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Ascentis (discontinued)

Ascentis (discontinued)

Overview

What is Ascentis (discontinued)?

Ascentis HR uses web-based management programs to help automate complex HR processes. Ascentis’ other services included customizable payroll, time and attendance and recruiting modules. Ascentis was acquired by UKG in March of 2022, and will be discontinued.

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Pricing

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What is Ascentis (discontinued)?

Ascentis HR uses web-based management programs to help automate complex HR processes. Ascentis’ other services included customizable payroll, time and attendance and recruiting modules. Ascentis was acquired by UKG in March of 2022, and will be discontinued.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Alternatives Pricing

What is Rippling?

Rippling’s platform for HR, IT, payroll, and spend management automates the entire employee lifecycle, ensures compliance, supports device management, and provides real-time financial visibility from a central dashboard.

What is Gusto?

Gusto offers payroll, benefits and compliance capabilities. Gusto is scaled for small to mid-sized businesses, and emphasizes an easy to use interface.

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Features

Human Resource Management

Organizing, tracking and providing instant access to critical employee data, job profiles, transfers, promotions, and benefits information.

7.1
Avg 7.9

Payroll Management

Provides for pay calculation and benefit plan administration, in addition to managing direct deposit, salary revisions and payroll tracking.

7.8
Avg 8.0

Leave and Attendance Management

Streamlines communication between HR and employees and facilitates efficient management of employee leave including requisitions, approvals, balance calculation, and annual carry-forward.

7.8
Avg 8.1

Employee Self Service

Employee portal allowing employees to view and update their personal information.

7
Avg 8.1

Asset Management

Maintaining a record of assets such as laptops, pagers, cell phones, etc. issued to employees. Record typically includes asset type, number, serial number and date of issuance.

5.8
Avg 7.9

HR Reporting

Pre-built and custom reports, and integration with external data.

6.3
Avg 7.6

Onboarding

Employee onboarding is the process of orienting new hires to the social and performance aspects of their jobs so that they are able to function in their new roles as quickly as possible.

5.1
Avg 7.9

Performance and Goals

Goal alignment is the practice of ensuring that all employees have clearly defined goals in support of the overall corporate strategy.

7.2
Avg 8.0

Performance Management

Performance management is the process of ensuring employees meet pre-determined objectives and goals through regular check-ins and appraisals.

6
Avg 7.9

Succession Planning

Succession planning is the identification and development of internal employees with the potential to fill key business leadership positions in the company.

5.9
Avg 7.8

Recruiting / ATS

Recruiting or Applicant Tracking Software is software used to manage the recruitment process electronically by handling job postings, applicant status, resume management, etc.

5.5
Avg 7.7
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Product Details

What is Ascentis (discontinued)?

Ascentis was an a-la carte full suite workforce management (WFM) technology platform and human capital solutions. Ascentis WFM provided time and attendance solutions that provided clients with scheduling, compliance, complex calculations, and time collection options. The HCM suite, included a fully a-la carte solution.

Ascentis was acquired by UKG in March of 2022. The service will be discontinued.

Ascentis (discontinued) Screenshots

Screenshot of Access all of your details including, paychecks, personal file, timeclock, etc via our mobile app.Screenshot of Punch-in and punch-out on the go.Screenshot of Centralized location for everything related to a user or admin.Screenshot of Every employee has access to their personal information in one location.Screenshot of Pre-built reporting along with Ad Hoc reporting gives you the ability to understand your business as a whole.Screenshot of Benefit enrollment made easy for your employees.Screenshot of Manage your employees schedule, PTO, accruals through our best of breed timekeeping system.

Ascentis (discontinued) Competitors

Ascentis (discontinued) Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Ascentis HR uses web-based management programs to help automate complex HR processes. Ascentis’ other services included customizable payroll, time and attendance and recruiting modules. Ascentis was acquired by UKG in March of 2022, and will be discontinued.

UKG Pro, Paylocity, and Paycom are common alternatives for Ascentis (discontinued).

Reviewers rate Direct deposit files highest, with a score of 9.2.

The most common users of Ascentis (discontinued) are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews From Top Reviewers

(1-5 of 33)

Ascentis HR review-- Not my first choice.

Rating: 2 out of 10
January 20, 2015
AM
Vetted Review
Verified User
Ascentis (discontinued)
7 years of experience
We use ascentis for our HRIS in the HR department across all locations in the US. We use it as a means to keep track of employee information and we also have the system feed to our benefit and payroll systems. We have automatic files that feed to these systems. We also keep track of salaried employee vacation through Ascentis, which is connected to our intranet.
  • Automatic file feed-- we set these up to automatically feed to our benefit system. This has worked particularly well, as we were able to increase the frequency when we were rapidly hiring. This allowed employees to set up a benefit account more quickly and sign up for benefits in a more timely manner.
  • Keeps track of the date and person that made the last change in Asecntis. It doesn't say which field, but it has the date and person that made the last change on the given employee information tab.
  • Keeps the history of compensation and job history well.
Cons
  • The product is accessed through a remote desktop. This makes the product extremely slow. So slow sometimes, that the reaction time lags so much that it isn't worth it to make any changes in the system.
  • The bonus and performance modules are not conducive for a successful performance management campaign. There are so many unique situations in our organzation, that these modules can't keep up with all of the intricacies.
  • The support staff has given misguided advice. Perhaps they need to be trained better?
  • We have two different company names, so in the system, we have to select the correct company name in order to view that company's information. It makes it difficult for running reports for the entire organization because you have to run one report in one company code and then select the other company code to run an identical report and then combine the two reports in order to run a report for the entire organization.
It may be better suited for a smaller company with straightforward policies and rules. Our organization has many unique circumstances that the system can't keep up with. To determine whether or not the system will suit your company, make a list of all unique circumstances that your company will encounter. Then ask, specifically, how Ascentis can help with the given process.

