Workforce management has become a herculean task as HR processes grow, modernize, and evolve. The best workforce management software will include features that address everything from employee scheduling, attendance tracking, leave management, onboarding, benefits administration, call center optimization, HRIS, time tracking, and payroll systems—just to name a few!
In this article, I will outline some of the best, most reliable workforce management solutions to help you with everything from employee engagement to time & attendance. I will also outline what each workforce HR software solution does best so that you can determine if it’s right for you.
What Is Workforce Management Software?
Workforce management software (sometimes called a WMS, and sometimes called WFM software, depending on who you ask) is any digital tool designed to support the day-to-day operations of a workforce. This will most likely include many common human resource management tasks, such as timesheets, labor management forecasting, performance management, absence management, task management, and payroll software.
Some WMSs might be jacks-of-all-trades and cover all of the above to varying degrees. Others might specialize in a few professional services only, or in some cases, just one of them.
Best Workforce Management Software List
Here’s a shortlist of the best workforce management software—find overviews of each below:
- ADP Workforce Now
- Calabrio Workforce Management
- SwipedOn Pocket
- Oracle Workforce Management
- Fuse Workforce Management
- BlueYonder Workforce Management
- Aspect Workforce Management
- SAP SuccessFactors
- SumTotal Workforce Management
- Paylocity
WFM Software Comparison Criteria
Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria:
- User Interface (UI): Workforce management needs the UI functionality to support ease-of-use for HR departments as well as intuitive employee self-service when necessary. Therefore, the interface should update in real-time, streamline navigation, and display aesthetic and modern workflows.
- Usability: Large scale WMS training often incurs additional labor costs so it’s important for any software to be easy for a mobile workforce and/or HR management to figure out. Training should be timely, thorough, and accessible, and ongoing customer service assistance should be adequately provided.
- Integrations: Workforce management software is usually just one cog in a larger SaaS machine so it must be able to integrate (plug-in or API) with popular apps for staffing, task lifecycle automation, budgeting, employee time and clock in tools, scheduling software, and artificial intelligence. Does the software connect with a good variety of third-party apps and services easily?
- Value for $: Workforce management software pricing should be fair, flexible, and transparent for the needs of large enterprises as well as small businesses. Bonus: Does the cost include a mobile app, contact center support, and other perks?
WFM Tools Key Features
- Multi-platform support, including mobile – Workforces may use their own device or have a platform preference so WMS must be OS and device agnostic.
- Real time scheduling and time clock access anywhere – Time management and time keeping on-the-go is increasingly crucial to the mobile, remote, and hybrid workforce of today.
- Automated reporting for crucial metrics – Managers will need ROI metrics and KPIs readily available to save time as they navigate large-scale or remote workforces.
- Remote management oversight – Managers should be empowered to check on, reach out to, and follow up with agents at every level of the company.
- Talent acquisition and ongoing training – The bottom line is that your workforce is an asset to you and you should plan to spend resources in order to develop, train, and promote them.
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Overviews Of The 10 Best Workforce Management Software
Here’s a brief description of each of the workforce management solutions on my list showing what it does best, plus screenshots to showcase some of the features.
1. ADP Workforce Now – Best enterprise workforce management software
Over 70,000 satisfied clients in North America alone, ADP Workforce Now is a fully-featured HR management software built with large businesses in mind. ADP is an all-in-one, cloud-based platform for payroll, HR, time, talent, reporting, and benefits. Enterprises will appreciate their flexible scalability, single-entry data capabilities that auto-populate everywhere, proactive error detection, and enterprise-grade data security.
ADP Workforce Now offers customized pricing upon request. They offer a 30-day free trial.
Pros
- Comprehensive house employee data, both current and historical
- Easy time and attendance management tools
- Communicates well with other timekeeping solutions
Cons
- Inconsistent UX across pages (i.e. button placement)
- Better sync between WFN and ET&A would be welcome
- No PDF pay summaries (must print)
2. Calabrio Workforce Management – Best call center workforce management software
In June 2019, Calabrio acquired Teleopti, blending together powerful workforce management software with high caliber customer experience solutions. Together, they now offer one of the most comprehensive call center workforce solutions on the market. In particular, they make it ridiculously easy to record calls and store them for future training and feedback. Calabrio can also predict spikes and lulls, monitor agent engagement, and integrate AI chatbot technology.
