HR management systems for small—to medium-sized businesses and larger organisations are highly demanded in today’s working environment. Smooth HR management can drastically improve business operations, contributing to a supportive and stronger working environment.
This blog post will explore ten of Australia’s leading HR management solutions. The following software solutions can simplify day-to-day HR responsibilities, keep your team engaged and help shape a healthy company culture. While each system has a shared goal of streamlining HR admin, each software differs in functionality and characteristics. Whether you’re a growing start-up or an established business looking to refresh your approach, these HR management systems offer practical, people-focused support to help your team and organisation thrive.
Why Do You Need an HR Management System?
Modern HR Management systems add meaningful value to your business by improving the efficiency and productivity of your workforce.
- Reduced Paperwork: HR management systems automate payroll, recruitment, and onboarding. This means less time spent on admin and more time focusing on your people.
- Create a better employee experience: A system that lets you give real-time feedback, celebrate wins, and check in with employees, making them feel more engaged and appreciated.
- Make informed decisions: New HR management systems contain all the data you need to make decisions that are important for the operations of your business.
- Stay ahead of compliance: Laws are constantly changing and evolving. An HR management system ensures compliance, preventing any costly oversights.
- Supports business growth: As your business grows, the system can adapt to changing needs.
The 10 Best HR Management Systems You Should Know About
Here’s a rundown of Australia’s top 10 HR management systems that could be a significant benefit for your business. Whether you’re just starting or managing a big team, these tools can help simplify HR tasks and keep your employees engaged.
1. Sentrient
Sentrient is an Australian-based HR and compliance software solution tailored for small to medium businesses and larger organisations. With 600+ organisations across Australia and New Zealand using the platform, Sentrient is a reliable all-in-one solution that manages core HR tasks with ease. Sentrient’s HR system handles onboarding, compliance, payroll, recruitment and other administrative tasks. Sentrient provides an AI-powered system that is useful for reducing the burden on HR managers and professionals. The software has effective applications for many sectors such as healthcare, education and manufacturing.
Why it’s great:
- Automates critical HR activities such as employee onboarding, managing the employee lifecycle from start to end.
- Offers integrated features for payroll, leave management, timesheets and rostering, reducing the current time HR managers spend balancing multiple systems.
- Ensures your organisation remains compliant with Australian/New Zealand guidelines such as workplace health and safety (WHS), private laws, and equal employment opportunity legislation.
- Provides inbuilt online training modules on vital workplace topics such as workplace bullying, harassment, and cybersecurity – ideal for businesses with limited internal training resources.
- It is a cloud-based system, ensuing HR teams and employees can access the platform from anywhere, making the software an ideal choice for remote or hybrid workplaces.
Considerations:
- Integration with third-party payroll systems may require extra configuration or technical assistance.
2. HiBob
HiBob, often referred to as “Bob”, is a modern HR platform aimed at helping businesses manage their people, from onboarding to performance tracking. The platform is useful for companies with a global presence, requiring HR management across continents.
Why it’s great:
- Customisable to fit different employee needs and facilitate HR management across global operations.
- Features a social-media-like homepage, creating a sense of personalisation and a sense of belonging among employees, whether they’re onsite or remote.
- Helps you make data-driven decisions with intelligent analytics.
Considerations:
- Some features may require dedicated training to utilise them effectively
3. HappyHR
HappyHR is designed to simplify HR management, especially for small to medium-sized businesses in Australia. This cloud-based system offers a wide range of tools which help managers tackle HR tasks efficiently.
Why it’s great:
- Quick to set up, often within hours and ensures a smooth and fast HR management transition for workplaces.
- Provides tools and templates to help businesses comply with Australian employment laws, which reduces the likelihood of fines or legal action.
- Offers access to qualified HR professionals for expert advice, compliance checks, and support.
Considerations:
- Happy HR may offer fewer integrations with third-party systems, posing a challenge to businesses which wish to unify their platforms.
4. BrightHR
BrightHR is a cloud-based HR management system that provides user-friendly features and comprehensive support services. It also has tools for managing employee performance and health & safety.
Why it’s great:
- Provides 24/7 assistance to ensure that help is always available when HR managers have queries.
- The ‘Blip” app allows employees to clock in and out using their mobile phones, simplifying attendance tracking.