Ascentis Review

Rating: 1 out of 10
August 09, 2019
SD
Vetted Review
Verified User
Ascentis (discontinued)
2 years of experience
Ascentis is used as an HRIS for all staff by approximately 14 HR professionals.
  • The web-based product is being advanced and seems to be moving in a direction where a web-based product could be utilized in place of the remote desktop.
  • Customizable fields and tabs. Ascentis has a significant quantity of customization which is very necessary for the complexities within our organization.
  • User password reset. It is very quick and efficient to change a user's password when they are locked out (as long as the remote desktop is already open).
Cons
  • It should be far easier to rehire an individual with prompts as to the fields that require editing. Currently, there are multiple steps and screens/tabs and no prompts at all. If one field is missed on the employment tab, the employee will continue to show as being terminated on reports which can raise a lot of questions and takes more time/effort to correct.
  • The Employee Manager window should be expandable to enlarge. It is small and often hard to read for aging eyes. Lack of this simple feature makes the product also appear quite antiquated.
  • Information in the fields and tabs within Employee Manager should not be so easy to accidentally overwrite. Lack of a simple warning again makes the Ascentis product seem antiquated.
  • Lack of follow up follow through when there are issues. We often take issues to Ascentis Support and often, the resolution takes days or weeks and has been seldom satisfactory. We often have to send several reminders for assistance before we get the action we need. Frequent turnover of account reps also seems to be an area of concern.
  • Using a remote desktop source or RDP over SSL is also antiquated. A well-secured web-based product would be far more user-friendly and simpler to access.
  • Limited space on remote desktop. Having to move attachments over to the remote desktop to upload to an employee profile can be a hassle. I have moved several attachments over to upload, been faced with the typical HR interruptions and ended up have to re-attempt a fee days later only to find that some of my attachments are randomly missing. Then having to go back and identify what was deleted due to space constraints and start the entire process over.
I think in a very simple, very small organization, Ascentis may be a decent choice. However, there is simply too much room for error in entries for a larger organization that depends on a higher percentage of correct data and has many users, so checks and balances are fewer.

Ascentis Review

Rating: 8 out of 10
March 12, 2018
Vetted Review
Verified User
Ascentis (discontinued)
1 year of experience
Ascentis HR is being used by my complete organization as a solution to [have] all HR data be in one location. We found it to be a very cost-effective solution.
  • Ease of use
  • All information in one place
Cons
  • Do away with the Remote Desktop.
Suited for small HR departments. All information is easy to access.

It has its pros and cons.

Rating: 7 out of 10
March 08, 2018
Vetted Review
Verified User
Ascentis (discontinued)
1 year of experience
Currently, we only use Ascentis HR within our HR department. We have opened up the self-service portal to allow employees to make benefit selections for open enrollment as well as make changes to their personal information.

In the future, we will allow all managers access to the systems to conduct performance reviews and learning management. We also plan on implementing the Ascentis HR recruiting module and embed the candidate portal in our organization's career page. We will give access to this section of Ascentis to specific hiring managers who will need to screen and interview individuals who apply for jobs at our organization.

Overall, once we've completed implementing all parts of Ascentis HR, we hope that it will greatly reduce the amount general HR Administration for our team to allow us to focus on more project-based work.
  • I like the amount of customization that can be created within the HCM. Being able to create custom tabs for extra information specific to our organization helps us stay organized.
  • Although we haven't finished implementing yet, I like how the ATS/recruiting module will seamlessly transfer newly hired employee's information into the HCM.
  • I like the quick and timely responses from the Ascentis support teams. They are much more helpful than our previous provider.
Cons
  • I don't like having multiple log-ins and passwords for Ascentis HR.
  • The Remote Desktop has shown to be problematic for my colleagues using an Apple computer rather than a Windows PC.
  • The recruiting modules lack the customization we would like, limiting us to develop a candidate experience that is not ideal.
Ascentis, like all HRIS, has pros and cons. For those looking for an HCM with lots of customization opportunity and great client support, Ascentis is a great option. On the other hand, until Ascentis changes to a web-based design over the current remote desktop version, those with Apple computers will experience some technical issues. Lastly, we have yet to fully integrate and use their ATS/recruitment module, but so far we feel the software features don't meet our expectations.

