The Great Resignation is reflecting a widespread pattern shift in both job-seeking but also hiring. Companies in the past two years have been forced to compete harder than ever for top talent or risk losing their own workforces. As a small business, hiring can be an immensely resource-intensive process that you want to complete efficiently and effectively. Once you’ve acquired the talent, you need to ensure that your employees’ benefits, time, feedback, and compensation are comprehensively managed and that’s where talent management software comes in. Read on to learn more about some of the leading players in the space and how their products can help you both attract and keep top talent.
Top Seven Best Talent Management Software Solutions for Small Businesses
- BambooHR– Best Overall
- ADP Workforce Now– Best for Options
- Paycor– Best for Basics
- Zenefits– Best for Cloud-Based HR Services
- intelliHR– Best for Happier Workplace
- TalentGuard– Best for Talent Tracking
- Zoho People– Best for Budget
1. BambooHR– Best Overall
PRICING: Two basic packages requiring a price quote. Starts at $99 per month for 12 employees.
BambooHR achieves its spot as the overall best talent management software for small businesses because it was developed with size in mind. With a starting package that offers palatable pricing for even the smallest businesses, you can feel good about choosing BambooHR to meet most, if not all the needs of your small team, keeping everything organized within a single database.
KEY FEATURES:
- Applicant tracking system
- Employee benefits tracker
- Self-service employee time management
- Onboarding capabilities
REASONS TO BUY:
- Mobile app with hiring capabilities
- Free trial
- Focus on team culture with built-in employee satisfaction features
- All-in-one solution for your team
REASONS TO AVOID:
- No attendance feature
- Limited implementation support
- Limited integration with other platforms
2. ADP – Best for Options
PRICING: Custom and variable pricing based on business size, features needed, and geographic location.
ADP is one of the giants in the HR technology industry, and while it is certainly popular with companies managing large workforces, their software also caters to small businesses with staff between 1-49 employees. Small businesses will be especially impressed by the company’s fantastic customer support services that are available whenever you need them.
KEY FEATURES:
- Payroll and tax filing services
- Ability to add on hiring and other HR services
REASONS TO BUY:
- Three months free Payroll solution available for small businesses
- Opportunity to only pay for the services you need and then upgrade for additional features as you grow
- 24/7 support
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Pricing and requesting a quote is complicated and time consuming
- Add-on fees can become expensive
3. Paycor – Best for Basics
PRICING: Four plans ranging from $99-$199 per month with additional fees per employee ranging from $5-$12.
Paycor was specifically designed to serve the HR management needs of small to medium-sized businesses. The most basic package covers all the features you will need as a small company, and as you grow, it’s easy to upgrade to a higher tier with fancier add-ons. The highest tier even offers a tool to measure diversity and inclusion metrics within your team.
KEY FEATURES:
- Payroll and tax filing services
- PTO (Paid Time Off) tracking
- HR management, onboarding, and compliance services
REASONS TO BUY:
- Free payroll services for one month after signup
- All plans include personalized support service
- Automatic updates to documentation and services based on developments or changes in local tax laws
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Can become expensive as your workforce expands due to per-employee fees
- Poor support during implementation process and slow customer service
4. Zenefits– Best for Cloud-Based HR
PRICING: $10-$27 per month per employee. Annual discount available.
Zenefits is a strong contender for small businesses that operate in cloud-based environments. The ability to maintain remote access of key information allows small business owners to maintain control over their talent management from anywhere.
KEY FEATURES:
- Automated onboarding and employee tracking
- PTO management
- Organization charts and performance review reports
REASONS TO BUY:
- Strong mobile app
- Free trial
- Integrations with third-party applications available with all plans
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Add-on features like advisory services can add up
- Customer support services are often delayed
5. intelliHR– Best for Happier Workplace
PRICING: $3.90-$10.50 per employee per month. Annual subscription discount available.
intelliHR earns its spot on the list for its reminder that the success of a company depends ultimately on the people who are part of it. The goal of intelliHR is to engage employees through their software, using human-focused instead of tech-based language to describe the majority of their features in an effort to improve overall workplace satisfaction. Even as a small or new business, investing in your staff is always a good idea for strong talent management, and a talent management solution like intelliHR is a great place to start.
KEY FEATURES:
- 1X1 check-ins with continuous, automated feedback
- People directory and organizational charts
- Happiness and performance analytics
REASONS TO BUY:
- Database stores past employee data for free
- Useful and automatic product updates informed by customer feedback
- Strong customer service
REASONS TO AVOID:
- No built-in payroll services
6. TalentGuard– Best for Talent Tracking
PRICING: Variable. Starts at $3 per employee per month.
TalentGuard has its roots in career coaching and its software’s features reflect that origin story. The solution’s strongest advantages revolve around acquiring and keeping track of staff talent as well as their future development within your team so you can be assured that your small business is improving with quality hires and that your existing talent is pursuing a growth-oriented career path.
KEY FEATURES:
- Comprehensive talent profiles that track records of employees’ capabilities and performance
- AI-driven Intelligent Studio builds career architectures for your company as your vision for growth expands
REASONS TO BUY:
- Integration with other major tools available to fill gaps
- Features are focused on the future, with career planning, job development, and succession planning tools
REASONS TO AVOID:
- No on-premise hosting available – cloud only
- Time consuming sales process to find the right solution for your business
7. Zoho People– Best for Budget
PRICING: Five tiers starting at $1.50 per user per month. Annual discount is available. Free plan is available.
The Zoho brand offers an array of impressive solutions within their suite of software solutions, and their HR management product is a strong contender in its own right. Zoho People makes the list not only for its reliable features, but also for its pricing, which is friendly to any small business budget.
KEY FEATURES:
- Skill matrix to align employees’ skills with specific projects
- 360-degree feedback to encourage employee engagement
- Automatic appraisal cycle
- Nine-box talent model to organize employee skills and insights for future growth and upskilling
REASONS TO BUY:
- Free trial with no credit card required
- Integrations with trusted accounting partners
- LMS (Learning Management Software) available as an add-on
- Mobile app
REASONS TO AVOID:
- No built-in payroll functionality
- Below average customer support
References and Links
- https://sourceforge.net/software/talent-management/for-small-business/
- https://www.bamboohr.com/tour/
- https://www.adp.com/who-we-serve/by-business-size/1-49-employees.aspx
- https://www.merchantmaverick.com/reviews/adp-payroll-review/
- https://www.paycor.com/who-we-serve/1-9/
- https://www.zenefits.com/pricing/
- https://www.trustradius.com/products/zenefits/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons#reviews
- https://intellihr.com/en-us/pricing
- https://www.talentguard.com/platform/intelligent-role-studio
- https://www.zoho.com/peopleplus/talent-management.html