Paylocity vs. QuickBooks Online

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
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
QuickBooks Online
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
QuickBooks Online is a SaaS version of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version. Higher-priced plans include greater automation, payment management, inventory and time tracking, and analytics features.
$20
per month
Pricing
PaylocityQuickBooks Online
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Solopreneur
$20
per month
Simple Start
$35
per month
Plus
$99
per month
Advanced
$235
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
PaylocityQuickBooks Online
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
PaylocityQuickBooks Online
Considered Both Products
Paylocity
Chose Paylocity
Superior mobile app, reporting capability, ease of use for employees to leadership, system administration is simple.
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 had an easier initial startup than the other programs I have used. This was vital when getting started with payroll software.
Chose Paylocity
We've been with Paylocity for 11 years. Compared to Paychex at the time, Paylocity was way ahead. Not sure about Paychex currently.
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity is significantly easier to use and is much more straightforward than Workday. They offer customer service, and the customer service nearly immediately answers the phone and can help. It is a night and day difference.
Chose Paylocity
Dollar for dollar, Paylocity provided more value for our business than Quickbooks desktop/online payroll and Netsuite payroll. There are better insights, more automation, and far better support than anything we'd seen in Paylocity's competitors.
Chose Paylocity
Products have a lot of the same functions, so I believe the key is to pick a product and stick with it - commit to learning how it functions, and train employees to do the same. Flip-flopping between products is the worst you can do.

Your success with a product is also dependent …
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity was much cheaper and appeared to have a much more streamlined approach compared to these other systems. I actually was not at the organization during the Paylocity decision making process, but our major concern was cost and ease of use and Paylocity has not …
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity overall has been a great switch for us. The payroll process now that we’ve been with the company a year is so quick and easy.
Chose Paylocity
We gave QuickBooks payroll a chance but quickly switched to Paylocity. Paylocity better met our needs since it is more of an HR platform. We get to store all information in one platform.
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity is more user friendly and offers an easier navigation system for employees.
Chose Paylocity
We used to do Payroll ourselves using Quickbooks. I much rather use Paylocity than do payroll ourselves.
Chose Paylocity
We evaluated Paychex as a payroll provider but we felt like Paylocity had more to offer overall. Paylocity's payroll and HR modules are superior and their customer service has always been helpful and we felt too much pressure from Paychex to sign up for their products or …
Chose Paylocity
I did not select Paylocity, I would like to see more features that are similar to Bamboo as they have a wonderful HR dashboard and platform where you can go to one place to see all your HR metrics, payroll, taxes, benefits, and other items that me as an HR admin need to be able …
Chose Paylocity
I really liked Insperity because we had a dedicated service rep who knew our business, and we built a good rapport. I liked ADP because their service reps were knowledgeable.
Chose Paylocity
Paycom is superior to Paylocity but Paycom is very expensive. We chose Paylocity because it is affordable and came from a co-workers recommendation.
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity makes Quickbooks look like a dinosaur for payroll processing - and if you're thinking about switching (for payroll only), I would do it! I previously used isolved with a former employer, and their system is much more employer-hands-on, which I prefer. If you're …
Chose Paylocity
I was very familiar with Payroll Systems. It's modules were not as seamlessly connected so it took a lot more work. Paylocity is very straightforward and easy to use. I would recommend Paylocity over Payroll Systems.

I also used Paychex for a short time. It caused a huge …
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity was the most affordable option that offered a service to help us get set up in states across the US. They have a background check partner and offer free integration with Employee Navigator, which was important to us. Justworks PEO was a close second, but couldn't …
Chose Paylocity
Paylocity was able to integrate with our 401k company John Hancock flawlessly and ADP couldn't. This was beneficial for us as we were able to save time instead of having to write and mail checks manually every pay period for 401k team member contributions.
QuickBooks Online

