. New employees can use the e-signature to digitally sign their contract securely and legally.

All employees involved in the application process have access to the central applicant database. This facilitates and shortens communication and response time. The individual steps of the respective applicant predecessors are displayed in detail and clearly recorded.

Personio emphasizes its data protection-compliant processes. The Personio servers are located in Germany – which might be of interest to some. Personio also saves who viewed which application documents and when, and automatically deletes the data after the statutory deadline.

The onboarding and offboarding function offered by Personio relieves the HR department and makes it easier for new employees to join and for former employees to leave. The employees have access to their own personnel file via their employee self-service access and can therefore keep their master data up to date themselves. Personnel managers benefit because they gain time for value-adding things.

The centralized recording of presences and absences is possible via the software. Here, too, the employees access the software themselves. Routine tasks are relieved of the HR department.

Personio has been a DATEV software partner for HR management since September 22, 2020. With just one click, wage data can be sent directly from the digital personnel file to the DATEV data center and back again. This shortens the billing process to a minimum.

Special Feature

In addition to the typical functions of HR software, Personio also includes those of a document management system: Thanks to the cloud , several people can view and edit relevant documents at the same time and create new documents quickly and error-free with just a few clicks using templates. Employee documents and employment contracts can be legally signed digitally thanks to the eSignature software.

The price model is based on the number of employees in the company and the requirements of the customer. Interested parties can test all tariffs in advance without obligation for a period of 14 days free of charge.

Sage

Sage Business Cloud People is a cloud-based HR solution focused on people management. Sage ‘s HR & People System is based on the Salesforce App Cloud and is aimed at multinational companies with 150 to 5,000 employees. Anyone interested in Sage Business Cloud People can call a Sage employee for advice and receive an individual offer. Depending on requirements, individual areas or features can be omitted or added. The HR software can therefore be put together individually.

With Sage Business Cloud People , companies automate and streamline a range of processes related to recruiting, employee engagement, career planning and people development. The tool is designed to help companies attract , promote and retain talent . With clearly prepared data, Sage Business Cloud People gives HR professionals and executives a comprehensive overview of all employee data. Well-founded analyzes prepared in reports and dashboards help with business decisions.

Special Feature

With this software, internationally operating companies have the advantage that they can set a general global policy, but at the same time adapt the application to the regulations of the respective country of location.

Sage promises its customers rapid implementation of the Business Cloud People ; the HR solution should be ready for use after a short time. In addition, the application can be operated intuitively on any end device. The users need little training time and are quickly familiar with the user interface.

Companies have the option to integrate other Sage applications, such as payroll software or third-party programs, into their HR solution.

Rexx Systems

 

rexx systems offers modular software solutions for the automation and optimization of processes in human resources, which are either SaaS-based or available as an on-prem license variant.

In the recruiting area, the rexx Enterprise Recruitment module provides all the functions that HR employees need to create and enter a job profile, place the job advertisement, register and select applicants, schedule job interviews, the selection process and onboard new ones employees need. The degree of automation is extremely high, not least thanks to a CV parsing tool. Interfaces to Facebook , LinkedIn and Xing ensure comprehensive social media integration . Talent Relationship Management (TRM) helps to maintain contact with potential applicants and promising talents.

The heart of the personnel management module is the digital personnel file, which presents the employee data in a clear form. A search tool with a filter function combs through the database for master data or information in correspondence with the respective employee in a fraction of a second. Information on training, development dates, absenteeism and vacation times as well as salary is also stored.

Special Feature

Due to the modular structure, which covers the areas of applicant management, talent management and HR, the rexx software suite can be adapted to the individual needs of a company. Thanks to the rexx Enterprise Social Network , employee involvement is very high.

A job plan coupled with a reminder function informs the HR department in advance about the current and forecast staffing situation and thus enables medium- and long-term strategic personnel planning. Statistics and data sets, including attractively designed diagrams, facilitate efficient reporting.

The time management tool enables the time recording of all employees across locations, efficient absence management and performance-related payroll accounting. Interfaces to DATEV and other common software are implemented. Employees use the Employee Self-Service to submit vacation requests and receive notification that they have been approved.

BambooHR

 

Last but not least, the cloud-based HR software solution BambooHR shines with its user- friendliness . It includes a wide range of features from the areas of HR management, employee self-service, customer support, recruitment and onboarding as well as performance management and time management as optional additional components. The user interface is colourful, tidy and user-oriented; this software is recommended for daily use in the HR departments of small and medium-sized companies.

