Taking on new employees can be time-consuming and stressful. Onboarding software is here to help, and we’ve tested and reviewed many to find the five best options available on the market today.
The 5 Best Options for Onboarding Software
- BambooHR – Best for Its Onboarding Portal
- WorkBright – Best for Mobile Onboarding
- GoCo – Best for Security
- Gusto – Best for Streamlined HR
- Trainual – Best for Employee Training
What Is Onboarding Software?
Onboarding software helps human resource departments and companies bring on new hires by simplifying and streamlining the admin process. The software is beneficial for most sectors, but the healthcare and manufacturing industries, not to mention recruitment agencies, may benefit the most.
Onboarding software saves you money and streamlines onboarding workflows. It can track employee training progress, help you identify weaknesses, and more.
Do I Need Onboarding Software?
You may wonder if your business really needs onboarding software. It’s a fair question as various businesses and industries need different things.
For example, compliance-heavy industries may benefit the most from onboarding software. As will remote companies who need to get new hires up-to-speed with company culture virtually.
Below are some crucial decision factors to help you decide if onboarding software is right for you. Be sure to weigh these factors against your personal needs and company goals.
If Your Onboarding Process Is Not Working
Sometimes the existing onboarding process simply isn’t working. Background checks don’t happen, you miss tax form deadlines, details get lost, and new employees are not getting up to speed quickly enough.
It’s not good for your business and its long-term health, and it may be causing a massive amount of stress. Even worse, you may be losing money on a budget that’s already tight.
Onboarding software can help here. The best tools streamline workflows, and critical details are kept secure.
You’ll be able to set up a system that simplifies the process down for everyone involved.
Of course, this won’t apply to all businesses. Some companies will have excellent onboarding processes that get the job done while making new hires feel welcome. This brings us to the next point.
If Your Industry Has Heavy Turnover
Heavy turnover can be devastating, and it’s a big problem. Imagine all the time, money, and sanity involved in getting a new hire on board. Now imagine the employee left within the first six months.
It’s fair to say that heavy turnover is often directly linked to a poor onboarding experience.
In fact, 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced a great onboarding process.
The industries with the worst retention rates include the tech industry, healthcare, and finance.
Onboarding is something you need to get right. It sets the tone for an employee’s entire experience at your company.
Onboarding software can do wonders at keeping employees engaged and happy during the critical start period.
If high turnover is a serious problem, there’s a good chance software will help.
If You Work in a Compliance-Heavy Industry
Most onboarding processes could be more straightforward, and while many best practices still apply, a few specific industries require even more.
Healthcare is one such industry—it’s one of the most regulated in the US. The need to comply with changing regulations and ensure things like professional certifications are valid and current only complicates the process.
The industry already has a high turnover rate, and the employee onboarding process is a part of that.
The manufacturing industry also has significant problems with high turnover. It’s a competitive trade with a shortage of skilled workers. The best employees are fought over, and it’s imperative to keep them satisfied.
Onboarding software can mitigate these problems. Rules are followed, and the proper documents get signed at the right time. New hires can also be kept engaged and will feel welcome, reducing turnover rates.
This scenario won’t apply to every company, although even if it doesn’t, you’ll still likely need a good onboarding process.
If Your Business Is a Remote Startup
The number of employees working in a remote capacity has grown by 44% in the last five years. In the post-pandemic world, this is only going to accelerate.
One of the new problems this will create is the need for remote workers to feel connected to a team. After all, there are fewer opportunities to interact with company culture and processes.
Questions like: “How do you keep a remote worker happy?” will become more common.
Remote onboarding can require more documentation, among other things, and businesses need to find ways of making new hires feel a part of the team.
Zoom calls may be a start, but the remote onboarding process is central.
Great onboarding software can be a big help, so if this scenario applies to you, it could be time to start researching.
BambooHR – Best for Its Onboarding Portal
BambooHR is great onboarding software that gives off an organized and competent impression to new hires.
The software offers customizable onboarding tasks through its portal that new hires can complete in their own time. You can customize the permission settings and choose which fields and tabs can be accessed by employees.
It’s all about creating a sense of ownership for the employee. The employee self-service features are excellent, and it’s about as far away from spreadsheets as you could imagine.
You needn’t worry about security either, as there’s a single secure database where employee records are stored. You’ll have complete control over this data all in one place, and you’ll be able to access it wherever you are.
BambooHR doesn’t outright list its pricing, but it’s about $4.95 per employee on the base plan. The software comes in two different tiers: Essential and Advantage, and there is also a free trial available.
Pros
- Customizable onboarding tasks keep workers engaged
- Digital signatures from employees without the need for an e-signing tool
- No training is required to use the software successfully
Cons
- Mobile app push notifications don’t always work
- Limited payroll integrations compared to others
- Customer support could be more hands-on
WorkBright – Best for Mobile Onboarding
WorkBright is the best software for mobile onboarding.
