ADP Workforce Now vs. Paylocity

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ADP Workforce Now
Score 7.7 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
ADP Workforce Now is a cloud-based HR platform for mid-sized businesses. It features customizable modules of various HR services that businesses can tailor to their specific needs, as well as regulatory monitoring and alerts to help businesses remain compliant.N/A
Paylocity
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
Paylocity provides 24/7 access to your online payroll and human resource data management. Paylocity offers highly customizable payroll functionality, as well as HR, benefits administration, and time and talent management programs.N/A
Pricing
ADP Workforce NowPaylocity
Editions & Modules
Essential
Contact sales team
Enhanced
Contact sales team
Complete
Contact sales team
HR Pro
Contact sales team
Payroll Essentials
Contact sales team
HR Plus
Contact sales team
Hiring Advantage
Contact sales team
Performance Plus
Contact sales team
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ADP Workforce NowPaylocity
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPlease contact ADP for a product demo and ask about a hands-on "test drive" of Workforce Now.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ADP Workforce NowPaylocity
Considered Both Products
ADP Workforce Now
Chose ADP Workforce Now
I did not select ADP Workforce Now. It was in place prior to my arrival at my company. I did not work with Paylocity long enough to draw a conclusion. I do like ADP's interface much better.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
Paylocity is a good little payroll system for companies under 250 employees. When you get over 250 employees and want to fully utilize their system, then Paylocity starts falling short of ADP very quickly.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
I would hands-down pick ADP WOrkforce Now over Paylocity or Darwin any day of the week. I feel Paychex is pretty similar, so I wouldn't be mad if my company decided to switch to them.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
More features, more efficient and cost effective. Paylocity has called me a total of 52 times from September to December, even though I have told them numerous times that we are not interested in leaving ADP, which makes me firmer in our decision.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
Paylocity seems to be the only platform that I would consider over ADP. It seems to be more "whole" when adding a module. But WFN is more advanced and easier than the others.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now is simply way more user friendly than Paylocity, with a much simpler and more modern looking UI, for both users and Admins. Paylocity's interface was just way too complicated and old looking, for that alone we decide to go with ADP Workforce Now to avoid …
Chose ADP Workforce Now
not particularly different, except I think the customer service is worse with ADP Workforce Now.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
ADP is only better as it relates to payroll
Chose ADP Workforce Now
ADP is just more advanced that these other platforms and always looking to improve. The mobile function definitely is better.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
ADP had a better recording system, we switched over when our company was quite large an operating in several states. It made sense to make the move
Chose ADP Workforce Now
I did not select ADP, I'm evaluating the other softwares to move away from ADP.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now is 3rd in my ranking with the above-used platforms. ADP TotalSource and Workday are above them.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
The easy of use and multiple reporting areas as well as the information saved and archived makes it nice for back end reporting. The classes and the suggestion of classes available to everyone is great. Having supervisors that can track and approve their own time cards as …
Chose ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce has a better onboarding approach and has better customer service standing behind the solution.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
We have seen demos from several other companies and it always comes down to costs and features for us. The features and benefits of ADP are amazing. ADP has so many more features of the program than the others were able to offer. The added features that ADP has over the others …
Chose ADP Workforce Now
I am at the point that I'd try to use ANY other vendor just to get away from ADP.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
I still believe that ADP is the best at payroll and HR solutions. I have not felt comfortable even considering moving away from ADP.
Chose ADP Workforce Now
The other 3 are far more simplistic in the long run with fewer processes. However, they do offer fewer services. I believe they are more valuable resources for small businesses.
Paylocity
Chose Paylocity
The Paylocity platform is so much easier to navigate and set-up verses the use of ADP Workforce Now products. I worked for three different companies that used ADP and every system was different. There was a huge learning curve with ADP and I appreciate the ease of use with the …
Chose Paylocity
In past organizations, I used ADP Workforce Now and Harri for onboarding, benefit administration, and employee management. Paylocity is big step up from both of those services. Paylocity has much better customer service, is more user friendly, and has more modules and products …
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity is a tech company that became a payroll company. ADP is a payroll company trying to implement tech. Paylocity is much easier to use and a better product in my opinon.
