Deciding to use technology to support your HR needs may sound like a simple step but once you start researching providers, you quickly realise that there are many different options to meet various needs. When supporting your workforce, technology can be utilised in several areas, including managing employee data, automating functions such as payroll, attendance, and performance reviews, as well as supporting compliance and analysis. A popular software option is Bright HR, however, this platform doesn’t work for every business. That’s why it’s vital to look into Bright HR alternatives.
Bright HR is a well-known HRIS (Human Resources Information System) that offers a platform to streamline various HR functions. In this article, we examine the features of Bright HR and discuss alternatives to Bright HR for your business management that you might want to consider.
Bright HR Features
BrightHR is a cloud-based software system with an intuitive interface and accessible through an app, making it easy to use on the go. It supports businesses with the following features, depending on which pricing plan you choose:
- Employee records and document support
- Expenses tracker and payroll reports (which can be integrated with payroll software from other companies)
- Absence and leave management
- Rota and shift planning
- Time tracking for employees using the Blip app
- Performance management
- Recruitment tasks such as monitoring applicants
- Onboarding schedules
- Recording workplace incidents for health and safety compliance
- Counselling line for employees
- Legal/HR support
- Training and development support through their e-learning platform BrightLearn
Why Look For Alternatives To Bright HR?
There’s no doubt that BrightHR ticks many of the boxes for a small- or medium-sized business looking for a software solution that supports the needs of an HR team. However, as with any digital platform, once you start to dig beneath the surface, you realise that there may be elements of BrightHR’s programme that do not work so well for specific needs. Hence why you are looking into the best Bright HR alternatives.
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Customisation
While BrightHR does allow some tailoring of its platform to meet the specific needs of a business, some users find that there is not enough flexibility to support what they require. Businesses with more complex organisational structures or unusual workflows may find it harder to work with BrightHR.
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Payroll
BrightHR can create payroll reports based on time off and attendance data, but the platform does not offer a package which includes payroll itself. Organisations that want to seamlessly integrate their payroll process with the rest of their business may look for Bright HR alternatives to seamlessly run their payroll.
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Reporting & Analytics
BrightHR can supply reports on time-tracking and absence but it cannot provide deeper data insights or a real-time dashboard. Organisations that want to understand any trends or patterns in their workforce may find alternatives to BrightHR work better for their needs.
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Value for money
BrightHR offers a subscription-based pricing model with different tiers based on the features you want to use. This model can make businesses feel tied to a long contract and force them to limit the features they’d ideally include due to cost. Other Bright HR alternatives have modular pricing models where businesses pay for the specific features they need or offer a freemium version where certain elements of the plan are provided at no cost.
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Interface
For many users, BrightHR’s interface is intuitive and easy to use. However, others find it outdated and prefer a more modern design. User experience is a subjective area so organisations may prefer alternatives to BrightHR, which offer a different style of interface. As they companies don’t want to spend unnecessary time learning how to navigate through the platform.
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Integration
While BrightHR can be linked to other apps, it relies heavily on Zapier to facilitate these connections and is not able to offer a public API, which restricts companies from building custom integrations. Alternatives to BrightHR are able to provide a more robust experience of integrating other software.
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Customer support
A direct line for legal and HR support is provided by Bright HR, as well as a counselling option for employees (in the highest pricing tier). Alternatives to BrightHR may rate more highly on review sites in terms of delays or inconsistencies in support. In addition, alternative solutions such as Factorial, provide tailored customer support while being a client.
Top Bright HR altneratives
Here’s our tailored list of the best Bright HR alternatives for you to consider when choosing software to streamline your business operations.
Factorial ⭐⭐⭐
Factorial is a business management software option that helps organisations manage the whole workforce. It provides an easy-to-use platform that automates repetitive tasks, offers data and insights for strategic planning, and supports a robust system for payroll, performance management, and applicant tracking during the recruitment process. The platform also provides a portal for employees to access their personal information, relevant documentation such as policies and performance reviews, and request leave. Crucially, Factorial offers an open API that allows organisations to integrate the platform’s features with other digital solutions. Additional features include:
- Onboarding/offboarding
Factorial’s onboarding and offboarding features make it easy to transition employees into their new chapter. Whether that is joining your team or leaving for a new team, Factorial’s platform makes it easy to complete all the necessary steps to prep your employee for success.