The software is a cloud-based solution that allows employees to use their mobile devices for the onboarding process.
There’s unlimited storage of employee records, and the tools sends reminders to those who haven’t completed the required forms.
On top of that is the ability for fingertip signatures, and employees can upload documents using their phone’s camera.
Advanced reporting features and the option of exporting data to other systems is here too. Paper files are genuinely a thing of the past.
WorkBright starts at $158 per month for up to 100 employees and goes up to $3,609 per month on the highest plan for over 5000 employees. You can receive a custom quote or request a demo today.
Pros
- Excellent customer support team to help you get started
- High level of functionality and simple and easy to use
- Employees can complete onboarding solely from their phone
Cons
- Better reporting filters and options are needed
- Forms and transfers can glitch or occasionally freeze the app
- Only employees can correct specific bits of information
GoCo – Best for Security
GoCo is an excellent piece of onboarding software.
The tool automates a hiring and onboarding workflow to make things as easy as possible. You can send and collect new onboarding documents before employees even start. There’s more time to greet them and less paperwork.
We’re particularly impressed with the security on offer. The last thing you want is confidential employee data stolen.
GoCo uses Heroku, a technology designed to protect customers from data breaches with enhanced security controls at every layer.
The software also uses two-factor authentication and certified data centers managed by Amazon. If that wasn’t enough, Heroku uses bank-level 256-bit SSL encryption.
One thing’s for sure: security will be the least of your worries.
GoCo starts at $5 per employee per month, and the rest of the pricing is based on custom quotes. You can sign up for a free demo of the software today.
Pros
- Efficient and highly responsive customer service
- Excellent security features that will keep data safe
- Intuitive, user-friendly, and snappy interface
Cons
- Document templates need format customization
- No applicant tracking features
- More integration options are needed
Gusto – Best for Streamlined HR
Gusto is the best for streamlining the overall onboarding process.
The software allows you to store critical documents securely, such as employee I-9s, W-2s, and contractor 1099s, and you can customize letter templates to save time. Employees can then get started with a single click.
There are also onboarding checklists, anonymous surveys you can send out to understand a team’s needs, and employee directories all in one place.
Gusto doesn’t only calculate taxes—it also files them away with the correct government agencies each time you run payroll. Some other providers charge for this service, so it’s a bonus on top of everything else.
That’s without mentioning the benefits package you can offer employees, including workers’ comp, health insurance, dental, and 401(k). The payroll service even syncs with Xero, TSheets, QuickBooks, Trainual, and Clover.
Employees enter their details on the platform and view their pay stubs and W-2s at any time, even after changing jobs.
Overall, it’s a great choice for beginners who may have little experience managing employees or those just getting started.
Gusto starts at $6 per person per month for the Core plan with a base price of $39 per month and goes up to $12 per person per month on the highest plan with a base price of $149 per month. You can check out a demo of the software there, too.
Pros
- A user-friendly and streamlined onboarding experience
- Benefits package you can offer employees
- Automatic tax filing saves a lot of time
Cons
- Can slow down at times during tasks
- The dashboard isn’t the most customizable
- Reporting options are rudimentary
Trainual – Best for Employee Training
Trainual is the best employee onboarding software for training staff.
From the very start, the software can provide step-by-step training to new hires, and you’ll receive notifications along the way.
Trainual was created to train employees and keep them engaged and entertained. The platform isn’t afraid to provide an assortment of GIFs, videos, and other engaging content to keep users happy and watching.
On top of that, it has integrations with key apps, including Zapier, Asana, and Slack, to further automate processes.
You can even build tests to boost employee accountability, and there’s SOP documentation with a library of templates to speed things up.
With all said and done, the software will make employees more productive and skilled individuals, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Trainual starts at $99 per month when billed annually for the Pro plan and goes up to $149 per month on the Premium plan. There’s a free trial available with seven days of unlimited access to pro features and direct customer support.
Pros
- Many different types of media for different types of learners
- User-friendly and well-designed interface for fast working
- Zapier support that connects Trainual to the everyday tools
Cons
- Clicking back and forth between subjects takes too long
- The templates, while good, could offer more customization
- You can’t upload native videos to the platform slowing things down
Summary
There’s employee onboarding software available for many different types of business. The requirements will vary between companies.
That said, BambooHR and Gusto are our choices for most businesses. BambooHR offers a robust suite of features and a high level of functionality that’s ideal for most.
Gusto is flexible, easy to use, and a top choice for beginners with little HR experience. If you’re starting out, Gusto is the software for you.
- BambooHR – Best for Its Onboarding Portal
- WorkBright – Best for Mobile Onboarding
- GoCo – Best for Security
- Gusto – Best for Streamlined HR
- Trainual – Best for Employee Training
With heavy turnover still being a problem for several sectors and the post-pandemic remote world to think about, excellent employee onboarding is essential.
The software on our list should have something for everyone, but take your time and conduct research to pick the best one for your needs.