Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Gusto
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Gusto offers payroll, benefits and compliance capabilities. Gusto is scaled for small to mid-sized businesses, and emphasizes an easy to use interface.
$496
per month
OrangeHRM
Score 6.0 out of 10
N/A
The OrangeHRM platform is a cloud-based HR platform with features for employee management, PTO/leave, recruitment and time tracking. It is available free and open-source, or commercially with advanced features for employee training and career development.N/A
Paychex
Score 6.8 out of 10
N/A
Paychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.N/A
Pricing
GustoOrangeHRMPaychex
Editions & Modules
Simple: A streamlined set of automatic payroll features and benefits integrations
$49/month + $6/mo per person
per month
Plus: Comprehensive payroll, benefits, and HR tools for employers building a great place to work
$80/month + $12/mo per person
per month
Premium: Scalable payroll and benefits, expert HR, and dedicated support for the complex needs of growing teams
$180/month + $22/mo per person
per month
No answers on this topic
Paychex Flex Pro
Custom Pricing
per month/+$4 per employee
HR Pro
Custom Pricing
HR PEO
Custom Pricing
Paychex Flex Select
Custom Pricing
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Custom Pricing
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
GustoOrangeHRMPaychex
Free Trial
YesYesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeRequired
Additional DetailsGusto offers three pricing plans for payroll, benefits, and HR.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
GustoOrangeHRMPaychex
Considered Multiple Products
Gusto
Chose Gusto
I think Gusto has much better marketing than the rest of their competition, and it has the assets to get in front of more people, like on live TV during a sports game, so I just knew about it before the others. When comparing, I think feature-wise and usability were big for …
Chose Gusto
Quick Books was more than we needed for a simple consulting firm.
Chose Gusto
I like Gusto because it's much more user-friendly than Workforce. I would rate QB a 6/10 and Gusto a 10/10 for user reliability and friendliness.
Chose Gusto
When I first started with this company 5 years ago we used QuickBooks Time. I used it for about a year before we switched over to Gusto. QB Time was accurate and organized, but very chaotic and clunky to use. That software provided way too much info all at once and was not …
Chose Gusto
In my opinion, Rippling had a super bad UX. I felt like it was impossible to find the areas I wanted to go to- their site navigation simply did not make sense. With Gusto it's so much easier to naviagate.
Chose Gusto
I have not tried any other products like Gusto, so I cannot speak to how it compares.
Chose Gusto
I have evaluated Rippling, it is more expensive but does have more of the features for connecting to other systems to make onboarding and off boarding team members easier. It is more complex and will take time to implement, so I do think Gusto has a lot of whats needed for …
Chose Gusto
While I never actually got to the point of trying out ADP, I had several conversations with an ADP representative, and it seemed that they would be able to provide the same (if not less) level of service for a significantly higher price.
Chose Gusto
It is more user-friendly, but I feel like the company still has some things to figure out before it is seamless.
Chose Gusto
Gusto was at a price point that fit our budget, without all the extra features our small company would not take advantage of. It was truly the right fit for our growing company, and we are happy that we made this switch! Looking forward to seeing more capabilities come out as …
Chose Gusto
Not sure what we used before I came into my role. We started using Gusto when we changed accounting services and it was their recommended platform to use.
Chose Gusto
Paycom was more than we needed for our payroll and human resource needs at this time. While it may offer additional integrations, features, and other bells and whistles it wasn't something we needed in the short team and Gusto meets our current and short term future needs. We …
Chose Gusto
I believe Gusto is the superior tool compared to these two. It's ease of use and 'all in one' HR platform makes it second to none. Gusto offers more features and does not look ancient like these other tools. Ease and functionality and the numerous possibilities make it above …
Chose Gusto
Gusto is cheaper and just much more user friendly than other tools with similar skill sets that I have used previously. I much prefer its user interface, how the mobile app and desktop work seamlessly, and how just how much more affordable it is. While it still is expensive, …
Chose Gusto
Gusto is a cost-effective solution for small businesses who don't require added modules, complex integrations or advanced reporting. Simple and effective!
Chose Gusto
From an employee point of view, Gusto makes it much easier to track your hours and clock in.
Chose Gusto
They are both user friendly and both are easy to start implementing.
Chose Gusto
Gusto is more cost-effective and has been very responsive to inquiries.
Chose Gusto
Rippling has been more than frustrating to work with, to say the least. Gusto doesn't just do what a payroll software should do; they make it so easy that it doesn't feel like a burden. The comparison is unmatched. Gusto doesn't meet expectations; it blows them out of the …
Chose Gusto
Paychex way to big for a small business. Never able to get immediate help when needed.

