The 10 best employee management software of 2025

Effective workforce management is vital for ensuring operational efficiency, minimizing overtime costs, overseeing team schedules, and tracking performance. This is where employee management software comes in.

The best tools leverage AI to streamline manual tasks and processes, such as forecasting staffing needs and scheduling employees. With the right employee management system, businesses can automate time-consuming tasks, improve productivity, manage costs, and provide better coaching for their teams.

In this guide:

• What is employee management software?
• Employee management software comparison chart
• The 10 best employee management systems
• Features of employee management software
• Benefits of employee management systems
• How to choose the right employee management software
• Frequently asked questions
• Boost productivity with employee management software for CX teams

Employee management software is a solution that streamlines and automates various aspects of managing a workforce. It encompasses a range of tools and features that help businesses handle tasks such as employee scheduling, time tracking, performance evaluation, and absence management. The ultimate goal of this software is to enhance efficiency.

Check out the key features that help users manage the employee experience (EX).

Explore this overview of 10 employee management systems to find the best tool for your team’s needs.

1. Zendesk

Best for managing customer support, call center, and employee service teams

Zendesk WFM is AI-powered employee management software that's user-friendly, quick to implement, and purpose-built for service teams using Zendesk. It seamlessly integrates with Zendesk customer service software, allowing businesses to optimize their operations within a single system. This provides immediate value at a low total cost. Additionally, Zendesk WFM is designed to meet the security and scalability requirements of growing businesses.

Zendesk WFM leverages AI to analyze your historical data to predict staffing needs on any given day, month, or season. This gives managers insight into how many agents they’ll need, when they’ll need them, and what channels they should focus on, reducing overtime costs and lowering customer wait times.

Automated scheduling uses these insights to create schedules complete with lunch, breaks, and the specific support work your agents need to focus on throughout the day. Agents get full visibility into their schedules, too, so everyone is on the same page. For example, they can easily request PTO.

Real-time performance tracking gives managers a clear picture of agent activity throughout the day. With customizable dashboards, they can check attendance, adherence, and performance metrics critical to their operations, enabling them to gauge agent performance against key KPIs.

Zendesk also offers quality assurance (QA) software. Zendesk QA leverages AI to automatically review and score every customer interaction, pinpointing areas where agents excelled or flagging potential shortcomings. This sheds light on interactions that might escalate churn risk or require supervisor intervention. Additionally, AI can identify areas where specific employees might benefit from coaching or additional training.

Features:

• Automatic scheduling
• AI-powered forecasting
• Performance reporting
• Time and attendance tracking
• Absence management
• Learning and development tools
• Self-service tools
• Internal knowledge base
• System integrations
• 360-degree feedback

Pricing: Plans start at $25 per agent/month. 14-day free trial available.

Explore more Zendesk pricing plans.

Advantages

2. monday.com

Best for project management

Work management platform monday.com offers tools for various employee management use cases, including creative and design, marketing, and portfolio management. Key tools include project management features that facilitate task assignment, progress tracking, and deadline management.

The platform allows employees to log their working hours, request time off, and track leave balances. Its visual project boards help managers oversee employee workloads and track performance in real time. Teams can create visual workflows to assign tasks, track progress, and set deadlines.

Features:

• Automatic scheduling
• AI-powered forecasting
• Performance reporting
• Time and attendance tracking
• Absence management
• Learning and development tools
• Self-service tools

Pricing: Paid plans start at $9 per seat/month, billed annually. A free plan for up to two seats is available.

Pros and cons

Recommended reading: Learn how monday.com integrates with Zendesk.

3. 15Five

Best for HR teams managing employee engagement

15Five offers an employee management platform that addresses various aspects of the employee lifecycle. Its weekly check-in feature allows employees to provide regular updates on their progress, challenges, and overall sentiment. The software includes goal-setting and tracking capabilities, enabling employees to set individual objectives aligned with company goals and monitor their progress.

The performance review system facilitates continuous performance evaluations and traditional annual reviews. The platform also supports peer recognition through its High Fives feature. Additionally, 15Five includes tools for employee development, such as personalized growth plans and learning resources.

Features:

• Performance reporting
• Learning and development tools
• Self-service tools

Pricing: Plans start at $4 per user/month, billed annually.

Pros and cons

4. ClickUp

Best for project managers

ClickUp offers project management tools that help marketing, sales, and product development teams manage employees. Key features include customizable task boards and workflows that allow managers to assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress. Additionally, ClickUp provides time tracking, enabling employees to log their hours directly within the platform.

