HRdirect Smart Apps vs. Sage People

UPDATE 3/20/2020: I initially gave HRDirect a "0" recommendation due to all the issues we had with the PTO Module. However, since purchasing the Harassment Training Module ($90), this product is the best value for the money and puts us in compliance with mandated requirements. It is easy to use and well-presented. At this point in time, with the issues and frustration level of all our employees, managers, and payroll department, it would be difficult for me to recommend this app as suitable in any scenario. However, should HRdirect fix the issues and get the app to perform as it was originally designed, it would be a great product for a small to medium company that has limited resources yet wants a good product for the money. In our experience, the new hire portal did not appear to be functioning properly; our new hires were not able to access the blank documents. They could see them but not open them (PDFs).

Incentivized

Sage People is well suited to small-medium sized organizations that would like a cloud-based HR solution with no need for servers or software to install. I really like the fact that it is based on Salesforce.com so you know that it will be extremely reliable and well supported. It is very flexible and customizable and can work in complex HR arrangements. For example, we have employees in nearly 60 countries and multiple HR jurisdictions and we are able to make it work for us. However, if you are moving from a traditional or customized HR system there may be a steep learning curve and you should be prepared to spend a lot of time setting up and customizing to your needs, in addition to training.

Incentivized

• Initially, you were able to see all activity and drill down for details.
• It was easy-access for all our employees in the 7 states we operate in.
• It provided tracking for the managers.
• Payroll had access to all PTO requests.

Incentivized

• Sage is highly flexible and configurable, allowing us to manage the variety of geographies and functional units in one platform.
• Sage is highly customer focused, with great CSM support.
• Sage People will be able to integrate with other Sage pillars such as Accounting and Payroll.

Incentivized

• HRdirect performed an upgrade in 2019 and that's where things went awry.
• You could no longer drill down through the calendar to see the details - i.e. Doctor's appointment, illness, childcare issues, vacation, etc.
• Previous year PTO requests were not archived and you now had to scroll through hundreds of PTO requests to see the most current.
• Previous PTO requests were listed oldest to most current, resulting in much frustration trying to locate specific ones.
• The print option was not longer functional.
• The online help request form was no longer accessible.

Incentivized

• Training manuals are not much useful. You always need a helping hand to move forward.
• When you have to look up employees, we have to provide their job title which I feel is not an efficient way.

Incentivized

As previously described, there are too many unresolved issues.

Incentivized

Due to the fact that we were patient for more than 6 months with no resolution in sight, we decided to end our relationship with HRdirect for PTO tracking. 3/20/2020: We have purchased the Harassment Training Module. Excellent product with great value for the money.

Incentivized

We moved to Sage People from a 20+-year-old internally developed HR software. We also evaluated other HR software such as Kronos, SAP, and BambooHR. Ultimately, we chose Sage because of the extensive support they provided to us and the ability to customize to fit our organization's needs. We loved the fact that they were completely cloud-based and built on a reputable platform (Salesforce).

Incentivized

• Initially, HRdirect was proving to be an excellent tool, and we were getting a quick turnaround on small issues. However, the upgrade messed things up on our accessibility, with no resolution in sight.
• Harassment training module is excellent.

Incentivized

• Has significantly improved our team resources by having one system and set of processes, rather than managing duplicate entry in multiple systems
• Has allowed us to finally have a process for ensuring we can approve, manage, track and report employee PTO liability in one system
• Improved HR Data reporting and Data Analytics for both HR and for managers, so that we can make better people and business decisions
• Better manager and employee experiences by eliminating paper based request forms and automating workflows

Incentivized