Chose Paylocity
We engaged on a system search for over a year. We left ADP for several reasons, like cost, lack of versatility, poor customer service, and every feature was more money. We evaluated Paycom and Paycor, but in the end HR, Accounting, and IT felt that Paylocity had all of the …
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity is the most cost-effective system across the board that provides all the same functionality in one place. They also stand out with their service teams being much more readily available than other providers.
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity is much more intuitive than the ADP Workforce. You do not need to go through so many steps to accomplish a task. Paylocity has made it much more user friendly and organized.
Chose Paylocity
We chose Paylocity over ADP, Paycom and Kronos because it offered a better balance of functionality, user experience, and customer support tailored to our organizational needs. Paylocity’s platform felt more modern and intuitive, especially for our employees and managers who …
Chose Paylocity
There is no comparison. Every single one of these products are hog-poged and they do not encompass the seamless connection between 401k, benefits, cobra administration, employee / manager training and record keeping, performance and PIP, workforce management, etc. All …
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity definitely provides more HR strategic functions in the base price
Chose Paylocity
The daily time card approval process is straightforward and can be used by multiple supervisors.
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity is superior in many ways. From clocking in to benefits administration
Chose Paylocity
I have been pleasantly surprised with how much more user friendly Paylocity is
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity is much better with customer service and listening to my needs. I went with Paylocity because ADP was not doing what they promised to me when I signed on with them. And, they were very bad at communicating with me.
Chose Paylocity
All the features of the bigger companies with the user friendly touch that smaller platforms have. The time and labor system is actually far superior than UKG and SAP and the Payroll is easier to run and maintain than ADP and Paycor.
Chose Paylocity
ADP has a better time keeping system than Paylocity as it's nice to be able to select a pay type/earning code then to be able to audit. There is a lot of customization you can do to the transfer of hours and shift differentials as well, but it can be complicated. The Reporting …
Chose Paylocity
We switched from ADP to Paylocity. We also evaluated Paycom at the time of the change. Paylocity has been so much better than ADP when it comes to pulling customized reports and customizing the system to suit our needs. We didn't feel like Paycom would meet the needs we had at …
Chose Paylocity
We vetted several other solutions, and none of them came close to the seem less functionality we get with Paylocity, partnered with their stellar customer service and cost overall.
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity is more cost effective as it is one system that connects all the modules together. ADP has so many different add-ons and systems that it is confusing and also very expensive.
Features
ADP Workforce NowPaylocity
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.7
1042 Ratings
3% below category average
Paylocity
7.9
1235 Ratings
0% above category average
Employee demographic data8.0920 Ratings8.61172 Ratings
Employment history7.9957 Ratings8.21136 Ratings
Job profiles and administration8.0907 Ratings8.01060 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.7935 Ratings7.61070 Ratings
Organizational charting7.5654 Ratings7.2991 Ratings
Organization and location management7.9717 Ratings7.8969 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)6.8661 Ratings7.6826 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.7
1054 Ratings
4% below category average
Paylocity
8.2
1199 Ratings
3% above category average
Pay calculation8.41015 Ratings8.61170 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors6.8397 Ratings7.7575 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.4306 Ratings8.6898 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.7805 Ratings7.5808 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.31002 Ratings9.01167 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management7.5784 Ratings8.2940 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.6478 Ratings8.1590 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.6
860 Ratings
6% below category average
Paylocity
7.5
1018 Ratings
8% below category average
Approval workflow7.7782 Ratings7.6906 Ratings
Balance details7.4813 Ratings7.3972 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.9660 Ratings7.5769 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.6
1034 Ratings
7% below category average
Paylocity
8.4
1212 Ratings
3% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information7.9997 Ratings8.51180 Ratings
Update personal information7.8986 Ratings8.71202 Ratings
View company policy documentation7.8796 Ratings8.1970 Ratings
Employee recognition6.8373 Ratings8.3879 Ratings