Toast Payroll outsourced company with lots nice features but needs more time to figure it out.
OrangeHRM
Chose OrangeHRM
OrangeHRM is opensource and can be customizable according to your requirements. It is more comprehensive and has more features as compared with Freshteam. Also, it is more user-friendly and easy to use, not much training is required to use this application. Its reporting & …
Chose OrangeHRM
Bamboo HR is not as advance as OrangeHRM. Its more like self explanatory. Its very easy to use aswell.
Paychex
Chose Paychex
Paychex is much more user friendly than ADP Run or ADP Total Source. However, I do like that ADP has an option to upload documents related to payroll such as notices from the state (DOR, UI, etc) and creates a case where notes from their rep are added and a case # is provided. …
Chose Paychex
NA - Am not using other Paychex services
Chose Paychex
I used Bangor Payroll prior to Paychex and they were better than Paychex. I didn't select Paychex, it was already at the organization when I joined it.
Chose Paychex
I think the Paychex reporting menus are easier to use and navigate than ADP.
Chose Paychex
They were alright, some of the same issues. Lots of turnover with payroll consultants.
Chose Paychex
Both ADP and Paychex are very good at informing businesses of the latest changes regarding payroll. Not sure which one is better, but very much get the most out of each. Both are informative and always looking at additional topics in a world that is constantly changing. …
Chose Paychex
Paychex has been around for a long time and have used it at other organizations. The payroll functionality is the best out of the other systems I have used. They all are great with handling the HR needs of our organization but Paychex is the most streamlined.
Chose Paychex
We use BambooHR in tandem with Paychex. BambooHR is our timesheet service, and Paychex issues the checks/payments to our employees. Ideally we would use one service instead of two to achieve our payment and timesheet needs.
Chose Paychex
More accessible and cost effective for our small business.
Chose Paychex
I far prefer Rippling to Paychex Flex, with its easy to navigate interface and user friendly model. I also appreciate the payday emails from Rippling and the paystub breakdown. It is also very easy and simple to request and view PTO in Rippling. I really dread having to use …
Chose Paychex
Paychex Flex has some room for improvement, I would choose ADP out of the different HRIS's I have used in the past
Chose Paychex
More user friendly works better for self service
Chose Paychex
I'm unable to give you a comparison because Paychex is the only payroll service I've used since I started my business over ten years ago. I've had no reason to explore other payroll services or make a change. I trust it will remain that way for as long as I'm in business.
Chose Paychex
In addition to the ones listed above, we also used BenePay, a local payroll company. We found Paychex Flex priced in the middle, with ADP the most expensive and too complicated, with many features that were unnecessary for us. We found that Paychex Flex's features and reporting …
Chose Paychex
I did not select Paychex. It was at 2 companies I started with and ended up having them switch out
Chose Paychex
Looking to switch over to ADP.
I think they are much less expensive
Chose Paychex
Based on what I've noticed, Paychex is comparable to DayForce, which has similar timekeeping functions. I think DayForce has a few easier-to-navigate tools from an Employee Self Service standpoint. iSolved is much better all around from my personal usage. If my company had more …
Chose Paychex
Gusto is more intuitive than Paychex and easier for smaller companies. Paychex has better customer support than Paylocity. Paychex is easier to navigate than Paycom.
Chose Paychex
Paychex offers much more than just tracking employee attendance and managing employee records. It offers Payroll services, Human Resource Services, Retirement Services, On-Boarding Services, Employee-Self Services, Employee Benefits Management, Employee Handbook Services, …
Chose Paychex
The could not match the price we pay for the same service.
Chose Paychex
I have not used any flex pay options only for payroll and tax situations.