- Offers a wide range of tools including timekeeping, absence management, expense tracking and document storage.
Considerations:
- Larger businesses may find the Bright HR reporting features less robust compared to other HR management systems, which are targeted towards larger organisations.
5. EnableHR
EnableHR is a scalable HR management system solution oriented at associations, non-profits and growing businesses. It focuses on providing an easy-to-use cloud-based software, ensuring data safety.
Why it’s great:
- Utilises workflows and checklists to guide users through legal and compliant HR processes.
- Built-in compliance features and easy access to employee data allow employees to access and manage their information.
- Cloud-based access that ensures information can be accessed from any device connected to the internet, catering for flexible working environments.
Considerations:
- Customisation might be a bit limited depending on the business’s specific needs.
6. Rippling
Rippling is an all-in-one platform that covers HR, payroll, IT, and finance. For international organisations needing to manage teams in multiple countries, this platform is helpful.
Why it’s great:
- Unifies business functionalities, which allows for seamless workflow automation across departments.
- Handles compliance and currency differences, making it easier to manage teams across different countries.
- Automates complex workflows, helping to minimise manual errors.
Considerations:
- Rippling’s software contains extensive features that might be overwhelming for smaller businesses or those new to integrating systems.
7. BambooHR
BambooHR is known for its clean, intuitive interface and approach to handling everything related to the employee lifecycle. The system is well-suited for businesses that value strong security and data protection to maximise the employee experience.
Why it’s great:
- User-friendly design, which is easy for first-time HR management software users to navigate.
- Integrates with over 150 other platforms, so businesses can customise the system to suit their HR needs.
- Emphasis on strong security measures to protect sensitive employee data
Considerations:
- Implementation of BambooHR requires a significant time investment, particularly if your team has complex needs.
8. Sage HR
Sage HR is simple, flexible, and perfect for businesses that need an easy-to-use HR solution. It also helps with employee data management and performance tracking.
Why it’s great:
- Provides modules for timesheets, shift scheduling, expenses, and performance, allowing businesses to select features as needed.
- Employees can manage their information and requests independently of HR managers.
- Being cloud-based, their HR management system can be viewed from anywhere, supporting hybrid and remote work environments.
Considerations:
- Lacks some of the deeper reporting and analytics that businesses require as they expand.
9. ELMO Software
Elmo Software offers end-to-end HR management, focusing on compliance, security and most importantly, scalability for growing businesses.
Why it’s great:
- ELMO offers tools for recruitment, onboarding, payroll and performance management.
- Offers strong local support, ensuring that local businesses receive assistance specific to their regional needs.
- ELMO is ISO-certified and is determined to maintain high security and data protection standards.
Considerations:
- Initial setup of ELMO software can take a bit of time, considering the extensive features the software has to offer.
10. Employment Hero
Employment Hero is a comprehensive platform that combines HR, payroll, recruitment and employee engagement tools.
Why it’s great:
- AI is used to automate HR tasks, reducing the time spent on routine admin tasks by HR managers.
- Includes built-in features that help businesses stay compliant with Australian employment laws and regulations.
- Self-service options are provided for employees, enabling them to manage and access information from anywhere with convenience.
Considerations:
- Some of these features might require training for new users, which can slow down the initial adoption phase.
What to Look for When Choosing an HR Management System?
When you’re deciding on the right HR Management system, here are a few things to consider:
- Ease of Use: Can you and your team easily navigate the system?
- Integration: Does it integrate with your existing tools?
- Customisation: Can it be tailored to your specific business needs?
- Scalability: Will it grow with you as your company expands?
- Security and Compliance: Is your data kept securely, and is it current with legal requirements?
- Employee Access: Can employees manage their information easily?
- Mobile Access: Is there a mobile app for remote work?
- Customer Support: Do they offer reliable support when you need it?
Conclusion
Selecting the right HR management system is a strategic decision. It’s very important that the right system aligns with the needs of your organisation, supports your team’s growth, and provides the flexibility you need as your business evolves. HR management systems, like Sentrient, streamline processes, ensure compliance and enhance employee engagement, drastically improving your workplace efficiency and culture.
It’s important to take the time to assess your organisation’s specific requirements. With the right system in place, you can reduce administrative burden, improve decision-making, and focus on what matters most, which is driving your business forward with confidence and modernisation.