View job history7.732 Ratings8.51037 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.0
12 Ratings
28% below category average
Paylocity
7.3
379 Ratings
8% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets6.012 Ratings7.3379 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.7
958 Ratings
12% below category average
Paylocity
7.3
1118 Ratings
3% below category average
Report builder7.4941 Ratings7.31071 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.1937 Ratings7.51092 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data5.5558 Ratings7.1703 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.0
129 Ratings
13% below category average
Paylocity
8.3
1053 Ratings
4% above category average
New hire portal7.3125 Ratings8.41046 Ratings
Manager tracking tools6.7101 Ratings8.2840 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
7.7
319 Ratings
4% below category average
Paylocity
7.8
584 Ratings
3% below category average
Corporate goal setting7.6247 Ratings7.9463 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.8298 Ratings7.8538 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.7244 Ratings7.8406 Ratings
Performance tracking7.6292 Ratings7.9545 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.5
413 Ratings
20% below category average
Paylocity
7.6
738 Ratings
4% below category average
Performance plans6.8370 Ratings7.5672 Ratings
Performance improvement plans6.4318 Ratings7.6577 Ratings
Review status tracking6.0374 Ratings7.6680 Ratings
Review reminders6.8389 Ratings7.7684 Ratings
Multiple review frequency6.5323 Ratings7.7571 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.0
7 Ratings
26% below category average
Paylocity
7.5
382 Ratings
3% below category average
Create succession plans/pools5.86 Ratings6.9256 Ratings
Candidate ranking5.86 Ratings7.4310 Ratings
Candidate search6.37 Ratings8.0349 Ratings
Candidate development6.26 Ratings7.6282 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
ADP Workforce Now
6.6
427 Ratings
15% below category average
Paylocity
8.0
701 Ratings
4% above category average
Job Requisition Management7.5372 Ratings8.1601 Ratings
Company Website Posting7.7363 Ratings8.1627 Ratings
Publish to Social Media6.8292 Ratings8.0488 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting6.8325 Ratings7.9597 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention2.38 Ratings7.6505 Ratings
Applicant Tracking7.0367 Ratings8.2650 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.3388 Ratings7.9644 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ADP Workforce NowPaylocity
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ADP Workforce NowPaylocity
Likelihood to Recommend
7.8
(1109 ratings)
8.3
(1305 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.2
(83 ratings)
8.7
(152 ratings)
Usability
3.8
(80 ratings)
8.1
(103 ratings)
Availability
7.3
(14 ratings)
9.0
(32 ratings)
Performance
6.4
(13 ratings)
8.6
(31 ratings)
Support Rating
7.0
(480 ratings)
7.1
(137 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.2
(9 ratings)
8.1
(5 ratings)
Online Training
5.8
(17 ratings)
7.9
(23 ratings)
Implementation Rating
1.8
(34 ratings)
7.6
(80 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(10 ratings)
7.4
(23 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(20 ratings)
Ease of integration
6.1
(8 ratings)
7.3
(24 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.3
(770 ratings)
8.2
(31 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(16 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
5.2
(8 ratings)
7.3
(29 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
6.1
(8 ratings)
8.5
(26 ratings)
User Testimonials
ADP Workforce NowPaylocity
Likelihood to Recommend
ADP
It is well suited for companies that have over 50 employees working in multiple departments and should be allocated in specific ways. It can help get all their information from the beginning point of interviews to the end in which a check is produced, allowing the employee to update their information and add their direct deposit.
Read full review
Paylocity
Paylocity has a very user-friendly interface and is easy to navigate. The new payroll system is well-designed and efficient. Creating the batches is an easy, straightforward process. I also love that the system guides you through the steps of generating the pre-process payroll register, running the audit, and submitting payroll and prompts you if there are any steps left to complete. The employee onboarding packets are well-designed and have a nice, simple layout as well. However, the issues mentioned in the previous question have created complications for employees when completing these packets. Our main concerns are the technical difficulties employees experience when attempting to complete the withholding forms task, HR not being able to verify employee direct deposit information during onboarding, and no longer being able to make edits to the PERC task. If these issues were resolved, completing the Paylocity onboarding packets would be a very streamlined, easy process.
Read full review
Pros
ADP
  • HRIS that is personalized for the employee and addresses DE&I needs.
  • Payroll, of course! The system addresses all needs, such as deductions, additional pay, premium OT, and shift differentials.
