Paychex vs. Paylocity

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
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
Paylocity
Score 7.9 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
PaychexPaylocity
Editions & Modules
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
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
PaychexPaylocity
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
PaychexPaylocity
Considered Both Products
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.
Paylocity
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity better manages our employees who reside outside of our headquarters' state, but Paychex managed our retirement accounts better.
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity at my company serves strictly payroll reasons while other apps handle time off, company directory, performance reviews, announcements
Chose Paylocity
I am familiar with both ADP and Workday products. I would rate Paylocity slightly lower than these tools. ADP and Workday are for companies with more complex structures while Paylocity is more suited for companies that are smaller in size and less complex in nature especially …
Chose Paylocity
We haven't really tried any other products that are similar to Paylocity that handles all of the HR tasks.
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity has a lot of advantage over these as it combines multiple features and not only features the way it makes it easier for employees to navigate and use those is a big plus and made the decision making easier for using this over othe solutions. Having great features is …
Chose Paylocity
UKG Pro is hard on the eyes, not as intuitive, and the payroll module is rather complex. The system is very powerful but it is best suited for seasoned system admins, which not all HR teams have this type of expertise.
Chose Paylocity
I think ADP's payroll interface is a little bit better. Paylocity has more personal service but I wouldn't say it's necessarily better.
Chose Paylocity
I selected Paylocity because of ease of use. ADP is clunky and Paycom makes a lot of claims that are not true. isolved is the most basic system I've ever used.
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity is SO far ahead of Paycor, it's not even funny. Just from the implementation standpoint alone, Paycor was an absolute nightmare. Paylocity had some struggles, but that goes along with any implementation. The experience with Paylocity was LIGHTYEARS ahead of our …
Chose Paylocity
Paycom, you select your integrations, you have way more integrations than are possible for them. So it makes it easier to be a one-stop shop on all those integrations.
Chose Paylocity
I've used ADP, UKG, I've used quite a bit. So I think that it's in comparison, I think it's kind of ranked up there. One two. From my experience, again, it's just the ease of navigation, the steps to bring onboarding and communication. I like it. It's just a great product.
Chose Paylocity
Way better, easy to use, very user friendly for employees.
Chose Paylocity
My preference is Paylocity due to the ease of use and the employee experience.
Chose Paylocity
I feel like they all provide approximately the same services, and it came down to honesty. Both Paychex and Paycor were dishonest with us, and I wasn't comfortable staying with them.
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity exceeds our previous payroll provider by leaps and bounds. It's exactly why we switched. It is also beneficial to have our recruiting as an all in one platform rather than going between two providers.
Chose Paylocity
I've never had a reason to want to switch. It doesn't seem like they offer anything Paylocity doesn't that makes it better.
Chose Paylocity
I have used ADP and Paycor in previous companies. Paylocity was already in place when I started working here. It functions well, so I am not compelled to make a change.
Chose Paylocity
honestly, we liked Paycom better from a user interface standpoint, but it came down to pricing and Paylocity was cheaper than Paycom and for the price differential it was significant enough to be the difference in our choice. ADP never actively engaged us as i think we were …
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity needs to work harder to get to the levels of ADP or UKG for larger companies
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity has more functionality for less money
Chose Paylocity
Rippling didn't deliver 10% of what they told us they would deliver. When we came back to Paylocity, we were told we would be able to access all historical employee data indefinitely, but when we lost access one year later, I was told we'd have to pay $1,000 to gain access to …
Chose Paylocity
I have recently used and processed HR functions in Paycom. I feel that Paylocity is a much better platform for both employees and managers. The set-up is much more user-friendly and less complicated, so there's less confusion for staff & management. Things are able to be …
Chose Paylocity
We used Sage Abra before and had a few other programs prior to Sage. We were using Sage for close to 10 years. The reporting in Paylocity is much more useful and robust. We looked at several other platforms including ADP. Some had better platforms and reporting, but for the …
Chose Paylocity
ADP was very similar to the way Paylocity is, but I seem to favor Paylocity to be honest. Miter was VERY difficult to use and set up. I wouldn't ever consider using that software ever again. I didn't like a lot of aspect Miter had to offer either. Paylocity would always be my …
Features
PaychexPaylocity
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.0
Ratings
15% below category average
Paylocity
7.9
Ratings
3% below category average
Employee demographic data7.70 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Employment history7.90 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Job profiles and administration7.80 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.80 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Organizational charting5.00 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Organization and location management7.00 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)6.10 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.4
Ratings
9% below category average
Paylocity
8.3
Ratings
2% above category average
Pay calculation7.80 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors6.50 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.20 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.00 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.30 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management7.90 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.20 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.2
Ratings
12% below category average
Paylocity
7.8
Ratings
4% below category average
Approval workflow7.30 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Balance details7.40 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment6.80 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
6.1
Ratings
29% below category average
Paylocity
8.4
Ratings
3% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information7.90 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Update personal information7.30 Ratings8.70 Ratings
View company policy documentation7.10 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Employee recognition1.00 Ratings8.10 Ratings
View job history7.20 Ratings8.50 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
4.8
Ratings
50% below category average
Paylocity
7.5
Ratings
7% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets4.80 Ratings7.50 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
5.7
Ratings
27% below category average
Paylocity
7.3
Ratings
2% below category average
Report builder6.20 Ratings7.30 Ratings
Pre-built reports6.50 Ratings7.50 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data4.50 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
6.6
Ratings
19% below category average
Paylocity
8.1
Ratings
2% above category average
New hire portal6.80 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Manager tracking tools6.40 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.0
Ratings
11% below category average
Paylocity
7.5
Ratings
4% below category average
Candidate search7.00 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings7.40 Ratings
Candidate ranking00 Ratings7.50 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
5.3
Ratings
38% below category average
Paylocity
8.0
Ratings
2% above category average
Job Requisition Management5.10 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Company Website Posting5.20 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Publish to Social Media5.60 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting5.90 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention4.60 Ratings7.40 Ratings