The platform integrates features such as real-time chat, comment threads on tasks, and document sharing. ClickUp allows for creating profiles and storing employee data, including contact details, documents, and performance reviews. ClickUp also supports goal setting and performance tracking, letting managers set objectives and measure progress against them.

Features:

• Automatic scheduling
• Performance reporting
• Time and attendance tracking
• Self-service tools

Pricing: Paid plans start at $7 per user/month, billed annually. A free plan with limited storage is available.

Pros and cons

Recommended reading: Learn how ClickUp integrates with Zendesk.

5. BambooHR

Best for employee experience management

BambooHR is a cloud-based HR platform. Its personnel tracking tools enable HR teams to maintain employee records, including personal information, employment history, and performance reviews. BambooHR also facilitates recruitment and onboarding through its applicant tracking system, allowing HR teams to manage job postings, applications, and candidate communications.

Its self-service tools allow employees to update their personal information, request time off, and access company policies and documents. HR teams can also use the payroll feature to track hours and file taxes. Additionally, the platform supports benefits administration, helping organizations manage employee health insurance and retirement plans.

Features:

• Performance reporting
• Time and attendance tracking
• Absence management
• Learning and development tools
• Self-service tools

Pricing: Contact BambooHR for pricing.

Pros and cons

6. Lattice

Best for employee engagement surveys

Lattice offers employee engagement and performance management tools for HR teams. Its features include setting goals, tracking progress, and providing feedback. Managers can administer engagement surveys to gauge employee sentiment and help them build development plans.

Lattice also lets managers set objectives for teams and individuals, integrating them across platforms for better visibility. Lattice provides businesses with templates that assist with goal-setting, policy writing, and one-on-one meetings.

Features:

• Performance reporting
• Time and attendance tracking
• Learning and development tools
• Self-service tools

Pricing: Plans start at $4 per person/month, billed annually.

Pros and cons

7. Rippling

Best for automating payroll

Rippling provides HR management software that can automate certain aspects of workforce administration. Its payroll management system automates payroll calculations, tax filings, and direct deposits. Meanwhile, its learning management system can assign courses and remind employees of due dates. The recruiting tool syncs the business’s applicant tracking system with other applications to automate updates.

Another aspect of Rippling is its time and attendance tracking capabilities. The platform allows employees to clock in and out, request time off, and track their working hours. This data integrates directly with payroll so employees receive accurate compensation for hours worked.

Features:

• Performance reporting
• Time and attendance tracking
• Absence management
• Learning and development tools
• Self-service tools

Pricing: Plans start at $8 per user/month.

Pros and cons

Recommended reading: Learn how Rippling integrates with Zendesk.

8. Deel

Best for international payroll

Deel is a human resources information system (HRIS) that facilitates global workforce management. Its international payroll management system helps businesses pay employees and contractors across different countries. This system handles multi-currency payments, tax compliance, and local labor laws. Additionally, Deel provides contract management tools that help create, store, and manage employment contracts.

The platform allows companies to offer and manage a variety of benefits packages tailored to different countries, ensuring employees receive competitive and compliant benefits regardless of their location. The platform also includes a time-off management system, enabling employees to request leave and track their vacation days while providing managers with an overview of team availability.

Features:

• Forecasting
• Performance reporting
• Time and attendance tracking
• Absence management
• Learning and development tools
• Self-service tools

Pricing: Paid plans start at $19 per employee/month. A free plan is available.

Pros and cons

9. Connecteam

Best for task management

Connecteam software provides a range of staff management tools. One of its key functionalities is its task management system, which allows managers to assign tasks, track progress, and set deadlines. Additionally, Connecteam provides forms and checklists in a mobile app so teams can keep track of progress on the go.

The employee scheduling platform enables managers to create and distribute work schedules, taking into account employee availability and shift preferences. Connecteam also includes time tracking and attendance management tools, allowing employees to clock in and out, track work hours, and manage their attendance records directly within the app.

Features:

• Automatic scheduling
• Performance reporting
• Time and attendance tracking
• Absence management
• Learning and development tools
• Self-service tools

Pricing: Paid plans start at $29 per month, billed annually. A free plan and a 14-day free trial are available.

Pros and cons

10. Paycor

Best for employee onboarding

Paycor provides HR and payroll solutions to businesses. Its payroll management system automates payroll calculations, tax filings, and direct deposits. Additionally, Paycor provides benefits administration tools that enable organizations to manage employee benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and other perks.