BambooHR visualizes the entire applicant process using the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). With the job posting generator, HR employees can generate postings in no time and publish them via the appropriate interfaces in common job portals or social networks. All applicant communication remains stored in the conversation record.

For onboarding, the software offers a form generator in the onboarding module with the option of electronic signature. With this program, the HR department is also a big step closer to the paperless office.

Special Feature

In the onboarding tool, employees have access to training information and documents relevant to their respective area of ​​responsibility. There is the option of creating a personal profile for socializing with new colleagues.

The heart of the range of functions is the digital employee file , which contains all personnel information. Here the HR team collects and manages all employee data in one place, thereby speeding up the personnel administration processes.

Practical: In addition to the HR functionality, BambooHR also features project management software. For example, an administrator has the option of assigning tasks to employees.

However, the options for assigning roles and reading and editing rights to various participants in the decision-making process can be expanded. The basic features of these are available, but so far little differentiation has been made. The reporting tools, on the other hand, are sophisticated and make it possible to compile any data sets into individual reports and export them in CSV, PDF or Excel sheet format.

Bamboo ‘s HR system is constantly evolving. The developers are gradually integrating other useful functions. Interested parties have the opportunity to test BambooHR for seven days without obligation.

Jacando

 

The Swiss software company jacando offers its cloud-based complete HR software solution in four freely combinable modules. jacando Match helps recruit new employees through automation and applicant matching. Creating job advertisements, multi-posting of the advertisement in online portals, social media integration, applicant management – all this is included in the module. The software saves the data of promising candidates for later vacancies in the applicant pool. Applicants benefit from the one-click application option.

jacando Admin automates and centralizes all internal human resources tasks. In addition to the central recording of all personnel data in a digital personnel file, this also includes contract and absence management as well as the onboarding and offboarding of employees. A communication tool with a chat function facilitates internal company communication.

The jacando Talent module covers the areas of personnel development and talent management. Employee feedback and employee surveys can be managed or carried out centrally here; they provide the basis for setting targets and target-oriented planning of further training measures. Above all, jacando Time facilitates project-related work through the centralized time and performance recording as well as the deployment planning of employees. The employee self-service gives employees the opportunity to register and check working times. Approval processes take place entirely in the digital space.

Special Feature

With the option of booking the four modules individually or in combination for any number of employees, jacando adapts optimally to the individual needs of every SME. The modules interlock meaningfully and seamlessly.

Apart from the previously missing option of conducting telephone or video interviews via the user interface and making company-internal conference calls, jacando offers all the functions that are part of the daily work of an HR department. So far, however, active sourcing has only been possible within one’s own talent pool and does not include the profiles of potential candidates on social career networks. Anyone who would like to get an idea of ​​the range of functions and usability can take advantage of a free, non-binding test version for a period of 14 days.

HeavenHR

 

The HR software from Berlin ‘s HeavenHR GmbH now offers much more than just tools for personnel administration within the framework of a digital personnel file. The range of functions now also includes payroll accounting, vacation and absence management, recruiting, onboarding, shift planning and time recording – all as a SaaS variant in the cloud. HeavenHR also offers on- and offboarding, performance management and travel expense accounting.

HeavenHR supports recruitment with a job advertisement editor, embedding job advertisements in your own career page and receiving applications. The software also makes it possible to publish job advertisements on job portals and in social career networks. However, the software does not include active sourcing and automatic applicant matching.

After the selection process, an onboarding function for new employees takes effect. The user creates contracts directly in the application and has them countersigned digitally without having to rely on printouts.

Every employee has access to their digital personnel file and also has the option of making modifications. This requires a corresponding rights assignment system that ensures that every employee can only change data that he is authorized to edit.

Special Feature

Although HeavenHR also offers functions in the areas of personnel administration and recruiting, the focus is on time recording, absence and vacation planning and administration as well as shift planning. In this respect, the software is particularly suitable for companies whose organizational and departmental structures include shift work, field service and project-related work.

Planners create rosters and shift schedules directly in the software; Work and hourly accounts always remain in the view of those responsible and the employees concerned. The user uses live tracking to monitor who is present or absent. Working and absence times as well as vacation days go directly into the digital personnel file and can be statistically evaluated there. Employees submit vacation requests via employee self-service and are notified via their account. The software automatically creates preparatory payslips based on the working times stored in the personnel file. The company also offers a complete solution for payroll accounting.

If you want to get an idea of ​​the range of functions and usability, you can take advantage of the non-binding 14-day test phase.