The best HR onboarding software: engage talent from day one

In a tough employer market¹, onboarding can simply no longer be an afterthought. To keep top-quality talent, employers must provide an exceptional employee experience from day one. A great onboarding process ensures a positive first impression, reduces onboarding time and gives you peace of mind that your new recruit has everything they need to do their job.

At the end of the day, an employee onboarding process is only as good as the tool you use. Thanks to technology, this no longer has to involve employee handbooks and paperwork. Here, we've rounded up some of the best HR onboarding software on the market, so you can choose the right one for your organization.

What is HR onboarding software?

HR onboarding software is a digital tool that automates the process of welcoming new employees into the company. In the past, this often looked like bulky binders full of printed-out documents. Today, onboarding tools use innovative technology to cut paperwork and automate this workflow.

Anyone from large, enterprise organizations to small, nimble teams can enjoy onboarding software. They're also particularly popular in start-ups, which pride themselves on providing a great employee experience. If you're hiring staff, you should consider investing in an employee onboarding tool.

HR onboarding software usually incorporates everything an employee might need to get up and running. This includes any important documents, training materials and workplace safety videos. It might also involve a run-through of the company values, organizational structure and any key tools and systems.

Employee onboarding tools are also valuable for remote teams. In cases where a new recruit can't come into the office, a new-hire onboarding experience can give them a taste of your company culture.

Our pick of the best onboarding software

In the current economy, organizations are under pressure to make every dollar count. For this reason, it's important to find the right HR onboarding software, one that has all the features your business needs, without any unnecessary bells and whistles. To help weigh up all the pros and cons, these are some of the best onboarding solutions on the market:

ADP Workforce Now

Source: Capterra 1

ADP Workforce Now is an all-in-one HR management software, giving organizations everything they need to manage their workforce. It's designed to help companies streamline every aspect of human resources; including payroll, time and attendance tracking, benefits management, talent management, and more.

Organizations of all sizes use ADP Workforce, across a range of industries including retail, manufacturing, professional services and hospitality. While not designed specifically for onboarding, it's a great option for companies that want to optimize efficiency throughout the entire employee lifecycle.

Key features:

• Payroll management: ADP Workforce includes everything your new hires need to get paid quickly and efficiently, including tax calculations, direct deposit, and payroll reporting.
• Benefits management: From employee health programs and insurance to retirement plans and voluntary benefits, the platform helps to automate benefits enrolment. It also has handy features for eligibility tracking and reporting.
• Time tracking and attendance: Monitor and improve employee productivity and engagement from day one. ADP Workforce provides tools for tracking employee attendance, managing timesheets, and scheduling shifts.

Compliance tools: ADP Workforce helps organizations stay compliant with various labor laws and regulations. It provides tools for tracking and managing labor costs, tax filings, and reporting requirements.

Fingerprint for Success

Fingerprint for Success is an employee onboarding platform with a difference. We go beyond basic HR admin to create a truly bespoke experience for new hires. At F4S, that begins with our highly accurate work styles assessment, which measures 48 different traits for a result that's as unique as your fingerprint.

F4S dashboard

This gives employees a newfound understanding of their personal motivations, and how that fits into the wider team. Going beyond just onboarding, our powerful suite of science-backed features touches every aspect of the employee lifecycle: from talent acquisition through to ongoing performance management.

With F4S, everyone can do their best work!

F4S is used by organizations of all sizes, from fast-growing startups and not-for-profits through to large enterprises. For any company that takes talent development seriously, F4S is a non-negotiable addition to your HR toolkit.

Key features:

Talent acquisition: At F4S, we believe the onboarding process begins before talent is even hired. Our hiring tools use data to remove bias and predict culture fit during the hiring process, while simultaneously building trust and engagement with the candidate.

Talent development: F4S' people analytics features make it easy to identify and nurture future leaders at all levels. Through our tailored professional development programs, new hires feel empowered to harness their full potential at work.

Virtual coaching: Let's be honest — typical employee training sessions can be dry and boring. Powered by our revolutionary AI coach Marlee, F4S uses interactive 1-1 sessions to help employees build the soft skills they need to hit the ground running.

Team collaboration features: One of the most challenging aspects about starting a new role is getting a feel for the other people you will be working with. F4S' collaborative features eliminates the guesswork by giving new hires deep insights into the motivations and communication styles of their teammates.

Zenefits

Source: Capterra 2

Zenefits is a cloud-based HR platform that provides a range of employee management solutions for businesses. It caters to organizations that are looking for an all-in-one HR solution that can streamline their admin tasks and enhance the employee experience. Zenefits is commonly used by small and medium-sized businesses across various industries including technology, startups, professional services, healthcare, and retail.

