Before technology, human resources operated on manual processes to keep track of employees. Time cards for hours worked, filing systems for employee records and compliance, ledgers for payroll, and manual scheduling were the norm.

At the turn of the 20th century, digital technology began to revolutionize the way HR departments functioned. Digital solutions quickly replaced manual processes as innovation reshaped the space. In the late 1980s, PeopleSoft was born- the first true human resources management system (HRMS). Its introduction marked the first milestone of HR platform software, which was soon followed by other solutions like SAP and Oracle.

Fast forward to the present day, there are now countless options for HR software platforms. From small businesses to large corporations, many companies have adopted these systems as the core of their people operations. Today, companies use HR software to identify and communicate with qualified candidates, build an applicant pool, engage and answer questions during the hiring process, gather insights during interviews, onboard new hires, and manage payroll and employee engagement.

These solutions are designed to automate administrative tasks, reduce human error, and increase efficiency. In fact, it would probably be simpler to list what HR platform software doesn't do today than to list what it does. From recruitment to engagement, digital HR solutions manage the entire employment lifecycle.

Key Features of Today's HR Platform Software

Now that we've established the history and importance of HR software, let's dive into some key features and business cases for them. Understanding how these solutions will reshape your daily tasks is key to deciding which platforms are "musts" and which ones are "nice to haves." Key features of the top platforms include:

• Recruitment Management: Tools for posting job listings, managing applications, and tracking candidates through the hiring process. These include options like HireEz's AI-sourcing software, Lever's applicant tracking software (ATS), and Pillar's Interview Intelligence among others.
• Onboarding: Modules designed to streamline the onboarding process with digital forms, e-signatures, and training resources. BambooHR and Greenhouse would be great examples of powerful onboarding solutions.
• Employee Self-Service: Portals where employees can update personal information, request leave, and access pay stubs.
• Payroll Management: Automated systems for processing payroll, ensuring compliance with tax regulations, and generating financial reports. Gusto, ADP, and Remote are great examples of solutions that qualify as great providers for the last 5 items on our list.
• Performance Management: Features to set employee goals, track performance reviews, and gather feedback.
• Time and Attendance: Systems for tracking employee hours, managing shifts, and ensuring accurate timekeeping.
• Benefits Administration: Tools for managing employee benefits, open enrollment, and communicating with insurance providers.
• Compliance Management: Ensuring the company adheres to labor laws and regulations, reducing legal risks.

Exploring these features provides a roadmap to understanding the full capabilities of HR platform software and how it can transform human resource management within an organization. Pillar's interview intelligence offers recruitment teams the benefits of automated interview introductions and scheduling, structured interviews with AI interview guides, an interview questions library, and interview intelligence that offers candidate skills assessments and predictive analytics. This suite of solutions shortens interview prep times, eliminates redundant tasks, and saves recruiting teams more than 14 hours per role.

HR Software Examples

Technology is making the world go faster. Much faster. Rapid innovation, societal unrest, and workforce shortages means infrastructure is outdated, teams are spread too thin, and everyone is struggling for bandwidth. The best HR platforms and software examples deliver the thing we need the most- time. By streamlining various tasks like administrative work, data organization, collaboration, real-time feedback, community building, automation, and reporting these options can improve overall process efficiency by 56% or more according to Zavvy.

Top HR software options allow you to manage tasks in the most efficient way possible by automating repetitive tasks that don't require a "human touch." When repetitive tasks are automated, team have time to focus on relationships with candidates and new hires, put time into developing strategic initiatives, and implement necessary changes to keep pace with the evolving HR landscape without the hassles of menial tasks.

Small businesses and businesses that are growing rapidly can especially benefit from these solutions.  For example, the software as a service (SaaS) industry has absolutely exploded in scale over the last decade. These companies often have smaller teams and limited resources, making it challenging to manage all aspects of human resource management effectively. This is where HR SaaS software comes into play- providing a cost-effective solution for small businesses to streamline their HR processes. HR SaaS software has been dominating growth charts over the same time period, often growing at a double digital compound annual growth (CAGR).

Many HR software examples also offer the added benefit of integrating with one another, creating one cohesive ecosystem where data is shared securely, and processes can be streamlined seamlessly. For example, Pillar's interview intelligence (shameless plug) integrates with popular ATS systems like Lever and Greenhouse to provide a seamless recruitment ecosystem from candidate sourcing to onboarding.

HR Software List

Now, before we go any further, there are two things you should consider before settling on a solution. First, what unique challenges do you need to account for or overcome? Second, the stage of your business. Unique challenges could be anything related to specific types of hires, industry-based qualifications or requirements, or particular hiring struggles like high unemployment rates in your area. The stage you're at– whether it's an early stage, scaling, or a mature business- will significantly impact the type of HR software you need. In this section, we'll provide a comprehensive list of top HR software companies and how their solutions cater to different stages of business.

HR Software for Different Business Stages

Early Stage Businesses

1. Gusto: This all-in-one HR software offers features like payroll management, employee onboarding, and benefits administration. It's perfect for small businesses looking to streamline their HR processes.
2. Lever: Lever is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that helps businesses manage candidate sourcing, hiring workflows, and analytics. It's ideal for early-stage companies looking to streamline their recruitment process.
3. Pillar: Pillar's interview intelligence offers automated interview scheduling, structured interviews with AI-generated interview guides, and candidate skills assessments. Perfect for businesses looking to save time and resources on their recruitment process.

Scaling Businesses

1. BambooHR: This HR software provides features like applicant tracking, performance management, and employee self-service. It's ideal for growing businesses looking to streamline their HR processes.
2. ADP: This cloud-based HR solution provides features like payroll management, retirement benefits administration, and performance tracking. It's suitable for growing businesses looking to centralize and automate their HR tasks.
3. Zenefits: Zenefits offers an all-in-one HR platform that includes features like payroll management, benefits administration, and time tracking. It's perfect for businesses looking to scale quickly while managing multiple HR tasks in one place.

Mature Businesses

1. SAP SuccessFactors: This cloud-based solution provides a comprehensive set of HR tools, from recruiting and onboarding to performance management and learning management. It's ideal for large enterprises looking for an all-encompassing HR solution.

2. Oracle HCM Cloud: Oracle's Human Capital Management (HCM) Cloud offers a full suite of HR tools tailored to enterprise needs. Features include global HR, talent management, workforce rewards, and analytics. This makes it an ideal solution for large businesses that require a scalable and integrated HR system.
3. Workday: Workday provides an extensive HR platform that covers human capital management, payroll, and workforce planning. It is particularly suited for enterprise-level organizations looking to integrate their HR, financial, and operational systems within a unified platform.

As you can see, HR software companies cover the gambit of business sizes and stages. Doing a needs analysis or using first principles thinking will help you identify the solution best fit for your organization. Selecting from the top HR software companies boils down to which solution best fits your tech stack, budget, and required capabilities.

In conclusion, last I checked, G2 listed more than 320 tools in their HR software list. If you're overwhelmed trying to choose one from a list that long, don't worry, you're not alone. Take the time to do a thorough needs analysis, figure out what your must haves and your nice to haves look like, and build from there. This will make the decision process much, much easier.

If you'd like to see how Pillar's interview intelligence can help you streamline recruiting no matter the stage of your organization, book a demo today. Our team would love to help you recover 12- 14 hours per role while offering the interview insights necessary to make better hiring decisions.