Features
GustoOrangeHRMPaychex
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
9.1
Ratings
9% above category average
OrangeHRM
9.9
Ratings
20% above category average
Paychex
7.4
Ratings
9% below category average
Pay calculation9.50 Ratings10.00 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors8.50 Ratings10.00 Ratings6.50 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.70 Ratings10.00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.60 Ratings10.00 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.10 Ratings10.00 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.10 Ratings9.00 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings10.00 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
OrangeHRM
9.0
Ratings
10% above category average
Paychex
7.0
Ratings
15% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings9.00 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings8.50 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings9.00 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings8.50 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings10.00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings10.00 Ratings6.10 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
OrangeHRM
9.0
Ratings
10% above category average
Paychex
7.2
Ratings
12% below category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings8.50 Ratings7.30 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings9.50 Ratings7.40 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings9.00 Ratings6.90 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
OrangeHRM
9.2
Ratings
11% above category average
Paychex
6.1
Ratings
29% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings9.00 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings9.00 Ratings7.40 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings10.00 Ratings7.10 Ratings
Employee recognition00 Ratings8.50 Ratings1.00 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings9.50 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
OrangeHRM
10.0
Ratings
22% above category average
Paychex
4.8
Ratings
51% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings10.00 Ratings4.80 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
OrangeHRM
9.0
Ratings
18% above category average
Paychex
5.7
Ratings
27% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings9.00 Ratings6.20 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings8.00 Ratings6.50 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings10.00 Ratings4.50 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
OrangeHRM
8.2
Ratings
3% above category average
Paychex
6.6
Ratings
19% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings8.00 Ratings6.80 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings8.50 Ratings6.40 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
OrangeHRM
10.0
Ratings
22% above category average
Paychex
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting00 Ratings10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
OrangeHRM
9.1
Ratings
14% above category average
Paychex
-
Ratings
Performance plans00 Ratings8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
OrangeHRM
8.9
Ratings
13% above category average
Paychex
7.0
Ratings
11% below category average
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking00 Ratings8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings8.50 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Gusto
-
Ratings
OrangeHRM
9.3
Ratings
17% above category average
Paychex
5.3
Ratings
39% below category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings8.50 Ratings5.10 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings8.50 Ratings5.20 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings10.00 Ratings5.60 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings10.00 Ratings5.90 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings10.00 Ratings4.60 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings9.00 Ratings4.70 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings9.00 Ratings6.10 Ratings
Best Alternatives
GustoOrangeHRMPaychex
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.2 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.2 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
GustoOrangeHRMPaychex
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(0 ratings)
8.5
(0 ratings)
6.5
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.1
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.5
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
5.3
(0 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
3.2
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
6.2
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
4.5
(0 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.3
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
5.2
(0 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
5.6
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
5.6
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
6.1
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
GustoOrangeHRMPaychex
Likelihood to Recommend
Gusto is well-suited for small businesses looking for a one-stop platform for payroll, tax-related tasks, and onboarding. It has many automated features that make tasks related to running a business/running an S-Corp simpler. I have not tried any other similar platforms, so I am unsure how it compares, but the pricing Gusto offers feels reasonable compared to other providers.
Read full review
Positive -- It is very easy and friendly to use software. It also has a great customer support. Negative -- Its difficut to integrate it with other applications
Read full review
Overall we have had a good experience. The unfortunate part of being with them for over 10 years is the change-over in support specialists and sometimes the lack of transparency when that occurs or the lack of personalized communication. However, the ease of use and streamlined services for reporting and recording payroll and onboarding employees is definitely a benefit to the service. Being able to pull reports and review past employees information can be invaluable at times. Knowing I have peace of mind when it comes to tax documentation because someone else is ensuring it is handled and handled correctly is very important
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Pros
  • Quarterly tax access for CPA
  • Gusto makes it easy for our CPA to access quarterly tax data directly, which saves us time and ensures tax reporting stays accurate for our LLC.
  • IRS support via human reps
  • Whenever we get confusing IRS mail, I forward it to Gusto. A real human rep either walks me through next steps or handles it directly—huge peace of mind.
  • Payroll automation
  • Once payroll is set up, it runs smoothly and automatically with little effort on my part. It’s reliable, affordable, and a great “set it and forget it” solution for a small business.
Read full review
  • Payment process
  • Attendance management
  • Personal information management
Read full review
  • It provides a well account of Retirement Plan Account Information.
  • Alerts are sent to email when there is new information to access.
  • Employee access both online and thru app.
  • Paperless options.
  • Easy and quick access to paystubs and tax forms.
  • Easy employee retirement management.
Read full review
Cons
  • I honestly don't have any complaints about Gusto as it stands.
  • Maybe add 2-factor authentication for security purposes. I haven't seen that being part of the login process yet.
  • I think Gusto pushes its easy Gusto card payroll method a bit too much. I'd like to see direct deposit as the main method it suggests and the Gusto card as a secondary one.
Read full review
  • Payroll management can be added
  • Learning management system needs to be improved
  • Grievance handling feature should be added
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  • When it comes to audit reports, Paychex Flex could improve on helping clients locate the correct reports for audit purposes more easily
  • When a client receives a discount, it would be helpful if the discount were automatically provided each year, or if the Paychex rep proactively reached out to the client first, versus the client having to call and request that the discount continue.
