It can be challenging for HR leaders to find the right HR software for their people. Maybe you’ve encountered Personio, an HR platform designed to handle recruitment, payroll, attendance, and other essential HR functions. While its all-in-one functionality is appealing, you might wonder if it meets your team’s needs.
To assist in your decision-making process, we’ll review Personio’s features, pros, and cons, and explore some viable HR software alternatives. Of course, we always recommend conducting your own research before making a final decision.
Note that the opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of HiBob. Readers are always encouraged to conduct their own research before making any decisions.
What is Personio used for?
Personio is an HR software that provides solutions for HR management, talent management, and payroll. The platform is marketed to businesses of all sizes. It’s built to meet the specific needs of the German/DACH market and includes tools to drive employee engagement.
Personio review
Note that the opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of HiBob. Readers are always encouraged to conduct their own research before making a decision.
(The article includes platform features that reflect the information available as of its publishing date.)
Personio key features
- HR management: Handles processes such as onboarding, personnel support, and absence management
- Recruitment: Facilitates applicant tracking, document creation, and candidate communication
- Payroll integration: Automates preliminary payroll processes with options for integrations with external payroll software
- Performance management: Supports feedback and performance review processes
- Analytics and reporting: Provides reports and insights into HR metrics
- Integrations: Connects with over 200 apps
- Whistleblowing: Allows users to anonymously report issues
- Compensation management: Provides visible performance data, salary bands, and built-in guidelines
Pros
- Multiple HR functionalities in one platform
- Customizable to organizational needs
- Customers report the interface to be straightforward
Cons
- “It doesn’t have most of the features I’m used to from previous HR systems”
- “UX is simply far far behind what you’d expect”
- “It makes my job as a manager harder and adds non-value added manual tasks to my role”
Source: These pros and cons are compiled from reviews found on G2.
Personio pricing plans
Personio offers two plans, Core and Core Pro, but does not list pricing details on their website.
Core includes:
- Digital employee file management
- Advanced employee list
- Advanced document management (limited)
- Organizational management
- Creation and management of one legal entity
- Preliminary payroll
- Preliminary payroll app
- Salary management
- Advanced custom reports
- Limited eSignature workflows
- Onboarding and offboarding workflows
- Role-based reminders
- Policies and approval workflows
- Personio marketplace (integrations you can use with Personio)
- Log in with Google single sign-on (SSO)
- Secure login
- Role-based data access control
- Absence management app
- Time and attendance tracking app
- Mobile app
Core Pro includes all of the above, plus:
- Advanced document management (unlimited)
- Creating and managing unlimited legal entities
- Unlimited eSignature workflows
- Log in with open authorization (OAuth)
- Okta and Microsoft Entra ID integrations
- Access to public API
Source: These pricing plans are based on the Personio website and are subject to change.
Personio reviews
True to the published date of this blog, Personio holds a 4.3/5 star ranking from customer reviews on G2.
If you’re interested in a deeper exploration of individual Personio reviews, you can access further details on several review platforms:
Best Personio alternatives
If you’re looking for additional HR software options, here are some great Personio alternatives.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of HiBob. Readers are always encouraged to conduct their own research before making a decision.
Bob
Bob, powered by HiBob, is a dynamic alternative to Personio. HiBob’s award-winning HRIS helps companies streamline HR processes, power business growth, and create a thriving company culture.
HiBob’s HR platform offers unique benefits compared to other vendors:
- Award-winning, modern user interface for both admins and employees
- Built to support global companies with multiple international sites
- Flexible and configurable for companies of 50-5,000+ people
In addition to Core HR, Bob offers social tools to promote employee engagement, facilitate transparent communication, and build a cohesive team environment. HR leaders appreciate Bob’s ease of use, modern design, and configurability.