As an organization with only one location and a fairly small number of open positions at any given time, we do not like the candidate portal and the use of the "search" function. We would prefer to have more customization in this area.

Ascentis: Only Use if You Require LaborMetrix (variable pay)

Rating: 1 out of 10
July 14, 2020
JA
Vetted Review
Verified User
Ascentis (discontinued)
1 year of experience
Ascentis is currently used across two businesses. We have the full suite with the exception of performance management. It is used across the whole organization. Ascentis solves no problems for the organization but does create a multitude of new problems that we did not have to deal with from our previous payroll/HR/benefits/timekeeping provider. Ascentis contractor LaborMetrix addresses the problem of calculating variable pay for hourly employees.
  • Contract with LaborMetrix
Cons
  • Payroll - Requires more manual steps including processing separately in the timekeeping portal, calculating in the variable pay calculator application, exporting from the variable pay calculator application to a .txt file, uploading that .txt file into Ascentis payroll to add the hourly pay. Paychecks do not include the time off balances by default, which is out of compliance with CA earnings statement laws. Administrators have to export the balances and manually upload them for every payroll. Paychecks can display the 401K contribution percentage, but not the Roth 401K contribution percentage. We have to use a separate payroll application to do the W-2 and quarter-end processes because the main web portal is not able to do that. We have to use the separate payroll application to get reports of any use because the main web portal only has a few reports available and they are not helpful. In order to view an employee's paycheck, the administrator has to go through his or her personal profile and payroll screen. The administrator is unable to edit an employee's tax withholdings on the web portal.
  • HR - Almost everything related to configuration and management is only fully-functional on the Remote Desktop that no one mentioned being necessary at all during the sales calls. Administrators cannot do everything from the main web portal. This includes editing employee access and changing the information that is displayed to employees on the main web portal. This includes setting up benefit carriers and employee profile management. Most of the reports available on the web are not useful, and administrators have to use the Remote Desktop to create custom reports.
  • Benefits - Unable to view the EDI feed information. Administrator view does not show the sum of all of an employee's benefit costs. Managing the documents and links in the benefits section requires using the Remote Desktop that no one mentioned during sales and requires unnecessarily complex steps involving adding a picture to a specific folder in the remote desktop and then including the file reference to RD/Company/Admin/Folder/file.jpg just to have a picture displayed for employees instead of just uploading the picture like any other website.
  • Timekeeping - Requires separate processing in order to lock timesheets and process payroll, requires a workaround involving exporting the following pay period to show the current time off balances when downloading the figures to be included on the paychecks,. The system has meal premium features and shifts features, but they conflict and display incorrect times for approaching hours (example shows meal premium after 6.01 hours instead of after 5 hours). Notifications that were sent to the EE and supervisor were sent at midnight the night after the employee already reached the point of getting a meal premium, which does not help anyone avoid it at all. Holidays paid out the number of work hours on the shift plus the 30 minutes of unpaid lunch, which meant they were overpaid. Holidays paid out for days when the employee was not scheduled to work, which meant they were overpaid. Sick balance policies consider transferring to be like a new hire, which incorrectly adds 3 days of sick time to the employee's balance. It's been a year since implementation and problems that caused Ascentis to postpone our implementation still have not been fully resolved. Features highlighted during the sales meetings do not work and we have had to deactivate them to avoid confusion with our staff and supervisors.
  • Mobile App - Paycheck information in the app does not match paycheck information shown on the web portal. It displays hourly-only timesheet features like exception counters and things for salaried employees who do not get meal premiums or OT or clock in and out. It allows employees to add or remove employees from their benefits, which should not be allowed unless the employee had a qualifying life event. It does not allow employees to submit address updates, scheduled for future bug fix but currently displays unpaid hours like unpaid vacation as a dollar amount instead of hours. It's scheduled for a future bug fix but currently shows a total rate that is the sum of an employee's sick rate + vacation rate + regular rate + OT rate + etc... that does not mean anything, but is shown for some reason. It does not allow administrator configuration of what should or shouldn't be visible to employees, does not display all of the pay statements in the employee record when they are all visible on the main web portal, and it has two separate sections in which employees can view their balances and request time off - one from the last paycheck's information and one from NOVATime, which is confusing because they do not always display the same information.
  • Recruiting - The system user experience is extremely convoluted. Also, unlike others that just allow clients to add the forms and things required from applicants, Ascentis charges at least $100 for every form that needs a signature, which is most forms in the new-hire process. Ascentis also charges for each signature. Ascentis also charges for each administrator/manager who would use the recruiting module. None of this was stated during the sales meetings or even in the order form/contract.
  • Reporting - Reports cannot contain timekeeping data, HR/Benefits data, and payroll data in the same report. They all have to be separate reports. Also, unlike ADP or others that do it for free, Ascentis charges the client at least $500-$1000 for creating custom reports.
If a company requires variable pay calculations, LaborMetrix, not Ascentis, is good. Every other aspect is more difficult and time-consuming from running regular payrolls, to managing the database of employees, to entering new hires or terminations, to new hire enrollment or open enrollment, to viewing employee information.
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