The best onboarding software for new employees in 2023
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Looking for an employee onboarding solution? Check out our list of the best onboarding software for small to large businesses.
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Gusto: Best for small businesses
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Freshteam: Best for a centralized HR system
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GoCo: Best for organizations with over 100 employees
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BambooHR: Best for combined recruiting and onboarding efforts
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Eddy: Best for remote worker onboarding
Hiring new talent is an ongoing necessity for growing companies. However, bringing a new hire on board can be a challenging and sometimes-overwhelming process as you manage different types of paperwork, grant access to various company systems, manage employee benefits, set up credentials and ensure the new hire feels welcome, prepared and comfortable with information overload.
SEE: Checklist: Onboarding and offboarding IT staff (TechRepublic Premium)
Onboarding software can make this process easier for HR, management and the new hire by streamlining and automating onboarding processes. This guide will provide information about the best onboarding software, the top features and benefits of working with this kind of technology, and how to choose the right onboarding solution for your own business.
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Gusto is a complete HR software solution that offers payroll, onboarding and insurance features. Specifically for onboarding needs, Gusto simplifies the process with custom onboarding checklists and software provisioning support. Its simplicity and ease of use make it ideal for small businesses.
There are three pricing models for Gusto: Simple, Plus and Premium. Pricing starts at a fixed price of $40 per month with $6 per month per person added on.
Freshteam by Freshworks is one of the best-centralized HR platforms that can handle a variety of HR functions, including job posting, onboarding and securing all employee information in a centralized database. It also has an excellent mobile app, ideal for on-the-go HR professionals. The mobile app can be used to schedule interviews, view candidate profiles and foster collaboration for HR teams.
Freshteam pricing depends on which of their four plans — Free, Growth, Pro or Enterprise — you choose. The free plan has a maximum limit of 50 employees. The paid plans start at $1 per employee per month with a $59 platform fee per month if you choose to subscribe to their annual plan. Monthly plans start at $1.20 per employee per month with a $71 platform fee per month.
GoCo is highly customizable onboarding software that starts with a blank slate. Users have several options to create workflows and automate their processes, creating a hands-free onboarding experience that is tailored to the requirements of their business. From hiring to managing benefits, this is an all-in-one onboarding solution. The pricing model of GoCo is $5 per employee per month.
If you are looking for HR software that handles all recruiting and onboarding functions, then BambooHR is one of the best options on the market. From job posting to onboarding, it can manage all HR functions.
Beyond the most basic of onboarding features, BambooHR differentiates itself with self-service onboarding for new employees, electronic signature functionality and offboarding support resources for HR administrators. The pricing model for BambooHR is customized based on business needs, so you’ll need to contact BambooHR to get a quote based on your requirements.
Eddy is a top choice for a streamlined onboarding process that eliminates the need for tedious HR paperwork. Not only can it be used for all onboarding processes, but it also has inbuilt functionality for payroll, paid time off, hiring and more. In addition, with features such as the Eddy welcome package, remote workers will have a more immersive experience during onboarding.
The Eddy HR suite includes four modules: Eddy Hire, Eddy People, Eddy Train and Eddy Payroll. Onboarding features are mostly included in the Eddy People module. Different pricing models are offered at Eddy, with the most basic version starting at $8 per month per employee.
Lessonly, acquired by Seismic in 2021, is learning management software that offers a complete onboarding tool set for administrators. It is best for organizations that require extensive training for new hires, such as customer service companies and organizations that require specific compliance or safety training.
Lessonly by Seismic comes with a customized pricing model. Prospective customers will need to contact the Seismic team directly for more information.
The user interface for onboarding software needs to be easy to use and have some customization so you set it up according to your preferences. The interface can influence the learning curve of the software and how effectively your HR team and new hires move through the onboarding lifecycle. Ideally, your HR team should be able to get familiar with the solution as quickly as possible, either with self-service features or built-in training support.
If you plan on using third-party software for onboarding and hiring, it’s a good idea to ensure the onboarding software you choose integrates with these other tools. For example, if two different solutions exist for onboarding and payroll, you want the information to flow seamlessly between the two applications.
Each organization can and likely does have a unique workflow for onboarding. The onboarding software you choose should allow users to set up workflows and automate repetitive tasks. It also helps to have pre-built templates to guide users on how workflows should work.
A documentation management tool and e-signature features are essential in onboarding software to digitize the onboarding process, especially with companies that hire distributed and remote workforces. The software should have document validation and approval features to help expedite the hiring process.
The reporting features of onboarding software help to provide visibility into the overall process. Reporting also gives HR access to analytics to help monitor and improve the onboarding experience over time.
Most traditional onboarding methods, whether manual processes or legacy systems, are inefficient. Taking time to complete the onboarding process is tedious for HR, and the new hire can also feel frustrated.
SEE: Onboarding/offboarding checklist (TechRepublic Premium)
Onboarding software can drastically improve onboarding efficiency by automating specific processes, using prebuilt templates and encouraging better collaboration.
Some companies might be concerned about the learning curve of onboarding software; however, the best products are designed to have a user-friendly interface and offer basic training and support to get HR teams familiar with the tools.
One of the HR teams’ goals is to have a consistent and repeatable process for hiring and onboarding. This ensures that any change in HR personnel does not disrupt the hiring or onboarding process. It also helps HR team members follow the right procedures and protocols for onboarding.
Onboarding software can help these teams develop a single source of truth for important hiring documentation, training and other resources that are needed throughout the onboarding process.
Another key benefit of onboarding software is its compatibility with compliance efforts. The best onboarding software ensures all employee documentation is organized and stored according to company policies and industry standards.
SEE: Data governance checklist for your organization (TechRepublic Premium)
The tracking features of onboarding software provide visibility on the documentation. The software eliminates the need for manual paperwork; all documentation can be saved digitally on company services or the cloud. Any missing fields or documentation are flagged, so HR knows there are pending tasks to complete the onboarding process.
The subscription fees for onboarding software provide an excellent return on investment, as companies get to lower their personnel costs of hiring and onboarding. This is achieved by minimizing the need for HR positions dedicated to more monotonous onboarding tasks that software can handle.
Onboarding software also helps to free up the time of HR personnel so they can focus on aspects of their work that cannot be automated, such as interviewing candidates and resolving workplace conflicts.
The goal of onboarding software is to make life easier for HR teams and new hires. Onboarding software enables the new hire to start performing in their role as quickly as possible and allows HR to meet their compliance requirements and measure the effectiveness of their processes.
To choose the best onboarding software, you first need to determine your onboarding requirements and priorities. For example, are you looking for a solution with multiple HR functions, such as payroll and job posting? Do you want to use the application for post-hire training and managing benefits?
Some of the best onboarding software options are all-in-one solutions. Still, there are several excellent products that allow you to either choose individual modules that you want to purchase or others that only offer specialized HR functionality with the option of third-party application integration.
Once you have decided what software you need for your business, you can evaluate it based on several factors, including ease of use, technical support and integrations with your tech stack. Whichever software you choose, it is clear that onboarding can be a relaxed process with the right internal procedures and excellent software solutions in place.
Read next: The best applicant tracking systems (TechRepublic)
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The best onboarding software for new employees in 2023
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