What's the best HR management software for SMEs?

Choosing the best HR management software for your small business very much depends on what you want and need the system to do for you. While some companies will prioritise talent acquisition or intuitive hiring software, others will be more interested in finding the best free system to make their life easier on a budget.

Whatever you're in the market for, we've done the research into HR management software so you don't have to.

Do small businesses need HR?

When a HR employee, team or department is working as it should, it's the beating heart of a company — offering employees the emotional and practical support they need to do the best they can at their jobs. But for small businesses it's often not as simple as that. With everything from payroll to hiring falling under the HR remit, the time and cost implications can quickly add up.

That's where HR management software comes in. With capabilities to automate, integrate, schedule, share insights and even source talent, the right package can make everyday HR tasks quicker and easier, leaving you time to focus on what matters.

So if you're looking to bring in some technical HR support, check out our evaluation of the best HR management software packages out there. Perfect for small businesses, startups and those looking to make life that little bit easier, there really is a platform here to support every want and need…

Best HR Management Software

Breathe HR

After 22 years in the business, it's no surprise that Breathe HR knows a thing or two about recruitment. Their goal is to free up companies' time to focus on their people, and the result is a system that (among other things) manages performance, tracks staff holiday, saves time on payroll and even has a new online learning tool to help you upskill your team.

The multi-award winning system really lives up to the hype by allowing you to manage every aspect of human resources, from sickness to learning opportunities, in one place.

Gusto

Describing itself as the 'all-in-one people platform for payroll, benefits, HR', Gusto makes it easy to support your team through every aspect of the office day-to-day.

Gusto stands out for thinking outside the box and offering seamless integration with your health benefits provider, not to mention tools that help your employees to manage their finances better.

It's why over 100,000 small businesses have signed up to their services and why it's not hard to find glowing Twitter reviews, and press coverage singing Gusto's praises.

Bamboo HR

Used by a series of high profile organisations from Change.org to University of Maryland, BambooHR stands out for a real focus on a seamless user experience.

Best for small to medium sized businesses, BambooHR's management system has tools to support your people, data and analytics, hiring, onboarding, compensation and culture. And in their words 'it's designed to set you free to focus on what matters most — your people.'

Zenefits

Zenefits is all about streamlining processes to make your life quicker, easier and better. And who wouldn't want that? They work specifically for small and mid-sized American businesses; the businesses who collectively fuel the economy but don't necessarily have the budgets to spend on expensive HR systems.

Automatically connecting your benefits, payroll and scheduling on the Zenefits platform frees you up to spend more time on the things that matter, like growing your small business and connecting with your staff.

Indeed

The number one job site in the world, Indeed boasts over 250 million unique visitors a month and connects job seekers with employers to power so many of the businesses, big and small, that we interact with on a daily basis.

For employers, Indeed is there to help hire quality candidates quickly and efficiently. You can post ads for free, but when you pay to use Indeed, you unlock extensive additional features such as the ability to promote your jobs as sponsored listings, become a featured employer and even gain access to Indeed Assessments, where you can find out more about prospective candidates.

ZipRecruiter

Used primarily in the UK and US, ZipRecruiter helps employers to find the best talent, and candidates to find their dream jobs.

Using ZipRecruiter gives you access to over seven million jobseekers a month and ensures your roles get noticed by the up and coming talent that can really take a small business to the next level.

JobAdder

Primarily designed for recruitment purposes, JobAdder promises to free you up to spend more time on people, not processes. If you're looking for a quick and efficient system to help you hire, JobAdder is just the thing.

Not only can you optimise recruitment workflows, you can integrate JobAdder with additional software such as Gmail and MailChimp, and even automate job posting. Perfect for saving time and ensuring consistency, JobAdder gives small businesses their time back so they can spend it on what really matters.

Linkedin Jobs

Arguably the most well-known platform for job seekers and professionals, LinkedIn brings people from across the globe together for insight sharing, conversation and recruitment.

When you list a job on LinkedIn Jobs, you post to an active and engaged community of people, and LinkedIn helps to ensure the right people see it at the right time. As well as sourcing candidates and sharing roles, you can also review and prioritise applicants with the filtering and management tools.

With over 750 million subscribers worldwide, posting jobs on LinkedIn is a no-brainer for small businesses.

Workable

An all-in-one recruitment system designed to make your life easier, Workable has scalable tools that grow with your business and ensure you're hiring the right people, faster.

The Workable app is mobile optimised for use on the go and can assist with all your recruitment needs from screening CVs to scheduling interviews. It even includes a library of templates and resources to help you compose job adverts and interview packs. 85% of their users have never needed to use it, but there's also an 'ask for help' function that connects you with a Workable employee should you have any issues (and 24/7 no less!).

Breezy

Here to make life, well, easy breezy, Breezy is an end-to-end recruitment platform that takes the hard work out of hiring — perfect for small businesses in need of extra support.

As well as automating and scheduling capability, Breezy equips you with the tools you need to analyse prospective candidates in more detail, enhance insight and ensure every aspect of the recruitment process is quicker and easier for your team.

With Breezy, you can even proactively source the kind of candidates and talent you want working for you, ensuring your small business has an even better chance to grow and transform.