Calabrio Workforce Management offers customized pricing upon request.
Pros
- Well done audio and screen recording for call centers
- Copy schedule feature saves administration time
- Intuitive, digestible analytics system and visuals
Cons
- Slightly convoluted pathway to requesting time off
- File storage doesn’t automatically organize by time/date
- No What If function to test schedules/forecast before agent sees it
3. SwipedOn Pocket – Best location-based workforce management software
SwipedOn Pocket is a workforce and employee management software built for tracking employees on-site and facilitating a risk-free environment for employees. With the release of SwipedOn Pocket amidst COVID-19, the tool is able to assist specifically with staff safety through features such as contactless sign-in utilizing QR codes.
SwipedOn Pocket allows managers to access valuable insights into employee movements in terms of entering or exiting your workplace. Accurate date and time stamping provides a complete picture of who is on site at all times and with Proximity enabled, each employee sign-in is verified at a specific location.
Users can add custom screening questions, which allows for daily health & wellness checks as employees sign in, and administrators can be alerted if any answers raise concerns. With a very clean, modern user interface, SwipedOn Pocket is simple and easy to use.
Plans start from $49 a month. The tool also offers a free 14-day free trial (no credit card required), and free demos with experts on their team.
Pros
- Accurate, real-time data showing employee movements
- Verified employee sign in to specific locations with Proximity
- Perform wellness checks with screening questions during employee sign in
Cons
- Does not currently offer the ability to sign in remotely
- Proximity works by iPad beacon distance, not geo-location services
- Not compatible with older mobile devices
4. Oracle Workforce Management – Best mobile workforce management software
Oracle Workforce Management connects time, labor, and leave management with payroll, financial, and personnel data in a single system solution. Managers will be able to navigate global absences while enabling local customization, configure rules and policies, and track absence trends and areas of low productivity. They also have Oracle Mobile Workforce Management (MWM), their highly functional, fully featured smartphone app companion.
Oracle Workforce Management costs from $13/user/month for a minimum of 1000 employees. They offer a free demo.
Pros
- Robust insights on people management metrics
- Automatic tax updates and IRS reporting for payroll processing
- Learning cloud for talent management and learning outcomes
Cons
- Few customizations allowed, must work within configuration
- Sluggish when pulling certain reports
- Can be difficult to alter benefits across departments
5. Fuse Workforce Management – Best self-service scheduling
Fuse Workforce Management is a cloud-based HCM solution with a suite of management features, real-time analytics about your workforce, ACA management tools for compliance, time-tracking and absence systems, and payroll. They boast a marketplace of third-party tools for high customizability. Their self-service scheduling tool stands out, as it is super intuitive, mobile-friendly, and feature-rich. Change and PTO requests can be handled right in the portal.
Fuse Workforce Management costs from $18/user/month and offers a free demo.
Pros
- Variety of detailed, highly customizable reports
- Centralized timeclock, timesheets, and payroll
- Very customization-friendly program
Cons
- Steep learning curve for onboarding
- Open enrollment process can be challenging to follow
- Attendance points system not automatic, must be manually run
6. BlueYonder Workforce Management – Best remote workforce management software
BlueYonder is a workforce management solution with engagement and productivity at the forefront of its design. If you have a full- or partially-remote workforce in today’s day and age, you are going to want a modern, collaborative, user-friendly, and colorful platform like BlueYonder at your fingertips. They have the sleak UX of modern workforce apps while still boasting robust features for skill-based scheduling, volume forecasting, and detailed service reporting.
BlueYonder Workforce Management offers customized pricing upon request.
Pros
- Handles high volumes of transactions well
- Employee portal for personal information, payroll, benefits
- Strong digital fulfillment features
- Good Microsoft Teams integration
Cons
- Integration and label printing require expert set-up
- Unstable Google app version
- Some interface pages are quite clutter/text-heavy
7. Aspect Workforce Management – Best workforce management dashboard
Aspect is an award-winning workforce management solution with omni-channel workforce planning, unlimited staffing “what-if” scenarios, and easy-to-use employee self-service tools. It is compatible with the majority of popular automatic call distributors (ACDs) and routing platforms. As seen in the screenshot, Aspect has an excellent dashboard set-up with crucial and varied information displayed with accessibility and readability in mind.