It also has tools for applicant tracking, onboarding, and performance management throughout the employee lifecycle. Paycor’s performance management tools facilitate goal setting, performance reviews, and feedback processes, enabling managers to align individual performance with organizational goals. Moreover, Paycor’s reporting and analytics features provide insights into workforce trends, compliance metrics, and payroll analytics.

Features:

• Automatic scheduling
• Labor forecasting
• Performance reporting
• Time and attendance tracking
• Absence management
• Learning and development tools
• Self-service tools

Pricing: Contact Paycor for pricing.

Pros and cons

Staff management software typically provides tools that streamline processes and improve team productivity. Important features can include:

• AI-powered forecasting: Machine learning algorithms analyze historical data to predict staffing needs. For example, Zendesk WFM tells you how many agents you’ll need, when you’ll need them, and what channels they should focus on. This allows businesses to proactively adjust staffing levels.
• Automatic scheduling: With the right employee management solution, users can automatically create schedules that account for breaks and the specific work your employees must prioritize throughout the day, saving managers from manually building schedules.
• Performance reporting: Gain visibility into team performance to spot inefficiencies and wins across teams and individual employees. The data can be presented in customizable dashboards or reports to identify areas of improvement and track goals. For instance, customer service team managers can use employee management software to analyze data from customer interactions to inform how they deploy which agents and where.
• Time and attendance tracking: Cloud-based systems allow employees to clock in and out remotely. Managers can gain real-time insights into employee hours worked and breaks taken to comply with labor laws.
• Absence management: Employees can submit vacation requests, sick leave notices, or personal time off electronically through the system. Managers can then review employee leave requests, maintain proper staffing levels, and electronically approve or deny time off.
• Learning and development tools: Employee management software with QA tools enables teams to identify training opportunities and share actionable feedback with employees based on data-backed insights to help remove bias.
• Self-service tools: Employees get visibility into their schedules and can take ownership of tasks like requesting time off and submitting shift swaps, reducing the need for micromanagement and freeing up managers' time. This two-way street also empowers managers to share updates, track team progress on projects, and provide real-time feedback.

By incorporating these features, employee management software unlocks benefits to enhance your operations. We'll dive into a few below.

Employee management software offers numerous benefits that enhance the organization's efficiency, effectiveness, and overall performance. Here are some common benefits:

• Increased efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks such as forecasting staffing needs, tracking employee performance, and scheduling teams saves time for managers and employees while minimizing manual errors.
• Enhanced employee experience: Building more effective employee schedules helps reduce understaffing, which creates a better experience. Additionally, recognizing employees for great work and developing their skill sets increases employee satisfaction. Software company Rentman, for example, leverages Zendesk QA to conduct peer-based reviews and gather 360-degree feedback. Colleagues use these sessions to share their appreciation and learn from one another.
• Streamlined collaboration: Providing employees with clear schedule visibility allows them to collaborate more effectively with managers and colleagues. For instance, employees can easily request shift swaps and understand their performance, knowing when they are excelling or when they might need assistance.
• Reduced costs: Improved accuracy in timekeeping and avoiding scheduling errors help ensure teams are optimally staffed and managed while minimizing the burden placed on admin. This also contributes to savings by avoiding overstaffing costs and unnecessary overtime.

Organizations can create a more efficient and engaging workplace and experience these benefits using employee management software.

Managing a workforce effectively is next to impossible without the right tools. Here are some steps you can take to select the most suitable software:

• Determine your use case and goals: Knowing your needs upfront allows you to compare features that directly address your challenges. For instance, managers overseeing service teams may need software built for CX, while HR teams may need it to manage payroll.
• Assess its ease of use: A complex system can delay your time to value, hinder adoption, and discourage employees from using its features. An intuitive, user-friendly interface enables employees to navigate the system effortlessly, resulting in quicker onboarding and increased productivity.
• Ensure it’s scalable: Needs evolve along with your growth, so your employee management system must accommodate a larger workforce, handle increased data demands, and offer advanced workforce management tools.
• Evaluate its security: Strong security measures like encryption, multi-factor authentication, and access controls ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive employee data. This mitigates the risk of data breaches, protects employee privacy, and fosters trust within your organization.
• Prioritize integrations: When an employee management system connects with other tools, it ensures the seamless flow of data, avoiding manual data entry, reducing errors, and breaking down data silos. For instance, Zendesk WFM natively integrates with our other CX tools, reducing implementation efforts and service costs and keeping agents in one place rather than navigating to multiple tools throughout the day.

By carefully evaluating features and considering factors like usability, integration, and scalability, you can choose the right staff management software that best supports your goals.