  • Onboarding is an excellent way to stay in compliance and have all documents completed.
  • Tax and Banking and resolution to any issues.
Read full review
Paylocity
  • The layout makes the system user friendly, especially if you have used other platforms
  • The amount of information stored in Paylocity is amazing
  • I love the community tab with the birthday and anniversary announcements and have began using it for our employee appreciation announcements. I think this has been well received.
Read full review
Cons
ADP
  • I would like it if better communication was sent out about new product updates. Sometimes, I go into a screen and things are different and I have to relearn it on the fly.
  • Editing the mobile app - I would like it if what is shown on the desktop version was automatically on the app. WAY more of my employees use the app, but I put the most important information on the desktop version because it is easier to update.
Read full review
Paylocity
  • Not enough training content in spanish.
  • Need to be able to easily switch the site and app language.
  • Creating or editing security roles is too confusing but a needed option for most.
  • The site needs the ability to track non-employee HR and training data.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
ADP
Due to the lack of support from the sales and service center we are looking at other options outside of ADP. Again it is a good system, it just lacks the support it deserves from the company employees. It is just unimaginable that you will need to reach out to a service provider several times for the same issue and not get it resolved.
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Paylocity
We most likely will because we are learning how to use it better all the time. It does integrate with our Advanced Benefits. But the customer service is not responsive when needing help. It almost always requires several contacts to get anywhere, and the contacts can be several days apart. Once you actually get to TALK to someone, things are usually resolved fairly quickly, but their email system is not efficient. I get half answers and they close the ticket! But once I can get to someone, it is almost always great service. Very hard to get someone though.
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Usability
ADP
I would give it a 10 however I do not like when ADP does facelifts in Workforce Now which does not add any value other than having to relearn navigation. I am also not a big fan of being forced to refer to the Bridge. We have Google which gives the same results. If I understood the answer I would not contact our Account Rep.
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Paylocity
To begin with, Paylocity provides easy instructions, lots of training tools, and an excellent support team. The data entry is easy to use, and the reporting is outstanding. The report function allows options to fit nearly all of our needs. The search engine makes it easy to navigate through the software.
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Reliability and Availability
ADP
ADP outages are very rare
Read full review
Paylocity
I can always call the direct number and there is a representative always available to answer questions. I can also email the service desk for Paylocity or my representative and they are pretty quick to respond if we are having issues
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Performance
ADP
Overall, I think the functionality of the program works pretty well. Sometimes, certain browsers do not work well for the policy function of ADP, but that is the only issue thus far
Read full review
Paylocity
Reports load within seconds. The ease of finding information in the system is very nice. If for some reason you cannot get the info you need, you can either look it up in the help section or if time is of the essence, you may call the help desk and speak with a Paylocity representative immediately. You are never left alone. You never get a voicemail. You always get a live representative who can help you at that moment
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Support Rating
ADP
I have contacted support multiple times and have always been happy with the results. ADP's support staff is always helpful and makes easy work of solving problems. I love my Payroll Account Manager, as well as my Enhanced Time Account Manager.
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Paylocity
I really appreciate that we are assigned a support manager. That person is very familiar with our set up, our needs and our history. However, I've spoken to others on the support team and have had very positive interactions and get the help needed.
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In-Person Training
ADP
In-person training was pretty good - I think this significantly depends on the trainer. Our trainer was really good and showed what ADP can do - but I know that all trainers are not the same - and this truly makes such as difference. Overall, our training went pretty well.
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Paylocity
I didn't have in-person training, but I'm sure it was just as great as any other training/assistance Paylocity provides. Paylocity customer service is always available. You never have to be on hold and their answers are always accurate and timely. Documents in the help section are helpful as well. My in-person training was conducted y one of our employees who was involved in the initial set-up and training of all employees. She was excellent.
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Online Training
ADP
At the time training was not as expansive as it is now. If it could go wrong it did for me so the process was difficult and lengthy. I needed to have more in person walkthroughs of things to ensure the transition was done correctly. Not sure what else I can say, we were part of the initial move to Workforce Now when it was introduced.