Key features:

• Employee self-service: Zenefits offers a self-service portal that allows new hires to complete onboarding paperwork such as tax forms, employment agreements, and company policies.
• Automated workflows: The platform provides pre-built templates and workflows that guide new hires through the onboarding process, ensuring that they complete all necessary tasks and forms.
• Employee handbook and policies: Create and distribute digital resources employees can use during the onboarding process, ensuring they have the necessary information about company culture, rules, and procedures.

Onboarding checklists and tasks: Create customized checklists, so you can make sure you've dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's when it comes to onboarding tasks.

Rippling

Source: Rippling 3

Rippling is comprehensive HR software that is designed to deliver a unified approach to employee management. It meets the needs of teams sized two to more than 2000, across fields including professional services, healthcare, and retail. It's also particularly popular with startups, thanks to its modern, user-friendly interface.

Key features:

• Automated onboarding workflows: Rippling provides customizable onboarding workflows that automate tasks such as collecting personal information, signing necessary documents, setting up payroll, and granting access to company systems and resources.
• Electronic forms and document management: The platform offers a digital document- management system, so new hires can complete employment agreements electronically.
  
  
• Third-party integrations: Rippling integrates with various third-party systems, such as payroll, benefits providers, and IT tools, for seamless data synchronization.

Employee directory and profiles: The platform provides an employee directory where new hires can view and connect with their colleagues.

Wrike

Wrike is a cloud-based project management and collaboration platform designed to help teams streamline their work processes, improve productivity, and enhance collaboration. You can think of it like a combination of Monday.com and an Excel spreadsheet. While Wrike is not specifically focused on onboarding, it can be used to streamline some of the processes involved in bringing on a new hire.

Wrike is commonly used by technology and marketing companies and creative agencies. It caters to teams and organizations that require a centralized platform to manage projects, tasks, and collaboration.

Key features:

Task management: Wrike enables HR teams to create and assign tasks related to the onboarding process and set deadlines to ensure everything is completed.

Collaboration and communication: Wrike provides collaboration tools such as shared workspaces, real-time commenting, mentions, and document sharing. These features allow HR teams, managers, and new hires to communicate, provide feedback, and collaborate effectively during the onboarding process.

Document and file management: Wrike allows users to store and organize documents, forms, and resources related to the onboarding process.

Reporting and analytics: Wrike provides reporting features that allow HR teams to track onboarding progress, identify bottlenecks, and gain insights into the efficiency of the process. This data can help optimize and improve the onboarding experience over time.

Namely

Source: Namely 4

Namely is an innovative HR platform that offers solutions for payroll, benefits, and talent management. While not specifically tailored for onboarding, Namely can be utilized to streamline and manage various onboarding processes within organizations.

It's used mainly by medium-sized businesses across various industries, including technology, finance, professional services, and non-profits. It caters to organizations seeking an all-in-one HR platform that combines core functionalities with modern features.

Key features:

Task management: Namely allows HR teams to create onboarding task lists and assign them to new hires, ensuring that each step of the onboarding process is completed. Task deadlines and reminders can be set to facilitate timely completion.

Document management: Namely provides a centralized repository for storing onboarding documents, such as employment agreements, tax forms, and policy acknowledgments. This simplifies the document sharing process and ensures compliance.

Employee self-service: Namely offers self-service capabilities, allowing new hires to access and complete onboarding documents, review company policies, and update their personal information. This empowers new hires and reduces administrative burdens.

Reporting and analytics: Namely provides reporting tools that allow HR teams to track onboarding progress, measure time-to-productivity, and identify potential bottlenecks or areas for improvement. This data-driven approach helps optimize the onboarding process.

Collaboration and communication: Namely facilitates collaboration between HR teams, managers, and new hires through its communication features. It allows for seamless communication, feedback exchange, and Q&As during the onboarding process.

ClearCompany

Source: ClearCompany 5

ClearCompany is a talent management platform that provides solutions for hiring, onboarding, performance management, and more. Its onboarding module specifically focuses on streamlining the onboarding process and improving the experience for new hires.

ClearCompany is commonly used by organizations of various sizes and industries, including healthcare, technology, manufacturing, and retail. It caters to companies seeking an end-to-end talent-management solution that seamlessly integrates onboarding.

Key features:

Onboarding workflows: ClearCompany enables HR teams to create customized onboarding workflows with specific tasks, forms, and milestones. This ensures that the onboarding process is standardized and consistent for all new hires.

New hire portal: ClearCompany provides a self-service portal for new hires, where they can access and complete onboarding forms, review company policies, and access relevant resources. This empowers new hires and promotes a smooth onboarding experience.

Automation and notifications: ClearCompany automates manual tasks and sends notifications to HR teams and new hires for upcoming tasks, deadlines, and required actions. This streamlines the onboarding process and ensures timely completion.