Aspect Workforce Management offers customized pricing upon request. They offer a free demo.
Pros
- Real-time agent availability tracking
- Easy bulk scheduling and quick changes for scheduling
- Can test proposed schedules against forecasts
- Ability to schedule breaks according to call volume
Cons
- Mobile app interface is a bit outdated
- No way to batch-delete request from inbox
- Poor integration with non-aspect phone systems like Avaya and Cisco
8. SAP SuccessFactors – Best healthcare workforce management software
SAP stands for “Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing” and was founded in 1972 in Walldorf, Germany. Originally specializing in enterprise resource planning, they now do workforce management as well, including features for employee development and internal promotions. Reportedly, 7 out of the top 10 hospitals in the world currently use SAP for workforce management where ongoing learning and lateral movement is useful.
SAP SuccessFactors has solutions that start at $2.18/user and has software packages starting from $1000+/package. The tool offers a free trial.
Pros
- High quality reward and recognition
- Robust career path development tools
- Engaging onboarding portal
Cons
- Busy administrative scenes
- No AI for sourcing candidates
- Limitations to customized rating systems
9. SumTotal Workforce Management – Best workforce learning app
SumTotal Workforce Management allows you to schedule your team according to availability, skill, and role. Managers will be able to make drag-and-drop scheduling changes, track availability and counts, and confirm that certifications and training are current all within the platform. They have a sophisticated system for training and learning management, prompting users who need to update or advance skill sets while keeping managers abreast of progress.
SumTotal Workforce Management offers customized pricing upon request.
Pros
- Gamification and self-motivated learning features
- Good integration with 3rd party applications
- Custom layouts for front page per user
Cons
- License cost is comparatively high
- SaaS status prevent some deeper forms of customization
- More standard report templates would be welcome
10. Paylocity – Best for employee performance management
Paylocity is an HR and payroll provider with reliable solutions for taxes, expenses, recruiting, onboarding, employee development, compensation management, and benefits administration. Their mobile-friendly experience is great for modern employees who want access on-the-go with any smart device. They also gamify performance management, giving it a “social media” feel where users can pass kudos to one another for specific tasks, actions, or behaviors.
Paylocity costs from $45/month plus an added $4/user/month. They offer a free demo.
Pros
- User-friendly, comprehensive PTO tracking
- Good employee onboarding and HRIS functions
- Strong mobile app with identical features to web
Cons
- Reporting is limited to canned reports
- Convoluted interface with some menu overkill
- Sluggish customer service team
Other Workforce Management Software
Here’s a few more that didn’t make the top list.
- Verint Workforce Management – Best contingent workforce management software
- Envoy – Best for hot-desking solutions
- When I work – Best free workforce management software
- WorkForce – Best set of RESTful and SOAP-based APIs
- Ceridian Dayforce – Best workforce management software for retail
- Paycom – Best workforce management mobile app
- Humanity – Best for transportation and delivery
- BambooHR – Best people data and analytics
- UKG – Best workforce management software for construction
- Humi – Best workforce management software for small call centers
- Trakstar – Best succession planning
- Lattice – Best career path and growth plans
- intelliHR – Best employee experience workflows
- 7Geese – Best OKR goal-setting
- Leapsome – Best automated feedback processes
- Ally – Best Slack integration
- Talldesk – Best call center as a service (CCaaS)
- Xerox Team Availability – Best for creatives and marketing
- OpenHRMS – Best open source workforce management software
Similar Software
Workforce management software is similar to these other tools if you’d like to check out the comparison articles on these:
- Staffing software
- Benefits administration software
- Performance management
- Employee management systems and similarly, talent management systems
Which Workforce Management Software Do You Recommend?
What do you think of the workforce management tools on this list? Do you currently use any workforce management systems? What core HR ERP would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments.
Don’t think getting software is quite right for your organization just yet but you still need help with payroll management? Here’s an article on how you can Keep Your Payroll On Time, All The Time.
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