No answer on this topic

Features
PaylocityQuickBooks Online
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
7.9
1240 Ratings
0% above category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data8.61177 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.21140 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration8.01065 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.61075 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting7.2994 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management7.8972 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.6829 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
8.2
1204 Ratings
3% above category average
QuickBooks Online
8.2
97 Ratings
9% above category average
Pay calculation8.61175 Ratings8.188 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.7577 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.6902 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.5810 Ratings7.744 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.01172 Ratings8.782 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.2944 Ratings8.657 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.1592 Ratings7.861 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
7.5
1023 Ratings
8% below category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
Approval workflow7.6910 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details7.3977 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.5772 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
8.4
1217 Ratings
3% above category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information8.51185 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information8.71207 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.1975 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition8.3883 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history8.51042 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
7.3
380 Ratings
8% below category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets7.3380 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
7.3
1123 Ratings
3% below category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
Report builder7.31076 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.51097 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data7.1706 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
8.3
1058 Ratings
4% above category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
New hire portal8.41051 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools8.2845 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
7.9
587 Ratings
1% below category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting7.9465 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.8541 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.8408 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.9548 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
7.6
741 Ratings
4% below category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
Performance plans7.5675 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans7.6580 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking7.6682 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders7.7686 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.7573 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
7.5
384 Ratings
3% below category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
Create succession plans/pools6.9257 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking7.4312 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search8.0351 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate development7.6284 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
8.0
705 Ratings
4% above category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management8.1604 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting8.1631 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media8.0490 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting7.9601 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention7.6507 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking8.2654 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts7.9648 Ratings00 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
7.5
92 Ratings
3% below category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings7.576 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings7.675 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
8.8
149 Ratings
7% above category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings8.9116 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings8.8139 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
8.5
176 Ratings
8% above category average
Dashboards00 Ratings8.5164 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings8.8171 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings8.1155 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
8.0
190 Ratings
5% above category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings9.0160 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings8.8176 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings8.5160 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.0180 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings8.7166 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings6.772 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings8.073 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings6.734 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings7.959 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings7.857 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings8.191 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings7.896 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings7.026 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings7.852 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings8.449 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings8.037 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings8.7107 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings7.741 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings8.261 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings7.742 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.476 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
7.0
69 Ratings
7% below category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings6.865 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings7.234 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings7.238 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings6.725 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Paylocity
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
7.8
117 Ratings
2% above category average
Pricing00 Ratings7.873 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings7.670 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings8.487 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings8.188 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings7.333 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings8.134 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings7.230 Ratings
Best Alternatives
PaylocityQuickBooks Online
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 out of 10
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.6 out of 10
BlackLine
BlackLine
Score 8.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
PaylocityQuickBooks Online
Likelihood to Recommend
8.3
(1304 ratings)
8.5
(208 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.7
(152 ratings)
6.6
(26 ratings)
Usability
8.1
(103 ratings)
8.7
(123 ratings)
Availability
9.0
(32 ratings)
2.0
(5 ratings)
Performance
8.6
(31 ratings)
1.0
(4 ratings)
Support Rating
7.1
(137 ratings)
1.3
(69 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.1
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
7.9
(23 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.5
(80 ratings)
3.0
(6 ratings)
Configurability
7.4
(23 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
8.5
(20 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
7.3
(24 ratings)
1.3
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.2
(31 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
Professional Services
9.2
(16 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
7.3
(29 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.5
(26 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
PaylocityQuickBooks Online
Likelihood to Recommend
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
Intuit
Since we run outside payroll for a couple of the companies, it is quite difficult to be as accurate as I would like when it comes to categorizing those payroll transactions, since they have to be imported via journal entries. Between that and the lack of a complex inventory management, are really my only complaints of the software. I do like the accessibility for myself, my employees, and my clients of the online version, something you don't get with desktop versions.
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Pros
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
Intuit
  • Workflows for accounts payable invoice review are terrific.
  • Bill payment allows you to pay vendors online via ACH or check without having to write a physical check, which reduces admin time.
  • The cloud based login lends well to a remote or hybrid work environment for staff.
  • QuickBooks Online allows you to pre-configure vendors' general ledger expense accounts. This helps with general ledger coding accuracy and consistency.
  • QuickBooks Online integrates with Rippling HRIS, Coast, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, etc., which lends well to an efficient month-end closing and reduced administrative time.
Read full review
Cons
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
Intuit
  • Purchase Orders cannot be linked to multiple bill payments which makes tracking purchase orders in QuickBooks Online obsolete. Without the function we have to track this within a different more manual spreadsheet.
  • Would be helpful if you could "split" bank transactions directly from the "review" downloads from the bank. Currently, to split transactions to multiple accounts we need to first categorize, then review after assigning to 1 account.
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Likelihood to Renew
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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Intuit
It like the product 'right out of the box' and I trust Intuit will continually improve it over the years based on my experience with their desktop products. The large providers of Apps makes customizing the entire package relatively easy and seamless for a wide variety of business types.
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Usability
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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Intuit
I had very little trouble setting up the program and migrating from our old accounting system. The daily usage is also very intuitive and easy. Anytime we run into minor trouble with the program, there are always tons of help available on YouTube, so we don't even look up the online manual anymore.
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Reliability and Availability
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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Intuit
We have rarely had outages in the last 10 years. I can only recall 2 times in the last 10 years where we were not able to access our client files.
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Performance
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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Intuit
There are tab issues. When I tab the field doesn't highlight and I have to backspace or delete what is in the field. Happens on the memo field and sometimes other fields. Very time consuming.
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Support Rating
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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Intuit
In my experience, most representatives keep me on the phone for hours, literally, for a single issue and then usually cannot resolve it satisfactorily. I have 10 open cases that need resolution and, in my experience, there has been NO follow-up communication on any of them.
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In-Person Training
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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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Online Training
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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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
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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Intuit
The person in charge of QB needs to be very accurate with record keeping and is recommended to stay on top of tasks. The biggest issue we have is reconciliation, and those issues occur only when too much time has occurred between reconciliations
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Alternatives Considered
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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Intuit
My employer was already using Quickbooks when I got here. As the Executive Director, I do all the day-to-day accounting. This program is easy to learn and use. I was able to add budgets by class so I can run P&Ls for each of the different programs as well as an organizational budget.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Paylocity
I didn't help but I like the pricing
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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Scalability
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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Intuit
As we have grown along our professional path, we have also expanded our use of QB. The scalability is easy and features seem to be waiting for you until you need them. We have increased profits by over 10x from our first year in business to the current and have yet to find a reason to look elsewhere
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Professional Services
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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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
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.
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Intuit
  • QuickBooks has given us a useful portal by which to get an overview of our financials.
  • QuickBooks has given us a relatively easy way to send out invoices quickly and efficiently.
  • Due to the customization limitations on QuickBooks, we've had to get creative in third-party implementations to better represent our brand and to track financials.
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ScreenShots

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.