Customization and branding: ClearCompany allows organizations to customize the onboarding experience with their branding, welcome messages, and tailored content. This helps create a personalized and engaging onboarding experience.

ConnecTeam

Source: ConnecTeam 6

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ConnecTeam is a workforce management and communication platform that offers features for onboarding, time tracking, task management, and more. While ConnecTeam is not solely dedicated to onboarding, it provides tools to streamline and automate aspects of the onboarding process.

The platform is popular with small to medium-sized businesses across various industries, such as retail, hospitality, healthcare, and service-oriented organizations. It caters to organizations that require an intuitive and mobile-friendly platform for managing their workforce.

Key features:

Employee onboarding app: ConnectTeam provides a mobile app for new hires to provide electronic signatures, review policies, and access relevant resources via their smartphones.

Customizable checklists: The platform enables HR teams to create custom checklists for the onboarding process. This helps provide a clear overview of progress for HR and new hires.

Document sharing and storage: ConnectTeam offers document sharing and storage capabilities, allowing HR teams to distribute onboarding documents such as contracts, handbooks, and training materials to new hires. This ensures easy access and compliance.

Automation and reminders: You can automate reminders and notifications for upcoming onboarding tasks and deadlines, ensuring that new hires and HR teams stay on track and complete all necessary actions.

Trakstar

Trakstar is a comprehensive talent-management platform that offers solutions for employee performance management and onboarding. While not solely focused on the employee onboarding experience, Trakstar provides features and tools to facilitate a smooth and effective workflow.

Trakstar is commonly used by medium-sized companies across various industries, including technology, finance, healthcare, and professional services. It caters to organizations that prioritize talent management and employee development.

Key features:

Employee onboarding playbook: Trakstar enables HR teams to create and customize an employee guide for new hires, outlining the onboarding process, tasks, and resources.

International employee onboarding: Trakstar supports international employee onboarding by providing the ability to handle unique requirements such as visa processing, compliance with local regulations, and cultural integration.

Digital signatures: The platform offers digital signature capabilities, allowing new hires to sign and submit important documents electronically. This eliminates the need for manual signatures and streamlines the paperwork process.

Compliance management: Trakstar helps organizations ensure compliance during the onboarding process by providing tools to collect and track necessary compliance-related documents such as tax forms and legal agreements.

Paycor

Source: Paycor 7

Paycor is a Human Capital Management platform that provides comprehensive solutions for payroll, HR, benefits administration, and onboarding. Its onboarding module stands out for its advanced features, streamlined process, integration capabilities, compliance management, employee retention focus, and reporting functionalities. It enables medium-sized companies to create an effective onboarding process that sets the stage for long-term employee success.

Key features:

Onboarding features: Paycor's onboarding software covers various aspects of the onboarding process, including new hire forms, policy acknowledgments, benefits enrollment, and more.

Full integration: Paycor's onboarding module seamlessly integrates with other HR functions such as payroll and benefits administration. This ensures that employee data is accurately synced across systems, minimizing data entry errors.

Compliance management: Paycor helps organizations stay compliant with employment laws and regulations during the onboarding process. It provides tools for collecting and managing required documents, conducting background checks, and facilitating tax form completion.

Reporting and analytics: Paycor offers reporting and analytics capabilities that allow HR teams to track onboarding progress, measure time-to-productivity, and gain insights into the effectiveness of their workflow.

Deel

Source: Deel 8

Deel is a remote hiring and onboarding platform that simplifies the process of welcoming international employees. It provides a complete solution for remote teams, offering features such as templates and seamless workflows.

The platform is commonly used by companies with distributed teams and a remote workforce, including startups, technology firms, and digital agencies. It caters to organizations that need to onboard employees from different countries and streamline their international onboarding process.

Key features:

Onboarding templates: Deel offers pre-built onboarding templates that HR teams can customize to fit their specific onboarding processes. These templates provide a structured onboarding flow, ensuring consistency in the onboarding experience.

Easy document management: The tool provides a central hub for storing and managing employee onboarding documents. HR teams can securely store and access important documents such as employment contracts, tax forms, and policy agreement

Paperless onboarding process: Deel facilitates a paperless onboarding process by allowing new hires to complete onboarding documents electronically. This eliminates the need for physical paperwork and enables a more efficient and eco-friendly onboarding experience.

Streamlined onboarding: The platform guides HR teams and new hires through each step of the onboarding process. This helps to eliminate confusion, reduce administrative burden, and create a positive onboarding experience.

Enboarder

Source: GetApp 9

Enboarder is a purpose-built onboarding software, focused on delivering a personalized and engaging experience. With its shift away from one-size-fits all onboarding experiences, it empowers organizations of all sizes to improve employee engagement and retention.

Key features:

Personalization and engagement: Enboarder emphasizes personalization and engagement in the onboarding process. It allows HR teams to create interactive onboarding experiences with personalized messages, videos, and surveys, fostering a sense of connection for new hires.