Applicant Tracking4.70 Ratings8.20 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts6.10 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
-
Ratings
Paylocity
7.6
Ratings
6% below category average
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings7.50 Ratings
Individual goal setting00 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings7.40 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
-
Ratings
Paylocity
7.5
Ratings
5% below category average
Performance plans00 Ratings7.30 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings7.10 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Best Alternatives
PaychexPaylocity
Small Businesses
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
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
PaychexPaylocity
Likelihood to Recommend
6.5
(0 ratings)
8.1
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.1
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.0
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Availability
5.3
(0 ratings)
8.9
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.0
(0 ratings)
8.4
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
6.2
(0 ratings)
7.5
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
4.5
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.3
(0 ratings)
8.3
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
5.2
(0 ratings)
6.6
(0 ratings)
Configurability
5.0
(0 ratings)
7.6
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(0 ratings)
7.4
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
5.6
(0 ratings)
8.3
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
5.6
(0 ratings)
7.8
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
6.1
(0 ratings)
8.6
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
PaychexPaylocity
Likelihood to Recommend
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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I have already recommended Paylocity to another company and they are using it. The ability to streamline multiple platforms into one is the key feature as it saves time. Also, the speed of loading, the customer service help, and the ease of payroll processing are all reasons why we like utilizing Paylocity. It would be nice to have a referral bonus program as I was told there wasn't one when I referred the company and they signed up
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Pros
  • 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
  • Payroll is made pretty easy. I love that we have the ability to log into payroll, we just upload the information from commissions, things like that where there are exceptions to a regular payroll run. It may make it very easy to do that, just a quick upload. Additionally, when we're in the payroll grid, it gives us the ability to just make quick changes to people's pay or their tax schedule, tax withholdings, things like that without having to go through a lot of different screens. It's just very easy to access just for the click of a button. Love that.
  • We talked about performance reviews, talked about payroll with benefits administration, it allows us to utilize EDI feeds with our benefit vendors so it creates a seamless, but we just enter the information into Paylocity and then it seamlessly provides that information to our vendors. That's been really helpful. And adjusting benefits is also very easy within Paylocity. I love the recent edition of compensation analysis information, so I'm able to go into the compensation module and look for jobs that are similar to a job title at our company. I can enter the job description, I give them what state that the person or the job is in, and it pops out compensation data. It gives me different options, so titles that might be similar. So if there's not something that's an exact fit, I'm able to find something really, really close. It's been a huge upgrade because before that I was having to use a different vendor and paying $400 per job and now it's significantly less expensive to Paylocity and I'm still getting great quality data. It's been very helpful.
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Cons
  • 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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  • I'd like to see a forum in which users could discuss the platform, raise both questions and concerns. I feel that changes are done without enough input from users.
  • Improving hold time recently with customer service.
  • Accuracy of new 'graphic' payroll report - the new report is not complete when payroll is done, so it is unusable from my perspective. I rely on the preprocess payroll register. This is one of those 'improvements' that have not been positive in my experience.
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Likelihood to Renew
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
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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
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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I simply love Paylocity! We have run into some issues, but no company is going to be perfect. The flow of the modules is really nice, no double entry of data. The Time & Labor flows into Payroll nicely and Benefits flows into the employees Pay Setup which goes onto the employees paycheck with little to no issues.
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Reliability and Availability
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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Over the last 3 years, we've only had one major service issue that rendered Airbase unusable for us for about 24 hours. That said, they navigated the SVB bank crisis very well and made sure funds were available during that time.
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Performance
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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We had some minor hiccups throughout the year but they have all been fixable. Paylocity integrates well with our 401k provider, Principal, and our benefits, OneDigital. It makes it simple to house everything and have it all connected. It doesn't slow anything down to have Principal integrated. It makes it more efficient
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Support Rating
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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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
We did online training only
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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
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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Our rep was very thorough and made sure we fully understood the software before turning us loose alone. Paylocity was very good to do periodic check ins to ensure we understood the features and answered any questions we had. The training reps are very well trained and are very patient with clients.
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Implementation Rating
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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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
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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Paylocity is SO far ahead of Paycor, it's not even funny. Just from the implementation standpoint alone, Paycor was an absolute nightmare. Paylocity had some struggles, but that goes along with any implementation. The experience with Paylocity was LIGHTYEARS ahead of our experience with Paycor, and the system itself is so, so much better.
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Scalability
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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We have gone from a medium sized company to a larger company with no issues whatsoever with Paylocity being able to keep up or do what we need it to do for the size of our needs. In fact, it does more than we even use at this juncture
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Return on Investment
  • 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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  • Paylocity has helped us with recruitment by streamlining the process and making it efficient. It is saving me time.
  • Paylocity has also helped us with compensation so we can create a fair and robust compensation plan.
  • I also like using the data insights feature, which helps me keep track of over time, payroll and benefits costs, and retention numbers. This also saves me time as it is all in one place.
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ScreenShots

Paychex Screenshots

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

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.