Key features:
- HRIS management: HR leaders can centralize team member data and streamline HR processes in an all-in-one hub
- Performance management: Teams can foster a culture of growth and recognition by providing continuous feedback with Bob
- Customizable onboarding: Organizations can personalize the onboarding experience to seamlessly integrate new joiners into the company culture
- People Analytics: HR professionals can access powerful analytics to inform strategic decisions and improve workforce planning
- Time and attendance: Managers can efficiently track and manage employee attendance and leave
- Payroll integrations: HR leaders can streamline compensation management and sync with leading payroll platforms globally
- Compensation management: HR teams can use Bob to simplify global compensation processes and increase pay transparency
- Surveys: Leaders can gather valuable feedback from their teams through lifecycle and engagement surveys
Workday HCM
Workday HCM is a human capital management platform. It integrates common HR functions with advanced analytics and reporting tools to provide in-depth insights into workforce management. HR leaders can leverage Workday’s functionality to handle global workforce management, compensation management, and workforce planning.
Key features:
- Human resource management: Supports multiple HR tasks including talent acquisition, benefits administration, and compensation management
- Workforce management: Automate tasks including time, attendance, and absence tracking
- Employee experience management: Provides insights and recommendations to team members
- Analytics and reporting: Generate comprehensive reports to compare data against global and industry benchmarks
- Payroll management: Access continuous processing capabilities for global payroll
- Talent management: Deliver personalized experiences and drive workforce agility with AI- and ML-driven skills intelligence foundation
- Manager insights hub: View insights on ways to promote growth and engagement for teams
(The article includes platform features that reflect the information available as of the publication date.)
Factorial
Factorial handles common HR processes for talent management, document management, recruitment, time and payroll, expenses, and more. The platform offers several integration options and an open API for building custom integrations.
Key features:
- Talent management: Manage talent with a 360-degree feedback system, applicant tracking system, onboarding and offboarding checklists, and employee goal tracking
- Time and payroll: Manage hours, time off requests, shifts, and payroll for accurate salary processing
- Document management: Organize and secure essential HR documents
- Finance: Manage expenses for budgeting and financial planning
- Mobile app: Team members can clock in and sign documents on the go
- HR reports and KPIs: Generate real-time data on workforce and business trends
- Employee portal: Give teams access to all their personal information and documents
(The article includes platform features that reflect the information available as of the publication date.)
BambooHR
BambooHR covers HR system basics like performance management, automating onboarding and offboarding, and team member data. It also includes an employee wellbeing feature that gathers and analyzes feedback from team members.
Key features:
- Performance management: Access 360-degree feedback tools and customizable evaluation questions to support employee growth
- Employee experience management: Share eNPS surveys to generate anonymous employee satisfaction scores and create a community for internal communications
- HR data and reporting: Manage and analyze people data with automated reporting and analytics
- Hiring and onboarding: Use applicant tracking to streamline hiring and customizable onboarding workflows to integrate new hires
- Payroll, time, and benefits: Integrate payroll processing with time tracking, employee benefits management, and PTO tracking
(The article includes platform features that reflect the information available as of the publication date.)
Recommended For Further Reading
Rippling
Rippling offers a different angle on HR software., It integrates HR, IT, and finance management. Its HR Cloud focuses on managing and automating the employee lifecycle. Its IT Cloud handles the organization’s IT efforts, and its Finance Cloud helps teams manage and report spending.
Key features:
- HR management: Automate the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, and handling HR tasks such as compliance and document management
- Performance management: Assess team members with customizable review cycles, questions, and ratings
- Payroll: Hire, pay, and manage people in multiple currencies across different countries
- Talent recruitment: Streamline headcount planning, job posting, onboarding, offboarding, and backfilling
- Time and attendance: Track, review, and approve hours and overtime requests
- Surveys: Conduct surveys to measure employee satisfaction trends
(The article includes platform features that reflect the information available as of the publication date.)
The bottom line on Personio and Personio alternatives
Personio offers an all-in-one system of HR tools that can cater to many businesses. But, it may not fully satisfy your HR team’s goals. It’s important for teams to conduct their own research, attend some demos, and compare platforms to ensure the software aligns with their specific needs.
For organizations looking for an employee-centric experience that focuses on team member satisfaction, consider Bob.
With Bob, you can streamline HR processes like onboarding and offboarding, nurture a positive workplace environment, and tailor the software to meet your unique organizational needs. You can modernize your HR and drive engagement—all in one platform.
