16 HR Tools Every HR Manager Needs

What are HR tools?

HR tools are digital solutions that streamline managing and optimizing HR tasks and the overall goals of the business. Modern systems are often cloud-based, use subscriptions and can easily integrate with other data management programs as well as be customized to a business’s goals and budget.

HR tools automate tasks that would otherwise take considerable time and administrative effort from an HR professional. Whether they’re providing recruiting services or streamlining communication efforts, HR tools allow professionals to focus more on employee engagement and less on tedious, time-consuming administrative work.

16 helpful HR tools for HR managers

Here are 16 tools every HR manager needs to know about.

HR tools for recruiting, hiring and onboarding

Recruiting, hiring and onboarding tools assist HR managers in recruiting top talent and then automating the hiring and onboarding process — all in one platform.

Here are some examples of recruiting, hiring and onboarding tools:

• Bambee: Bambee provides businesses with a dedicated HR manager. These managers will then recruit, hire and onboard employees. They also take on other tasks such as administrative paperwork, audits, training and employee development. The employee’s manager is able to monitor and approve processes directly on the platform. Learn more in our full review of Bambee.
• GoCo: GoCo assists businesses in automating the hiring and onboarding process. It helps optimize and organize paperwork while creating custom approaches, with add-on features like payroll and leave monitoring. Learn more in our full review of GoCo.
• Appcast: Appcast uses programmatic technology to advertise job listings. The tool assists businesses in finding the right candidates for their job descriptions. A dedicated Appcast team lists open positions on multiple job boards and websites they believe the most qualified candidates will be on. The software pulls data from these candidates to ensure they’re the right fit for your business’s needs.

HR tools for tracking time and attendance

Time- and attendance-tracking tools are usually used in congruence with other HR applications, such as top online payroll services, to keep track of each employee’s hours and attendance in compliance with labor laws.

Here are some of the best time- and attendance-tracking software solutions:

• OnTheClock: This software takes only a few minutes to set up and use. OnTheClock’s unique selling feature is using GPS location to see where your employees are clocking in and out. It also reduces the risk of time theft by using fingerprint technology when employees clock in at certain locations.
• When I Work: When I Work’s scheduling tools are best suited for restaurants and retail businesses where employees do shift work. Employees have the ability to clock in and out via their mobile devices, while you are able to set time for meals and breaks. This tool also tracks time worked in accordance with time scheduled and gives the option to allow employees to swap shifts via the app. Learn more in our full review of When I Work.
• TimeClick: This tool is beneficial to businesses that want to store their data on their own servers and don’t need an online service. TimeClick’s system shows you who’s currently on site and how long they’ve worked. With different one-time price points, TimeClick doesn’t require the monthly fees most other time and attendance tools use. The platform also includes multiple reports that you can customize to fit your business.
• Clockify: Clockify has a forever-free plan that will suit the majority of a small business’s needs. The software interfaces with over 80 web applications, including Salesforce and has the option to integrate with over 2,900 applications via Zapier. Clockify also has a timer feature that allows managers or HR teams to track how long remote workers are online. Learn more in our full review of Clockify.

HR tools for surveys

Survey HR tools are helpful for gathering feedback from employees. HR teams and leadership can use that data to analyze employee satisfaction, create employee training programs or dedicate time to building a better corporate culture from the answers received.

Here are a few examples of survey HR tools:

• Google Forms: Google Forms is a free tool to gather information, with built-in basic survey question formats. Simply drag and drop the questions into the empty survey wireframe, customize the color and share the link with your team. Google Forms’ reporting gives the creator an answer dashboard for quick insights as well.
• 15Five: This tool’s calling card is all in its name — employees complete a survey from a manager in 15 minutes and the manager then takes five minutes to review. Whether you manage multiple teams or need feedback from the entire company, 15Five allows the creation of segmented teams to send customized surveys on a case-by-case basis. Beyond quick surveys, the platform provides a continuous performance management system with several tools to facilitate communication and goal tracking.
• Workleap Officevibe: This tool gathers employee satisfaction data as well as possibilities for improving a team’s efficiency. It offers a place for employees to discuss the answers to surveys sent out and creates reports that can be shared across an organization. Workleap Officevibe also has a custom polling option to monitor a team’s stance on certain projects or assignments.

HR tools for productivity

HR tools for productivity allow teams to manage their time and tasks efficiently. Here are a few examples:

• Asana: This tool houses all tasks in one place. Whether you prefer a list or calendar view, you can achieve both personal and professional organization through Asana. Track your team’s progress through boards or create a new task list for a particular project. This tool also allows you to prioritize tasks, swap files and assign duties.
• Evernote: Evernote syncs all your notes on all devices, no matter where the original note was written. You can also share these notes with your colleagues or employees and set reminders for yourself based on the contents of a note. With the bonus of a search feature, scrambling through loose papers, notebooks and napkins is a stressor of the past.
• Calendly: Calendly is a scheduling tool that syncs your calendar to a web-based appointment application. By sharing your personal link with others, you eliminate back-and-forth schedule emails and let meeting invitees choose the day and time that works best for them — and the system avoids double-booking. This is a great tool for HR specialists who need to interview dozens of candidates.

HR tools for communication

With an increasingly remote environment, communication between you and your employees is essential to running a successful business. Communication HR tools allow you to keep in touch with everyone in the organization and help uphold company culture.