Analytics and insights: Enboarder offers analytics and reporting features that allow HR teams to track onboarding progress, measure engagement levels, and gather feedback. These insights help identify areas for improvement and optimize the onboarding process for better outcomes.

Paperless onboarding process: Enboarder enables a paperless onboarding process by digitizing onboarding documents and forms. New hires can easily access and complete necessary paperwork online, eliminating the need for manual paperwork and reducing administrative burdens.

GoCo

Source: GoCo 10

GoCo is a comprehensive HR platform that offers a range of features and tools to streamline employee onboarding. It provides a complete solution for managing HR processes, including onboarding, benefits administration, time tracking, and more.

GoCo is used by small to medium-sized companies across various industries, such as technology, professional services, healthcare, and non-profit organizations. It caters to organizations that need an intuitive interface to handle their HR needs, including the onboarding process.

Key features:

Employee self-service: GoCo offers an employee self-service portal where new hires can access and update their personal information, review company policies, and complete required forms. This empowers employees to take ownership of their onboarding experience.

Task management: The platform enables HR teams to create and assign onboarding tasks to new hires, set deadlines, and track progress. This ensures that all necessary onboarding steps are completed in a timely manner and helps HR stay organized.

Benefits administration: GoCo integrates with benefits providers to streamline benefits enrollment during the onboarding process. New hires can review available benefits, make selections, and access benefits information through the platform.

Reporting and compliance: GoCo offers reporting features that provide insights into onboarding metrics, such as time-to-hire and completion rates. Additionally, the platform helps organizations stay compliant with HR regulations through automated compliance checks and reminders.

Why is onboarding important?

Nobody likes to be thrown in the deep end when they start a new job. Even if an employee has held similar roles at different companies, there are likely to be nuanced differences in how your organization works. Having a structured onboarding process means they can quickly and effectively get the lay of the land. This way, they feel more confident and settled by the time they launch into any important tasks.

This is especially important for Millennial and Gen Z employees. Some organizations have observed that younger hires take longer to get up to speed in a new role than past generations². This is likely due to coming straight out of university, where soft skills typically aren't taught. There are also important generational differences in workplace attitudes and expectations. For example, data shows that Gen Z rate mental wellbeing and work-life balance as far more important than high pay³. Therefore, it's particularly important that these staff members feel supported from early on in their new role.

Benefits of HR onboarding software

Wondering what the ROI of an employee onboarding platform is? These eye-opening benefits speak for themselves.

It promotes employee engagement

Research shows that 54% of companies with a strong onboarding process see higher employee engagement⁴. Armed with all the preparation they need to succeed, employees demonstrate greater productivity and performance — in the first 90 days and beyond.

It improves new hire retention

With up to 20% of employee turnover happening in the initial 45 days, the first few months are crucial⁵. Glassdoor data shows that strong onboarding can improve new hire retention by 82%⁶. Those benefits aren't temporary either — research shows that 69% of employees will stay for at least three years if their onboarding was excellent⁷.

It improves mental wellbeing in new starters

From reduced productivity and engagement to employee absenteeism, mental health-related concerns already cost the average company $60,000 every year⁸. Proper onboarding workflows can help increase psychosocial safety in the workplace from day one, and reduce anxiety in new hires as they adapt to their new environment.

It alleviates HR workloads

HR professionals have enough on their plate without getting bogged down with endless onboarding paperwork. Employee self-service onboarding can help automate repetitive tasks, freeing the HR team up to do more high-level, strategic work.

It improves compliance

Compliance is one of the most crucial aspects of the onboarding process. From superannuation forms to completing each HR training process, there are many regulatory boxes to check off. Onboarding software ensures nothing slips through the cracks, and keeps organizations out of legal hot water.

It helps to build team culture

A proper onboarding process allows new hires to not only understand the company culture, but actually absorb and embody it. Ideally, it's also an opportunity to start to build connections with the team members they will collaborate with in their new role. With research showing that manager satisfaction increases by 20% when employees have formal onboarding, building this rapport early is priceless⁹.

How to choose the best HR onboarding software: questions to ask

As they can take some time to get set up, it's important to choose the right tool from the outset. Here are some important questions to ask in order to choose the right HR onboarding software for your business:

• What onboarding tasks does your onboarding software need to encompass?
• What stages of the employee lifecycle should it cover? Are you predominantly looking to welcome new hires, or would you like to provide support through their entire tenure?
• What other tools and digital platforms do you already use? For example, if you already have an employee directory or a payroll tool, you may be able to replace these.
• What is the size of your organization, and how do you expect it to grow in the near future? For example, the needs of start-ups are quite different to medium-size businesses.
• Do you require a tool that provides any coaching or professional development, or is it simply administrative?