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Paylocity
The training was live online, but was with a group of other companies. We did not receive any personalized training with our team. Whenever we would ask for training, we would be sent a peak article link or a video. It felt like the reps we dealt with didn't know the answer to the questions.
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Implementation Rating
ADP
Either assign more than one specialist to the implementation process, or assign less clients to the implementation specialist. The process requires attention to detail and the ability to test and re-test as well as verify the information. It also requires a lot of back and forth between the client ant the implementation specialist, so they need to be readily available during the whole implementation process.
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Paylocity
We were handed off to multiple implementation people, some quit, one went on leave, one left suddenly, one was transfered to a diff dept...all causing a significant amount of disruption for our team. Many had conflicting info on how to properly set things up...hence a complete mess was left for us to figure out
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Alternatives Considered
ADP
Although this SAS takes longer to perform the everyday functions related to payroll and HR data input, the difference in this software and our previous software is like night and day. We were on a very old server platform and had too many issues with continuous need for backup.
Read full review
Paylocity
We chose Paylocity over ADP, Paycom and Kronos because it offered a better balance of functionality, user experience, and customer support tailored to our organizational needs. Paylocity’s platform felt more modern and intuitive, especially for our employees and managers who use it daily for time tracking, communication, and document acknowledgements. The engagement tools—like Community, Impressions, and Surveys—were more robust and better integrated into the core HR functions, helping us foster a stronger company culture. Additionally, Paylocity provided more flexibility in reporting and a more responsive implementation and support team, which made the transition smoother and more collaborative.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
ADP
No answers on this topic
Paylocity
I didn't help but I like the pricing
Read full review
Scalability
ADP
We have been able to grow with ADP from just a few hundred employees to over 10,000 so it's actually very scalable for payroll usage. We do not use the benefits and onboarding offerings for most of our employees but they are built to scale easily enough for when our corporate team has over 1,000 FTE.
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Paylocity
Our main function for Paylocity is payroll, data insights for employee working hours and onboarding. This has been a very reliable source for us for these functions. Payroll has been extremely easy to do using Paylocity. The onboarding process is very simple for new hires and makes the process run smooth. It is easy to find the information you are looking for while on Paylocity.
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Professional Services
ADP
No answers on this topic
Paylocity
They are thorough, care about quality and success, take the time needed to implement properly, answer questions, build data feeds. A professional, caring, very skilled team there.
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Return on Investment
ADP
  • ADP WorkforceNow has provided a positive ROI for our company. It has saved me countless hours in the time I used to spend preparing reports, managing benefits, and annual enrollment, recruitment tracking, and much more.
  • The integration with Payscale has allowed our company to take every position in our organization and benchmark it to industries and job titles. This has allowed us to be more competitive on recruitment and retention.
  • We have used the new DE&I dashboard to provide valuable information on the landscape of our workforce, as well as areas of our organization that may not be as diverse.
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Paylocity
  • Less errors for payroll reporting to states and local municipalities. Freeing up our Finance ADM to focus on other duties.
  • New Hire Onboarding creates less work and higher potential for human error.
  • The ease of W-2 tracking throughout the year frees up time at the end of the year to focus on other year end responsibilities.
Read full review
ScreenShots

ADP Workforce Now Screenshots

Screenshot of ADP Workforce Now: a simple and complete human capital management solutionScreenshot of Benchmarking by ADP DataCloud: an application with an extensive data set ... available to ADP Workforce Now clientsScreenshot of ADP Workforce Now clients can equip their employees with the ADP Mobile self-service app

Paylocity Screenshots

Screenshot of a view of real-time employee data and performance metrics used to uncover and analyze trends. This creates an impactful understanding of the business, increase retention, understand labor costs, and plan for changes.Screenshot of where to automate manual processes with Paylocity's self-serve automation engine, Workflows. Users can implement routines for time-consuming manual tasks.Screenshot of where to manage and comply with employment law. Paylocity's HR Compliance solution helps users to stay on track and view important employee compliance items, from Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), healthcare, and compensation.Screenshot of how Paylocity Recruiting can automate hiring processes. amplify outreach, showcase a company's culture, and build stronger candidate connections to swiftly fill positions.Screenshot of recognition and rewards in Paylocity.