  • It would be helpful if the invoice was emailed to the client versus the client logging in to access invoices.
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Likelihood to Renew
Unless they break it, I'm never leaving. It's just too easy. Gusto is also really affordable, and for what I pay, it's worth having the historical record within the system. I like that I can go back and pull up W2's for year's past. This sort of easy access reporting, has been helpful especially when getting reports for PPP loans.
Read full review
No answers on this topic
there are a lot of competitors on the market such as BambooHR and Insperity. Paychex need to make significant improvement on their offline customer service in order to compete with the other guys. Everything is online now and timely response to customer's questions is vital. Customers won't enjoy being put on hold for 45 mins every time they have a question regarding their HSA problems
Read full review
Usability
Wonderful overall usability – especially for the new business owner. The user interface is clean and intuitive, so it's easy to find what you're looking for. They also have great explanation pages ingrained into the process, so if you get stuck knowing what to do next, there's a link right there to walk you through the process!
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No answers on this topic
Employee usability is very good and user-friendly. For the most part, the employer usability is good, but for complicated rules and policies, it requires technical assistance, which in our case, was clunky and slow in implementation. Once is place, everything works as it should
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Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
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Performance
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
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Support Rating
Gusto's customer service has really deteriorated lately and they seem to have really changed their focus. It used to be when you called you were routed to an individual who knew about payroll, benefits, reporting, etc. but now you get someone who seems to have not received the correct training. My last call about a dismissal payroll took me over an hour of my time and the person still could not help me and finally transferred me to someone else.
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No answers on this topic
Chat has been helpful but the person I chat with isn't always able to help me with my questions. Phone support is ok, depending on your payroll specialist. We have a great one currently, but the few before that were never available and did not return calls.
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In-Person Training
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
We did online training only
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Online Training
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
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Implementation Rating
Reach out to support immediately if you are having trouble setting up Gusto. Rather than being confused and trying to figure it out yourself, it's much better to talk to someone who knows what they are doing. Save yourself time and frustration and reach out to support
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No answers on this topic
Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
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Alternatives Considered
I think Gusto has much better marketing than the rest of their competition, and it has the assets to get in front of more people, like on live TV during a sports game, so I just knew about it before the others. When comparing, I think feature-wise and usability were big for Gusto.
Read full review
OrangeHRM is opensource and can be customizable according to your requirements. It is more comprehensive and has more features as compared with Freshteam. Also, it is more user-friendly and easy to use, not much training is required to use this application. Its reporting & tracking features are more effective as compared to others.
Read full review
Paychex is much more user friendly than ADP Run or ADP Total Source. However, I do like that ADP has an option to upload documents related to payroll such as notices from the state (DOR, UI, etc) and creates a case where notes from their rep are added and a case # is provided. This helps create a good way to track a notice and be sure it is resolved. I have sent requests to close different states when a company no longer has an employee there or have been told an item has been filed/completed, only to receive a notice later from Paychex notification or the the state claiming the issue is unresolved. When you have as many clients as we do, this can feel messy.
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Scalability
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Employees can log in at home and get up to date information on their FSA balance and any medical bill reimbursements they may have uploaded. At renewal time they have the ability to make changes to their FSA or for new employees star the enrollment.
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Return on Investment
  • It saves me time and energy - I'm not worried about being compliant or having everything I need for tax season. It's all there!
  • I don't wonder when my team is working- they can easily log in and out of the system.
  • I don't have to handle updating information when an employee or contractor has changes - they have their own portal.
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  • It has made HR department work [more] efficient
  • It has helped in creating paperless environment
  • Tracking and reporting for effective decision making
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  • This software has provided visibility to shift managers and department leads that they never had before in managing their subordinates. They now have an easy-to-use go-to source for seeing who has PTO, how much they have available, and what the work calendar looks like, allowing them to make better-informed decisions.
  • With this software to manage open enrollment, we can now get through that process with a tool we use regularly, rather than jumping into enrollment management software only once a year and having to relearn it each year.
  • Literally thousands of steps are saved each week by not needing to traverse the entire shop floor or track people down to clear up questions with time cards. With everything digital, so much can be observed and addressed in real-time through the app.
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ScreenShots

Gusto Screenshots

Screenshot of Gusto's automated payrollScreenshot of the time-off tracking interfaceScreenshot of the source of truth for HR data

Paychex Screenshots

Screenshot of Paychex Payroll DashboardScreenshot of Employee Background ChecksScreenshot of Paychex HR DashboardScreenshot of Paychex Flex Perks