Smart organizations are increasingly embracing the use of workforce management software that can efficiently aid them in organizing their staffing needs. This article will explore the best HR software for workforce management in the market and how they can benefit your business.
What is workforce management software?
Let’s start off with what workforce management (WFM) software is and what it hopes to achieve in terms of its value to a business. A workforce management platform is a system that enables companies to plan, manage, and analyze the need for staffing resources and allocate them in the most efficient, cost-effective, and productive way. This helps the organization to ensure that labor is being used effectively, thus making cost and efficiency savings.
As part of this, the best workforce management software also has the functionality to manage the talent management processes of an organization and has strong reporting features to optimize staff scheduling and explore potential improvements to these fields.
Must-have features to look for in a workforce management software system
There are many workforce management solutions on the market, each offering a range of tools. It can be really tough to differentiate between them and choose the best workforce management software for your business. However, there are some key features that the best workforce management software share that you should look out for.
First, a cloud workforce management solution is a great option for organizations of all sizes. It offers total flexibility on a web-based platform, giving users the ability to access the system remotely. A system that uses a workforce management app is even better for maximum flexibility on the go.
You need a workforce optimization system that can handle different types of complex data with ease. For example, many organizations have complicated staffing structures, with employee working hours and contractual arrangements that have anomalies. The best workforce management software should be able to synchronize these discrepancies effortlessly.
Lastly, go for workforce management solutions software that has comprehensive reporting functionality. This will help your HR and leadership teams to drill down into data held within the system to identify staffing issues or blockages in certain departments, or during particular parts of the day to spot opportunities to add greater efficiency to your talent acquisition activities.
The top 6 workforce management software
The workforce management system software market is thriving, but all of these choices can be overwhelming for businesses looking for a system in which to invest.
Below are our picks of the best WFM software out there.
1. Workday HCM
This WFM system covers all aspects of human capital management, from time tracking and workforce planning to recruitment and talent management. It can be hosted both on a private cloud or claimed as a SaaS offering, via mobile devices for ultimate flexibility.
Pricing: Prices start from $100 per employee, based on a three-year contractual term.
2. Kissflow HR Cloud
Kissflow HR Cloud is an all-in-one HR management suite that manages the complete hire-to-retire lifecycle of an organization’s workforce in a simple, easy-to-use system. It offers intuitive, self-service features to help organizations effectively organize, manage, staff, and pay their global workforce.
It comes with a wide range of HR modules like recruitment automation, onboarding, performance management, time and attendance management, and offboarding. Designed for the way people work, it helps businesses to understand their global workforce better by providing actionable insights.
Pricing: Pricing is based on the maximum number of users, software functionalities, and expected transaction volume; the basic plan for 100 users starts from $690/month.
3. SAP Fieldglass
SAP Fieldglass is a well-established WFM system used in over 165 countries worldwide. it offers users a range of workforce management tools such as scheduling, skills tracking, labor projection and budgeting, and forecasting features.
Other services can be easily bolted onto the system, such as vendor, procurement, and talent management software, offering great integration across different areas.
Pricing: Pricing is offered on a per-user basis, and additional modules can be added as required by the client.
4. WorkforceNow
This is a comprehensive, web-based human resource capital management system designed to assist and automate a company’s HR processes including payroll management, benefits, time and labor management, compliance, etc. This tool also provides the API, which facilitates the smooth integration with other HR business applications, including any internal software that you may have.
5. BambooHR
This workforce management software is ideally suited to small- or medium-sized businesses. Practical and user-friendly, it can be installed or operated on the cloud.
Pricing: Prices are dependent upon the number of users and type of functionality needed, and a free trial is offered so that you can assess whether the system meets your needs.
6. UltiPro
UltiPro is an award-winning, cloud-based workforce management tool with a range of great resources to help businesses organize and plan their human capital requirements. With advanced calendar management tools and sophisticated reporting analytics, UltiPro can offer informed insights into the effectiveness of an organization’s workforce management activity.
Pricing: A free demo is not offered, but you can contact UltiPro directly for a customized quote.
Benefits of using a workforce management suite
There are many reasons to use workforce management software. Here are just a couple:
1. Streamline your HR processes
Replacing outdated, manual processes with automated workflows is a great way to ensure that you are getting the best out of your workforce. Inputting data manually takes up precious employee time that could be better used on more value-adding activities in other areas of the business. Workforce management software also helps reduce duplication and errors. The data and information flow between teams are also faster and more efficient.
2. Reduce your costs
Using workforce management applications can help an organization lower their costs in several different ways. First, your employee costs are likely to decrease due to the fact that automation can carry out many of the repetitive administrative tasks involved in the HR processes. Also, the likely reduction in error rate and improvement in the consistency and integrity of data from using workforce management applications can positively affect your company’s bottom line.
What are the latest workforce management trends?
One of the hottest topics in the field right now is the creation and implementation of a workforce management strategy. This involves the HR function partnering with the leadership team to proactively predict and subsequently plan for future staffing requirements based on business needs. An organization with a strong workforce management strategy is, therefore, able to put in place recruitment, training, and talent management strategies to anticipate and support business operations, therefore contributing positively towards organizational success.
Another trend in workforce management is the use of analytics to evaluate the effectiveness of your organization’s WFM solutions and processes. This could include running reports to better understand the effectiveness of your staffing policy versus customer demand at key points of the day, week, or month or analyzing how effective your job advertisements are in converting suitable candidates through the application stage.
Better understanding the metrics and data behind your workforce management outcomes help make better-informed decisions to positively influence your future workforce management strategy.
Finding the best workforce management software for your organization
With so much workforce automation software on the market, it is imperative that you first establish what your company’s unique needs are in terms of strategic workforce management and then take time to fully evaluate the different options available. This will help you choose a WFM solution that can contribute effectively towards your workforce management needs without making a dent in your account.
Are you shopping around for a workforce management tool that will help you navigate the complexities involved in managing the modern workforce? Give Kissflow HR Cloud a spin and experience the ease of automated workforce management.