Seamlessly track projects and connect them with your team’s hours. That way you’ll be able to generate custom reports that provide you with insights about how many hours were spent per project. Additionally, you’ll be able to view your every detail about your projects from expenses, labor costs, and duration in one centralized location.
- Time tracking
Ensure your employees are working their scheduled hours with time tracking software. That way you’ll be able to monitor overtime and stay within your budget boundaries. Timesheets are automatically inputted into Factorial’s payroll system, which will automatically run every month to pay your employees.
Step inside Factorial’s platform with this short video.
Why choose Factorial as an alternative to BrightHR? Factorial is a strong alternative to BrightHR because it provides services to automate payroll. In contrast, Brighthr generates payroll reports that can be integrated with a third-party payroll provider, such as Zero. Additionally, Factorial’s pricing structure adopts a modular approach rather than using tiers, allowing organisations to pay for only what they need.
Get your free trial to see Factorial in action 🚀
ADP ⭐⭐⭐
ADP’s software offers a comprehensive range of features covering all aspects of organising the workforce (scheduling, time tracking, and attendance), paying them (payroll), and ensuring compliance with local and national government regulations. It also provides tools to support the forecasting and analysis of workforce trends, helping businesses think strategically about the people they employ. Employees are also able to use ADP’s Mobile Solutions to access their schedules, documents and benefits while they are on the go.
Why choose ADP as an alternative to BrightHR? ADP can be a good alternative to BrightHR if your business is larger or you intend to scale it fast, because it can support extensive integrations. Choose ADP over BrightHR if you need advanced payroll processing features like filing tax returns and ensuring compliance with government regulations.
Workable ⭐⭐⭐
Workable is a digital platform that supports employee management, specifically designed with features to facilitate recruitment and onboarding, which can be particularly beneficial to larger organisations with dedicated hiring teams. It offers an applicant tracking system (ATS) and the ability to post jobs to over 200 different boards, as well as coordinate the interview process to schedule meetings, track interactions with candidates, and communicate hiring decisions. Workable’s system also enables HR teams to store documentation for individual employees, track attendance, and manage leave requests.
Why choose Workable as an alternative to BrightHR? With its focus on recruitment, Workable is a good alternative to BrightHR if you need to recruit regularly and especially so if you are looking to recruit globally, as it supports multiple languages and offers access to international job boards. There is also an AI assistant called Workable Assistant, which can answer questions, set up job posts and provide general guidance for recruitment and HR tasks.
HiBob ⭐⭐
HiBob is an HR platform renowned for its user-friendly interface, which offers tools to support employee engagement and analytics, enabling senior leaders to understand and motivate their workforce. It provides a centralised platform that includes onboarding, performance management, payroll processing and leave requests. There are also social media features and communication tools which help with recognition, reward and ensuring employees have the information they need to do their best work.
Why choose HiBob as an alternative to BrightHR? If you are looking for an HR software solution that supports employee engagement with tools that help connect and recognise the workforce, HiBob is a strong alternative to BrightHR. HiBob also offers additional support in recruitment, including background checks and streamlined onboarding processes. Crucially, the user-friendly interface means HiBob is easy to introduce to the workforce, requiring minimal training time.
Workday ⭐⭐
Workday is an HRIS which is popular with larger companies as its platform provides options to scale and customise according to the specific needs of big and growing organisations. As with all software solutions designed for HR purposes, Workday provides a centralised document management system. It can also support complex payroll requirements, including the filing of tax returns, and features a recruitment module to help attract and retain top talent. Workday is also recognised for its robust performance management approach, which focuses on continuous feedback, tracking, and succession planning.
Why choose Workday as an alternative to BrightHR? If you are looking for an HR system with the capacity to integrate with other applications and that can be customised to your specific needs, Workday is a good alternative to BrightHR. It offers comprehensive functionality, particularly in performance management, and can be utilised on a global scale.
Final Thoughts about Alternatives to Bright HR
In this article, we’ve considered the features of BrightHR so you know how the platform can support the HR needs of your business. However, it’s essential to understand that each HRIS has different features that may work better for some companies than others. To build your knowledge of what other business management systems such as Factorial can offer that’s different to BrightHR, we’ve provided details on five other systems and explained why you might want to consider them as good alternatives.