Here are a few examples of communication HR tools:

• Slack: This tool is often used to replace email communications. You can create groups within your organization — called channels — dedicated to a specific project, department or team. Slack’s chat and direct messaging functions allow for easy communication.
• SnapComms: This multicommunication platform makes it impossible for employees to miss an important notification with its desktop alert or full-screen takeover feature. SnapComms ensures all critical messages are sent to employees across their devices.
• Internal weekly email or digest: Depending on your organization’s needs and size, you may not need a dedicated communication platform. A simple email with important information, including company updates, changes and communications, goes a long way in engaging employees. Weekly digests are a free and easy way to relay information and reminders. To make the emails seem important, limit sending to once a month or once a quarter so employees don’t immediately hit “delete.”

Benefits of using HR tools

Stephen Kohler, CEO of Audira Labs, can’t overstate the importance of HR tools to his operations: “The most impactful tools are those which save time, drive efficiency and maximize productivity for the employee and the organization overall.”

Improved efficiency

HR tools take tiresome data-entry tasks from HR professionals and automate them so that human error is virtually nonexistent. This increases efficiency, streamlines productivity and reduces time spent on tasks, such as finding basic employee information or entering data from a spreadsheet. “HR software can reduce manual workload and allow HR specialists to use their time for more important initiatives,” said Justina Raskauskiene, HR lead at Omnisend.

Reduced bias in hiring

Beyond increasing efficiency, HR tools can also reduce or even eliminate unconscious bias in the hiring process. Sofia Lyateva, chief marketing officer at nPloy, explained that artificial intelligence (AI)-powered systems can help remove identifiers such as name, gender and age to ensure that every candidate is evaluated solely on skills and merit. “This not only fosters diversity and inclusion in the initial stage of the hiring process but also leads to faster and better hiring outcomes,” explained Lyateva.

Using HR tools to reduce bias can also strengthen your employer brand, as it showcases a commitment to fair and equitable hiring practices, according to Lyateva. “This ultimately leads to higher retention and better long-term business growth,” she added.

Easy access to important information

When you use HR tools, heavy files and memorizing important codes become tasks of the past. HR management-system software allows HR professionals to easily access employee information and data that monitor employee trends, communication efforts and employee status.

“The largest benefit of having a comprehensive [HR] system is making sure that your data is stored in one place, under a data architecture that is prebuilt and intended to work across multiple HR processes and can be accessed in a similar manner by other systems,” said Lydia Wu, founder and creator of Oops, Did I Think That Out Loud.

Increased ability to monitor paid time off (PTO), absences and leave

Instead of countless emails or a chaotic shared calendar, HR tools allow professionals to better monitor PTO, absences and leave requests. These tools also have the ability to track an employee’s availability, the amount of leave they have allocated and can even automate the administrative task of booking holiday allowances.

Better data for reporting and analysis

Data allows HR professionals to figure out what is and isn’t working within the company, even regarding employee engagement. With tools, such as HR management system software, an HR team can monitor trends such as employee satisfaction and performance to identify what needs to be improved, often in real time.

What to consider when choosing HR tools

With so many HR tools available for various use cases, you must consider your choices carefully to ensure your tech stack works for your organization. Here are a few key features to look for in any HR solution:

• Ease of use: According to Wu, HR tools shouldn’t just be easy for the HR department to use; they should also be user-friendly enough for managers and employees, who often use HR tools on the front end. If you’re seeking a tool for recruitment and hiring, Lyateva added, you should also consider the end-user experience for any prospective job candidates applying on the platform.
• Time-saving features: While exact functions will vary based on your HR department’s needs, any solution should save your HR team time and streamline their workflows. For Raskauskiene’s organization, this includes self-service functionality and automation of repetitive tasks like document prep and signing. For recruitment and hiring HR tools, Lyateva recommended looking for platforms with candidate matching, advanced filtering capabilities and streamlined communication tools.
• Integration capabilities: “Rarely do HR teams run on a single software provider anymore, so most solutions have to integrate with some other solution in the HR or overall IT ecosystem to work,” explained Wu. To avoid issues down the line, she added, research your HR tool’s integration approach and assets to see if they can “play nice” in your existing tech stack.
• Data security: Since many HR tools contract with third-party providers, it’s crucial to understand who is handling your data and what is being done with it. Wu encourages HR leaders to look into any solution’s compliance with privacy and data security measures, especially in the era of AI and large language models.
• Scalability: As your organization grows, so will your HR department’s needs. Raskauskiene emphasized the importance of finding a highly scalable solution “so [you] don’t have to think about constant upgrades and workarounds.”
• Customer service: Especially for more complex and comprehensive tools, you may need a support team to get everything set up — and to provide support should things go awry. When evaluating a potential HR solution, Wu advised asking about the customer support process and options. “You don’t want a solution with an amazing sales team and a horrendous post-sale support team,” she said.

Once you’ve identified your HR team’s needs and the capabilities of each of your prospective solutions, cross-reference your lists to see which tools meet your “must-haves” while also aligning with available resources. Consider your budget and any upfront time and human capital investment to ensure your solution can be implemented as intended.

Don’t be afraid to ask around if you’re still trying to narrow your options. Customer reviews, as well as recommendations from other businesses, can provide insight into what your experience may be like. “My advice for selecting the right HR tool is gathering recommendations from companies that are already using it and learning about the issues they might be having, before making a decision,” said Raskauskiene.

While a thorough research and vetting process may seem daunting, it’s ultimately time well spent if you find a solution that will increase efficiency and productivity across your organization.

Danielle Fallon-O’Leary contributed to this article. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.